1) Ezer Kinegdo
Bereishit 2:18-24
וַיֹּאמֶר ה אֱלֹקִים, לֹא-טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ; אֶעֱשֶׂה-לּוֹ עֵזֶר, כְּנֶגְדּוֹ.
וַיִּצֶר ה אֱלֹקִים מִן-הָאֲדָמָה, כָּל-חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וְאֵת כָּל-עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וַיָּבֵא אֶל-הָאָדָם, לִרְאוֹת מַה-יִּקְרָא-לוֹ; וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָא-לוֹ הָאָדָם נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, הוּא שְׁמוֹ.
וַיִּקְרָא הָאָדָם שֵׁמוֹת, לְכָל-הַבְּהֵמָה וּלְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּלְכֹל, חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה; וּלְאָדָם, לֹא-מָצָא עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ.
וַיַּפֵּל ה אֱלֹקִים תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל-הָאָדָם, וַיִּישָׁן; וַיִּקַּח, אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו, וַיִּסְגֹּר בָּשָׂר, תַּחְתֶּנָּה.
וַיִּבֶן ה אֱלֹקִים אֶת-הַצֵּלָע אֲשֶׁר-לָקַח מִן-הָאָדָם, לְאִשָּׁה; וַיְבִאֶהָ, אֶל-הָאָדָם.
וַיֹּאמֶר, הָאָדָם, זֹאת הַפַּעַם עֶצֶם מֵעֲצָמַי, וּבָשָׂר מִבְּשָׂרִי; לְזֹאת יִקָּרֵא אִשָּׁה, כִּי מֵאִישׁ לֻקְחָה-זֹּאת.
עַל-כֵּן, יַעֲזָב-אִישׁ, אֶת-אָבִיו, וְאֶת-אִמּוֹ; וְדָבַק בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ, וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד.
"And the LORD God said: 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.'
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them; and whatsoever the man would call every living creature, that was to be the name thereof.
And the man gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him.
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the place with flesh instead thereof.
And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from the man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man.
And the man said: 'This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.'
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.
2) Creation ex nihilo (yesh meAyin)
Bereishit 1:1
בְּרֵאשִׁית, בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים, אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ.
וְהָאָרֶץ, הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ, וְחֹשֶׁךְ, עַל-פְּנֵי תְהוֹם; וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים, מְרַחֶפֶת עַל-פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים, יְהִי אוֹר; וַיְהִי-אוֹר.
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.
And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light."
3) Yitzchak's riches
Bereishit 24:10
וַיִּקַּח הָעֶבֶד עֲשָׂרָה גְמַלִּים מִגְּמַלֵּי אֲדֹנָיו, וַיֵּלֶךְ, וְכָל-טוּב אֲדֹנָיו, בְּיָדוֹ; וַיָּקָם, וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל-אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם--אֶל-עִיר נָחוֹר.
"And the servant took ten camels, of the camels of his master, and departed; having all goodly things of his master's in his hand; and he arose, and went to Aram-naharaim, unto the city of Nahor."
and pasuk 22
וַיְהִי, כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלּוּ הַגְּמַלִּים לִשְׁתּוֹת, וַיִּקַּח הָאִישׁ נֶזֶם זָהָב, בֶּקַע מִשְׁקָלוֹ--וּשְׁנֵי צְמִידִים עַל-יָדֶיהָ, עֲשָׂרָה זָהָב מִשְׁקָלָם.
"And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;"
and when speaking to her family, verse 34-35:
וַיֹּאמַר: עֶבֶד אַבְרָהָם, אָנֹכִי.
וַה בֵּרַךְ אֶת-אֲדֹנִי, מְאֹד--וַיִּגְדָּל; וַיִּתֶּן-לוֹ צֹאן וּבָקָר, וְכֶסֶף וְזָהָב, וַעֲבָדִם וּשְׁפָחֹת, וּגְמַלִּים וַחֲמֹרִים.
"And he said: 'I am Abraham's servant.
And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great; and He hath given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and men-servants and maid-servants, and camels and asses."
and then, when the family agrees, verse 53:
וַיּוֹצֵא הָעֶבֶד כְּלֵי-כֶסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב, וּבְגָדִים, וַיִּתֵּן, לְרִבְקָה; וּמִגְדָּנֹת--נָתַן לְאָחִיהָ, וּלְאִמָּהּ.
"And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah; he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things."
4) Yaakov's poverty on the way to Charan:
Praying to Hashem, upon his return home from Charan, in Bereishit 32:11
"קָטֹנְתִּי מִכֹּל הַחֲסָדִים, וּמִכָּל-הָאֱמֶת, אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ, אֶת-עַבְדֶּךָ: כִּי בְמַקְלִי, עָבַרְתִּי אֶת-הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה, וְעַתָּה הָיִיתִי, לִשְׁנֵי מַחֲנוֹת.
I am not worthy of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shown unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two camps."
Explanations: From Midrash Says, Bereishit, pg 273:
"According to Midrash Tanchuma, it was Esav himself who pursued Yaakov. He would have assasinated Yaakov if not for Hashem's performing obvious miracles for Yaakov. Esav rode ahead of Yaakov and lay in wait for him, but Yaakov took a different route from the one Esav expected. He crossed the Jordan, striking the river with his rod and splitting it so that he was able to cross on dry land. When Yaakov did not come Esav's way, Esav pursued him further, and finally spotted Yaakov near a cave that contained warm water springs. Yaakov thought, "Yitzchak did not give me any food along when I left; at least let me go and warm myself in the spring water!" He entered the cave to bathe while Esav and his men encircled the cave to trap him. Hashem, however, protected Yaakov, and he escaped unharmed.
Bereishit 27:41
וַיִּשְׂטֹם עֵשָׂו, אֶת-יַעֲקֹב, עַל-הַבְּרָכָה, אֲשֶׁר בֵּרְכוֹ אָבִיו; וַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו בְּלִבּוֹ, יִקְרְבוּ יְמֵי אֵבֶל אָבִי, וְאַהַרְגָה, אֶת-יַעֲקֹב אָחִי.
"And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him. And Esau said in his heart: 'Let the days of mourning for my father be at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.'"
also:
"Yaakov secretly left Beer Sheva to flee from his brother Esav, but Esav heard news of Yaakov's departure. He commanded his son Elifaz to pursue Yaakov and kill him for having stolen his blessing. (Midrash Agada 28:20).
Esav persuaded Elifaz, "My son, if you kill Yaakov, you will regain the first-bron right." Elifaz, however, was reluctant and asked his mother Adah for her opinion. "My son," she advised him, "do not attempt to kill Yaakov. He is stronger than you, and he will slay you. If your wicked father were not afraid that Yaakov would kill him, he himself would pursue him rather than delegate the errand to you." (Tosafot HaRosh parashat Vayishlach)
Yet Elifaz did not dare ignore his father's command altogether. He pursued Yaakov and overtook him, but he did not kill him, since Elifaz had grown up under his grandfather's tutelage and would therefore not lay hands upon Yaakov (Midrash Tanchuma 2, Vayera 28). Instead, he robbed him of whatever he possessed because a pauper is likened to a dead man. He even stripped Yaakov of his clothes, leaving him destitute and naked. (Sefer HaYashar)
Tehillim 121:1-8
שִׁיר, לַמַּעֲלוֹת: אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי, אֶל-הֶהָרִים-- מֵאַיִן יָבֹא עֶזְרִי
עֶזְרִי, מֵעִם ה-- עֹשֵׂה, שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ.
אַל-יִתֵּן לַמּוֹט רַגְלֶךָ; אַל-יָנוּם, שֹׁמְרֶךָ.
הִנֵּה לֹא-יָנוּם, וְלֹא יִישָׁן-- שׁוֹמֵר, יִשְׂרָאֵל.
ה שֹׁמְרֶךָ; ה צִלְּךָ, עַל-יַד יְמִינֶךָ.
יוֹמָם, הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לֹא-יַכֶּכָּה; וְיָרֵחַ בַּלָּיְלָה.
ה, יִשְׁמָרְךָ מִכָּל-רָע: יִשְׁמֹר, אֶת-נַפְשֶׁךָ
ה, יִשְׁמָר-צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ-- מֵעַתָּה, וְעַד-עוֹלָם.
"A Song of Ascents.
I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: from whence shall my help come?
My help cometh from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; He that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, He that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper; the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall keep thee from all evil; He shall keep thy soul.
The LORD shall guard thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth and for ever.
Yalkut Shimoni, Tehillim Siman 874 (Parallel in Yalkut Shimoni on Bereishit 28, Siman 117):
שִׁיר, לַמַּעֲלוֹת: אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי, אֶל-הֶהָרִים-- מֵאַיִן, יָבֹא עֶזְרִי
A Song of Ascents.
I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: from whence shall my help come?
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmeni said, אֶל-הֶהורִים = אֶל-הֶהָרִים, the teachers- to those who have taught and made me. מֵאַיִן יָבֹא עֶזְרִי? {From Nothing (Ayin), shall my Ezer Kinegdo = helpmeet come?}
The verse speaks of Yaakov. He said, at the time that Eliezer went to bring Rivka, what does it say by him? "And the servant took ten camels, of the camels of his master..." And I have not a single ring, nor a single bracelet. {see above verse 22}
R Chanina said, שלח אותו גדוד. R Yehoshua ben Levi said, he sent with him {wealth} but Esav stood against him and took it from him.
He {Yaakov} reversed himself and said, Why do I take my thoughts away from my Creator? Rather, עֶזְרִי, מֵעִם ה-- עֹשֵׂה, שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, My help{meet} will come from Hashem, creator of Heaven and Earth.
...
ה, יִשְׁמָרְךָ מִכָּל-רָע: יִשְׁמֹר, אֶת-נַפְשֶׁךָ
Hashem will protect you from Esav and from Lavan, and will protect your life from the Angel of Death.
ה, יִשְׁמָר-צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ
Hashem will guard your going and your coming..."And Yaakov left from Beer Sheva."
Nedarim 66a:
Mishna:
[If one vows,] 'konam if i marry that ugly woman, whereas she is beautiful; that dark[-skinned] woman, whereas she is fair; 'that short woman, who in fact is tall, he is permitted to marry her, not because she was ugly, and became beautiful, or dark and turned fair, short and grew tall, but because the vow was made in error. And thus it happened with one who vowed not to benefit from his sister's daughter, and she was taken into r. Ishmael's house and made beautiful. My son, exclaimed r. Ishmael to him, 'did you vow not to benefit from this one!' 'no,' he replied, where upon r. Ishmael permitted her [to him]. In that hour r. Ishmael wept and said, 'the daughters of israel are beautiful, but poverty disfigures them.' and when r. Ishmael died, the daughters of israel raised a lament, saying, ye daughters of israel weep for r. Ishmael. And thus it is said too of saul, ye daughters of israel, weep over Saul (2 Sam 1:24)
A Tanna taught: She had a false tooth, and R. Ishmael made her a gold tooth at his own cost. 'When R. Ishmael died, a professional mourner commenced [the funeral eulogy] thus: Ye daughters of Israel, weep over R. Ishmael, who clothed you etc.
Nedarim 66b:
A man once said to his wife, 'Konam that you benefit not from me, until you make R. Judah and R. Simeon taste of your cooking.' R. Judah tasted thereof, observing, 'It is but logical: If, in order to make peace between husband and wife, the Torah commanded, Let My Name, written to sanctity, be dissolved in "the cursed waters", though 'tis but doubtful, how much more so I!' R. Simeon did not taste thereof, exclaiming, 'Let all the widows' children perish, rather than that Simeon be moved from his standpoint, lest they fall into the habit of vowing.'
...
A man once said to his wife, 'Konam that you benefit not from me, until you shew aught beautiful in yourself to R. Ishmael son of R. Jose.'
Said he (R Yishmael) to them: 'Perhaps her head is beautiful?'
'It is round,' they replied.
'Perhaps her hair is beautiful?'
'It is like stalks of flax.'
'Perhaps her eyes are beautiful?'
'They are bleared.'
'Perhaps her nose is beautiful?'
'It is swollen.'
'Perhaps her lips are beautiful?'
'They are thick.'
'Perhaps her neck is beautiful?'
'It is squat.'
'Perhaps her abdomen is beautiful?'
'It protrudes.'
'Perhaps her feet are beautiful?'
'They are as broad as those of a duck.'
'Perhaps her name is beautiful?'
'It is lichluchith.'
Said he to them, 'She is fittingly called lichluchith, since she is repulsive through her defects'; and so he permitted her [to her husband].
Tosefta Moed Katan:
א,ו אין מקדשין נשים במועד רבי יהודה מתיר שמא יקדמנו אחר ברחמים ממאנין ומגרשין וחולצין ומייבמין במועד.
One should not betroth women during Chol HaMoed. Rabbi Yehusa permits, lest one precede him via Mercy...
Yerushalmi Betza 20b, 5:2
ולא מקדשין: רבי בא בר כהן אמר קומי ר' יוסה ר' אחא בשם ר' יעקב בר אידי אסור לארס אשה בע"ש הדא דאת אמר שלא לעשות סעודת אירוסין הא לארס יארס שמואל אמר אפילו בתשעה באב יארס שלא יקדמנו אחר מחלפא שיטתיה דשמואל תמן הוא אמר (תהילים סח) מושיב יחידים ביתה (תהילים סב) במאזנים לעלות המה מהבל יחד והכא הוא אמר הכין שלא יקדמנו אחר בתפילה אפילו כן לא
קיימה
And they do not betroth: Rabbi Ba bar Koehn said before R Yosa; R Acha cited R Yaakov bar Idi: It is forbidden to betroth a woman on Friday. This that you say, is not so make a feast of Betrothal. But, to betroth, he should betroth. Shmuel said, even during Tisha BeAv he should betroth, so that another should not precede him.
Shmuel's positions are inconsistent! There he said (Tehillim 68) "אֱלֹקִים, מוֹשִׁיב יְחִידִים בַּיְתָה-- מוֹצִיא אֲסִירִים, בַּכּוֹשָׁרוֹת;" - "God maketh the solitary to dwell in a house; He bringeth out the prisoners into prosperity"
and (Tehillim 62) "if they be laid in the balances, they are together lighter than vanity." And here he says this!! The answer: that one should not precede him with Prayer. Even so, it will not last.
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer chapter 16
ר' אבהו אמ' רצה הב"ה לגמול חסד ליצחק ושלח מלאך לפני אליעזר ונקפצה הדרך עליו ובג' שעות בא העבד לחרן והכל לפני הב"ה ובת מלכים שלא יצאה לשאוב מימים ימימה יצאה לשאוב מים באותה שעה והנערה שלא היתה יודעת מי הוא האיש קבלה עליה להזדוג ליצחק למה שהיתה ראויה ממעי אמה שנ' במאזנים לעלות המה מהבל יחד וענו לבן ובתואל הואיל והדבר יצא מפי הגבורה אין אנו יכולין לעכב שנ' ויען לבן ובתואל ויאמרו וכו' הנה רבקה לפניך קח ולך
R Abahu said: God desired to do loving-kindness to Yitzchak, and sent an angel before Eliezer, and the way was made short for him, and in 3 hours the servant came to Charan, (לְעֵת עֶרֶב) and all was before Hashem, and a princess who would not ordinarily go out to draw water went out to draw water. At that hour, the young girl who did not know who the man (Yitzchak) was accepted upon herself to be matched with Yitzchak. Why? Since she was fit from her mother's womb, as the verse states, במאזנים לעלות המה מהבל יחד. And Lavan and Bethuel answered, and said, Here is Rivka before you. Take her with you and go...
Tehillim 62:10
אַךְ, הֶבֶל בְּנֵי-אָדָם-- כָּזָב בְּנֵי-אִישׁ:
בְּמֹאזְנַיִם לַעֲלוֹת; הֵמָּה, מֵהֶבֶל יָחַד.
Men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie; {N}
if they be laid in the balances, they are together lighter than vanity.
Moed Katan 18b
MISHNA: The following documents may be written on the middle days: contracts of betrothing, bills of divorce, and receipts in discharge of debts; also wills or codicils; deeds of gift; premonitions; and deeds of maintenance, certificates of Halitza, and certificates of refusal; arbitration bonds; decrees of the Beth Din; and powers of attorney.
אמר שמואל מותר לארס אשה בחולו של מועד שמא יקדמנו אחר לימא מסייע ליה ואלו כותבין במועד קדושי נשים מאי לאו שטרי קדושין ממש לא שטרי פסיקתא וכדרב גידל אמר רב דאמר רב גידל אמר רב כמה אתה נותן לבנך כך וכך כמה אתה נותן לבתך כך וכך עמדו וקדשו קנו הן הן הדברים הנקנין באמירה לימא מסייע ליה אין נושאין נשים במועד לא בתולות ולא אלמנות ולא מיבמין מפני ששמחה היא לו הא לארס שרי לא מיבעיא קאמר לא מיבעיא לארס דלא קעביד מצוה אלא אפילו לישא נמי דקא עביד מצוה אסור תא שמע דתנא דבי שמואל מארסין אבל לא כונסין ואין עושין סעודת אירוסין ולא מיבמין מפני ששמחה היא לו ש"מ ומי אמר שמואל שמא יקדמנו אחר והאמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל בכל יום ויום בת קול יוצאת ואומרת בת פלוני לפלוני שדה פלוני לפלוני אלא שמא יקדמנו אחר ברחמים כי הא דרבא שמעיה לההוא גברא דבעי רחמי ואמר תזדמן לי פלניתא א"ל לא תיבעי רחמי הכי אי חזיא לך לא אזלא מינך ואי לא כפרת בה' בתר הכי שמעיה דקאמר או איהו לימות מקמה או איהי תמות מקמיה א"ל לאו אמינא לך לא תיבעי עלה דמילתא הכי
GEMARA: Samuel said: "One is permitted to become betrothed to a woman on the middle days, for fear that he may be preceded by another one."
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And does Shmuel indeed say "Let one precede him? But Rav Yehuda said in the name of Shmuel, on every single day, a bat kol goes out and says, 'the daughter of Ploni to Ploni. The field of Ploni to Ploni?!
Rather, lest someone precede him with Mercy. Like this instance, in which Rava heard a certain main pleading for Mercy and said "Plonita should marry me." Rava said to him, do not request Mercy in such a manner. If it is fitting to you, she will not leave you. And if not, you will have denied God. (Rashi: your faith will be weakened because your request will not be granted.) Afterwards he heard it said, either he will die before her, or she will die before him.
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Rab said in the name of R. Reuben b. Atztrubli: It appears from the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings that the union of a woman to her husband comes from God himself. The Law [Gen. xxiv. 50]: "Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said: The thing hath proceeded from the Lord," etc.; the Prophets [Judges, xiv. 4]: "But his father and his mother knew not that it was from the Lord"; the Hagiographa [Prov. xix. 14]: בַּיִת וָהוֹן, נַחֲלַת אָבוֹת; וּמֵה' אִשָּׁה מַשְׂכָּלֶת - "Houses and wealth are an inheritance from fathers; but from the Lord cometh an intelligent wife."
Shimshon: Judges 14:1-4: And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said: 'I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore get her for me to wife.' Then his father and his mother said unto him: 'Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?' And Samson said unto his father: 'Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.' But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel.
Tos: wondered why did not say - here with the second match, here with the first match, as we learned in the 2nd perek of Sanhedrin (22a) and in the first perek of Sota (2a).
Sanhedrin 22a:
א"ר שמואל בר רב יצחק כי הוה פתח ריש לקיש בסוטה אמר הכי אין מזווגין לו לאדם אשה אלא לפי מעשיו שנא' כי לא ינוח שבט הרשע על גורל הצדיקים אמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר ר' יוחנן וקשין לזווגן כקריעת ים סוף שנאמר אלהים מושיב יחידים ביתה מוציא אסירים בכושרות איני והא אמר רב יהודה אמר רב ארבעים יום קודם יצירת הולד בת קול יוצאת ואומרת בת פלוני לפלוני בית פלוני לפלוני שדה פלוני לפלוני לא קשיא הא בזוג ראשון הא בזוג שני:
R Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak said: when Resh Lakish began with Sota, he said as follows: A man is not matched with a wife except according to his deeds. As it states, "For the rod of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous;" (Tehillim 125:3)
Rabba bar bar Chana said in the name of R Yochanan. And it is difficult to match them as the splitting of the Red Sea, as the verse states, מושיב יחידים ביתה מוציא אסירים בכושרות, "God maketh the solitary to dwell in a house; He bringeth out the prisoners into prosperity."
Is this truly so? But did not Rav Yehuda say citing Rav, 40 days before the formation of the child a Bat Kol goes out and says, 'The daughter of Ploni to Ploni. Such and such a house to Ploni. Such and such a field to Ploni. This is no question. Here for the first match, and here for the second match.
(Rashi: Zug rishon: based on his mazal. Zug sheni: based on his deeds. And it is difficult to match them because she is not his match (bat zugo).)
Yalkut Shimoni on Tehillim 68:
After above material from Sota: A matron asked R Yosi, In how many days did Hashem create the world? He replied, in six. And from that hour, with what does He involve Himself? He said to her, He sits and makes matches, a man to a woman and a woman to a man. She said, if this matter is difficult, I am able to match up 100 male slaves and 100 female slaves in one night.
She did so. They stood and hit one another, and injured one another. This one (male) said I take this one, and this one (female) said I take this one. On the morrow, she sent for him (R Yosi) and called him and told him all these matters. He said, if the matter is simple in your eyes it is difficult before God like the splitting of the Red Sea, as the verse states מושיב יחידים ביתה מוציא אסירים בכושרות.
(Another version is that Hashem spends time making ladders, to lift one up and take the other down. Wheel of Fortune. and cite verse.) {J: and note macro and micro scale of things. Scheduling problem in computer science.}
{Update Nov 15, 2004: I originally thought this might be like a scheduling problem, with numerous constraints, and that was why they hit each other - each wanted someone else. This is in fact possible from the phrasing ... But I saw a version of the story in midrash rabba on parashat vayeitzei today, where she specifically lined them up and said who would go with whom, and they came back the next day bruised. And it is followed with the statement מושיב יחידים ביתה מוציא אסירים בכושרות, that Hashem can do it for their good or bad, against their will - thus בכושרות as בכי = crying + שירות= songs.}
Rabbi Yudan said, even one Mamzer on one side of the world and one Mamzeret on the other side, Hashem brings them and matches one to the other. What's the reason: מושיב יחידים ביתה.
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