AND I SHALL MAKE THEE A GREAT NATION, ETC. “I shall make thee”, in compensation for “get thee gone”; AND I SHALL BLESS THEE, in compensation for “from my land”; AND I WILL MAKE GREAT THY NAME, in compensation for ‘and from thy kindred’; AND BE A BLESSING, in compensation for “and from thy father’s house”.
R. Simeon said: “I shall make thee a great nation”; from the side of the Right; “and I shall bless thee”, from the side of the Left; “and I shall make great thy name”, from the realm of the Centre; “and be thou a blessing”, from the side of the Land of Israel. Here we have an allusion to the throne resting on four supports, all of which were comprised in Abram. From this point blessings are transmitted to others also, who are sustained from here, as it is written, I SHALL BLESS T HEM THAT BLESS THEE, AND CURSE THEM THAT CURSE THEE, AND ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED IN THEE.
וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָדוֹל וְגו' וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ, בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב לֶךְ לְךָ. וַאֲבָרַכֶךָּ, בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב מֵאַרְצְךָ. וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ, בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ. וְהְיֵה בְּרָכָה, בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ.
AND I SHALL MAKE THEE A GREAT NATION, ETC. “I shall make thee”, in compensation for “get thee gone”; AND I SHALL BLESS THEE, in compensation for “from my land”; AND I WILL MAKE GREAT THY NAME, in compensation for ‘and from thy kindred’; AND BE A BLESSING, in compensation for “and from thy father’s house”.
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָדוֹל מִסִּטְרָא דְּיָמִינָא. וַאֲבָרַכֶךָּ מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ מִסִּטְרָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא. וְהְיֵה בְּרָכָה מִסִּטְרָא דְאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל. הָא הָכָא כֻּרְסְיָיא דְּאַרְבַּע סָמְכִין דְּכֻלְהוּ כְּלִילָן בֵּיהּ בְּאַבְרָהָם, מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה בִּרְכָאן לְאַחֲרִינֵי דְּמִתְּזְנֵי מֵהָכָא דִּכְתִיב וַאֲבָרְכָה מְבָרַכֶיךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ אָאוֹר וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ כֹּל מִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאֲדָמָה.
R. Simeon said: “I shall make thee a great nation”; from the side of the Right; “and I shall bless thee”, from the side of the Left; “and I shall make great thy name”, from the realm of the Centre; “and be thou a blessing”, from the side of the Land of Israel. Here we have an allusion to the throne resting on four supports, all of which were comprised in Abram. From this point blessings are transmitted to others also, who are sustained from here, as it is written, I SHALL BLESS T HEM THAT BLESS THEE, AND CURSE THEM THAT CURSE THEE, AND ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED IN THEE.