But the children almost crushed one another inside her, so she said: if this be so, why do I exist? And she went to inquire of God.

God said to her: two nations are in your body, two tribes from your belly shall be divided; tribe shall be mightier than tribe, elder shall be servant to younger.

When her days were fulfilled for bearing, here: twins were in her body!

The first one came out ruddy, like a hairy mantle all over, so they called his name: Esav/Rough-one.

After that his brother came out, his hand grasping Esav’s heel, so he called his name Yaakov/Heel holder; Yitzhak was sixty years old when she bore them.

 (Bereishit 25:22-27)

 

ANTONINUS AND REBBI: CULTURES MEET

“And God said to her; two nations are in your body” – Said Rav Yehuda in the name of Rav: Read not goyim (nations), but rather gayim (great, proud). This refers to Antoninus and Rebbi, whose tables never lacked lettuce or squash, or radishes, neither in sunny days nor in days of rain, as the Master taught: Radishes grind the food, lettuce turns food over, squash widens the intestines.

 (Bavli, Avodah Zara 11a)

Said Antoninus to Rebbi: Both body and soul can free themselves from judgement. How? Body says: “Soul sinned, [and the proof is that] since the day it departed from me, I lie here in the grave [sinless] like a silent stone.” Soul says: “Body sinned, [and the proof is that] since the day I departed from it, I fly in the air like a bird.”

Replied he [Rebbi] to him [Antoninus]: I shall spin you a parable. To what is our subject comparable? To a king of flesh and blood who had a pleasant orchard. When there appeared beautiful first fruits, he placed appointed two watchmen, one a cripple, the other a blind man. Said the cripple to the blind man: “I see lovely first fruits in the orchard, come and carry me and we will bring them and eat them.” The cripple rode on the back of the blind man, and they brought them and ate them. One day, the owner of the orchard came and said to them: “Where are the beautiful first fruits?” Replied the cripple: “Do I have legs to walk among them?” Said the blind man: “Do I have eyes to see?” What did he do? He placed the cripple on the blind man and judged them as one.

So does The Holy One, Blessed Be He. He brings a soul, and places it inside the body, and judges them as one, as is written, “He summoned the heavens above, and the earth, for the trial of His people.” (Psalms 50:4). “The heavens above” – this refers to the soul; “the earth, for the trial of His people” – this refers to the body.

(Bavli, Sanhedrin 81a)

 

 

 

“WE HAVE ONLY DEALT WELL WITH YOU”

Nahem Ilan

            Yitzhak’s dwelling in Gerar and his relations with the local ruler is the main subject of Chapter 26 of Bereishit. This period discribes dissonant relations in two acrimonious stages. First, “and the Philistines envied him” (v. 14). This envy results in “And all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Avraham his father, Philistines stopped up and filled with earth” (v. 15). When Yitzhak fails to take the subtle ‘hint’, the second stage begins – “Avimelekh said to Yizhak: ‘Go away from us, for you have become exceedingly more mighty in number than we!” (v. 16). Yitzhak gathers his possessions, encamps in the upper reaches of the wadi of Gerar. But the more he succeeds in uncovering water-yielding wells, the more intense grows the conflict with the shepherds of Gerar; finally he is forced to move all the way to the Beer-Sheva region.

            In typical fashion, Scripture refrains from passing judgement on Yitzhak’s functioning. Did Yitzhak act correctly? Wisely? Is this the way of the believer? What about standing on principle, steadfast adherence to values, defense of rights? Where is his determination? These and other questions remain without immediate answer. Partial answer is provided by the Biblical story in its wider context. The story does not end with the departure from Gerar and the wadi of Gerar. It is worthwhile to peruse the continuation of the chapter to hear – if only through allusion – the Bible’s appraisal of Yitzhak’s decision to concede, to retreat, to fold his tent and move further away.

            First I should like to make a stylistic distinction which has decisive effect on the deciphering of the chronology of the events recorded in the second half of Chapter 26. An accepted rule in Torah (and occasionally in Prophets) interpretation is that when the subject precedes the predicate (the verb), it describes an event which precedes the act now being describes, a kind of ‘past perfect’. Understanding this rule is essential for the placing of verse 26 (“Now Avimelekh went to him from Gerar…”) in its chronological context, as against its literary context – what should this passage precede? At first blush, it would seem that it should precede the erection of the altar (v. 25), but it seems to me that if we take into consideration the end of the chapter, Avimelekh’s going to Yitzhak should be positioned earlier in the chapter, immediately following verse 22. The entire story of Avimelekh’s going and Yitzhak’s reaction to his words lead to the meaning of the name “Beer-Sheva”.

            According to the story before us, Yitzhak is the one who opens the conversation – “Why have you come to me? For you hate me and have sent me away from you!” (v. 27). These words, harsh though they be, do not forestall dialogue – they actually invite a response. This, in effect, is how Avimelekh and his entourage understand the words, for they reply, “We have seen, yes, seen that God has been with you, so we say: Pray let there be an oath-curse between us, between us and you, we want to cut a covenant with you” (v. 28). They affirm Yitzhak’s claim that they hated him and that they expelled him from their midst; they add an explanation for their coming. Their demand that he leave had resulted from envy. In the meantime, it became clear to them that it was not just a matter of good fortune which shone upon Yitzhak, but it was divine assistance. Therefore, the jealousy is replaced by political awareness and wisdom. The content of the suggested arrangement is – “If ever you should deal badly with us…! Just as we have not harmed you and just as we have only dealt well with you and have sent you away in peace – you are now blessed by God!” (v. 29). Yitzhak’s response shows that he considered their offer to be a fair one, not so much with regard to the factual past, but as to the forging of a possible future. He accedes – “He made them a drinking-feast, and they ate and drank. Early in the morning they swore an oath to one another, then Yitzhak sent them off, and they went from him in peace” (v. 30-31). On that day, the additional well, called Shiv’ah was uncovered; the giving of that name was ratification of the oath [shevuah] which Yitzhak swore to Avimelekh.

            Should one ask, did not the name ‘Be’er-Sheva’ appear earlier, in chapter 21, with the explanation “Therefore that place was called Be’er-Sheva/Well of the Seven-Swearing, for there the two of them swore (v. 31)? If Avraham had already given that name to the well adjacent to the site of the cutting of the covenant with Avimelekh, what is the point of the story in chapter 26? One possible answer may be that we have before us multiple sources – another indication that that the Book of Bereishit is composed of various sources. Indeed, there were those who exploited this theory to resolve all their questions. According to this explanation, the redactor of Bereishit is revealed to be a rather shoddy workman; he is incapable of elegantly weaving together two sources which appear only five chapters apart.

            It seems to me that another explanation can be offered, one more convincing from a literary point of view. There were indeed two different events which prompted the giving of the name Be’er-Sheva. The name given by Avraham was a temporary name; it disappeared along with the disappearance of the characters involved.¹ A generation passes; the covenant no longer exists – and perhaps the name is forgotten.² The story of Yitzhak from here on teaches that the water conflicts were over; it seems that the covenant cut between Yitzhak and Avimelekh attained permanence, and, subsequently, the name Be’er-Sheva (“Therefore the name of the city is Be’er Sheva until this very day” (v. 33).

            But some of the doubts regarding the correctness of Yitzhak’s way continue to reverberate. One of these finds expression in Bereishit Rabba (64:10). On the words “If ever you should deal badly with us…! Just as we have not harmed you and just as we have only dealt well with you…” (26:29), the Midrash remarks: “Rak” – “just as” – [in Talmudic hermeneutics] an exclusionary term – their goodness was not complete.” The Midrash does not specify in what way they short-changed Yitzhak. Instead, it adds a story which is very problematic for myriad – primarily historic – reasons. Since the story appears in Aramaic, it is presented here in translated and abridged form:

In the days of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananya, the evil kingdom decreed that the Temple be rebuilt, but the Samaritans frustrated this good intention. The Jews, who had gathered in the Beth Rimon Valley, wanted to revolt against the government; someone was sought to calm the public down, and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananya “Ish eshkolot shel Torah” [a distinguished scholar] was chosen. Rabbi Yehoshua spun a parable: A lion was devouring his prey, and a bone stuck in his throat. Said the lion: Whoever shall extract it, I will award him. Came the crane, stuck her long beak into the lion’s maw, and removed the bone. When she requested her reward, the lion replied: Go and boast that you entered the lion’s mouth and exited unharmed. Rabbi Yehoshua ended with the words “Thus, it is sufficient that we entered this nation and also existed in peace.”

            We have before us an excellent example of how the Midrash sets and defines new boundaries to the Biblical story. If, in the Bereishit story, one could see value in the recognition of the God of Yitzhak and in His power, here God is absent from the literary horizon of the Midrash, in both the allegory, and the subject under comparison; in contrast to the basis of equality – basic to all agreements – found in the Bible, in the Midrash it is clear that the parties are unequal. Most important, in contrast to the Biblical narrative which ends on a positive note – Yitzhak has a well which is not subject to contention – the Midrash story end with bitterness and disappointment. If such be the case, why the decision to tell this story within the context of our parasha and the verse under discussion?

I have no decisive answer to this question. It seems to me that first and foremost, the Midrash is helping us to trace Chazal’s world of associations. From the parable and its application, we are able to understand what the darshan – the author of the midrash – and the redactor of the Midrash thought about Avimelekh. The Philistines were considered to be a world power. Perhaps this was a projection of their own world and environment. Secondly, a segment of the priority of values of the darshan (and the redactor) are revealed; today we might paraphrase a familiar slogan: “In life, it is preferable to be wise, not to be right.” This is a difficult conclusion, for it diminishes the standing of the values of justice and truth, celebrating compromise and, sometimes, surrender and concession.

            Thirdly, the positive consequences recorded in the Bible come to light only later. In this sense, they are information available to the reader, but not to the characters involved – certainly not at the time of making difficult decisions. Perhaps the lesson offered by the Midrash is that, even though in retrospect it may seem that there was no great profit from the compromise, the concession, the surrender, we can still discern in them a correct decision which produced existential advantage, which is in itself enough. Sometimes, “to get away in one piece” from a predicament is sufficient reason, and no further gains are necessary.

            In any case, Yitzhak, in Chapter 26 of Bereishit, is portrayed as a totally earthy character, one possessing healthy political instincts, a sharp sense of reality, and great awareness of his real needs. All these are essential qualities; those who consider themselves “Sons of Yitzhak” would do well to strive for them… in the sense of “The parents’ acts are signs for the children.”

 

1.      I assume that Avimelekh is a dynastic title, like Pharaoh; the Avraham-Avimelekh narrative involves a different Avimelekh than the one in the Yitzhak story. There seem to be a number of indications in the narrative which support this assumption.

2.      This was the opinion of Cassutto, who wrote “The oath taken on that festive day presented a suitable opportunity to return and rename the location Be’er-Sheva, previously so called by Avraham. This name will now be doubly justified, because of the first event and of the second.” See M.D. Cassuto, The Book of Bereishit and Its Structure, Yerushalayim, 5750, pp. 239-240.

 

Dr. Nahem Ilan teaches in the combined Jewish Studies Program at Bar Ilan Univ. and in the Department of Arabic in Haifa Univ.

 

 

“And when you grow restive, you will tear his yoke from your neck.” – Our behavior must be influenced by ethical considerations and not by dynamics of vengeance.

“And when you grow restive” – a connotation of sorrow, as in: “Arid b’sihi” – “I am tossed about, complaining…” (Psalms 55:3); that is to say, when Israel will transgress the Torah and you will have reason to regret the blessings which he took, “you will tear his yoke from your neck…” (Rashi, Bereishit 27:40)

“And when you grow restive” – in your sorrow, because of the stirring up of his hand, and you shall tear his yoke from your neck. This is a hint to Israel that he not stir himself up against them too much, doing them wrong. And this is what the Scripture commanded (Devarim 2:4-5) “Take exceeding care, do not stir up yourselves against them, etc.”

(Ramban ibid., ibid.)

 

“Who is Esav? Who is Edom?” – The caution which must be exercised when interpreting the present according to the past.

            …And slumberers who have not awakened from the sleep of foolishness think that we are in the exile of Edom. This is not the case, and so it is written “Thus Edom fell away from Judah” (II Kings 8:22). And Yoav killed every male in Edom (II Kings 11:16). And because they had been subservient to Judah, they reveled on the day of our destruction, and they urged on the Babylonians “Strip her! Strip her!” (Psalms 137:7). Israel’s shame was intensified, as Edom denigrated them for their iniquity [“and the humiliation which the Edomites besmirched Israel on the day which Yerushalyim was captured, and the Temple was burned down by the Casdeans, was more painful to Israel than his own sorrow” – Ibn Ezra on the verse in Psalms 137:7]. This explains “Rejoice and exult, Fair Edom” (Lamentations 4:21), and also “How could you gloat over the people of Judah” (Obadiah 1:12). In the days of the Horkanos the Elder, he appointed them guards over Yerushalayim, and had them circumcised. And also in the days of Agrippas, when Yerushalayim was conquered, troops of Edomites came to Judah’s assistance. And the nation [variant reading, probably authentic: “And Rome”] which exiled us is the seed of the Kittim, and thus says the translator of “Ships come from the quarter of Kittim” [Onkelos: “Kittim = Romans”] and that was the Kingdom of Greece itself, as we explained in the Book of Daniel “And there were a few people” – who believed in the new faith [Christianity]; and when they believed in the times of Constantine, who initiated the religion, there were none who observed the new teaching but a few Edomites [Therefore, Rome is called “The Kingdom of Edom”]. Similarly, today, the inhabitants of Egypt and Elam are called Ishmaelites, yet none but a few are from the seed of Ishmael.

(Ibn Ezra, Bereishit 27:40)

 

What was the reason for Esav’s anger? Loss of the blessing to Yaakov? Or the content of his own blessing?

“And Esav hated Yaakov over the blessing” – some understand that “over the blessing” refers not to the blessing which Yaakov received, but rather to the blessing with which his father blessed him “by your sword you shall live” and in it shall be your trust.

“By your sword you shall live” – by virtue of his profession, for he was a man of the field, used to hunting in the deserts and in places of destruction and desolation, he was deserving of the blessing of the sword. And the planet Mars, which rules those who shed blood, has great power over destruction and the sword, and therefore Esav’s seed inherits the sword, and his master, which is the power of killing, is considered the source of the sword. For this reason, the Torah proscribed the use of sword and iron in the Tabernacle and in the Temple - in the Tabernacle as is written, (Shemoth 25) “Gold and silver and copper” - there was no iron there whaterver; and regarding the Temple it is written (I Kings 6), “No hammer or ax or any iron tool was heard in the House while it was built”, because iron is the sword, and it destroys the world and the Temple is the preservation of the world. “You shall serve your brother” – when Yaakov is worthy; “when you become restive” – when he is unworthy, “you will tear his yoke from your neck”. This was the intention of Onkelos when he translated into “When his children will transgress the words of the Torah”.

 (Rabeinu Bahaye, Bereishit 27:40)

 

 

 

 

 

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