זוהר, תולדות י״גZohar, Toldot 13

Segment 1א׳

(בראשית כ״ו:י״א) וַיְצַו אֲבִימֶלֶךְ אֶת כָּל הָעָם לֵאמֹר הַנּוֹגֵעַ בָּאִישׁ הַזֶּה וּבְאִשְׁתּוֹ מוֹת יוּמָת. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה אוֹרִיךְ לְהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְרַשִּׁיעַיָּיא, בְּגִין הַהוּא טִיבוּ דְּעֲבַד עִם אֲבָהָן קַמָּאי. דְּהָא בְּגִין דָּא לָא שַׁלִּיטוּ בְּהוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד לְבָתַר דָּרִין בַּתְרָאִין. יָאוֹת עֲבַד אֲבִימֶלֶךְ, דְּעֲבַד טִיבוּ עִם יִצְחָק, דְּאָמַר לֵיהּ (בראשית כ׳:ט״ו) הִנֵּה אַרְצִי לְפָנֶיךָ בַּטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ שֵׁב.

AND ABIMELECH CHARGED ALL THE PEOPLE, SAYING: HE THAT TOUCHETH THIS MAN OR HIS WIFE SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH. Observe how long a respite God gave to this wicked people for the sake of the kindness that Abimelech showed to Israel’s first ancestors. It was on this account that Israel could not touch them till many generations had elapsed. Abimelech thus did well to show kindness to Abraham in saying to him: “Behold my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee” (Gen. 20, 1 ;).

Segment 2ב׳

רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, חֲבַל עֲלַיְיהוּ דְּרַשִּׁיעַיָּיא, דְּטִיבוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן לָאו אִיהוּ שְׁלִים, תָּא חֲזֵי, עֶפְרוֹן בְּקַדְמִיתָא אָמַר, (בראשית כ״ג:י״א) אֲדוֹנִי שְׁמָעֵנִי הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לָךְ וְהַמְעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ לְךָ נְתַתִּיהָ וְגו'. וּלְבָתַר אָמַר, (בראשית כ״ג:י״א) אֶרֶץ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שֶׁקֶל כֶּסֶף וְגו', וּכְתִיב (בראשית כ״ג:ט״ז) וַיִּשְׁקוֹל אַבְרָהָם לְעֶפְרוֹן וְגו', עוֹבֵר לַסּוֹחֵר. אוּף הָכָא, כְּתִיב בְּקַדְמִיתָא, הִנֵּה אַרְצִי לְפָנֶיךָ וְגו'. וּלְבָתַר אָמַר לוֹ, (בראשית כ״ו:ט״ז) לֵךְ מֵעִמָּנוּ כִּי עָצַמְתָּ מִמֶּנּוּ מְאֹד. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, דָּא הוּא טִיבוּ דְּעֲבַד עִמֵּיהּ, דְּלָא נְסִיב מִדִּילֵיהּ אֲבִימֶלֶךְ כְּלוּם, וְשַׁדְּרֵיהּ בְּכָל מָמוֹנֵיהּ, וּלְבָתַר אֲזַל בַּתְרֵיהּ, לְמִגְזַר עִמֵּיהּ קְיָים.

R. Judah said: ‘Woe to the wicked who when they do a kindness never do it perfectly. Ephron, for instance, first said to Abraham: “Nay, my lord, hear me: the field I give thee and the cave that is therein, I give it thee, etc.” (Gen. 23, 11). But later on he said: “A piece of land worth four hundred shekels, etc.” (Ibid. 15); and then we read: “And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver… current money with the merchant” (Ibid. I6). Similarly here, at first Abimelech said: “He that toucheth this man, etc”, but later on he said, “Go from us, for thou art much mightier than we” (Gen. 26, 16).’ R. Eleazar said to R. Judah: ‘Abimelech’s kindness to him consisted in his not taking anything from him, and sending him away with all his possessions intact, and then going after him to make a covenant with him.’

Segment 3ג׳

וְאֲמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, יָאוֹת עֲבַד יִצְחָק, דְּהָא בְּגִין דְּיָדַע רָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא, אִשְׁתַּדַּל וְחָפַר בֵּירָא דְמַיִין, בְּגִין לְאִתְתַּקְפָא בִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. וְכֵן אַבְרָהָם אִשְׁתַּדַּל וְחָפַר בֵּירָא דְמַיָא (וכן יצחק), יַעֲקֹב אַשְׁכַּח לֵיהּ מִתְתַּקַּן, וְיָתִיב עֲלֵיהּ וְכֻלְּהוּ אֲזְלוּ בַּתְרֵיהּ, וְאִשְׁתַּדָּלוּ בְּגִין לְאִתְתַּקְפָא בִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת.

AND ISAAC DIGGED AGAIN THE WELLS, ETC. R. Eleazar said: ‘In digging these wells Isaac acted fittingly, for he discerned from his knowledge of the mysteries of Wisdom that in this way he could attach himself more firmly to his faith. Abraham likewise made a point of digging a well of water. Jacob found the well already prepared for him, and he sat down by it. Thus they all looked for a well and strove through it to preserve their faith pure and undiminished.