Commentary for Avodah Zarah 49:11
כתיב (שמואל ב א, יח) ויאמר ללמד בני יהודה קשת הנה כתובה על ספר הישר מאי ספר הישר א"ר חייא בר אבא א"ר יוחנן זה ספר אברהם יצחק ויעקב שנקראו ישרים דכתיב בהו (במדבר כג, י) תמות נפשי מות ישרים ותהי אחריתי כמוהו
It is written, “And said to teach the Children of Judah [to handle] the bow, behold it is written in the Book of Yashar” (II Samuel 2:18). What is the book of Yashar? R. Hiyya b. Abba said in the name of R. Yohanan: It is the book of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who are designated as righteous, as it is said, “Let me die the death of the righteous” (Numbers 23:10).
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
The first part of this quote is the same that we saw above—Sefer Hayashar is Genesis. Then the Talmud asks where the hint is in Genesis that the children of Judah should learn to use the bow. This they find in a creative reading of Jacob’s blessing in Genesis 49:8. Judah is told that his hands will be on the neck of your enemies. The midrash interprets this to mean not on the neck, but directed at their necks, with arrows.
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