Bereishit Rabba 47 Core texts Use with https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/514705

(1) "God said..., 'Sarai your wife...'" In Proverbs (12:4), it is written, "A woman of valor is a crown to her husband." Rabbi Aha said, "Her husband was crowned through her, but she was not crowned through her husband." Our rabbis taught that she ruled over her husband. In all places, the man gives orders, but here (Genesis 21:12), "In all that Sarah orders you, listen to her voice." Said Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Korcha: 'The Yud that the Holy One of Blessing took from Sarai was given half to Sarah, and half to Avraham.

Said Rabbi Shime'on Bar Yochai: The Yud that the Holy One of Blessing took from Sarai flew and posted itself in front of the Throne of the Holy One, and said: 'Master of the Universe! Because I am the smallest letter You took me out of the name of Sarai the Righteous!! The Holy One said: In the past you were in the name of a woman, and in the end of the name! Now I will put you in the name of a man, and on the beginning of the name, as it is written 'And Moshe called Hosea Bin Nun Yehoshua' (Numbers 13:16). Said Rabbi Mana: Sarai was just [a princess] for herself, now she will be a princess for all the world.

AND I WILL BLESS HER, AND MOREOVER I WILL GIVE THEE A SON FROM HER; YEA, I WILL BLESS her, etc. (xvn, 16). R. Judah said: This means, And I will bless her, that she should give thee a son; Yea, I will bless her in respect of milk. Said R. Nehemiah to him: Had she then already been informed about her milk? 2 This teaches, however, that God restored to her her youth.

R. Abbahu explained it thus in the name of R. Jose b. R. IJanina: I will inspire all peoples with awe of her, so that they should not call her, 'barren woman/ R. Judan said in the name of Resh Lakish: She lacked an ovary, but the Lord fashioned an ovary for her. And kings of peoples shall be of her. R. IJama b. R. Hanina said : Abraham drew a deduction from this and took back Keturah. 3

Then Abraham fell upon his face (xvii, 17). R. Phinehas said in R. Levi's name: On two occasions did Abraham fall on his face. In consequence, his children were deprived of circumcision, once in the wilderness and once in Egypt. In Egypt, Moses came and circumcised them; in the wilderness, Joshua came and circumcised them. 4

And said in his heart: Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old, etc. R. Judan interpreted: shall a child be born UNTO HIM THAT IS A HUNDRED YEARS OLD? Why [this astonishment]? For, [said he], Shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? A man does not grow aged, but a woman does. 1 When is a woman to be regarded as aged? Said R. Simeon b. Lakish: When she is called ' Mother So-and-So ' and does not mind.

And Abraham said unto God: Oh that Ishmael might live before thee! (xvii, 18). R. Judah said in R. Judan's name: Imagine a king who wished to increase his friend's allowance. ' I intend to double your allowance/ the king informed him. ' Do not fill me with a false hope/ he rejoined; ' pray only that you do not withhold my present allowance! ' Similarly Abraham said, Oh that Ishmael might live before THEE. 2

(5) “And regarding Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him. I will make him fruitful, and I will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation” (Genesis 17:20).
“And regarding Ishmael, I have heard you” – Rabbi Yoḥanan in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥanina: The son of the maidservant may be derived from the son of the mistress.16The translation follows the reading of Matnot Kehuna.

“Behold, I have blessed him” – this refers to Isaac. “I will make him fruitful” – this refers to Isaac. “I will multiply him” – this refers to Isaac.17All the blessings of this verse were directed at Isaac, who was mentioned in the previous verse. “And regarding Ishmael” – I have already heard him [and blessed him] through an angel.18

Rabbi Abba bar Kahana in the name of Rabbi Beiri: Here, the son of the mistress may be derived from the son of the maidservant. “Behold, I have blessed him” – this refers to Ishmael. “I will make him fruitful” – this refers to Ishmael. “I will multiply him” – this refers to Ishmael, and all the more so: “But My covenant I will keep with Isaac.”
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: “All these are the tribes of Israel, twelve” (Genesis 49:28) – these are the descendants of the mistress, but Ishmael would produce only those twelve nesi’im,20As verse 20 states: “Twelve princes [nesi’im] shall he beget.” just as it says: “Clouds [nesi’im], wind, but no rain (Proverbs 25:14).21They are ephemeral and pass by like clouds. But these are tribes [matot], just as it says: “The oaths to the tribes [matot], an enduring word” (Habakkuk 3:9).
“But My covenant I will keep with Isaac, [whom Sarah shall bear you at this designated time [lamo’ed] next year]” – Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Idi – that year was a leap year.22The verse is expounded to mean that Sarah will bear Isaac at the next festival [mo’ed]. The longest interval between festivals is the six months between Sukkot and Passover, but that is not enough time for a pregnancy to come to term. The Midrash explains that that year was a leap year, so there was a seven-month interval between those holidays, long enough for a viable pregnancy.

(6) “He concluded speaking with him, and God ascended from upon Abraham” (Genesis 17:22).
It is taught: One who departs from another person, whether of greater or lesser stature, must take his leave from him. From whom do you derive this? From Abraham. On one occasion,23Genesis 18:1–3. Abraham was speaking with the Holy One blessed be He, when the ministering angels came to speak with him. He said to them: ‘Let me first take my leave from the Divine Presence, which is of greater stature than you, then I will speak with you.’ When he finished saying to the Holy One blessed be He all that he needed [to say], he said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, I must speak [with the angels].’ He said: ‘You may leave in peace.’

. That is what is written: “[He concluded speaking with him,] and God ascended from upon Abraham.”

Reish Lakish said: The patriarchs are themselves the divine chariot, as it is stated: “God ascended from upon Abraham,” “God ascended from upon him,” (Genesis 35:13) “And behold, the Lord stood upon him” (Genesis 28:13).27God is described as being “upon” the Patriarchs.

(7) “Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all those born in his house, and all those purchased with his money, every male among the people of Abraham’s household, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that very day, as God had spoken with him” (Genesis 17:23).
“Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all those born in his house” – Rabbi Aivu said: When Abraham circumcised [the foreskins of] all those born in his house, he stacked them into a mound of foreskins. When the sun shone upon them, they became wormy,28They began to rot. and their odor rose before the Holy One blessed be He like the incense of the spices, and like a burnt offering that is given over completely into the [altar’s] fire.29And is referred to as “a pleasing aroma to the Lord” (Exodus 29:41). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘When the descendants of this man will come to commit transgressions and evil deeds, I will remember this aroma and become filled with mercy for them, and I will take pity on them.’

(8) “Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin” (Genesis 17:24).
“And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin” (Genesis 17:25).
“Abraham was ninety-nine [years] old…” – here, [regarding Abraham], it says: “The flesh of his foreskin [besar orlato].” But there, [regarding Yishmael], it says: “The flesh of his foreskin [et besar orlato].” The explanation is that regarding Abraham, because his organ had been softened by means of a woman,

Regarding Ishmael, whose organ had not been softened by means of a woman, it is written: “Et besar orlato.”33It was necessary to remove the remaining membrane as well.

(7) “Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all those born in his house, and all those purchased with his money, every male among the people of Abraham’s household, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that very day, as God had spoken with him” (Genesis 17:23).
“Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all those born in his house” – Rabbi Aivu said: When Abraham circumcised [the foreskins of] all those born in his house, he stacked them into a mound of foreskins. When the sun shone upon them, they became wormy, and their odor rose before the Holy One blessed be He like the incense of the spices, and like a burnt offering that is given over completely into the [altar’s] fire

. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘When the descendants of this man will come to commit transgressions and evil deeds, I will remember this aroma and become filled with mercy for them, and I will take pity on them.’

(8) “Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin” (Genesis 17:24).
“And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin” (Genesis 17:25).
“Abraham was ninety-nine [years] old…” – here, [regarding Abraham], it says: “The flesh of his foreskin [besar orlato].” But there, [regarding Yishmael], it says: “The flesh of his foreskin [et besar orlato].” The explanation is that regarding Abraham, because his organ had been softened by means of a woman,31Through sexual relations. it is written: “Besar orlato.”32It was necessary to remove only the foreskin, but it was not necessary to tear the remaining membrane. Regarding Ishmael, whose organ had not been softened by means of a woman, it is written: “Et besar orlato.”

(9) “On that very day, Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son” (Genesis 17:26).
“On that very day, Abraham was circumcised” – Rabbi Berekhya said: [God said:] “From the beginning, I did not speak in secret” (Isaiah 48:16). The Holy One blessed be He said: Had Abraham circumcised himself at night, all the people of his generation would have said: ‘We declare, had we seen him, we would have not allowed him to circumcise himself.’ However, it was “on that very day, [Abraham was circumcised]”. – if someone is bothered by it, let him speak up.
“Abraham was circumcised” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: He ached and suffered pain, so that the Holy One blessed be He could double his reward.35This is expounded from the fact that the Torah uses a reflexive verb, emphasizing the effect on Abraham. Rabbi Levi said: “Abraham circumcised himself” is not written here, but rather, “was circumcised.” He examined himself and discovered that he was [miraculously] circumcised.

At that moment, Rabbi Abba bar Kahana disparaged Rabbi Levi. He said to him: ‘You are a fabricator and a falsifier. It is, rather, that he ached and suffered pain, so that the Holy One blessed be He could double his reward.’

(10) “And all the men of his household, born in the house or purchased with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him” (Genesis 17:27).
“And all the men of his household, born in the house or purchased with money” – it is taught: One may go to an idolatrous fair. [even] during the intermediate days of the Festival, to purchase from them houses, fields, vineyards, slaves and maidservants. Rabbi Ami said in the name of Reish Lakish; It is not only for circumcised slaves that it is permitted for him, but even for uncircumcised ones, because he brings them under the wings of the Divine Presence.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asked before Reish Lakish, saying to him: ‘What is the ruling regarding the purchase of slaves from idolaters?’ He said to him: ‘Regarding when are you asking me, on a Festival? It is taught: Even on Shabbat. Likewise, if one purchases a courtyard. in the Land of Israel [on Shabbat], he says to him: I offer such and such a price, to be paid tomorrow.’ It is because the Land of Israel is so beloved that it is permitted for him to say so.
UP TO HERE FOR 28th NOV

Ḥizkiya taught: “[…to build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you,] until it is subdued” (Deuteronomy 20:20) – even on Shabbat, as we find that Jericho was conquered only on Shabbat. (Joshua 6:15).

There are three [idolatrous] fairs: The Gaza fair, the Akko fair, and the Botnan fair, and the most obvious one of all is the Botnan fair.

Abraham said: ‘Before I was circumcised, passersby would come in to me. Perhaps now that I am circumcised they will no longer come in to me.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Before you were circumcised, people would come to you. Now, I, in My glory, am coming and revealing Myself to you.’ That is what is written: “The Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1).