Genesis 26:13

(Verse 13.) And the Lord blessed him, and he became a great man, and he walked, going forth, and he was greatly magnified, until he became exceedingly great. But the abundance of barley, I do not know if it can make anyone glorious.

Do you wish to know how "increase" is to be understood? Hear what Isaac did, of whom it is said: "Isaac went forward and became greater, until he became great, or exceedingly great indeed". For his will, ever stretching itself toward better things, had its advances, his mind contemplated something more divine, and he exercised himself in memory, so as to store up more things in his treasury and retain them more firmly. And in this manner it comes about that whoever has cultivated all his virtues in the field of his soul fulfills the commandment enjoining: "increase".

But after this "the Lord," it says, "blessed Isaac, and he became exceedingly great." Isaac was small in the law, but by the advance of time he becomes great. He becomes great by the advance of time in the prophets. For when he is in the law alone, he is not yet great, seeing that it is also covered with a veil. He grows therefore already in the prophets; but when he has come even to this, that he casts off the veil also, then he will be "exceedingly great." When the letter of the law begins to be separated out like the chaff of its barley, and it appears that "the law is spiritual," then Isaac will be magnified and will become "exceedingly great." For see that in the Gospels also the Lord breaks a few loaves, and how many thousands of peoples He refreshes "and how many baskets" of leftovers remain over. So long as the loaves are whole, no one is filled, no one is refreshed, nor do the loaves themselves seem to be increased. Consider therefore now how we break a few loaves: from the divine scriptures we take up a few sayings, and how many thousands of people are filled. But unless these loaves have been broken, unless they have been crumbled into parts by the disciples—that is, unless the letter has been minutely examined and broken—its meaning cannot reach to all. But when we have begun to handle them and to examine each single thing, then the crowds indeed will take up as much as they can. But that which they have not been able to take, is to be gathered and reserved, "lest anything perish." Do we too therefore save whatever the "crowds" cannot take, and gather it up again in "baskets" and "hampers"? Indeed, a little while ago, when we had broken the loaf concerning Jacob and Esau, how many fragments remained over from that loaf? Which we diligently gathered up again, lest they perish, and we save in "hampers" or "baskets," until we see what the Lord commands to be done even with them. But now, as far as is possible, let us either eat of the loaves or draw from the wells. Let us attempt to do also that which wisdom admonishes, saying: "drink waters from your own springs, and from your own wells, and let your own fountain be your own." Attempt therefore, you also, O hearer, to have your own well and your own fountain; that you too, when you have taken hold of the book of the scriptures, may begin even from your own understanding to bring forth some…