בראשית רבה פ״דBereshit Rabbah 84

Section 4ד׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב וגו', אַבְרָהָם גִּיֵּר גִּיּוּרִים, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית יב, ה): וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם אֶת שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ, אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן זִמְרָא אִם מִתְכַּנְסִין כָּל בָּאֵי הָעוֹלָם לִבְרֹאת אֲפִלּוּ יַתּוּשׁ אֶחָד אֵינָן יְכוֹלִין, וְאַתְּ אוֹמֵר (בראשית יב, ה): וְאֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן, אֶלָּא אֵלּוּ הַגֵּרִים שֶׁגִּיֵּר אוֹתָם אַבְרָהָם, וְלָמָּה אָמַר עָשׂוּ, וְלֹא אָמַר גִּיְּרוּ, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁהוּא מְקָרֵב אֶת הַגֵּר כְּאִלּוּ בְּרָאוֹ. תֹּאמַר אַבְרָהָם הָיָה מְגַיֵּר וְשָׂרָה לֹא הָיְתָה מְגַיֶּרֶת, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וְאֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן, אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ. אָמַר רַבִּי חוּנְיָא אַבְרָהָם הָיָה מְגַיֵּר אֶת הָאֲנָשִׁים וְשָׂרָה מְגַיֶּרֶת אֶת הַנָּשִׁים, וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ, אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ מַכְנִיסָן לְתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ וּמַאֲכִילָן וּמַשְׁקָן וּמְקָרְבָן וּמַכְנִיסָן תַּחַת כַּנְפֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה. יַעֲקֹב גִּיֵּר גִּיּוּרִים, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית לה, ב): וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל בֵּיתוֹ וגו' וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶל יַעֲקֹב וגו', בְּיִצְחָק לֹא שָׁמַעְנוּ, וְהֵיכָן שָׁמַעְנוּ, רַבִּי יִצְחָק וְתָאנֵי לָהּ מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָא רַבָּה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר סִימוֹן, כָּאן כְּתִיב: וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו, מַאי מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו מִגִּיּוּרֵי אָבִיו.

Another matter: “Jacob settled…” – Abraham converted proselytes. That is what is written: “Abram took Sarai his wife…[and the people that they had made in Ḥaran]” (Genesis 12:5). Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra: Were all who entered the world to assemble, they would be unable to create even a small gnat, and you say: “And the people that they had made in Ḥaran”? Rather, these are the proselytes that Abraham converted. Why, then, did it say “made” and did not say “converted”? It is to teach you that anyone who draws a proselyte near, it is as though he created him. Lest you say that Abraham was converting [proselytes] and Sarah was not converting [them], the verse states: “And the people that they had made in Ḥaran.” It is not written here, “That he had made,” but rather, “that they had made.” Rabbi Ḥunya said: Abraham would convert the men, and Sarah would convert the women. Why does the verse state: “That they had made”? It teaches that Abraham would bring them into his house, feed them, give them to drink, draw them near, and bring them under the wings of the Divine Presence. Jacob, too, converted proselytes, as it is written: “Jacob said to his household, [and to all who were with him: Remove the foreign gods that are in your midst, and purify yourselves].… They gave to Jacob [all the foreign gods that were in their possession]” (Genesis 35:2, 4). In Isaac’s regard we have not heard. Where did we hear? Rabbi Yitzḥak said, and some taught it in the name of Rabbi Hoshaya Rabba in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon: Here it is written: “Jacob settled in the land of his father’s residence.” What is [the meaning of] “his father’s residence [megurei]”? Those whom his father converted [migiyurei].

Section 5ה׳

מַה כְּתִיב לְמַעְלָה מִן הָעִנְיָן (בראשית לו, לא): וְאֵלֶּה הַמְּלָכִים וגו', וּכְתִיב הָכָא וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב, אָמַר רַבִּי חוּנְיָא מָשָׁל לְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְרָאָה כַּתְּ שֶׁל כְּלָבִים וְנִתְיָרֵא מֵהֶם וְיָשַׁב לוֹ בֵּינֵיהֶם. כָּךְ כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה אָבִינוּ יַעֲקֹב עֵשָׂו וְאַלּוּפָיו נִתְיָרֵא מֵהֶם וְיָשַׁב לוֹ בֵּינֵיהֶם. אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי מָשָׁל לְנַפָּח שֶׁהָיָה פָּתוּחַ בְּאֶמְצַע פְּלַטְיָא, וּפֶתַח בְּנוֹ זֶהָבִי פָּתוּחַ כְּנֶגְדוֹ, וְרָאָה חֲבִילוֹת חֲבִילוֹת שֶׁל קוֹצִים וְנִכְנְסוּ לַמְּדִינָה, אָמַר, אָנָה יִכָּנְסוּ כָּל הַחֲבִילוֹת הַלָּלוּ, וְהָיָה שָׁם פִּקֵּחַ אֶחָד, אָמַר לוֹ מֵאֵלּוּ אַתָּה מִתְיָרֵא גֵּץ אֶחָד יוֹצֵא מִשֶּׁלְּךָ וְגֵץ אֶחָד מִשֶּׁל בִּנְךָ וְאַתָּה שׂוֹרְפָן. כָּךְ כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה אָבִינוּ יַעֲקֹב עֵשָׂו וְאַלּוּפָיו נִתְיָירֵא, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵאֵלּוּ אַתָּה מִתְיָרֵא גֵּץ אֶחָד מִשֶּׁלְּךָ וְגֵץ אֶחָד מִשֶּׁל בִּנְךָ וְאַתֶּם שׂוֹרְפִים אוֹתָם כֻּלָּם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (עובדיה א, יח): וְהָיָה בֵית יַעֲקֹב אֵשׁ וּבֵית יוֹסֵף לֶהָבָה, וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב. כָּךְ אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים (בראשית לז, ב): אֵלֶּה תֹּלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף, הַתּוֹלָדוֹת הַלָּלוּ לֹא בָּאוּ אֶלָּא בִּזְכוּתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף וּבִשְׁבִילוֹ, כְּלוּם הָלַךְ יַעֲקֹב אֵצֶל לָבָן אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל רָחֵל, הַתּוֹלָדוֹת הַלָּלוּ הָיוּ מַמְתִּינוֹת עַד שֶׁנּוֹלַד יוֹסֵף, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית לז, ב): וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה רָחֵל אֶת יוֹסֵף, כֵּיוָן שֶׁנּוֹלַד שִׂטְנוֹ שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע (בראשית ל, כה): וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל לָבָן שַׁלְחֵנִי וְאֵלְכָה. מִי מוֹרִידָן לְמִצְרַיִם, יוֹסֵף. מִי מְכַלְכְּלָן, יוֹסֵף. הַיָּם לֹא נִקְרַע אֶלָּא בִּזְכוּתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים עז, יז): רָאוּךָ מַיִם אֱלֹהִים רָאוּךָ מַיִם יָחִילוּ, (חבקוק ג, י): נָתַן תְּהוֹם קוֹלוֹ, (תהלים שם, טז): גָּאַלְתָּ בִּזְרוֹעַ עַמֶּךָ בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב וְיוֹסֵף, אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אַף הַיַּרְדֵּן לֹא נִקְרַע אֶלָּא בִּזְכוּתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב, כָּךְ אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים לֹא נֶהֱנָה יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ מִמּוֹשָׁב עַד שֶׁגָּר בִּמְגוּרֵי אֲבוֹתָיו, וְאֵיזוֹ זוֹ, זוֹ אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן שֶׁשָּׁם גָּר יִצְחָק אָבִיו. דָּבָר אַחֵר, מְגוּרֵי בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא מָאתָן וְחַמְשִׁין וְתֵשַׁע, מִיּוֹם שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאַבְרָהָם (בראשית טו, יג): יָדֹעַ תֵּדַע עַד שָׁעָה שֶׁנִּתְיַשֵּׁב יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו.

What is written prior to this matter? “These are the kings [who reigned in the land of Edom before the reign of a king for the children of Israel]” (Genesis 36:31). And here it is written: “Jacob settled” – Rabbi Ḥunya said: This is analogous to one who was walking on the way and saw a pack of dogs. He was afraid of them and he sat in their midst. So, when our patriarch Jacob saw Esau and his chieftains, he feared them and settled in their midst. Rabbi Levi said: This is analogous to a blacksmith whose [forge] was open to a plaza, and his son, a goldsmith, opened opposite him. He saw many bundles of thorns being brought into the city. He said: ‘Where will all these bundles be stored?’ There was a certain clever man there. He said to him: ‘Are you afraid of these? One spark will emerge from your [forge] and one spark from your son’s, and you will burn them.’ So, when Jacob saw Esau and his chieftains, he was afraid. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Are you afraid of these? One spark from you and one spark from your son will burn all of them. That is what is written: “The house of Jacob will be fire, and the house of Joseph a flame” (Obadiah 1:18) – “Jacob settled.” “This is the legacy of Jacob. Joseph, seventeen years old, was herding the flock with his brothers, and he was a lad with the sons of Bilha, and with the sons of Zilpa, his father’s wives; Joseph brought evil report of them to their father” (Genesis 37:2). So said the Sages: “This is the legacy [toledot] of Jacob, Joseph” – all of these offspring [toladot] resulted only due to the merit of Joseph and because of him. Did Jacob not go to Laban only for Rachel? All these offspring were waiting until Joseph was born. That is what is written: “It was, when Rachel bore Joseph” (Genesis 30:25) – when the rival of that wicked one was born, “Jacob said to Laban: Release me, and I will go” (Genesis 30:25). Who caused them to descend to Egypt? Joseph. Who supported them? Joseph. The sea was split only due to the merit of Joseph. That is what is written: “The waters saw You, God; the waters saw You and were frightened” (Psalms 77:17); “the depths sounded its voice” (Habakkuk 3:10); “with Your arm, You redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph” (Psalms 77:16). Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Shimon said: The Jordan, too, split only due to the merit of Joseph. Another matter: “Jacob settled” – so said the Sages: Jacob our patriarch did not enjoy settlement until he resided in his father’s residence. Which is that? It is the land of Canaan, as it was there that his father, Isaac, resided. Another matter: The numerical value of “residence [megurei]” is two hundred and fifty-nine – [corresponding to the years] from the day that the Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: “Know [that your descendants shall be strangers in a land that is not theirs]” (Genesis 15:13) – until the time that Jacob our patriarch settled in the land of his father’s residence [megurei].