בראשית רבה פ״בBereshit Rabbah 82

Section 1א׳

וַיֵּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶל יַעֲקֹב (בראשית לה, ט), כְּתִיב (תהלים פו, יז): עֲשֵׂה עִמִּי אוֹת לְטוֹבָה, מְדַבֵּר בְּדָוִד וּמִתְקַיֵּם בְּיַעֲקֹב, אוֹת עַל שֵׁם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית לא, ח): אִם כֹּה יֹאמַר עֲקֻדִּים יִהְיֶה שְׂכָרֶךָ וגו'. (תהלים פו, יז): יִרְאוּ שׂנְאַי, זֶה עֵשָׂו וַאֲלוּפָיו. (תהלים פו, יז): עֲזַרְתַּנִּי, בַּצָּרָה שֶׁל שְׁכֶם, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית לה, ה): וַיְהִי חִתַּת אֱלֹהִים עַל הֶעָרִים, (תהלים פו, יז): וְנִחַמְתָּנִי, בְּבִרְכַּת אֲבֵלִים.

“God appeared to Jacob again, upon his arrival from Padan Aram, and He blessed him” (Genesis 35:9). “God appeared to Jacob.” It is written: “Show me a sign for good, [so that those who hate me will see it and be shamed, for You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me]” (Psalms 86:17) – it is speaking of David but was fulfilled in Jacob. “A sign” – on the basis of what is stated: “If he said this: The speckled will be your wages [then all the flocks bore speckled]” (Genesis 31:8). “Those who hate me will see it” (Psalms 86:17) – this is Esau and his chieftains. “Have helped me” (Psalms 86:17) – with the trouble of Shekhem, as it is written: “The dread of God was upon the cities” (Genesis 35:5). “And comforted me” (Psalms 86:17) – with the blessing of the mourners.

Section 2ב׳

כְּתִיב (תהלים כד, ג ה): מִי יַעֲלֶה בְהַר ה' וּמִי יָקוּם וגו' נְקִי כַפַּיִם וגו' יִשָּׂא בְרָכָה מֵאֵת ה' וגו'. כְּתִיב (ירמיה לא, כב): כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת עוֹד יֹאמְרוּ יְבָרֶכְךָ ה' נְוֵה צֶדֶק הַר הַקֹּדֶשׁ וגו', כְּתִיב (משלי כח, כ): אִישׁ אֱמוּנוֹת רַב בְּרָכוֹת, זֶה יַעֲקֹב, (משלי כח, כ): וְאָץ לְהַעֲשִׁיר לֹא יִנָּקֶה, זֶה עֵשָׂו. כְּתִיב (משלי י, כב): בִּרְכַּת ה' הִיא תַעֲשִׁיר, וְאָץ לְהַעֲשִׁיר לֹא יַעֲשִׁיר אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן, אֶלָּא לֹא יִנָּקֶה, זֶה עֵשָׂו הָרָשָׁע שֶׁנִּתְחַתֵּן בִּיהוּדִית וּבָשְׂמַת וּמַחֲלַת לְהַרְבּוֹת עשֶׁר, שֶׁאֵין לוֹ נִקּוּי עוֹלָמִים. כְּתִיב (יואל ד, כא): וְנִקֵּיתִי דָמָם לֹא נִקֵּיתִי וגו', הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (עמוס א, יא): עַל רָדְפוֹ בַחֶרֶב אָחִיו וְשִׁחֵת רַחֲמָיו. (בראשית לה, ט): וַיֵּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶל יַעֲקֹב עוֹד בְּבֹאוֹ, רַבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח (שמות כ, כב): מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים תַּעֲשֶׂה לִי, וַהֲרֵי דְבָרִים קַל וָחֹמֶר וּמָה אִם זֶה שֶׁבָּנָה מִזְבֵּחַ לִשְׁמִי הֲרֵי אֲנִי נִגְלָה עָלָיו וּמְבָרְכוֹ, יַעֲקֹב שֶׁאִיקוֹנִין שֶׁלּוֹ קְבוּעָה בְּכִסְאִי עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. וַיֵּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶל יַעֲקֹב, רַבִּי לֵוִי פָּתַח (ויקרא ט, ד): וְשׁוֹר וָאַיִל לִשְׁלָמִים וגו', וַהֲרֵי דְבָרִים קַל וָחֹמֶר וּמַה זֶּה שֶׁהִקְרִיב אַיִל לִשְׁמִי הֲרֵי אֲנִי נִגְלָה עָלָיו וּמְבָרְכוֹ, יַעֲקֹב שֶׁאִיקוֹנִין שֶׁלּוֹ קָבוּעַ בְּכִסְאִי עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. וַיֵּרָא אֱלֹהִים (דברים כח, ו): בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה בְּבֹאֶךָ וּבָרוּךְ אַתָּה בְּצֵאתֶךָ, בְּבוֹאוֹ לְבֵית חָמִיו נִטְעַן בְּרָכוֹת, (בראשית כח, ג): וְאֵל שַׁדַּי יְבָרֵךְ אֹתְךָ, וּבְצֵאתוֹ מִבֵּית חָמִיו נִטְעַן בְּרָכוֹת, וַיֵּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶל יַעֲקֹב. (ישעיה מד, כו): מֵקִים דְּבַר עַבְדּוֹ וַעֲצַת מַלְאָכָיו יַשְׁלִים, רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר מִשֶּׁמֵּקִים דְּבַר עַבְדּוֹ אֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִין שֶׁעֲצַת מַלְאָכָיו יַשְׁלִים, אֶלָּא מַלְאָךְ אֶחָד נִגְלָה עַל יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ וְאָמַר לוֹ עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהִגָּלוֹת עָלֶיךָ בְּבֵית אֵל וּלְהַחֲלִיף אֶת שִׁמְךָ וַאֲנִי עָתִיד לַעֲמֹד שָׁם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (הושע יב, ה): בֵּית אֵל יִמְצָאֶנוּ וְשָׁם יְדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ, יְדַבֵּר עִמְּךָ אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן, אֶלָּא וְשָׁם יְדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ, וְנִגְלָה עָלָיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְקַיֵּם דְּבָרָיו שֶׁל מַלְאָךְ, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁכָּל הַנְּבִיאִים מִתְנַבְּאִים עָלֶיהָ, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה שֶׁיְקַיֵּם דִּבְרֵי נְבִיאָיו.

It is written: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand…? He who has clean hands…. He will receive the blessing from the Lord…” (Psalms 24:3–5). It is written: “So said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: They will again say…the Lord will bless you, abode of righteousness, mountain of sanctity…” (Jeremiah 31:23). It is written: “A man of faith will abound with blessings” (Proverbs 28:20) – this is Jacob. “And one who hastens to become rich will not be absolved” (Proverbs 28:20) – this is Esau. It is written: “The blessing of the Lord, it will enrich” (Proverbs 10:22). “And one who hastens to become rich will not become rich” is not written here, but rather, “will not be absolved” – this is the wicked Esau, who married Yehudit, Basmat, and Maḥalat in order to increase wealth; he will never be cleansed. It is written: “I will cleanse; their blood I will not cleanse” (Joel 4:21) – that is what is written: “For his pursuit of his brother with the sword; and suppressing his mercy” (Amos 1:11). “God appeared to Jacob again, upon his arrival.” Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “You shall craft for Me a stone altar…[I will come to you and I will bless you]” (Exodus 20:21) – the matters can be derived a fortiori: If one who crafts an altar to My name, I appear to him and bless him, Jacob, whose image is fixed on My throne, all the more so. “God appeared to Jacob.” Rabbi Levi began: “And a bull and a ram for a peace offering…[for today the Lord shall appear to you” (Leviticus 9:4) – the matters can be derived a fortiori: If one who sacrifices a ram to my name, I appear to him and bless him, Jacob, whose image is fixed on My throne, all the more so. “God appeared” – “Blessed are you upon your arrival, and blessed are you upon your departure” (Deuteronomy 28:6). Upon his arrival at his father-in-law’s house, he was laden with blessings: “May God Almighty bless you…” (Genesis 28:3), and upon his departure from his father-in-law’s house, he was laden with blessings: “God appeared to Jacob…[and He blessed him].” “Who confirms the word of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers” (Isaiah 44:26) – Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Levi: When He “confirms the word of his servant,” do we not know that He “fulfills the counsel of His messengers”? It indicates that one angel appeared to Jacob our patriarch and said to him: ‘The Holy One blessed be He is destined to appear to you in Beit El and change your name, and I am destined to be standing there.’ That is what is written: “In Beit El He will find us and there He will speak with us” (Hosea 12:5) – “will speak with you” is not written here, but rather, “there He will speak with us.” The Holy One blessed be He appeared to him to fulfill the angel’s words; [and for] Jerusalem, in whose regard all the prophets prophesy, all the more so that He will fulfill the words of His prophets.

Section 3ג׳

וַיֵּרָא אֱלֹהִים עוֹד, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲנִינָא אָמַר עוֹד כְּבָרִאשׁוֹנָה, מָה רִאשׁוֹנָה עַל יְדֵי מַלְאָךְ אַף הַשְּׁנִיָּה עַל יְדֵי מַלְאָךְ. אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה עוֹד אֵינִי מְיַחֵד שְׁמִי עַל בְּרִיָּה אֶלָּא עָלֶיךָ וְלֹא עַל אַחֵר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ו, ג): וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב, וְלֹא אַחֵר עִמָּם. אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן עוֹד פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת אֲנִי נִגְלָה עָלֶיךָ, וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתוֹ, מַה בְּרָכָה בֵּרְכוֹ, רַבִּי אַסֵּי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן אָמַר בִּרְכַּת אֲבֵלִים בֵּרְכוֹ.

“God appeared…again” – Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: “Again” – as it was initially. Just as initially, it was by means of an angel, so, too, the second [time] was by means of an angel. Rabbi Berekhya said: [God said:] ‘I will not associate My name with any person again; only with you and not with another, as it is stated: “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob” (Exodus 6:3), and there is no other with them.’ Rabbi Yudan said: “Again” – I will appear to you another time. “And He blessed him” – with what blessing did He bless him? Rabbi Asi said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: He blessed him with the blessing of the mourners.