Daf 78b (דַּף ע״ח ע״ב)

Rabbi Shim‘on said: And I will make you into a great nation-from the side of the right (רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר: וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָדוֹל מִסִּטְרָא דְּיָמִינָא). And I will bless you-from the side of the left (וַאֲבָרַכְךָּ מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא). And I will make your name great-from the central side (וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ מִסִּטְרָא דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא). And be a blessing-from the side of the land of Yisrael (וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה מִסִּטְרָא דְאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל). Behold here the throne of four pillars, all of which are included in Avraham (הָא הָכָא כּוּרְסְיָא דְאַרְבַּע סָמְכִין דְּכֻלְהוּ כְּלִילָן בֵּיהּ בְּאַבְרָהָם), and from here onward the blessings are for others who are sustained from here, as it is written: And I will bless those who bless you (מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה בִּרְכָּאן לְאַחֲרִינֵי דְּמִתְּזְנֵי מֵהָכָא, דִּכְתִּיב: וַאֲבָרְכָה מְבָרֲכֶיךָ), and he who curses you I will curse, and through you shall be blessed all the families of the earth (וּמְקַלְּלְךָ אָאֹר, וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ כֹּל מִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאֲדָמָה).

Rabbi El‘azar was sitting before Rabbi Shim‘on his father, and with him were Rabbi Yehudah, Rabbi Yitzḥaq, and Rabbi Ḥizqiyah (רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הֲוָה יָתִיב קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוּהִי, וְהֲוֵי עִמֵּיהּ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי יִצְחָק וְרַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה). Rabbi El‘azar said to Rabbi Shim‘on his father (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוּהִי): This that is written: Go forth for yourself from your land and from your birthplace (הַאי דִּכְתִּיב לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ), since all of them went out with him, why was it not said that all of them should go out? (כֵּיוָן דְּכֻלְּהוּ נָפְקוּ לְמֵהַךְ, אַמַּאי לָא אִתְּמַר לֵיהּ דְּכֻלְּהוּ יִפְּקוּן) For even though Terach had served idolatry (דְּהָא אַף עַל גַּב דְּתֶרַח הֲוָה פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה), once he was aroused in a good arousal to leave together with Avraham (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְעַר בְּאִתְעָרוּתָא טַב לְמֵיפַק בַּהֲדֵי דְּאַבְרָהָם), and we see that Kudsha Berikh Hu accepts repentance even from the guilty and allows them to leave (וְחָמִינָן דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרָעֵי בִּתְשׁוּבְתָּא דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא וּשְׁרָא לְמֵיפַק), why then does it not say go forth, all of you, and why only to Avraham does it say Go forth for yourself? (אַמַּאי לָא כְּתִיב לְכוּ לָכֶם, אַמַּאי לְאַבְרָהָם בִּלְחוֹדוֹי לֶךְ לְךָ)

Rabbi Shim‘on said to him: If you say that Terach, when he left Ur Kasdim, left to repent-no, not so (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: אִי תֵימָא דְּתֶרַח כַּד נָפַק מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים בְּגִין לַהֲדָרָא בִּתְשׁוּבָה הֲוָה-לָאו הָכִי). Rather, he left to be saved (אֶלָּא כַּד נָפַק לְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא נָפַק), for all the people of his land sought to kill him (דְּהֲווּ כֻּלְּהוּ בְּנֵי אַרְעֵיהּ בָּעָאן לְמִקְטְלֵיהּ). Once they saw that Avraham had been saved, they said to Terach: You were the one who led us astray with these idols! (כֵּיוָן דְּחָזוּ דְּאִשְׁתְּזִיב אַבְרָהָם, הֲווּ אָמְרֵי לֵיהּ לְתֶרַח: אַנְתְּ הוּא דְּהֲוֵית מַטְעֵי לָן בְּאִלֵּין פְּסִילִין). And from fear of them Terach left, and once he reached Charan, he never went out from there again (וּמִגּוֹ דַּחֲלָא דִילְהוֹן נָפַק תֶּרַח, כֵּיוָן דְּמָטָא לְחָרָן לָא נָפַק מִתַּמָּן לְבָתַר), as it is written: And Avram went as Hashem had spoken to him, and Lot went with him (דִּכְתִּיב: וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְיָ וַיֵּלֶךְ אִתּוֹ לוֹט), but about Terach it is not written “and he went,” rather only and he went out (וְאִילוּ תֶּרַח לָא כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ וַיֵּלֶךְ, אֶלָּא וַיֵּצֵא).

He opened and said, (Job 38) (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): He withholds from the wicked their light, and the high arm shall be broken (וַיִּמְנַע מֵרְשָׁעִים אוֹרָם וּזְרוֹעַ רָמָה תְּשַׁבֵּר). This verse has been established (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ), but He withholds from the wicked their light-this is Nimrod and the people of his generation, from whom Avraham emerged, for their light was restrained (אֲבָל: וַיִּמְנַע מֵרְשָׁעִים אוֹרָם-דָּא נִמְרוֹד וּבְנֵי דָּרֵיהּ דְּנָפַק אַבְרָהָם מִנַּיְיהוּ דְּהֲוָה אוֹרָם). And the high arm shall be broken-this is Nimrod (וּזְרוֹעַ רָמָה תְּשַׁבֵּר דָּא נִמְרוֹד).

Another matter: And He withholds from the wicked their light-this refers to Terach and the members of his household (דָּבָר אַחֵר: וַיִּמְנַע מֵרְשָׁעִים אוֹרָם, דָּא תֶּרַח וּבְנֵי בֵיתֵיהּ). Their light-this is Avraham (אוֹרָם, דָּא אַבְרָהָם). It does not say the light, but their light, for it was with them (הָאוֹר לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא אוֹרָם, דְּהֲוָה עִמְּהוֹן). And the high arm shall be broken-this is Nimrod, who led all the inhabitants of the world astray (וּזְרוֹעַ רָמָה תְּשַׁבֵּר, דָּא נִמְרוֹד דְּהֲוָה מַטְעֵי אַבַּתְרֵיהּ כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא). And because of this it is written: Go forth for yourself-in order to shine forth for you and for all those who would emerge from you from that point onward (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב: לֶךְ לְךָ, בְּגִין לְאַנְהָרָא לָךְ וּלְכָל אִנּוּן דְּיִפְקוּן מִינָךְ מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה).

Furthermore, he opened and said (תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר), (Job 37): And now they do not see the light, it is bright in the skies; but the wind passed by and purified them (וְעַתָּה לֹא רָאוּ אוֹר בָּהִיר הוּא בַּשְּׁחָקִים וְרוּחַ עָבְרָה וַתְּטַהֲרֵם). And now they do not see the light-when? At the moment when Kudsha Berikh Hu said to Avraham: Go forth for yourself from your land and from your birthplace and from your father’s house (וְעַתָּה לֹא רָאוּ אוֹר-אֵימָתַי בִּשְׁעַתָּא דְּאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַבְרָהָם: לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ). It is bright in the skies-for Kudsha Berikh Hu sought to bind Avraham to that supernal light and to shine there (בָּהִיר הוּא בַּשְּׁחָקִים-דְּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַדְבָּקָא לֵיהּ לְאַבְרָהָם בְּהַהוּא אוֹר דִּלְעֵילָא וּלְאַנְהָרָא תַמָּן). But the wind passed and purified them-for afterward Terach and all his household returned in repentance (וְרוּחַ עָבְרָה וַתְּטַהֲרֵם-דְּהָא לְבָתַר תָּבוּ בִּתְשׁוּבְתָּא תֶּרַח וְכָל בְּנֵי בֵיתֵיהּ). Some say: and all the people of his community (נ״א: וְכָל בְּנֵי מְאַתֵּיהּ). The members of his household (בְּנֵי בֵיתֵיהּ (נ״א: בְּנֵי מְאַתֵּיהּ), as it is written: And the soul that they made in Charan (דִּכְתִיב: וְאֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְּחָרָן). And Terach, as it is written: And you shall come to your fathers in peace (תֶּרַח-דִּכְתִיב: וְאַתָּה תָּבֹא אֶל אֲבֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם וְגו׳).

And Avram went as Hashem had spoken to him (וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְיָ). Rabbi El‘azar said: Come and see, for it is not written And Avram went out as Hashem had spoken to him, but rather And he went (אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּהָא לָא כְּתִיב: וַיֵּצֵא אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְיָ-אֶלָּא: וַיֵּלֶךְ). As you have said: Go forth for yourself (כְּמָא דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: לֶךְ לְךָ), for the going out had already been done beforehand, as it is written: And they went out with them from Ur Kasdim to go to the land of Canaan (דְּהָא יְצִיאָה בְּקַדְמִיתָא עֲבְדוּ, דִּכְתִּיב: וַיֵּצְאוּ אִתָּם מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים לָלֶכֶת אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן), and now it is written: And he went, not And he went out (וְהַשְׁתָּא כְּתִיב: וַיֵּלֶךְ, וְלָא כְּתִיב: וַיֵּצֵא). As Hashem had spoken to him-for He had promised him with all those promises (כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְיָ-דְּאַבְטַח לֵיהּ בְּכֻלְּהוּ הַבְטָחוֹת). And Lot went with him-for he had joined him to learn from his deeds (וַיֵּלֶךְ אִתּוֹ לוֹט-דְּאִתְחַבַּר עִמֵּיהּ בְּגִין לְמֵילַף מֵעוֹבָדָיו), and with all this, he did not learn completely (וְעִם כָּל דָּא לָא אוֹלִיף כֻּלֵּי הַאי). Rabbi Elazar said (אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), happy are those righteous ones who learn the ways of Kudsha Berikh Hu (זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא דְּאוֹלְפֵי אוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), in order to walk in them and to fear Him (בְּגִין לְמֵיהַךְ בְּהוֹ וּלְדָחֲלָא מִינֵּיהּ), from that day of judgment that is destined for a person to give judgment and reckoning before Kudsha Berikh Hu (מֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּדִינָא דְּזַמִּין בַּר נָשׁ לְמֵיהַב דִּינָא וְחֻשְׁבָּנָא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).