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Saturday, November 30, 2024

VAYISHLACH 32:4 - 36:43

 VAYISHLACH 32:4 - 36:43


This week's Parshah is Vayishlach.

Among other things we learn:

After 20 years Jacob returns to the Land.

He learns that Esau is approaching with 400 armed men.

Jacob prepares for war, prays, and sends Esau a large gift of livestock.

Jacob wrestles with an Angel who renames him "Yisrael".

Jacob and Esau meet; embrace and kiss, but part ways.

Jacob and his family settle in Shechem where Dinah is raped and Shimon and Levi take revenge.

Rachel dies while giving birth to Benjamin, and is buried in a roadside grave.

Esau's family is recounted in detail.

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 In the Parshah at 32:21 it seems that Jacob may be making an atonementכפרה  to his brother Esau for the taking of the birthright and the usurping of the blessing of material wealth given by Isaac. 

כִּי-אָמַר אֲכַפְּרָה פָנָיו, בַּמִּנְחָה הַהֹלֶכֶת לְפָנָי, וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן אֶרְאֶה פָנָיו, אוּלַי יִשָּׂא פָנָ

" …For he said, "I will make atonement for his anger with the gift that is going before me, and afterwards I will see his face, perhaps he will favor me."

 

 In Genesis at 32:21 it seems that Jacob may be making an atonement to his brother Esau for the taking of the birthright and the usurping the blessing of material wealth given by Isaac. 

 

כִּי-אָמַר אֲכַפְּרָה פָנָיו, בַּמִּנְחָה הַהֹלֶכֶת לְפָנָי, וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן אֶרְאֶה פָנָיו, אוּלַי יִשָּׂא פָנָי

" …For he said, "I will make atonement for his anger with the gift that is going before me, and afterwards I will see his face, perhaps he will favor me."

I want to focus on the word אֲכַפְּרָה, “atonement”.

Making atonement is admitting that you have done wrong.

It is an admission of guilt.

It is Jacob saying that all along Esau was right and that he (Jacob) was wrong.

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In this week's Parshah at 32:25, we learn that our forefather Jacob was tough.  He wrestled with a mysterious being, perhaps an Angel, hung in there and finally succeeded, a lesson for us all.

 וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב, לְבַדּוֹ; וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּ,  וֹ, עַד עֲלוֹת הַשָּׁחַר

“And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day”.

Why did a “man” wrestle with Jacob? 

What meaning does that wrestling match have for us today in terms of Jacob or the Jewish people or yourself?  

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 The 13th century French Rabbi Chizkuni comments on 32:25 “...Jacob was left alone...”

Jacob should have had support from his family.  He should not have been left alone for this struggle.

If you are like most Jews who have made Aliyah  and come from assimilated families, you will not have their support.  At the very best they will consider you to be quirky.  At the worst they will consider you certifiable.

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At 32:29 - 

The  mysterious Angel renames Jacob; he will be called Israel.  

וַיֹּאמֶר, לֹא יַעֲקֹב יֵאָמֵר עוֹד שִׁמְךָ--כִּי, אִם-יִשְׂרָאֵל:  כִּי-שָׂרִיתָ עִם-אֱלֹהִים וְעִם-אֲנָשִׁים, וַתּוּכָל

“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, because you have dominion with God and with men, and you have overcome”.

I think an alternate translation should be considered.  One that considers the root of שָׂרִיתָ to stem from "prince":

"... for as a prince with God and with men, and you have prevailed.”

There will be Jews that have a  problem with this translation in that it comes from the King James Version of the Chumash.

I like a better translation.  One that is more meaningful:

We have learned that  the Children of Israel were given the name, יִשְׂרָאֵלThis name was given to Jacob by an Angel. It means “God prevails” and is the embodiment of our nation and of our people.

It is our identity.

 



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  At 33:3 Jacob bows down seven times and refers to himself as Esau’s servant.  This is tantamount to offering Esau back the birthright. 

And Jacob transfers over to Esau much of the material wealth accumulated while working for Lavan.

 וְהוּא, עָבַר לִפְנֵיהֶם; וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אַרְצָה שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים

“And he went ahead of them and prostrated himself to the ground seven times…”

A suzerain does not kowtow to an under lord.  The irony of this however, is that Esau is indifferent.  As told to us by Rabbi Yitz, indifference is Esau’s major character flaw.  In the sense of appeasement, he can take it or leave it.  Esau takes the gift of appeasement; the brothers embrace. Esau leaves, and each brother goes their separate ways.

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At 33:16-17 the brothers go their separate ways. Esau is said to have founded the nation of Edom. There were kings in Edom, descendants of Esau long before there were kings in Israel.

There has been a love/hate relation between the Edomites and the Israelites, probably starting from the get-go, 3,500 years ago. This may have lasted until today, but certainly was present in the time of the Hasmoneans .

As to how Hashem regards this relationship, one only has to go Devarim 2:4-6

where the Israelites under Moshe were refused entry to Edom and had to go around it without making war with them during the trek to the Land of Israel"

“… and charge the people as follows: You are about to pass through the territory of your kindred, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, so, be very careful not to engage in battle with them, for I will not give you even so much as a foot’s length of their land, since I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. You shall purchase food from them for money, so that you may eat; and you shall also buy water from them for money, so that you may drink”.

Hundreds of years later King David defeated the Edomites, and Edom became a vassal state of Israel. For centuries afterwards there was a lot of back and forth until the destruction of the first Temple.  

In 587 BCE, when the Kingdom of Judah was weakened and about to be defeated by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, the Edomites entered Judah and may have helped plunder Jerusalem. In 167 BCE Judah Maccabee conquered Edom, and shortly thereafter John Hyrcanus forcedly converted the Edomites. Edom’s name became Idumea and from there emerged King Herod the Great, King of the Jews and possibly a descendant of Esau

In retrospect, a descendant of Esau became a ruler over Jacob, and we have come full circle. 

 



 


DECEPTIONan act or statement which misleads, hides the truth, or promotes a belief, concept, or idea that is not trueoften done for personal gain or advantage.

At 33:14 we learn that Ya’akov misleads Esav about his plans to join him in Se’ir, and that the sons of Ya’akov dupe the citizens of Sh’khem into a mass circumcision – and then pillage the town in revenge for the rape of Dinah (34:13). 

No big deal so you say; what’s a little deception now and again?

But look at this list.  If you try not very hard you may begin to see a pattern emerging  :

a. Yitzhak is deceived by Ya’akov who is prompted and aided by Rivkah (Ch. 27).

b. Yitzhak is deceived by Rivkah, who claims that she wants to send Ya’akov away for marriage purposes (when it’s really to save his life – 27:46).

c. Lavan fools Ya’akov into marrying Leah before Rachel – thus getting her married off and gaining 7 more “free” years of labor from Ya’akov (29:23-27).

d. Rachel lies to her father about the idols she stole from his house (31:19).

e. Lavan manipulates Ya’akov’s wages “ten times” (31:41).

f. Ya’akov misleads Esav about his plans to join him in Se’ir (33:14).

g. The sons of Ya’akov dupe the citizens of Sh’khem into a mass circumcision – and then pillage the town in revenge for the rape of Dinah (34:13).

h. The brothers fool their father into thinking that Yoseph has been killed by an animal (37:31).

i. Tamar fools Yehuda into thinking that she is a *K’deshah* (38:14-15).

j. Potiphar’s wife lies to her husband, getting Yoseph thrown into the court jail (39:14-20).

k. Yoseph maintains his disguise with his brothers, not revealing their relationship until Yehuda's bold stand (44:18-34)

l. Yoseph (evidently) has his brothers lie to Pharaoh about their livelihood (46:33-34).

m. The brothers (apparently) lie to Yoseph about Ya’akov’s deathbed wishes (49:17).

What lies to we hear today?

Think about anti-Semitism or fake news, lies about Israel or Jews or about me and you.

I am reading a book entitled "The Samson Option" by Seymour M. Hersh. It concerns the building of a nuclear facility at Dimona.  From the get-go and still today,  deception and outright lying in Israel and abroad was very much the government's policy.

Related to deception is stealing.  Think about stealing the afikomen during the Passover Seder.

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At 33:18 Jacob arrived at the outskirts of the city of Shechem, where he purchased a plot of land.  Jacob's daughter, Dinah, ventured out into the city of Shechem where she was abducted , violated her and kept  hostage.

Dinah's two brothers, Simon and Levi, entered the city, killed all its male inhabitants, and liberated Dinah.  Jacob was displeased by this act, fearing reprisal from the neighboring Canaanites.

Jacob may have been unhappy with the course of action taken by his two sons, but personally took action against the Canaanites.  As recorded much later in the Chumash at 48:22 Jacob says to Joseph:

וַאֲנִי נָתַתִּי לְךָ, שְׁכֶם אַחַד--עַל-אַחֶיךָ:  אֲשֶׁר לָקַחְתִּי מִיַּד הָאֱמֹרִי, בְּחַרְבִּי וּבְקַשְׁתִּי

“And I have given you Shechem, one portion over your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow."


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PROCASTINATION

 

After the massacre of the townspeople of Shechem, after making a promise at least 20 years prior, Hashem once more reminds Jacob at 35:1 –

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-יַעֲקֹב, קוּם עֲלֵה בֵית-אֵל וְשֶׁב-שָׁם; וַעֲשֵׂה-שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ--לָאֵלהַנִּרְאֶה אֵלֶיךָ, בְּבָרְחֲךָ מִפְּנֵי עֵשָׂו אָחִיךָ

And God said to Jacob, Arise and go up to Beth el and dwell there, and make there an altar to the God Who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau."

Hashem must be long on patience.

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If you want Hashem’s protection, you better get rid of your foreign gods (35:2,4):

 וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל-בֵּיתוֹ, וְאֶל כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ:  הָסִרוּ אֶת-אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר, אֲשֶׁר בְּתֹכְכֶם, וְהִטַּהֲרוּ, וְהַחֲלִיפוּ שִׂמְלֹתֵיכֶם.

"Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him: 'Put away the strange gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments";

וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶל-יַעֲקֹב, אֵת כָּל-אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדָם, וְאֶת-הַנְּזָמִים, אֲשֶׁר בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם; וַיִּטְמֹן אֹתָם יַעֲקֹב, תַּחַת הָאֵלָה אֲשֶׁר עִם-שְׁכֶם

“And they gave unto Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hand, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth which was by Shechem”.

Why under a specific tree?  הָאֵלָה looks a lot like "the goddess".

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In the final Aliyah at 36:20 we learn something about a Canaanite king named Seir and Jacob’s brother Esau.  Seir was king over a mountain region immediately south of Israel, an area later called “Edom”.  Prior to his encounter with Jacob, Esau moved south to the Mountain of Seir.  The 400 men who rode with him were from that region.  At some point Esau had displaced Seir and ruled the region.

Seir eldest son was named Lotan was a leader in his own right.  Lotan had a sister.  Her name was Timna.  She was a noble woman and Clan Leader (36:22,40), and she was under the rule of Esau. 

The Talmud, Sanhedrin 99b, speaks about Menashe, a Judean king who ridiculed and trivialized the Torah, including the passages that refer to Esau’s genealogy and Timna. 

The Sages tell of the importance of the passages.  They relate that Timna wanted to convert, but was rejected by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  She then becomes a concubine to Esau’s son Eliphaz in order to have a relationship with the family, albeit a secondary one.  

Timna and Eliphaz have a son; he is Amalek our dire enemy.  The Sages conjecture that had Timna been accepted by the Patriarchs, history may have turned out differently.

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Friday, November 22, 2024

TOLDOT 25:19-28:-28:9

 TOLDOT 25:19-28:-28:9



  

Simeon Solomon, 1863. © Victoria & Albert Museum.
     
In this week's Parshah we learn about the powerful spirituality of Isaac and Rebecca:

ַיֶּעְתַּ֨ר יִצְחָ֤ק לַֽיהֹוָה֙ לְנֹ֣כַח אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ כִּ֥י עֲקָרָ֖ה הִ֑וא

At 25:21 "Isaac pleaded (or prayed) to the Lord on behalf his wife because she was barren..."

And we learn at 25:22 when Rebecca became pregnant with twins they struggled within her, and she sought an answer from Hashem as to what was going on.

וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ לִדְר֥שׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה

" And she went to demand of Hashem".
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In this week's parshah at 26:12, one of the things that intrigues me is that Isaac is a farmer, not only a herdsman, and he does alright for a tiller of the soil.

יב  וַיִּזְרַע יִצְחָק בָּאָרֶץ הַהִוא, וַיִּמְצָא בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִוא מֵאָה שְׁעָרִים; וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ, יְהוָה.

"And Isaac sowed in that land, and he found in that year a hundred fold, and the Lord blessed him".

His Philistine neighbors became jealous of his success.
They bully him and he is forced to move .
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Where was Esau when Isaac needed him? Esau is touted as being a hunter, a man of the field for which he was very much loved by his passive father, Isaac.

But when Isaac is continuously being bullied, harassed and pushed around by his Philistine neighbors where was Esau?: The Philistines stopped up the wells that had been dug by Abraham (26:15); they force Isaac to move (26:16); he had to move once more because of a quarrel over water (26:22); and finally Isaac settles away from the Philistines and moves back to his early home in Beersheva (26:23).
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The Parsha clearly illustrates that underground water is a property right that rests with the owners of the land. Wells are dug, stopped up and dug again. Isaac is not a land owner, but a sojourner who resides at the tender mercies of his Philistine host. Keep in mind that the Philistines are not native to the land, but acquired their property right by force of arms.

In modern times the right to well water is illustrated in the film “Lawrence of Arabia”. On a journey, Lawrence’s Bedouin guide is killed by Sherif Ali for drinking from the Sherif’s well without permission.




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Esau takes a 3rd wife, one of uncle Ishmael's daughters

In the Parsha at  26:35 Esau at age 40 marries two Hittite (Canaanite) women. Marrying these Canaanite women results in bitterness for Rivkah and Jacob .

וַתִּהְיֶיןָ, מֹרַת רוּחַ, לְיִצְחָק, וּלְרִבְקָה

"And they were a bitterness to the spirit  of Isaac and to Rivkah.”


This negative emotion is similar to that expressed by Job (Iyov) at 7:11 -

גַּם-אֲנִי, לֹא אֶחֱשָׂךְ-פִּי
אֲדַבְּרָה, בְּצַר רוּחִי; אָשִׂיחָה, בְּמַר נַפְשִׁי.


“Neither will I restrain my mouth; I will speak with the anguish of my spirit, I will complain with the bitterness of my soul.”



On its face, It is difficult to see from the text how the two Canaanite brides would be any different than the two Aramean women that Jacob eventually married. They were all idol worshippers. Perhaps the difference is that Jacob's wives were family.

At 28:8-9, upon hearing of his parent's preferences for a suitable mate, Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael, in addition to the two Canaanite wives he already had. This sounds like he did Teshuva...good for him.

You also have to ask why Esau's parents did not find a wife for him in the first instance.

  וַיַּרְא עֵשָׂו, כִּי רָעוֹת בְּנוֹת כְּנָעַן, בְּעֵינֵי, יִצְחָק אָבִיו.
                      ...וַיֵּלֶךְ עֵשָׂו, אֶל-יִשְׁמָעֵאל; וַיִּקַּח אֶת-מָחֲלַת בַּת-יִשְׁמָעֵאל

"And Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were displeasing to his father Isaac. So Esau went to Ishmael, and he took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael..."



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Some of the negative stereotypes about Jews in regard to "Economic Anti-Semitism” or deception of gentiles may be found in the Parsha:

The “swindling” by the bookish brother Jacob of the birthright belonging to his manly brother Esau; 
the deception of Isaac by Rivka and Jacob in obtaining by trickery the material blessing earmarked for Esau.

Anti-Semitism is a hostility that prejudices or discriminates or demonizes against Jews. In support of his prejudice, the Anti-Semite marks Jews as carrying deviant racial characteristics. We Jews are characterized by the Anti-Semite as not only being partially bad, but totally bad by our inherent nature, that we have inborn incorrigible traits.


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REVISITING THINGS TURKISH: A LESSON IN LIFE


As a boy my favorite 5₵ candy bar was Bonomo’s Turkish Taffy. It was chewy and lasted a long time. I’ve since come to learn that Bonomo’s Turkish Taffy is neither Turkish nor taffy, but I’m good with that. For me it’s a lesson in life.
I also enjoy Turkish coffee, and the orange juice on Turkish Airlines in my opinion is the best in the world. But recently I have been given pause to reflect on things Turkish.

In the the Turkish language, the word for “Jew” is kazıkçı satıcı. OK you ask, so what’s the point? Well, I’ll tell you what’s the point: kazıkçı satıcı is inherent anti-Semitism. It is a permanent, essential, characteristic attribute of you and me. It is how the Turks regard us. Kazıkçı satıcı means “swindler or deceiver or trickster”…another lesson in life.

Consider also that Turkey today hosts the leadership of Hamas. Where does a member of NATO come off to give refuge to a terrorist entity? What does Turkey think about Jews, Israel?
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In the Parshah, from 27:1 - 27:27 we are presented with infirmities associated with advancing years, a phenomenon not unfamiliar to many of us Olim:

Isaac although blind still has a sense of taste and is able to smell and hear. He sends Esau out to get some venison and to make a sweet stew that he very much hopes to enjoy

In the interim, Jacob tries to deceive Isaac. The old man's suspicions are aroused. He senses something odd about the voice of this son asking for a blessing. The boy is hairy like Esau and smells like Esau, but the voice is not quite right. What to do?


Deception, deceit, pathos, anger, fear and flight; this is a tale packed with emotion.

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Jacob could also have taken a wife from among the Canaanites as did Esau.
But Rebecca would have none of that:
 וַתֹּאמֶר רִבְקָה, אֶל-יִצְחָק, קַצְתִּי בְחַיַּי, מִפְּנֵי בְּנוֹת חֵת; אִם-לֹקֵחַ יַעֲקֹב אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת-חֵת כָּאֵלֶּה, מִבְּנוֹת הָאָרֶץ--לָמָּה לִּי, חַיִּים.

At 27:46 -"And Rebecca said to Isaac, "I am disgusted with my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth like these, from the daughters of the land, of what use is life to me?"

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At 28:1-2 Jacob is told by his father to go to Aram, to his Great Uncle Bethuel, and there take a wife from among his Uncle Lavan's daughters. 

Hypothetically, Jacob had other choices:
1. He could have been told to go to his Uncle Ishmael's, and take a wife from among Uncle Ishmael’s daughters.

And remember that Ishmael had received a blessing from Hashem at 17:20 in which he would be fruitful, increase in numbers and be the father of 12 princes. As for Bethuel and his son Lavan there is no such blessing. On its face then, going to Ishmael seems the better deal for Jacob.

Speculation: If Jacob had found his soulmate in Uncle Ishmael’s house, and if Hagar turned out to be Pharaoh’s daughter as the Midrash says, then all kinds of good things could have happened.

2. He could have gone to Uncle Lot who had two perhaps available daughters,
3. And if Jacob was worried enough about Esau, he could have sought the protection of Avimelech.

Thank you for playing this What If game with me:

OK, I know: If my Grandmother had a beard she would be my Grandfather.


The obsession to marry only into one's own family, and to marry well calls into question among other things, Abraham's marriage to Keturah.  
What was that about?

In today's world, marrying outside the family brings into question assimilation and Jewish survival, Caroline Glick has an opinion on this issue:

https://youtu.be/Ui2WYWqvVDY?si=ADKH-1M60ZWZ6OUT


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Normally, the Haftarah portion is from Malachi 1:1-2:7 -
However, this year because of the proximity to Rosh Chodesh Kislev the Haftarah portion is from 1Samuel 20:18-42 - 

There are two major themes in the Malachi Haftarah verses.
The first has to do with the damnation of Esau. The Prophet gives no reason for the hatred of Esau which I find disturbing. For the most part Esau the warrior is given a bad rap by most commentaries. In contrast, Jacob the Torah scholar is revered by all the other Torah scholars, probably in self service. Today, Israel needs both its warriors Torah scholars.

The second theme is Malachi's problem with the Priesthood. Malachi tells us that the Priests turned away from the correct path, corrupted their covenant, and offered blemished sacrifices. The major responsibility of the Priesthood as a religious authority was to bring us closer to Hashem.  In modern times the Rabbinate has supplanted the Priesthood. Are they doing a good job? You can answer that for yourself.

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REVISITING ISHMAEL THROUGH THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS


Ishmael the Archer

On September 15, 2020 Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed a Peace Treaty called the Abraham Accords. This name hearkens back to Abraham, the father of Ishmael and Isaac, two brothers who are the progenitors of Islam and Judaism, the Muslim nations and the State of Israel.

THINGS THAT WE KNOW ABOUT ISHMAEL
  • The name יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל Yishmaʿel means 'God will listen', suggesting that God fulfills His promises.
  • He will love the wilderness and to hunt.
  • Ishmael will not be domesticated. He will contend with his brethren.
  • “…he dwelt in the wilderness, and he became an archer”.
Isaac, in contrast to his Father and to Ishmael, was a passive individual. In Hebrew his name is Yitzchak, יִצְחָק means “he will laugh”.  I think he was a pleasant person; perhaps he had a benevolent smile.  When he meets his future wife, he loves her.

When Abraham passed away both brothers cooperated in a spirit of peace, shared interest and respect.  At 25:9 -

וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ יִצְחָק וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל, בָּנָיו, אֶל-מְעָרַת, הַמַּכְפֵּלָה

“And Isaac and Ishmael his [Abraham's] sons buried him [Abraham] in the cave of Machpelah,”

As promised by the Angel to Haggar (21:18) : Ishmael will father many children/  Ishmael had 12 sons, each a tribal leader. I take this as meaning that Ishmael will be the Father of the Arab people, much in the way that Jacob is the Father of the Jewish people.  They each had 12 Tribes.

 I think that when Ishmael spent his formative years under Abraham’s roof that he learned and accepted the concept of one God, the Creator.  His children learned from him just as did the children of Jacob.  I think Ishmael’s influence paved the way for Mohammed and for Muslims everywhere.



Jews and Muslims, if not exactly brothers, are surely cousins. The Abraham Accords brings about a time in which Jews and Muslims can live together in the spirit of peace.  We have shared interests and a shared heritage.  It leads to healing and makes for a better future.

However where there are Muslims that murder Jews as part of their credo, the thought of a Muslim- Jewish "kumbaya"  is called into question.

In this instance as experienced in Gaza where Hamas slaughtered us , the cockroaches will be exterminated.













Saturday, November 16, 2024

CHAYEI SARAH 23:1-25:18

  CHAYEI SARAH 23:1-25:18

 


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The Parsha opens up with the death of Sarah.  Many commentators juxtapose her passing with the conclusion of the previous Parsha where Abraham is commanded to sacrifice Isaac, Sarah’s only son.  In the nick of time the sacrifice is prevented; both father and son go their separate ways.

Yet, Sarah dies.  Is Sarah what some would call: collateral damage?

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The name of the Torah portion is Chayei Sarah, the Life of Sarah. It seems to me that Sarah’s life was filled with vicissitudes, ups and downs, many of which were unpleasant or uncertain and created feelings of anxiety:  She witnessed the destruction of Sodom.


Sarah was a pioneer: Striking out on her own along with her husband Abraham she ventured into Canaan, a foreign land.

Sarah and Abraham were a perfect match, sort of a yin and yang.  While Abraham reached out to everyone around, his tent was open on three sides, Sarah maintained a home for her family. Sarah was tough; she did what she had to do. It was Sarah who ordered Abraham to cast out Haggar and Ishmael, and she was backed up by Hashem


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Coins had not yet been invented. 
 Abraham had to weigh out the 400 shekel purchase price.


At 23:16, Abraham purchase a grave site for 400 shekels.

  וַיִּשְׁקֹ֤ל אַבְרָהָם֙ לְעֶפְרֹ֔ן אֶת־הַכֶּ֕סֶף אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֖ר בְּאָזְנֵ֣י בְנֵי־חֵ֑ת אַרְבַּ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ שֶׁ֣קֶל כֶּ֔סֶף

...Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver...


In the land of Judah the system of measurement for weights was based on the Shekel. The shekel had many sub-units. This meant things could be weighed by half a shekel, or commonly in multiples of 2, 4, and 8 and deviations of Beqa, Pym, and Nesef. The system was centered on the shekel of c. 11.33g.



400 shekels X 11.4 grams/shekel = 4560 grams

4560 grams / 28.35 grams/ounce = 160.85 ounces

160.85 ounces X $23+/- /ounce = $3,670 ca.
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For 400 shekels at 23:20 Abraham purchased a burial plot from a Hittite.

וַיָּ֨קָם הַשָּׂדֶ֜ה וְהַמְּעָרָ֧ה אֲשֶׁר־בּ֛וֹ לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם לַֽאֲחֻזַּת־קָ֑בֶר מֵאֵ֖ת בְּנֵי־חֵֽת

“And the field and the cave within it were established to Abraham as burial property from the sons of Heth”.

Who were the sons of Heth, בְּנֵי־חֵֽת?

They are often called Hittites, but this is a misnomer.

They are Canaanites, and are descended from Canaan, a grandchild of Noah.

At 10:15 -

וּכְנַ֗עַן יָלַ֛ד אֶת־צִידֹ֥ן בְּכֹר֖וֹ וְאֶת־חֵֽת

“And Canaan’s offspring were Zidon his firstborn and Heth.

צִידֹ֥ן  I guess is the city of Sidon to the north in today's Lebanon.

To be sure there was a Hittite empire, and these Canaanite Hittites may have been a Hittite outlier.

The חֵֽת are living in Hevron.  The root of Hevron is חבר, friend.

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At 24:22, Abraham's servant gives Rebecca some jewelry:

"When the camels had drunk their fill, the man took a gold nose-ring weighing a beka [half a shekel] and two gold bracelets weighing 10 gold shekels for her arms, and gave them to her.".

Commentators find symbolism in these gifts:

A BEKA = ½ SHEKEL, alludes to the 1/2 shekel donation when Moses took the census.

The word BRACELETS = צְמִידִים֙    or PAIR = צֶמֶד, symbolizing  the TABLETS

10 GOLD SHEKELS = 10 COMMANDMENTS

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In a previous Parshah, Hashem says to Abraham, Go, for you, your family, your country, your father's house..." (Bereishis 12:1-3).

In this week's Parshah, we have Rebecca (Rivkah) at 24:58 making the same move.  In this matter her personality is similar to that of her trail blazing future father-in-law and deceased mother-in-law.

וַיִּקְרְא֤וּ לְרִבְקָה֙ וַיֹּֽאמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יהָ הֲתֵֽלְכִ֖י עִם־הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֑ה וַתֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלֵֽךְ

And they called Rebecca, and they said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go."

There is a commentary that interprets this as "I will go whether you allow me or not".

Isaac, by comparison is different.  Hashem does not permit him to leave the Land.  He has herds and flocks, but more importantly he is a successful farmer and grows crops. He is not a wanderer; he is a consolidator.

Isaac epitomizes the special nature of the Land.  One cannot completely be a Jew outside the land of Israel.

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At 24:60 as Rebecca is about to begin her journey, her brother and father bless her: 

וַיְבָרְכוּ אֶת-רִבְקָה, וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָהּ--אֲחֹתֵנוּ, אַתְּ הֲיִי לְאַלְפֵי רְבָבָה; וְיִירַשׁ זַרְעֵךְ, אֵת שַׁעַר שֹׂנְאָיו.

"And they blessed Rebecca and said to her, "Our sister, may you become countless thousands, and may your seed inherit the gate of those who hate them."
This blessing is similar to the blessings given to Abraham by God in Chapter 17, particularly in verse 8 where as part of the covenant Abraham's descendent are given the land of Canaan.
And for me, living in this Land today, a land once occupied by my enemies, it is my inheritance. I belong here.

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From the World of Rabbi Avraham Kook:

“If we truly look at the good side of every individual, we will develop an inherent affection for them without having to lie to ourselves about their bad traits. This is because if we take an interest in the good in them that we encounter constantly, this will truly conceal from us all their bad traits...” (Erpalei Tohar 107) adapted from Machon Meir.
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The Haftorah portion for the parsha comes from 1Kings: 1-31.
It is filled with drama and Halachic questions, and is well worth reading.  Some of the major themes are:
1. David is very old and a "bed-warmer" is selected for him.
2. Adonijah, one of David's sons, declares himself to be king.
3.  Bathsheba, supported by the Prophet Nathan, wants her son Solomon to be king.

By way of example the commentators have a field day with the term "bed-warmer" and all its many ramifications. 
 So should all of us.

 David is cold. His servants decide that he needs a “warmer”.

וּתְהִי־ל֖וֹ סֹכֶ֑נֶת

1:2,  and she shall be to him a warmer.

There is controversy among the commentators as to what a סֹכֶ֑נֶת is.  Rashi says “warmer”; others translate it as “near” or “treasurer” or “helper”.

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Let’s explore a little deeper this issue:

וְהַמֶּ֚לֶךְ דָּוִד֙ זָקֵ֔ן בָּ֖א בַּיָּמִ֑ים

“And King David was old, advanced in years…”

Chronologically King David was 70 years old.

David seems to be passive in his acquiescence. Do we condone the immodest solution because it may be a medical proposal? 

וְהַמֶּ֖לֶךְ לֹ֥א יְדָעָֽהּ

1:4, "And the king did not know her".

Here, TANACH is speaking of carnal knowledge, knowing being an euphemism for intimacy.

They were not intimate…Why?  David was supposed to be robust in his manhood. Was this maybe then a self-imposed punishment. Maybe he was doing teshuva for the sin with Bathsheba?

David did not know her. Perhaps, instead if physical intimacy (carnal Knowledge) to know means cognitive Knowledge or ability. Could David been suffering from Alzheimer’s or some cognitive dysfunction?

Lot’s of questions…many answers.

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In this week’s Parsha at 24:1 it says:     

וְאַבְרָהָ֣ם זָקֵ֔ן בָּ֖א בַּיָּמִ֑ים

 One of the things we worked on with Rabbi Baruch at the היום shiur was how do you translate זָקֵ֔ן בָּ֖א בַּיָּמִ֑ים?

And what does זָקֵ֔ן בָּ֖א בַּיָּמִ֑ים mean?

 Rabbi Baruch brought out in this week’s Parsha at 24:1 it says:

וְאַבְרָהָ֣ם זָקֵ֔ן בָּ֖א בַּיָּמִ֑ים

“And Abraham was old, advanced in years,”

Chronologically he was 137 years old.

 

In last week’s Parsha at 18:11 it says:

 וְאַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה זְקֵנִים, בָּאִים בַּיָּמִים

And Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years.”

 Chronologically Sarah was 90 and Abraham was 100 years old.

In this week’s Haftarah portion at 1Kings 1:1 it say:

 וְהַמֶּ֚לֶךְ דָּוִד֙ זָקֵ֔ן בָּ֖א בַּיָּמִ֑ים

“And King David was old, advanced in years…”

Chronologically King David was 70 years old.

 

Adding more fuel to the fire from the Book of Joshua at 23:1 and 2:

 וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ זָקֵן, בָּא בַּיָּמִים.

…And Joshua was old, advanced in years.”

אֲנִי זָקַנְתִּי, בָּאתִי בַּיָּמִים

“I am old, advanced in years.”

 Chronologically Joshua was 110 years old.

Clearly, זָקֵ֔ן בָּ֖א בַּיָּמִ֑ים does not exclusively refer to one’s chronological age but something more. Rabbi Baruch referenced the Zohar where we are taught that there are no casual days. Each day has a revelation unique to a person.

We learned, among other things, that even at an advanced age we have the capability to respond in new ways to new challenges in our life.

Looking at the verse, not out of context, I get another interpretation, albeit less spiritual. When you consider the text or event that follows the verse, it would seem that the verse acts as an attention getter because something very important is on the way. Check the text and you will see what I mean.

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BENAYAHU SON OF YEHOYADA, יְהוֹיָדָ  בְנָיָהוּ בֶן

Solomon’s Facilitator

 



In this week’s Chayei Sarah Haftarah portion at 1Kings 1:1-31 a successor to King David is to be chosen. There is a controversy between Adoniyahu and Solomon. Although David had promised Bathsheba that Solomon would succeed him, Adoniyahu jumps the gun and has himself declared King.

At verse 26, a certain Benayahu son of Yehoyada appears. He seems  to be siding with the proponents of Solomon. Who is he? What do we know about him? He is a man who emerges from the shadows, making it possible for Solomon to reign in peace.

A couple of weeks ago in our Berakhot Talmud class at 18a-b we learned something about Benayahu son of Yehoyada, יְהוֹיָדָ  בְנָיָהוּ בֶן

Benayahu is the stuff of legends. He is praised for three mighty feats: striking down two lion-hearted warriors from Moab, killing a lion in a pit, and defeating an Egyptian giant (2Samuel 23:20-21). This is only a taste of just how savage he was in the face of his enemies.  Benayahu was a leader. David had 30 or more elite warriors that he trusted and relied on.  Benayahu was at the top of the list. 

Benayahu was pivotal in transferring the kingdom from David to Solomon. Under Solomon’s reign, Benayahu gains prominence. In 1Kings 2” he becomes leader of the army after, on Solomon’s command, he kills Joab the former commander. Solomon entrusts him with the duty of cleaning house

Benayahu is charged with the responsibility of executing more than a few key figures who had evaded punishment under David, and who now posed a threat to Solomon’s reign.

 Solomon saw in Benayahu a capable and extremely loyal deputy, a man who emerged from the shadows and took care of business. It was clear sailing for Solomon once his house had been cleaned.

Some would say that Benayahu was Solomon’s enforcer; I’d say that Benayahu was Solomon’s facilitator.  What do you think?

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There are several verses in Psalm 45 that relate to Isaac and Rebecca.
Check these out:

3 - You are more handsome than [other] men; charm is poured into your lips. Therefore, God blessed you forever

8 - You loved righteousness, and you hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, anointed you with oil of joy from among your peers.

11 - Hearken, daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people and your father's house.

12 - And the King shall desire your beauty, for He is your Lord, and prostrate yourself to Him.

15 - With embroidered garments, she will be brought to the King; and maidens in her train who are her companions will be brought to You.

17 - Instead of your forefathers will be your sons; you shall appoint them as princes throughout the land.

18 - I will mention Your name in every generation; therefore peoples shall thank You forever and ever.

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