Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
Courageous as he was, Jacob would not run away from danger. He said to
his mother, "I am not afraid; if he wishes to kill me, I will kill
him," to which she replied, "Let me not be bereaved of both my sons in
one day."[110] By words Rebekah again showed her prophetic gift. As she
spoke, so it happened—when their time came, Esau was slain while the
burial of Jacob was taking place.[111]
And Jacob said to Rebekah: "Behold, thou knowest that my father has
become old and does not see, and if I leave him and go away, he will be
angry and will curse me. I will not go; if he sends me, only then will
I go."[112]
Accordingly, Rebekah went to Isaac, and amid tears she spoke to him
thus: "If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, what good shall
my life do me?"[113] And Isaac called Jacob, and charged him, and said
unto him: "Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan, for
thus did our father Abraham command us according to the word of the
Lord, which He had commanded him, saying, 'Unto thy seed will I give
the land; if thy children keep My covenant that I have made with thee,
then will I also perform to thy children that which I have spoken unto
thee, and I will not forsake them.' Now therefore, my son, hearken to
my voice, to all that I shall command thee, and refrain from taking a
wife from amongst the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Haran, to the
house of Bethuel, thy mother's father, and take thee a wife from thence
of the daughters of Laban, thy mother's brother. Take heed lest thou
shouldst forget the Lord thy God and all His ways in the land to which
thou goest, and shouldst join thyself to the people of the land, and
pursue vanity, and forsake the Lord thy God. But when thou comest to
the land, serve the Lord. Do not turn to the right or to the left from
the way which I commanded thee, and which thou didst learn. And may the
Almighty God grant thee favor before the people of the land, that thou
mayest take a wife there according to thy choice, one who is good and
upright in the way of the Lord. And may God give unto thee and thy seed
the blessing of thy father Abraham and make thee fruitful and multiply
thee, and mayest thou become a multitude of people in the land whither
thou goest, and may God cause thee to return to thy land, the land of
thy father's dwelling, with children and with great riches, with joy
and with pleasure."[114]
As the value of a document is attested by its concluding words, the
signature of the witnesses, so Isaac confirmed the blessing he had
bestowed upon Jacob.[116] That none might say Jacob had secured it by
intrigue and cunning, he blessed him again with three blessings, in
these words, "In so far as I am endowed with the power of blessing, I
bestow blessing upon thee. May God, with whom there is endless
blessing, give thee His, and also the blessing wherewith Abraham
desired to bless me, desisting only in order not to provoke the
jealousy of Ishmael."[116]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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