json/Midrash/Aggadah/Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer/English/Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology.json

{
    "language": "en",
    "title": "Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer",
    "versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org",
    "versionTitle": "Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology",
    "status": "locked",
    "license": "CC-BY",
    "versionTitleInHebrew": "רבי מייק פוייר, לקט ירושלים",
    "shortVersionTitle": "Rabbi Mike Feuer",
    "actualLanguage": "en",
    "languageFamilyName": "english",
    "isBaseText": false,
    "isSource": false,
    "direction": "ltr",
    "heTitle": "פרקי דרבי אליעזר",
    "categories": [
        "Midrash",
        "Aggadah"
    ],
    "text": [
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            "... R’ Meir said: there was a single pearl suspended in the belly of the fish which gave light for Yona like the sun at its strength in the midday and Yona could see everything that was in the sea and the deeps as it says, “A light is sown for the righteous…” (Tehillim 97:11) The fish said to Yona, ‘don’t you know that my day has come to be fed into the mouth of Leviathan?’ He replied, ‘take me to him and I will save you and myself from his mouth.’ He brought him to Leviathan and he (Yona) said to him, ‘Leviathan! For your sake I descended, to see your dwelling place in the sea and further more I am prepared to come down and place a rope in your tongue and to bring you up to the great feast of the righteous. He showed him the seal of Avraham (saying) ‘look at the sign of the covenant!’ Leviathan saw Yona and fled before him two days journey. He (Yona) said to it (the fish), ‘behold, I saved you from the mouth of Leviathan! Now show me what is in the sea and the deeps. It showed him the great river of the waters of the ocean as it says, “…and a river surrounded me…” (Yona 2:4) It showed him the paths of the Red Sea through which Israel passed as it says, “…the weeds were wrapped about my head.” (Yona 2:6) It showed him the place from which the breakers and waves of the sea come forth as it says, “…all Your breakers and waves passed over me.” (Yona 2:4) It showed him the pillars of the earth on their base as it says, “…the earth with her bars closed on me forever…” (Yona 2:7) It showed him the lowest part of the netherworld as it says, “…yet you have brought up my life from the pit…” (ibid.) It showed him Gehinnom as it says, “…out of the belly of She’ol I cried…” (Yona 2:3) It showed him underneath the palace of Gd as it says, “I went down to the bottom of the mountains…” (Yona 2:7) From here we learn that Jerusalem stands on seven mountains. And he saw there the foundation stone fixed in the deeps, and he saw there also the sons of Korach standing and praying for it. They said to Yona, ‘behold, you are standing under the palace of Gd – pray and you will be answered immediately!’ He said to the fish, ‘stop where you are because I want to say a prayer.’ The fish stopped and Yona began to pray before the Holy One saying, ‘Master of all the worlds! The One who is called bringer of death and giver of life! Behold, my soul has arrived at death – give me life! He was not answered until the following came out of his mouth, ‘that which I vowed I will fulfill! My vow to bring up Leviathan and to prepare him before you I will fulfill on the day of Israel’s salvation as it says, “But I will sacrifice to You with a voice of thanksgiving…” (Yona 2:10)  Immediately the Holy One gestured to the fish and it vomited Yona up onto the dry land as it says, “And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Yona…” (Yona 2:11) And the sailors saw all the signs, miracles and great wonders that the Holy One did with Yona and they arose and cast aside each one his gods as it says, “They that guard lying vanities forsake their loyalty.” (Yona 2:9) They returned to Yafo, went up to Jerusalem and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins as it says, “Then the men feared the Lord greatly and offered a sacrifice to the Lord…” (Yona 1:16)  And did they actually offer sacrifice?! Rather this refers to the blood of the covenant of circumcision which is like the blood of sacrifice. Then each one vowed to bring his children and all he had to the Gd of Yona. They vowed and fulfilled and because of them one calls converts righteous converts."
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            "... …R’ Yehudah says ‘for twenty years Rivka was barren. After twenty years Yitzchak took Rivka and went to Mount Moriah, to the place where he had been bound. There he prayed for her that she should become pregnant and Gd heard his prayers, as it says “…and the Lord accepted his prayer…” (Bereshit 25:21) The children were struggling within her like mighty warriors, as it says “And the children struggled within her…” (Bereshit 25:22) It came time for her to give birth and the pain of labor brought her to the point of death. She went to pray in the place where she and Yitzchak had prayed, as it says “…And she went to inquire of the Lord.” (ibid.) What did the Holy One do? Yaakov grabbed the heel of Esau to throw him down, as it says “And afterwards, his brother emerged, and his hand was grasping Esau's heel…” (Bereshit 25:26) From here one can learn that the children of Esau will not fall until the remnant of Yaakov come and cut off the feet of the children of Esau from Mount Seir, as it says “Just as you saw that from the mountain a stone was hewn without hands…” (Daniel 2:45) and “Vengeance is poised with Me, and it will pay at the time their foot stumbles…” (Devarim 32:35)"
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            "... R’ Yehudah said: all three of the forefathers made a covenant with the peoples of the land – Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. When did Avraham make a covenant with the peoples of the land? When the three angels were revealed to him, he thought that they were travelers and ran to greet them. He wanted to make them a great meal, and told Sarah to prepare a feast. At that very moment she had a flow of menstrual blood, and therefore he did not serve the guests the bread which she prepared. Then he ran to bring a calf, but it fled from him and went in to the Machpela cave. Avraham went in after it, and found Adam and Chava lying on their biers asleep, with candles burning around them, and a good smell upon them, like the sweet smell of an offering. Therefore desired the cave as a burial plot. He said to the Yevusi that he would buy the Machpela cave at a good price, for gold and with a deed, as an eternal burial plot. And were they Yevusi? Were they not Hittites?! Rather, on account of the name of the city, Yevus, they are called Yevusi. The people did not accept his offer. Avraham began to kneel and bow down before them, as it says \"And Avraham bowed himself down before the people of the land\" (Bereshit 23:12). They said to him ‘we know that in the future the Holy One will give you and your descendants all of these lands. Swear to us that Israel will not take possession of the city of Yevus without the consent of the Yevusi. Afterwards he purchased the Machpela cave for gold and with an eternal deed for everlasting possession. “And Abraham listened to Ephron…” (Bereshit 23:16) What did the people of Yevus do? They made bronze idols and set them up in the city square and wrote Avraham's oath on them. When Israel came to the land, they ran to enter Yevus but they could not because of the covenant made by Avraham, as it is said “As for the Yevusi, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Yehuda could not drive them out…\" (Yehoshua 15:63). When David became king he wanted to enter the city of the Yevusi and they did not allow him, as it is said \"They spoke to David, saying, you shall not come in here…\" (Shmuel II 5:6). Israel was numerous like the sand at the sea, but because of the power of the oath and Avraham's covenant they could not enter. David saw this and retreated, as it says “And David dwelt in the stronghold…” (Shmuel II 5:9) (They said to him) You are not able to enter into the city of the Yevusi until you undo all of these idols upon which the sign of the covenant and oath of Avraham are written, as it says “…unless you remove the blind and the lame…” (Shmuel II 5:6) They did not enter the Holy Temple, Gd forbid, rather these were idols with eyes that did not see and legs that could not walk. This is why it says “…the lame and the blind, despised by the soul of David…” (Shmuel II 5:8) because David hated to see or hear any idolatry, as it says “Therefore they say: ‘The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.’ (ibid.) David said to his men ‘anyone who goes up first and removes these idols upon which are written the sign of the covenant Avraham made will be my chief officer, and Yoav ben Tzruriah went up first and became his chief officer. Afterwards David purchased the city of the Yevusi on the behalf of all Israel for gold, with an eternal deed as an everlasting possession. What did he do? He took fifty shekel from each tribe, which makes six hundred altogether, as it says “And David gave to Ornan for the place shekels of gold weighing six hundred.” (Divre HaYamim I 21:25)"
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