Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 336/ספרי דברים של״ו
א(דברים לב מז) כִּי לֹא דָבָר רֵק הוּא מִכֶּם, אֵין לְךָ דָּבָר רֵיקָם בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁאִם תִּדְרְשֶׁנּוּ שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מַתַּן שָׂכָר בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהַקֶּרֶן קַיֶּמֶת לוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. תֵּדַע שֶׁכֵּן, שֶׁהֲרֵי אָמְרוּ לָמָּה נִכְתַּב (בראשית לו כב) ״וַאֲחוֹת לוֹטָן תִּמְנָע״, (שם יב) ״וְתִמְנַע הָיְתָה פִילֶגֶשׁ״? לְפִי שֶׁאָמְרָה אֵינִי כְדַאי שֶׁאֱהֵא לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה, אֱהֵא לוֹ פִּילֶגֶשׁ. וְכָל כָּךְ לָמָּה? לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ חִבָּתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ, הָיוּ שֶׁלֹּא רוֹצִים מַלְכוּת וְשׁוּלְטָנוּת וְרָצִים לְהִדָּבֵק בּוֹ. וַהֲלֹא דְּבָרִים קַל וָחֹמֶר: וּמָה עֵשָׂו שֶׁאֵין בְּיָדוֹ אֶלָּא מִצְוָה אַחַת שֶׁכִּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיו, הָיוּ מְלָכִים וְשִׁלְטוֹנִים רָצִים לְהִדָּבֵק בּוֹ, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה שֶׁהָיוּ רָצִים לְהִדָּבֵק בְּיַעֲקֹב הַצַּדִּיק שֶׁקִּיֵּם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית כה כז): ״וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים״.
1Pisqa’ 3362021. “Indeed, this is no empty matter 203 i.e., “a vain or meaningless thing, a pursuit yielding no knowledge.” for you” (Dt. 32:47)—you find no shallowness204 as a character trait, “ignorant” (Jastrow, p. 1477). in the Torah which,if you delve deeply into it,will not yield its rewards in this eon,while the principal accumulatesfor the coming eon.205You can confirm that this is so!For, indeed, they taught:Why is this written in Scripture?“And the sister of Lothan was Timna” (Gn. 36:22),“And Timna was the concubine of Eliphaz b. Esau” (Gn. 36:12).Because she said:If I’m unworthy of being his wife,then I will be his concubine.2. Now, what’s this [concern for Timna] all about?To inform you that Father Abrahamwas so beloved that there were thosewho rejected 206literally, “do not want.” In apposition to: ratzim, “run toward.”kingship and lordship,running instead to cling to him.Now, isn’t this a matter of logic?Just as Esau, who had to his creditbut a single commandment—that he revered his father—yet, kings and lords wouldrun to cling to him,all the more so were they likelyto run to cling to Righteous Jacob,who had fulfilled the entire Torah!As it is said:“And Jacob was a perfected man,207 312.1 dwelling in shelters”208). “Shelters” better conveys the common midrashic theme that Jacob’s tent was his place of Torah-study. (Gn. 25:27).
בוּבַדָּבָר הַזֶּה תַּאֲרִיכוּ יָמִים, זֶה אֶחָד מִן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁהָעוֹשֶׂה אוֹתָם אוֹכֵל פֵּירוֹתֵיהֶם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וַאֲרִיכוּת יָמִים לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, וּמְפֹרָשׁ כָּאן בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה, בְּכִבּוּד אָב וָאֵם מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שמות כ יב): ״כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אִמֶּךָ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכוּן יָמֶיךָ״. בְּשִׁלּוּחַ הַקֵּן כָּתוּב (דברים כב ז): ״שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת הָאֵם וְאֶת הַבָּנִים תִּקַּח לָךְ לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ יָמִים״. בַּהֲבָאַת שָׁלוֹם כָּתוּב (ישעיה נד יג): ״וְכָל בָּנַיִךְ לִמּוּדֵי ה׳ וְרַב שְׁלוֹם בָּנָיִךְ״.
23. “For in this matter you will extend your days” (Dt. 32:47)—this is one of those matters of which it is said:One who performs them enjoys the fruits in this eon,while length of days awaits him in the coming eon.209Now, clearly, this refers to Torah-study.How do I know that it appliesas well to reverence for father and mother?The Teaching states:“Revere your father and mother,so that you may extend your days upon the soil” (Ex. 20:12).Regarding “sending off the nester”It is written:“You must definitely send off the dam,but the offspring you may take for yourself,so that it may go well with you,and so that you extend your days” (Dt. 22:7).Regarding the “bringing of peace (shalom)210 325.1 for another word-play involving the root, sh-l-m. [between a person and his companion,]”it is written:“And My covenant of peace shall not waver . . .May all your children be disciples of HASHEM,and may the wholeness (shalom) of your children be ample (Is. 54:10-13).