שמות רבה מ״דShemot Rabbah 44

Section 1א׳

זְכֹר לְאַבְרָהָם, פָּתַח רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא בַּר אַבָּא (תהלים פ, ט): גֶּפֶן מִמִּצְרַיִם תַּסִּיעַ, לָמָּה נִמְשְׁלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְגֶפֶן אֶלָּא מָה הַגֶּפֶן כְּשֶׁבְּעָלֶיהָ מְבַקְּשִׁין שֶׁתַּשְׁבִּיחַ מָה הֵם עוֹשִׂין עוֹקְרִין אוֹתָהּ מִמְּקוֹמָהּ וְשׁוֹתְלִין אוֹתָהּ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר וְהִיא מַשְׁבַּחַת, כָּךְ כֵּיוָן שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהוֹדִיעַ יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעוֹלָם, מֶה עָשָׂה, עֲקָרָן מִמִּצְרַיִם וֶהֱבִיאָן לַמִּדְבָּר וְהִתְחִילוּ מַצְלִיחִים שָׁם, וְהִתְחִילוּ מְקַבְּלִין הַתּוֹרָה וְאוֹמְרִים (שמות כד, ז): כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע, וְיָצָא לָהֶם שֵׁם בָּעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל טז, יד): וַיֵּצֵא לָךְ שֵׁם בַּגּוֹיִם בְּיָפְיֵךְ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, גֶּפֶן מִמִּצְרַיִם, אַתָּה מְפַרְנֵס כָּל אוֹתָן הַדֵּעוֹת הָאֲמוּרוֹת בּוֹ (בראשית מ, ט): וְהִנֵּה גֶּפֶן לְפָנָי, גֶּפֶן מִמִּצְרַיִם תַּסִּיעַ, וּבַסּוֹף אַתָּה מְפַרְנֵס, מָה הַגֶּפֶן הִיא חַיָּה וְנִשְׁעֶנֶת עַל עֵצִים מֵתִים, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם חַיִּים וְקַיָּמִים וְנִשְׁעָנִין עַל הַמֵּתִים, אֵלּוּ הָאָבוֹת. וְכֵן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא כַּמָּה תְּפִלּוֹת הִתְפַּלֵּל אֵלִיָּהוּ בְּהַר הַכַּרְמֶל שֶׁתֵּרֵד הָאֵשׁ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (מלכים א יח, לז): עֲנֵנִי ה' עֲנֵנִי, וְלֹא נַעֲנָה, אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִזְכִּיר אֶת הַמֵּתִים וְאָמַר (מלכים א יח, לו): ה' אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיִשְׂרָאֵל, מִיָּד נַעֲנָה, מַה כְּתִיב (מלכים א יח, לח): וַתִּפֹּל אֵשׁ ה'. וְכֵן משֶׁה בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעָשׂוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹתוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה עָמַד וְלִמֵּד עֲלֵיהֶם זְכוּת אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לַיְלָה, וְלֹא נַעֲנָה, אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִזְכִּיר אֶת הַמֵּתִים מִיָּד נַעֲנָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: זְכֹר לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל, מַה כְּתִיב (שמות לב, יד): וַיִּנָּחֶם ה' עַל הָרָעָה, הֱוֵי כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהַגֶּפֶן הַזֹּאת חַיָּה וְנִשְׁעֶנֶת עַל עֵצִים מֵתִים, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל חַיִּים וְנִשְׁעָנִים עַל הָאָבוֹת כְּשֶׁהֵם מֵתִים, הֱוֵי: זְכֹר לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל.

“Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You took an oath by Yourself and spoke to them: I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens, and this entire land that I said I will give to your descendants, they will inherit it forever” (Exodus 32:13). “Remember Abraham” – Rabbi Tanḥuma bar Abba began: “You transported a vine from Egypt” (Psalms 80:9). Why is Israel likened to a vine? Just as a vine, when its owners want it to improve, what do they do? They uproot it from its place and plant it elsewhere, and it improves. So too, when the Holy One blessed be He sought to make Israel known to the world, He uprooted them from Egypt and brought them to the wilderness, and they began thriving there. They began receiving the Torah and saying: “Everything that the Lord spoke we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). Their renown went forth in the world, as it is stated: “Your renown went forth among the nations for your beauty” (Ezekiel 16:14). Another matter: “A vine from Egypt” – You provide support for all the opinions stated in its regard: “Behold, a vine was before me” (Genesis 40:9), “You transported a vine from Egypt”; ultimately You provide support. Just as this vine is alive and rests on dead branches, so too, Israel is alive and endures, and rests on the deceased; these are the patriarchs. Likewise, you find that Elijah recited many prayers on Mount Carmel so the fire would descend, just as it says, “Answer me, Lord, answer me” (I Kings 18:37); but he was not answered. However, once he mentioned the deceased and said: “Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel” (I Kings 18:36), he was immediately answered. What is written? “The fire of the Lord descended” (I Kings 18:38). Likewise, Moses: when Israel performed that act, Moses stood and pleaded in their favor for forty days and forty nights, but he was not answered. However, once he mentioned the deceased he was immediately answered, as it is stated: “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.” What is written? “The Lord reconsidered the evil” (Exodus 32:14). That is, just as this vine is alive and rests on dead branches, so too, Israel is alive and endures, and rests on the patriarchs, who are deceased. That is, “remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.”

Section 2ב׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר, זְכֹר לְאַבְרָהָם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (קהלת ד, ב): וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת הַמֵּתִים שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ, כְּנֶגֶד מִי אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה מִקְרָא זֶה, רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי וְרַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן, רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר לֹא אֲמָרוֹ אֶלָּא כְּנֶגֶד דָּוִד אָבִיו, כֵּיצַד, אַתָּה מוֹצֵא כְּשֶׁבָּנָה שְׁלֹמֹה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הִתְפַּלֵּל לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים שֶׁתֵּרֵד הָאֵשׁ וְלֹא נַעֲנָה, אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִזְכִּיר אֶת הַמֵּת דָּוִד אָבִיו מִיָּד נַעֲנָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים ב ו, מב): זָכְרָה לְחַסְדֵי דָּוִיד עַבְדֶּךָ, מִיָּד (דברי הימים ב ז, א): וּכְכַלּוֹת שְׁלֹמֹה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶל ה' וְהָאֵשׁ יָרְדָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה שְׁלֹמֹה שֶׁהִזְכִּיר אוֹתָן תְּפִלּוֹת וְלֹא נַעֲנָה וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהִזְכִּיר דָּוִד אָבִיו מִיָּד יָרְדָה, הִתְחִיל אוֹמֵר: וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת הַמֵּתִים שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ מִן הַחַיִּים אֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה חַיִּים עֲדֶנָּה, עַל עַצְמוֹ אֲמָרוֹ, וְרַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן אָמַר עַל משֶׁה אֲמָרוֹ, כֵּיצַד, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה משֶׁה עוֹמֵד וּמִתְפַּלֵּל אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לַיְלָה עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיִּמְחֹל לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל אוֹתוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁעָשׂוּ וּמַזְכִּיר זְכוּתוֹ, וְלֹא הָיָה הָאֱלֹהִים מִתְרַצֶּה לָהֶם, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהִזְכִּיר אֶת הַמֵּתִים מִיָּד נַעֲנָה, מַה כְּתִיב אַחֲרָיו: וַיִּנָּחֶם ה', הֱוֵי: וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת הַמֵּתִים מִן הַחַיִּים, זֶה משֶׁה.

Another matter: “Remember Abraham” – that is what is written: “I praise the dead who have already died” (Ecclesiastes 4:2). Corresponding to whom did Solomon say this verse? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi and Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: He said it only corresponding to David, his father. How so? You find that when Solomon built the Temple, he prayed before God that the fire would descend, but he was not answered. However, once he mentioned the deceased, David his father, he was immediately answered, as it is stated: “Remember the kindness of David Your servant” (II Chronicles 6:42). Immediately, “When Solomon concluded praying” (II Chronicles 7:1) to the Lord, “the fire descended from the heavens” (II Chronicles 7:1). When Solomon saw that he mentioned those prayers and was not answered and once he mentioned David his father, it immediately descended, he began saying: “I praise the dead who are already dead, more than the living who are still alive” (Ecclesiastes 4:2). He said it in his own regard. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: He said it regarding Moses. How so? When he saw that Moses had stood in prayer for forty days and forty nights on behalf of Israel so that the Holy One blessed be He would pardon them for that act that they performed, and he had mentioned their merit but God would not be reconciled, yet once he mentioned the deceased he was immediately answered; what is written thereafter? “The Lord reconsidered” (Exodus 32:14). That is, “I praise the dead who have already died” – this is Moses.

Section 3ג׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר, זְכֹר לְאַבְרָהָם, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב (משלי יא, כא): יַָד לְיָד לֹא יִנָּקֶה רָע, אָמַר רַבִּי פִּנְחָס הַכֹּהֵן בֶּן חָמָא, אִם עָשִׂיתָ מִצְוָה אַל תְּבַקֵּשׁ מַתַּן שְׂכָרָהּ מִיָּד לְיָד, לָמָּה, שֶׁלֹא תִנָּקֶה, שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה מִתְנַקֶּה מֵעֲוֹנוֹתֶיךָ וְרָשָׁע אַתָּה נִקְרָא, שֶׁלֹא בִקַּשְׁתָּ לְהַנְחִיל לְבָנֶיךָ כְּלוּם, שֶׁאִלּוּ בִּקְשׁוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל מִצְוֹת שֶׁעָשׂוּ, הֵיאַךְ הָיָה (משלי יא, כא): זֶרַע צַדִּיקִים נִמְלָט, הֵיאַךְ הָיָה מַזְכִּיר זְכֹר לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל, מִיָּד וַיִּנָחֶם ה', הֱוֵי: יָד לְיָד לֹא יִנָּקֶה רָע.

Another matter: “Remember Abraham” – that is what is written: “From hand to hand, evil will not be absolved” (Proverbs 11:21). Rabbi Pinḥas HaKohen ben Ḥama said: If you performed a mitzva, do not request to be given reward from one hand to another. Why? Because you “will not be absolved,” as you will not be absolved from your iniquities, and you will be called wicked, as you did not seek to bequeath anything to your children. Had Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob asked to be given their reward for the mitzvot they performed, how would it have been that “the descendants of the righteous will escape” (Proverbs 11:21)? How could he have mentioned, “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel”? Immediately, “The Lord reconsidered” (Exodus 32:14). That is, “From hand to hand, evil will not be absolved.”