Go Down to Go Up

Books:
That's Not What the Good Book Says by Yair Zakovitch Avigdor Shinan
Compares the Story of Avram & Sari going to Egypt to the Book of Esther.

The Genesis of Ethics by Burton L. Visotzky


Chapter 13 - Going UP from Egypt

Refers to both geographically and spiritually ‘going up’

Eli Munk – on the spiritual journey of Abraham. Avram held his high moral standards and was not influenced by the moral attitudes in Egypt but he had to be exposed to this so he would be able to rise higher:

Thanks to Jack Goldberg for the appropriate song:

Mipney ma, mipney ma, yoredet han'shama l'mata
Mipney ma, mipney ma, yoredet han'shama.

Hoy, hoy yerida, yerida tsorech aliya (2)


Why does the soul go downward?
Because descent is required for rising up.

Aaron Copland used the melody in his piano trio Vitebsk, Studies on a
Jewish Theme He heard it when attending a performance of The Dybbuk,
by S. An-Sky. A Google search on [mipney ma copland] will identify
many references, many of which use Ladino in the second verse. Mine
uses Hebrew for both verses.

You can preview it at this site

Abraham was exposed to the dangers in Egypt. Parallel to the story of the Israelite people when they went to Egypt. They had to experience Egypt to rise higher after they left.

Talmudic quote: “the repentant sinner stands higher than the high priest”

A bad experience can be the “booster rocket” to better experiences.

Burt Visotzky’s book accepts Abraham as flawed.

Karen Armstrong – contemporary teacher at Leo Beck School -
The ethics is not the primary teaching of Torah, it is more about the progressive separation between man and God.
“Ethical fashions” change over time. All the patriarchs were a failure in their family relationships.

What Avram took with him:
His wife is mentioned separately from his other possessions which is significant.
And the way Lot is mentioned is also significant – important because of what happens later.

Avram was wealthy – The question arises – where did his wealth come from?
Lot also had possessions – where did he get his wealth?

The word for wealth also means “heavy” - which allows for many interpretations.
Rashi – He was laden with the burden of wealth!
“wealth weighs you down”
More wealth = More worries

There is also a parallel with the episode in Exodus – the fleeing Israelites ‘borrow’ wealth from the neighbors.

The word also is related to Kavod = respect.

Avram returned by the same route that he came to Egypt. (to the tent where he was before)

Two interpretations:

• Rashi – this is proper conduct because it shows that he had been satisfied with his lodgings before and he is showing loyalty to those who helped him previously.
• Hasiddic – he was content with what he had before – money didn’t change him.
  

A lesson in frugality!