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 ;).
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.’
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.
And nowadays Israel hold fast to the well through the symbolism of the precepts of the Torah, as when each day every Israelite performs the precept of the fringes in which he envelops himself, and of the phylacteries which he puts on his head and on his arm. All these have a deep symbolism, since God is found in the man who crowns himself with the phylacteries and envelops himself in the fringes.
Hence, whoever does not envelop himself in the latter, nor crown himself with the former each day to invigorate himself in faith, makes it appear as though faith does not dwell within him, and fear of his Master has departed from him, and so his prayer is not as it should be. Hence our ancestors strengthened themselves in the true faith in digging the well, symbolic of the supernal well, which is the abode of the mystery of perfect faith.’
(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 ;).
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.’
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.
וְהַשְׁתָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְתַּקָּפוּ בֵּיהּ בְּרָזֵי דְּפִקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, כְּגוֹן דְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא אִתְתַּקַּף בַּר נָשׁ בְּצִיצִית דְּאִיהוּ מִצְוָה, וּבַר נָשׁ אִתְעַטַּף בֵּיהּ. הָכִי נָמֵי בִּתְפִלֵּי דְּמַנַּח אֲרֵישֵׁיהּ וּבִדְרוֹעֵיהּ, דְּאִינוּן רָזָא עִלָּאָה כְּדְקָא חָזֵי. בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִשְׁתַּכַּח בֵּיהּ בְּבַר נָשׁ דְּאִתְעַטַּר בֵּיהּ בִּתְפִלּוֹי וְאִתְעַטַּף בַּצִּיצִית, וְכֹלָּא רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה.
And nowadays Israel hold fast to the well through the symbolism of the precepts of the Torah, as when each day every Israelite performs the precept of the fringes in which he envelops himself, and of the phylacteries which he puts on his head and on his arm. All these have a deep symbolism, since God is found in the man who crowns himself with the phylacteries and envelops himself in the fringes.
וְעַל דָּא, מַאן דְּלָא אִתְעַטַּף בְּהַאי, וְלָא אִתְעַטַּר לְאִתְתַּקָּפָא בִּתְפִלֵּי בְּכָל יוֹמָא. דָּמֵי לֵיהּ דְּלָא שַׁרְיָא עִמֵּיהּ מְהֵימְנוּתָא, וְאִתְעֲדֵי מִנֵּיהּ דְּחִילוּ דְּמָארֵיהּ, וּצְלוֹתֵיהּ לָאו צְלוֹתָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אֲבָהָן הֲווּ מִתְתַּקְפֵי גּוֹ מְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה, בְּגִין דְּבֵירָא עִלָּאָה דְרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא שַׁרְיָא בֵּיהּ.
Hence, whoever does not envelop himself in the latter, nor crown himself with the former each day to invigorate himself in faith, makes it appear as though faith does not dwell within him, and fear of his Master has departed from him, and so his prayer is not as it should be. Hence our ancestors strengthened themselves in the true faith in digging the well, symbolic of the supernal well, which is the abode of the mystery of perfect faith.’