R. Isaac then began his discourse on the verse: AND ISAAC WAS FORTY YEARS OLD WHEN HE TOOK REBEKAH ETC. ‘The number “forty” here’, he said, ‘has an esoteric significance, to wit, that Isaac when he took Rebekah comprised in himself the union of North and South and fire and water. Further, as the rainbow exhibits three colours, green, white, and red, so Rebekah was three years old when Isaac took her; and he begat offspring when he was sixty years old, this being a ripe age for producing a child like Jacob who should be endowed with all good qualities, according to God’s design.
THE DAUGHTER OF BETHUEL THE ARAMEAN, OF PADAN-ARAM, THE SISTER OF LABAN THE ARAMEAN. Why all these details, seeing that it has already been stated: “And Bethuel begat Rebekah etc.”? (Gen. 22, 23). It is to emphasise the fact that although she was brought up among sinful people, being the daughter of Bethuel, and a native of Padan-Aram, and the sister of Laban the Aramean, and thus came from a wicked environment, yet she did not follow their ways, but distinguished herself in good and righteous deeds.
Here a difficulty arises. If we could say that Rebekah was then twenty years old or more, or even thirteen years old, then we could indeed commend her for not imitating the conduct of her surroundings; but since, as previously said, she was only a child of three years, how can we ascribe to her any merit on this account?’ R. Judah said in reply: ‘Though she was but three years old, she had shown her character by what she did for Abraham’s servant.’
R. Isaac rejoined: ‘In spite of all that she had done for him, one could not yet say positively that her character was really good. But we learn this from another source. It is written, “As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters” (S. S. 2, 2). The lily may be taken as symbolic of the Community of Israel, which in the midst of its multitudes resembles a rose among thorns. But there is a more esoteric explanation of the verse, as follows. Isaac was derived from the side of Abraham, who was the embodiment of supernal grace (Hesed), and acted graciously towards all creatures, though he himself represented the attribute of severity. Rebekah, on the other hand, originated from the side of severity, but broke away from her kith and kin and joined Isaac; and in spite of her origin, she was of a mild disposition and gracious bearing, so that in the midst of the severity which characterised Isaac she was “as a lily among thorns”. And if not for her gentleness the world would not have been able to endure the severity inherent in Isaac. In this manner God constantly mates couples of opposing natures, one, for example, of a stern with one of a mild type, so that the world preserves its balance.’
פָּתַח רַבִּי יִצְחָק וְאָמַר. (בראשית כ״ה:י״ט-כ׳) וַיְהִי יִצְחָק בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה בְּקַחְתּוֹ אֶת רִבְקָה וְגו'. בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, אַמַּאי אֲתָא לְמִמְנֵי הָכָא דְּהֲוָה בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה כַּד נָסִיב לָהּ לְרִבְקָה, אֶלָּא וַדַּאי הָא אִתְכְּלִיל יִצְחָק בְּצָפוֹן וְדָרוֹם, בְּאֶשָׁא וּמַיָּא, וּכְדֵין הֲוָה יִצְחָק בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה בְּקַחְתּוֹ אֶת רִבְקָה. כְּמַרְאֶה הַקֶּשֶׁת, יָרוֹק חִוַּור סוּמָק. בַּת שָׁלשׁ שָׁנִים אָחִיד בָּהּ, כַּד אָחִיד בָּהּ בְּרִבְקָה. וְכַד אוֹלִיד, אוֹלִיד בֶּן שִׁשִׁים, לְאוֹלָדָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת בְּגִין דְּיִפוּק יַעֲקֹב שָׁלֵם, מִבֶּן שִׁשִׁים שָׁנָה כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, וְכֻלְּהוּ אָחִיד לְהוּ יַעֲקֹב לְבָתַר, וְאִתְעֲבִיד גְּבַר שְׁלִים.
R. Isaac then began his discourse on the verse: AND ISAAC WAS FORTY YEARS OLD WHEN HE TOOK REBEKAH ETC. ‘The number “forty” here’, he said, ‘has an esoteric significance, to wit, that Isaac when he took Rebekah comprised in himself the union of North and South and fire and water. Further, as the rainbow exhibits three colours, green, white, and red, so Rebekah was three years old when Isaac took her; and he begat offspring when he was sixty years old, this being a ripe age for producing a child like Jacob who should be endowed with all good qualities, according to God’s design.
בַּת בְּתוּאֵל הָאֲרַמִּי מִפַּדַּן אֲרָם אֲחוֹת לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי, מַאי אִכְפַּת לָן כּוּלֵי הַאי, דְּהָא כְּבָר אִתְּמָר (בראשית כ״ד:כ״ד) וּבְתוּאֵל יָלַד אֶת רִבְקָה וְגו', וְהַשְׁתָּא אָמַר בַּת בְּתוּאֵל הָאֲרַמִּי וּלְבָתַר מִפַּדַן אֲרָם, וּלְבָתַר אֲחוֹת לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי. אֶלָּא אוּקְמוּהָ, דְּהֲוַת בֵּין רְשָׁעִים וְאִיהִי לָא עָבְדַת כְּעוֹבָדַיְיהוּ, דְּהֲוַת בַּת בְּתוּאֵל וּמִפַּדַן אֲרָם, וַאֲחוֹת לָבָן, וְכֻלְּהוּ חַיָּיבִין לְאַבְאָשָׁא, וְהִיא סָלְקָא עוֹבָדִין דְּכָשְׁרָן וְלָא עֲבָדַת כְּעוֹבָדַיְיהוּ.
THE DAUGHTER OF BETHUEL THE ARAMEAN, OF PADAN-ARAM, THE SISTER OF LABAN THE ARAMEAN. Why all these details, seeing that it has already been stated: “And Bethuel begat Rebekah etc.”? (Gen. 22, 23). It is to emphasise the fact that although she was brought up among sinful people, being the daughter of Bethuel, and a native of Padan-Aram, and the sister of Laban the Aramean, and thus came from a wicked environment, yet she did not follow their ways, but distinguished herself in good and righteous deeds.
הַשְׁתָּא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא, אִי רִבְקָה הֲוַת בַּת עֶשְׂרִין שְׁנִין אוֹ יַתִּיר, אוֹ בַּת שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה, כְּדֵין הוּא שְׁבָחָא דִילָהּ דְּלָא עָבְדַת כְּעוֹבָדַיְיהוּ, אֲבָל עַד כְּעָן בַּת שָׁלשׁ שָׁנִים הֲוַת, מַאי שְׁבָחָא דִילָהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּת שָׁלשׁ שָׁנִים הֲוַת, וְעָבִידַת לְעַבְדָא כָּל הַהוּא עוֹבָדָא.
Here a difficulty arises. If we could say that Rebekah was then twenty years old or more, or even thirteen years old, then we could indeed commend her for not imitating the conduct of her surroundings; but since, as previously said, she was only a child of three years, how can we ascribe to her any merit on this account?’ R. Judah said in reply: ‘Though she was but three years old, she had shown her character by what she did for Abraham’s servant.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אַף עַל גַּב דְּכוּלַי הַאי עָבְדַת, לָא יְדַעְנָא עוֹבָדָהָא אִי אִינוּן כְּשֵׁרָאן אוֹ לָאו. אֶלָּא, תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב, (שיר השירים ב׳:ב׳) כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים כֵּן רַעֲיָתִי בֵּין הַבָּנוֹת. כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִיהִי בֵּין אוּכְלוּסָהָא כְּוַרְדָּא בֵּין כּוּבִין. וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה, יִצְחָק אָתֵי מִסִּטְרָא דְאַבְרָהָם דְּאִיהוּ חֶסֶד עִלָּאָה וְעֲבִיד חֶסֶד עִם כָּל בִּרְיָין, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא. וְרִבְקָה אָתַת מִסִּטְרָא דְדִינָא קַשְׁיָא וְאִסְתַּלְּקַת מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ וְאִתְחַבְּרַת בְּיִצְחָק, דְּהָא רִבְקָה מִסִּטְרָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא אַתְיָא, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהִי מִסִּטְרָא דְדִינָא רַפְיָא הֲוַת, וְחוּטָא דְחֶסֶד תָּלֵי בָּהּ וְיִצְחָק דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא וְאִיהִי רַפְיָא, כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים הֲווּ. וְאִי לָאו דְּאִיהִי רַפְיָא, לָא יָכִיל עַלְמָא לְמִסְבַּל דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא דְיִצְחָק. כְּגַוְונָא דָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְזַוֵּוג זִוּוּגִין בְּעַלְמָא, חַד תַּקִּיף וְחַד רַפְיָא בְּגִין לְאִתְתַּקָּנָא כֹּלָּא וְיִתְבַּסֵּם עָלְמָא.
R. Isaac rejoined: ‘In spite of all that she had done for him, one could not yet say positively that her character was really good. But we learn this from another source. It is written, “As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters” (S. S. 2, 2). The lily may be taken as symbolic of the Community of Israel, which in the midst of its multitudes resembles a rose among thorns. But there is a more esoteric explanation of the verse, as follows. Isaac was derived from the side of Abraham, who was the embodiment of supernal grace (Hesed), and acted graciously towards all creatures, though he himself represented the attribute of severity. Rebekah, on the other hand, originated from the side of severity, but broke away from her kith and kin and joined Isaac; and in spite of her origin, she was of a mild disposition and gracious bearing, so that in the midst of the severity which characterised Isaac she was “as a lily among thorns”. And if not for her gentleness the world would not have been able to endure the severity inherent in Isaac. In this manner God constantly mates couples of opposing natures, one, for example, of a stern with one of a mild type, so that the world preserves its balance.’