Musings on the Torah

This write up attempts to explain the seemingly incongruent placement of Yitzchaks death which does not seem to conform with the Torahs usual methodology The Torah, when talking about how Yaakov finally returns to Chevron—the city of his father and grandfather—feels the need to let us know that Yitzchak was still among the living and that he dies only after Yaakov returns home to him (Bereishis 35:27-29). Ramban points out (ibid 28) that record of Yitzchaks death should have come at the end of Toldos, as the Torah usually wraps up someone’s life—notwithstanding that they’re still alive—and moves onto the next generation if there isn't anything noteworthy that still needs to be written about that person—see there his explanation. I’d like to suggest the following: Earlier, when Yaakov makes off with the brachos, the Torah records Eisav as thinking that (ibid 27:41) יִקְרְבוּ יְמֵי אֵבֶל אָבִי וְאַהַרְגָה אֶת יַעֲקֹב אָחִי. In other words, despite how much he reviled Yaakov he wasn’t...

This short observation attempts to provide some additional color to a famous midrash  There is a well known midrash, popularized by Rashi, that goes as follows: דבר אחר: כי ציד בפיו – היה שואל לאביו היאך מעשרין את המלח ואת התבן, והיה יצחק אוהבו סבור בו שהוא מחמיר במצות, והוא לא היה שואל אלא לרמות את אביו Rambam is of the opinion (Melachim 9:1) that Yitzchak was the first to tithe crops: וַיִּצְחָק הִפְרִישׁ מַעֲשֵׂר That being the case, maaser was particularly close to Yitzchak's heart, as he had innovated it. Esav wasn't merely selecting any mitzvah for stringent observance to make himself appear pious in his father's eyes but rather was zoning in on a specific mitzvah that he knew to be especially dear to Yitzchak, one that was sure to ingratiate himself maximally, as Yitzchak would be smitten and taken with Esav's meticulous observance of "his" mitzvah.

This piece explores whether Leah and Rachel were ever in the know as to which one of them was Yaakov's intended bride Chazal say that Rachel knew that Yaakov had made up with her father to work toward marrying her, and that at the last moment, refusing to allow her sister to be shamed, selflessly provided Leah with the signs Yaakov had given her to stave off precisely this scenario, ascribing to Rachel eternal merit for that amazing act of kindness and self sacrifice. However, the story, plainly read, doesn't seem to indicate that the women were clued in regarding their marital arrangement.  All nuptial talk occurs exclusively between Yaakov and Lavan with no word that the sisters were informed about the initial plan.  In the morning, when Yaakov realizes he's been duped, he doesn't confront Leah but rather her father Lavan.  In the world of peshat there doesn't seem to be any reason to assume that anyone other than the men were in the know, with Yaakov conducting m...

This write up focuses on the place of physical beauty and attraction in the Torah The fact is that the Avos all married very good looking women.  By Sarah it is only mentioned tangentially when she went to Egypt and Avraham had to take precautions because of it, however by Rivka and even moreso by Rachel their extraordinary beauty features prominently in their shidduch stories, with Avraham's eved and Yaakov being attracted to and selecting them as marital partners in large part owing to their extreme physical beauty (by Rivka the argument can be made that it was only what initially grabbed his attention with the middos test the main factor, less so by Rachel).  This emphasis troubled many a reader.  The midrash—ostensibly uncomfortable with the emphasis on the external—posits that 1) Avraham had never previously looked at Sarah 2) The eved Avraham selected Rivka because the water miraculously rose up toward her and 3) that Rachel was chosen because she was the younger of...

This write up attempts to bring attention to a potentially life altering idea expressed by Hagar Bereishis 16 is essentially a story about Sarai—having been childless ten years—urging Avram to take her maidservant Hagar as a surrogate through whom Sarai might mother a child (Radak to 'פסוק ב). Avram acquiesces, Hagar indeed becomes pregnant, and Sarai, feeling mistreated by her, oppresses her.  Hagar, unable to bear it any longer, flees. She finds herself in the desert, pregnant (ibid, verse 11) and alone. An angel appears to her, and after telling her to return and that God will make her child into a great nation, instructs her to name the boy Yishmael as God has heard her pain. Hagar, overcome, proclaims (verse 13): וַתִּקְרָא שֵׁם י"י הַדֹּבֵר אֵלֶיהָ אַתָּה אֵל רֳאִי כִּי אָמְרָה הֲגַם הֲלֹם רָאִיתִי אַחֲרֵי רֹאִי. Onkelos renders it וְצַלִּיאַת בִּשְׁמָא דַּייָ דְּאִתְמַלַּל עִמַּהּ אֲמַרַת אַתְּ הוּא אֱלָהָא חָזֵי כוֹלָא אֲרֵי אֲמַרַת אַף אֲנָא שָׁרִיתִי חָזְיָא בָּתַר ד...

The following is a fascinating study in contrasts regarding the bitachon/hishtadlus spectrum Ramban (Bereishis 12:10) harshly censures Avram for going to Egypt due to the famine in Canaan and misleading the Egyptians regarding his relationship with Sarai and setting her up for sin and not trusting that HaShem would work things out to the extent that Ramban pins the entire galus mitzrayim on Avram for these actions ודע כי אברהם אבינו חטא חטא גדול בשגגה שהביא אשתו הצדקת במכשול עון מפני פחדו פן יהרגוהו, והיה לו לבטוח בשם שיציל אותו ואת אשתו ואת כל אשר לו, כי יש באלהים כח לעזור ולהציל. גם יציאתו מן הארץ, שנצטווה עליה בתחילה, מפני הרעב, עון אשר חטא, כי האלהים ברעב יפדנו ממות. ועל המעשה הזה נגזר על זרעו הגלות בארץ מצרים ביד פרעה. במקום המשפט שמה הרשע והחטא. Ralbag (ibid; who, interestingly, per Chida's shem hagedolim, was a grandson of Ramban's), on the other hand, diametrically opposes Ramban, writing that Avram acted wisely in going to mitzrayim for food and in passing off Sarai as...

This short piece attempts to provide a source for a well known halacha in the opening chapters of the Torah  The halacha is that although for krias shema kisui ervah suffices for tefilah more is required and one needs to cover ones heart as well (whatever that denotes—tb berachos 24b-25a).  Rashi there explains the rationale: צריך הוא להראות את עצמו כעומד לפני המלך.  In other words, tefilah, in contradistinction to shema, by definition involves amidah lifnei hamelech, which demands a certain comportment.  I think I have an explicit source in the Torah for this.  After eating from the forbidden fruit, Adam and his ezer (she wasn't named Chava just yet) feel themselves to be naked and fashion חֲגֹרֹת for themselves.  Chizkuni brings an alternative peshat that they were loincloths—nothing more.  Subsequently, when God comes looking for them, they hide.  When queried, Adam responds with: וַיֹּאמֶר אֶת קֹלְךָ שָׁמַעְתִּי בַּגָּן וָאִירָא כִּי עֵירֹם אָ...