Parshas Vayeishev
1. The juxtaposition of Parshas Vayeishev — in which begins (in the words of Rashi1) the narrative of "ישובי יעקב ו(ישובי2) תולדותיו" ("the settlements of Yaakov and [the settlements of] his offspring") — with the conclusion of Parshas Vayishlach, in which is related3 the narrative of "ישובי עשו ותולדותיו" ("the settlements of Esav and his offspring") (up to the kings of Edom and the chiefs of Esav who came after them4) — is explained by our Sages5 with a parable:
"משל למלך שהיה לו מרגלית מושלכת בתוך העפר ובתוך הצרורות. הוצרך המלך לפשפש בעפר ובצרורות להוציא את המרגלית מתוכן, כשהגיע המלך למרגלית הניח את העפר ואת הצרורות ונתעסק במרגלית" ("A parable of a king who had a pearl lying cast amid the dust and amid the pebbles. The king needed to search through the dust and the pebbles to bring the pearl out from among them; when the king reached the pearl, he set aside the dust and the pebbles and occupied himself with the pearl") — and so too in our case: one cannot otherwise arrive at the settlements of Yaakov unless one first relates (at least briefly) about the settlements of Esav and his offspring.
The same is found — as the Midrash brings here6 — regarding the "עשרה דורות מאדם עד נח" ("ten generations from Adam to Noach") and the "עשרה דורות מנח ועד אברהם" ("ten generations from Noach to Avraham"): about them the Torah relates "בבת אחת" ("all at once," without any elaboration), and "כשהגיע למרגליות אברהם יצחק ויעקב התחיל מתעסק בהן" ("when He reached the pearls — Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov — He began to occupy Himself with them").
This needs to be understood, for seemingly the parable does not fit our case7:
In the above examples, since there is an interruption between Adam and Noach — there were ten generations, and likewise from Noach to Avraham — the Torah must enumerate (at least briefly) all the intervening generations until it comes to the main point, to Noach and to Avraham (just as in the parable: since the pearl is hidden in the dust, one must search in the dust until one finds the pearl).
Yaakov, however, is the son of Yitzchak. Why, then, must one search among Esav and his offspring in order to arrive at Yaakov and his offspring?
2. Regarding those events of Esav that had a connection with the affairs of Yaakov (such as the story of Yitzchak's blessings and the like), one could still say that in this respect Yaakov is, as it were, "hidden" and "mixed in" within the "dust" of Esav: one must relate the events of Esav in order to know how what happened to Yaakov came about.
Even the story (at the end of Parshas Vayishlach8) of how Esav settled permanently in Mount Seir can be said (as the Maharal9 explains) to be relevant to the settlements of Yaakov. For it was specifically after Esav took Seir and settled there that Yaakov became the (sole) heir of Eretz Yisrael10 (which is the purpose of the narrative of "the settlements of Yaakov and his offspring" — to relate "ישוביהם וגלגוליהם עד שבאו לכלל ישוב" ("their settlements and their wanderings until they came to a settled state")11).
However, besides the fact that this is not entirely smooth — for the parable proves that the pearl is hidden in the dust and must be searched for, whereas according to the above explanation it is only fitting to say that there is a connection and, at most (in the words of the Maharal), a "עירוב" ("mixture") between "יעקב עם עשו בענין הישוב" ("Yaakov with Esav in the matter of settlement"), but not that they are mixed together in such a way as to be hidden within the settlements of Esav (the dust), so that one would need to "search" for them and find them among the settlements of Esav —
— it is even less understandable: the verse enumerates the offspring (and chiefs) of Esav and their settlement up to the kings of Edom "אשר מלכו .. לפני מלך מלך לבני ישראל" ("who reigned... before any king reigned over the Children of Israel")12, which spans the period until King Shaul13, as well as the chiefs of Esav who were "לאחר שמת הדד ופסקה מהם מלכות" ("after Hadad died and kingship ceased from them") — and with these there is no "mixture" whatsoever with the settlements of Yaakov and his offspring14.
3. Several details in the parable also require explanation, to understand what they correspond to in the analogue. Among them:
a) What are the two matters of "dust" and "pebbles"15?
b) Why does it emphasize that "when the king reached the pearl, he set aside the dust and the pebbles and occupied himself with the pearl"? Seemingly this is self-evident: as soon as one finds the pearl, one's entire occupation is with it alone. It should have said briefly16, "כשהגיע המלך למרגלית נתעסק בה" ("when the king reached the pearl, he occupied himself with it")!
From the lengthy wording of the parable it is evident that even after finding the pearl ("when [the king] reached the pearl"), there must be a special action of "setting aside the dust, etc.," in order to be able to occupy oneself with the pearl.
4. Furthermore: as has been discussed several times17, Rashi's commentary on the Torah contains "ענינים מופלאים" ("wondrous matters")18. Here we see in Rashi's commentary that he copies the parable from the Midrash, but with several changes, among them:
a) Instead of "לפשפש בעפר כו'" ("to search through the dust, etc."), he says "ממשמש בחול וכוברו בכברה" ("he feels about in the sand and sifts it in a sieve").
[The detail of "sifts it in a sieve" is mentioned elsewhere in the Midrash19, where the parable is brought — but there the parable as a whole is in an entirely different style, and Rashi copies (from there?) only this detail of "sifts it in a sieve."]
b) Rashi also brings the two details of "sand" and "pebbles," but with this change: at the beginning of the parable he mentions only "sand" ("נפלה בין החול .. ממשמש בחול" — "it fell among the sand... he feels about in the sand"), while at the conclusion of the parable he says "משמצאה הוא משליך את הצרורות" ("once he finds it, he throws away the pebbles"), and does not mention "sand"20.
c) The last matter in the parable is also brought in Rashi with a change of wording (as above): "once he finds it, he throws away the pebbles" ("throws away" instead of "set aside").
5. The Maharal explains why Rashi does not mention "sand" at the conclusion of the parable, but only "throws away the pebbles": these words come to explain why the verse "לא דבר עוד מעשו" ("spoke no more of Esav") once it begins to relate the settlements of Yaakov — for all the remaining (later) settlements of Esav, which are not needed for the sake of the settlements of Yaakov, are like pebbles that must be thrown out21;
and they are called "pebbles" because the later settlements of Esav had, from the outset, no "mixture" with the settlements of Yaakov — like pebbles, for "אין למרגליות עירוב עם צרורות רק עם החול" ("pearls have no mixture with pebbles, only with sand").
This explanation, however, is seemingly not understandable. For [in addition to the fact that, according to his interpretation, there is nothing novel in the matter of "throwing away the pebbles," since the point that "אחר שהתחיל הכתוב לדבר מיעקב לא דבר עוד מעשו" ("after the verse began to speak of Yaakov, it spoke no more of Esav") is already clearly expressed at the beginning of the parable — that the "feeling about in the sand" is only "עד שמוצא את המרגלית" ("until he finds the pearl")22 — in] his interpretation it emerges that even before one finds the pearl, one need not search for it among the pebbles (for the pearl has no mixture with them at all). Yet from Rashi's wording — that (specifically) "once he finds it, he throws away the pebbles" — it is evident that before one finds the pearl, it is mixed in with the pebbles as well, as stated explicitly in the wording of the Midrash cited above: "lying cast amid the dust and amid the pebbles... to search through the dust and the pebbles."
6. The explanation of all this:
The purpose of the settlements of Yaakov is not merely that Yaakov and his sons settle in their land, Eretz Yisrael, but (as Yaakov said to Esav) "עד אשר אבוא אל אדוני שעירה" ("until I come to my lord, to Seir")23, which means — as Rashi interprets it — the fulfillment of what is foretold for the days of Moshiach: "ועלו מושיעים בהר ציון לשפוט את הר עשו" ("And saviors shall ascend Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esav")24.
This is what our Sages are conveying with the parable of the pearl: the subject here is (primarily) not the settlements of Yaakov in themselves (about which it is not fitting to say that they are hidden in the settlements of Esav and his offspring), but the perfection and ultimate purpose that Yaakov must reach — "I will come... to Seir." And since this is attained specifically through the service in (and with) the settlements of Esav and his offspring (as will be explained below), it follows that the purpose and perfection of Yaakov is hidden within Esav.
With this it will be understood why the Torah enumerates the settlements of Esav and his offspring, the kings of Edom, up to King Hadar, who lived in the days of Shaul: for Shaul was "משיח ה'" ("the L‑rd's anointed")25, and had they been worthy, through him there would have come the fulfillment of "And saviors shall ascend Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esav."
7. This is also the explanation of the two matters in the parable — "dust" and "pebbles." For in the matter of "to judge the mount of Esav" there are two modes of refinement (birur) and judgment:
a) The manner in which Esav will be refined in the Time to Come, as will happen with several nations that will be transformed to good26 (as it is written27, "אז אהפוך אל עמים שפה ברורה לקרוא כולם בשם ה' לעבדו גו'" ("For then I will turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the Name of the L‑rd, to serve Him, etc.")), and as alluded to in the saying of our Sages28, "עתיד חזיר ליטהר" ("the swine is destined to become pure") — the swine being an allusion to the kingdom of Edom29.
b) The aspect within Esav that is utter evil and must be destroyed, as it is written30, "והיה בית יעקב אש ובית יוסף להבה ובית עשו לקש ודלקו בהם ולא יהיה שריד גו'" ("The house of Yaakov shall be fire, the house of Yosef a flame, and the house of Esav straw; they shall kindle them... and there shall be no survivor, etc.").
These correspond to the two matters of dust and pebbles. Dust is something that conceals and hides — as in our case, where the dust covers and obscures the pearl; but it is not utter evil, and it can be transformed to good, to the point that one derives benefit from it, like a peel that protects the fruit31 (similar to what will be in the Time to Come: "ועמדו זרים ורעו צאנכם" ("Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks")32). Pebbles, however, are not merely something that conceals, to the point that no benefit at all comes from them; moreover, they are something harmful (as in the term commonly used in the Talmud33 regarding damages caused by an animal), which must be destroyed.
8. Yaakov attains his purpose and perfection when the words "ורב יעבוד צעיר" ("and the elder shall serve the younger")34 are fulfilled, through "judging the mount of Esav."
The reason (in the inner dimension) why Esav is called "the elder," and why Yaakov's perfection depends on "the elder shall serve the younger," is similar to how a speaking being must arri[ve... — OCR unclear: text missing] ...here in Esav, and by elevating them to their root, an elevation is brought about also in the level of Yaakov (Tikkun); through this he attains his purpose and perfection.
This is an additional reason (beyond what was said above in section 6) why the verse also enumerates "the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Children of Israel": for in this is alluded the elevation that Yaakov attains through the refinement of Esav. As is known35, the kings of Edom are rooted in the primordial kings (Malchin Kadma'in) of Tohu, which is why they "reigned before any king reigned over the Children of Israel" — since they are (in their root) higher (and therefore earlier) than the kings of Israel (Tikkun).
9. This is also the directive for Jews throughout the time of exile:
The descent into exile — and particularly this last exile, the exile of Edom ("the settlements of Esav and his offspring") — is in order to refine the sparks found in physical things36, through which the soul is elevated even higher than its root. For the root of the sparks is in Tohu, which is higher than the root of the soul, which is in Tikkun.
Our Sages allude to the service of refining the sparks in the parable of the pearl lying cast amid the dust and amid the pebbles:
The pearl is an analogy for the spark of holiness that has fallen into dust and pebbles37, which denote the two categories of physical things:
Dust indicates the physical things that merely conceal and hide the sparks of holiness (the pearls); a Jew, through his service, can refine the sparks from them and elevate them to their root.
Pebbles indicate things that are entirely evil, to the extent that (in part) one cannot extract from them (through ordinary service38) the spark of holiness (in them too there is a "pearl," a spark of holiness, for without it they could not exist; but the spark of holiness is utterly concealed39), and these things must be rejected40.
But even after one has "reached... the pearl," before one can occupy oneself with it, one needs the safeguard of "setting aside the dust, etc.": one must show that physical things in themselves (apart from the "pearl") have no importance to him, and that he occupies himself with them only in order to extract the sparks of good and holiness hidden within them.
Therefore, "setting aside the dust, etc." is essential to the very extraction of the pearls. When physical matters in and of themselves occupy a place for a person, not only will he be unable to extract the sparks from them properly; moreover, his occupation with physical matters may even cause a descent in the soul41.
Only when his eating and drinking and all his physical matters — "בכל אשר תעשה" ("in all that you do") — are conducted in a manner in which he "sets aside," leaving behind the dust and pebbles within them, does he refine the sparks properly; and this brings about a great elevation in the soul, as explained above.
10. With this one will also understand the changes in Rashi's commentary: through them he alludes (the "wine of Torah" within Rashi) to the detailed order of the service of refinement:
The main service of refining the sparks is in "sand" (and not in "pebbles," from which one cannot ordinarily extract the pearl, as explained above). Therefore, first of all there must be "אדם ממשמש בחול" ("a person feels about in the sand"): one must feel, assess and search where the pearl is to be found — "in the sand" — and not search where the pearl is not to be found (among the pebbles), at least not in a way that one could refine it.
Afterward, once he has accomplished the refinement in the sand, which was previously a mixture of good and evil, comes the refinement of the sparks — "sifts it in a sieve" — the service of completely separating the good from the evil, until one finds and extracts the pearl, the spark of holiness within it.
Then Rashi concludes (similar to the Midrash) with the safeguard of "משמצאה הוא משליך את הצרורות מידו" ("once he finds it, he throws the pebbles from his hand"): one must throw away the separated evil and waste. And here the sifted sand is also called pebbles:
As long as one has not separated the good from the evil, the physical things are in the category of sand — merely a concealment over the G‑dly spark. But through "sifting it in a sieve," separating the good from the evil, this itself already transforms the sand into pebbles42, which must be entirely thrown away43, since it no longer contains any good and holiness and becomes utter evil.
In man's service this means: the refinement of a physical thing toward its purpose can take place only when one approaches it with the understanding that physical things in themselves not only have no importance — which is why, as soon as one finds the pearl, there is "setting aside the dust, etc.," as above — but that they themselves (apart from the sparks of holiness within them) are like pebbles. Therefore, immediately after finding the pearl, there is "throwing away the pebbles," and specifically through this "נוטל המרגלית" ("he takes the pearl") (and in the words of our Sages44, "תוכו אכל קליפתו זרק" ("he ate its inside and threw away its peel") — "he ate its inside" is bound up with "he threw away its peel").
11. The service of refining the sparks began primarily with the service of Yaakov45, for through him began the (principal) preparation for the Giving of the Torah46 (as also in the plain sense: the Egyptian exile, which was the preparation for the Giving of the Torah, began with the descent of Yaakov (and his sons) to Egypt).
The accomplishment of the Giving of the Torah is the drawing down of the level of G‑dliness that is above the worlds — and specifically through this can the refinement be complete, in the manner of "throwing away the pebbles." For relative to the light that is enclothed in the world, the world, as it were, occupies a place; whereas the service of "throwing away the pebbles" requires that physical things occupy no place at all. Only by virtue of the G‑dly light that is above the worlds, where the world occupies no place, is there the empowerment for the above service in its completeness47.
This is the reason why Rashi brings the parable of the pearl specifically here in our parsha48 — with Yaakov, and not with Noach and Avraham49. For although with them and through them, too, the refinement of the sparks took place — Noach refined the ten generations that preceded him, and likewise (and even more so) Avraham50 — it was nevertheless not in the manner of "throwing away the pebbles from his hand and taking the pearl." Even after the refinement, the world remained an independent entity51.
Nevertheless, Rashi brings the matter of the ten generations of Noach and of Avraham (and in connection with the parable of the pearl, etc.) to allude that only after the refinement of Noach and Avraham could the refinement of Yaakov take place:
Noach accomplished the refinement in matters pertaining to the world. Before the service and the role of Noach, "מלאה הארץ חמס" ("the earth was filled with violence")52, and Noach, through his service, brought about a properly ordered world — "ראה עולם חדש" ("he saw a new world")53 (and therefore the covenant made with Noach concerned the continued existence of the world: "עוד כל ימי הארץ גו' לא ישבותו" ("while the earth remains... they shall not cease")54).
The accomplishment of Avraham our father was the revelation of G‑dliness in the world — "ויקרא שם בשם ה' א-ל עולם" ("and he called there in the Name of the L‑rd, G‑d of the world")55 (to the point that even the observance of the seven Noahide laws should be not because human intellect obligates them, but because this is the command of the A-lmighty56).
Through these two matters there could afterward be the refinement of Yaakov — the preparation for the Giving of the Torah, which brought about the drawing down of the revelation of G‑dliness that is above the worlds, through which comes the refinement of the world in its completeness.
12. Just as it is with the refinement of the sparks by every Jew in his service — that it must be in the manner of "once he finds it, he throws away the pebbles" — so too it is regarding the Jewish people as a whole:
The overall purpose of exile is the refinement of the sparks by the Jewish people in all the times and places of exile (as above, section 9). As it is said regarding the Egyptian exile, "ואחרי כן יצאו ברכוש גדול" ("and afterward they shall go out with great wealth")57, which refers to the sparks of holiness that were extracted from there.
Therefore, as soon as the time of the Egyptian exile ended — the pearl had already been found — they left Egypt immediately, in the blink of an eye58. Seemingly, what was the hurry? The servitude had already ended, and the Jews were in the land of Goshen, the best of the land; why was it so important not to remain in Goshen a while longer? But such is the order of refining the sparks: as soon as one finds the pearls, one must throw out the pebbles.
So too it will be with the completion of the refinements and the redemption from the last exile, the exile of Edom — "כימי צאתך מארץ מצרים אראנו נפלאות" ("As in the days of your going out of the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders")59: immediately, as soon as the time comes, "מיד הן נגאלין" ("they are immediately redeemed")60. All Jews will go out from all the lands and come with Moshiach to "ארץ אשר גו' עיני ה' אלקיך בה" ("the land... the eyes of the L‑rd your G‑d are upon it")61, in the true and complete Redemption, very soon indeed.
(From the sichos of Shabbos Parshas Vayeishev 5725 and 19 Kislev 5730)
Notes
1) Beginning of our parsha.
2) As explained by the Re'em, Levush HaOrah, Ch.Y. [abbreviation as in source], and the commentary of the Maharik on Rashi.
3) Vayishlach 36:1ff.
4) Rashi there, 40.
5) Tanchuma on our parsha, 1; cited in Rashi at the beginning of our parsha (with changes, as below, section 4). — In the Tanchuma there, it prefaces (before the parable), "And why did the Holy One, blessed be He, first occupy Himself with the lineages of these?" (continuing what is said before it, "Why did the verse occupy itself with writing their lineages, etc.," see there). But from its conclusion, "Therefore the section of the chiefs of the sons of Esav was juxtaposed to this section," it is implied that the parable explains the juxtaposition of the sections (and why Esav's lineage is placed before Yaakov's), as in the text [which is why the parable was brought specifically in our parsha; see also Rashi's wording at the beginning of our parsha]. The parable in a different style is found in Bereishis Rabbah 39:10 (and at the end of Rus Rabbah), regarding Avraham (and David), and is cited in Rashi on Divrei HaYamim I at its beginning (in the name of Bereishis Rabbah) — except that some say (see Shem HaGedolim, entry "Rashi") that this commentary is not by Rashi.
6) Similarly in Rashi here (see also Bereishis Rabbah and Rus Rabbah there) — except that the Tanchuma concludes, "when He reached the pearls Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov" (and does not mention Noach), while Rashi says, "When it came to Noach, it elaborated about him... and when it reached Avraham, it elaborated about him." See below in the text, section 11.
7) Similar to the question posed by the Be'er Mayim Chaim (by the brother of the Maharal) on Rashi here. The Maskil LeDavid explains that since the verse wrote "These are the offspring of Yitzchak," it could not discuss Yaakov's matters alone, since Esav too is among Yitzchak's offspring; therefore it first wrote the settlements of Esav briefly, and this accords with the parable, for "after it mentioned the offspring of Yitzchak, the pearl — Yaakov — fell among the sand, namely Esav, and therefore it needed to feel about in the sand, etc." — However, besides the main point, that this is not at all like the parable, in which "the pearl is lying cast amid the dust," this requires much further study: on account of the words "These are the offspring of Yitzchak" it would suffice to write only Esav and his offspring — his lineage [similar to the sons of Keturah and the offspring of Yishmael (end of Chayei), and the offspring of Nachor (end of Vayeira, and Rashi there)]; but there is no necessity to write (even briefly) the settlements of Esav and (especially) the settlements of his offspring (see the Re'em here).
8) 36:8ff.
9) Gur Aryeh here.
10) See Rashi, Vayishlach there, 7: "I will go away from here; I have no share, etc."
11) Rashi on our parsha, 37:2. See also the Re'em and the Levush here.
12) Vayishlach 36:31.
13) See Rashi, Vayishlach there: "and in the days of Shaul, etc."; the commentators on Rashi there; Bereishis Rabbah 83:2, and the Maharzu there [but see Yefeh To'ar (and Rashi) there; and note Rashi (and other commentators) on I Melachim 22:48 — this is not the place to elaborate]. But see Rashbam, Ibn Ezra and others on the verse.
14) The Be'er Mayim Chaim there writes: "The main settlement of Yaakov is when his descendants settled in their land and their kingdom was exalted, and this was impossible unless the kings of Edom reigned first, etc." — but he did not explain his words.
15) See below, note 20.
16) Similar to the wording of the Tanchuma and Rashi cited above, note 5.
17) Similar to the Re'em's comment on Rashi's wording.
18) Shelah, Tractate Shevuos (181a).
19) Bereishis Rabbah there ("He brought sieves and sifted, etc.").
20) The Maskil LeDavid answers that the sand is the fine matter that can be sifted in a sieve, and it represents the generations preceding the tzaddik, "about whom nothing is written except 'so-and-so begot,' etc."; and the pebbles are the coarse sand that remains on top together with the pearl, which also requires feeling about in order to extract the pearl, representing the tzaddik's brothers, who are included among his fathers' offspring and "require some explanation," see there. However (in addition to what was said above, note 7): from Rashi's precise wording "throws away the pebbles," it is implied that the pebbles are worse than the sand (in their relation to the pearl), in keeping with the simple meaning of pebbles, and as explained by the Gur Aryeh (cited below in the text, section 5).
21) A similar answer is given in the Levush here.
22) Rashi's wording.
23) Vayishlach 33:14.
24) End of Ovadiah.
25) I Shmuel 24:7; there, 11; and elsewhere.
26) See on all this Likkutei Torah, Re'eh, maamar "V'chol Banayich," ch. 3.
27) Tzefaniah 3:9.
28) Cited and sourced in Likkutei Torah there. See also Likkutei Sichos vol. 2, p. 175.
29) Vayikra Rabbah (and elsewhere), end of Shemini; and in many places. See also Rashi, Toldos 26:34.
30) Ovadiah 1:18. Cited in Rashi on the Torah, beginning of our parsha. See also Rashi, Vayeitzei 30:25.
31) [OCR unclear: the text of this note is missing from the source.]
32) [OCR unclear: the text of this note is missing from the source.]
33) [OCR unclear: the text of this note is missing from the source.]
34) [OCR unclear: the text of this note is missing from the source.]
35) See also Zohar III, 128a, end.
36) Torah Or, beginning of Lech; there, 117b [as in source]; and elsewhere. See also Likkutei Sichos vol. 3, p. 826.
37) See also the commentary of the Maharzu on Bereishis Rabbah 39, there.
38) Except through teshuvah or trials (see Derech Mitzvosecha 191a ff.).
39) See on all this Sefer HaMaamarim 5670, p. 103; Hemshech 5672, vol. 2, ch. 374.
40) See Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 6d.
41) Similar to the prohibition against eating before prayer (see Likkutei Torah, Naso 26c; Balak 72a; Pinchas 79d; and elsewhere).
42) Similar to when wine is refined, and the clear wine remains by itself and the lees by themselves.
43) Similar to the Time to Come, at the completion of the refinements, when "And I will remove the spirit of impurity from the land" (Zechariah 13:2).
44) Chagigah 15b.
45) See also Likkutei Sichos vol. 10, p. 89ff.
46) See Or HaTorah [volume abbreviation unclear in source], 126a: "The main union (of the Giving of the Torah) is through Yaakov," see there.
47) See Torah Or 74a; and in many places.
48) Even in the Tanchuma, which concludes the analogue with "when He reached the pearls Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov," the parable is nevertheless brought specifically in our parsha (and not in Parshas Lech). See the next note.
49) In Bereishis Rabbah there, the parable is brought (although in a different style) in Parshas Lech, regarding Avraham. And note: (a) With Avraham began the period of two thousand years of Torah (Avodah Zarah 9a); see Or HaTorah there; Beis HaOtzar (by R. Yosef Engel) at its beginning; and in many places. (b) There the matter of "throwing away the pebbles" is not mentioned (and in the Tanchuma there, too, it says only "set aside the dust, etc.," as above in the text).
50) See above, the first sicha on Parshas Lech.
51) See also Devek Tov on Rashi here (in the glosses).
52) Beginning of Parshas Noach.
53) Bereishis Rabbah 30:8, and the sources cited there.
54) Noach 8:22. See at length the maamar "Hinei Anochi Kores Bris" of 5630 and 5654; and elsewhere.
55) Vayeira 21:33.
56) Note the Rambam, Laws of Kings, end of ch. 8.
57) Lech 15:14. See Likkutei Sichos vol. 3, p. 823ff.
58) Mechilta and Rashi, Bo 12:41.
59) Michah 7:15.
60) Rambam, Laws of Teshuvah 7:5.
61) Eikev 11:12.
Key Lesson
A Jew engages with the physical world only to extract the sparks of holiness hidden within it; physical things in themselves should hold no importance for him. As soon as the "pearl" is found, the "pebbles" must be cast aside — and so too, as soon as the time of exile is complete, Moshiach will come and the Jewish people will leave exile immediately.