Chavarah- Jewish Community Learning

A blog of Jewish study and traditions. Notes from classes: Torah Study with Rabbi Marder, Toledot and Shabbaton as well as other details found of interest.

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Tuesday, December 01, 2009

A Promise - Takes a Long Time to Fulfill

Gen 12:7-9 Torah Study 11/28
with Rabbi Marder

God will give this land to Abraham's offspring. - "to your ‘seed’ I will give this land."
A line that is the foundation of the idea that the land is divinely promised.
This seems an absolute promise from God – but caused a lot of problems.

Cannot have a rational dialogue on this today.

In original context:
relates to Beginning Chapter 12 ‘make you a great nation’
Here the promise is for a specific 'territory'.

Long time between the promise to Avram and the fulfillment that doesn't happen until the end of Torah. Avram continues to wander and doesn't settle there.

The theme of Jewish history is to live in the interval between - maintain hope, not to give in, and to believe the promise will be fulfilled.

What happens to Avram / Happens to the Jewish people throughout history.

Commentator 12th Century - from France - () - Avram was never commanded to *live* in the land - God said he "may" dwell there.

Orthodox response is that this is a commandment to be in Israel.
Ohr Somayach - Ask The Rabbi - notes that you have to be a sufficient and productive person in Israel to live there.

Avram built an altar - in gratitude to God near the tree.
When patriarchs worship it is private and build their own altar. Never see that any altars or worship is noted outside of Israel. No group worship. Private model of religion of the patriarchs.

What is an 'altar'? Means by which you make an offering.
An altar is a symbolic way to 'lift up' things to God.

Book by Mark Brett - Melborne - Decolonizing God: The Bible in the Tides of Empire
no hint in Genesis of the ideology of dispossession as in other Books
Avram builds altar near a tree. This flaunts the concepts presented in Deuteronomy. Avram is NOT worshiping the tree, but the tree becomes a landmark.

Why build an altar?
There is an intrinsic impulse of the human spirit to give thanks to God.

Eli Munk - Says that Avram was able to worship with his whole spirit.
Another concept is that the altar built is a symbolic way for Avram to claim the land. It is his 'mark' on the land.

Avram goes to the mountains:
Hebrew Ha Harah - hey - at end of word- going to the mountains.
Why go to mountains two thoughts:
1. Getting away from the fighting. There were problems within the Canaanites who were battling for the land.
2. fanciful reading: read the 'hey' as a symbol of God. Says that he went to the mountain of God - Mt. Moriah - where he builds the second altar - (some say this is where the temple is built in Jerusalem and also where the binding of Isaac happens)

Zohar - commentary on the altars built by Avram.
1. dedicated to God - the one that appeared
2. dedicated to the God 'the invisible' - Kaballah - the God that we cannot know.

Mountain East of Bet El - Geography noted is problematic. Not everyone says it is where the Temple will be built - the Zohar does.

Where he goes: Bethel - House of El - Cannanite Diety - near a pagan center Avram builds his own altar. Later this is where Jacob has his dream.
Ha Ai -a Ruin - Identified as a 'tel' - associated later with Joshua and the military conquer of the place.

Rashi - says Avram knew that this place would be the site of misfortune in the future. Avram comes back to this place again.

Richard Freedman - says this is another indication that the books were edited later - which explains the connections between the places and the significance into the future. Shows that the influence is there from our ancestors even though we don't directly know it.

v8 - Move to the south and 'pitched his tent' - in Hebrew the word for tent ends in 'hey' which can be interpreted as the feminine. Rashi says that this means that Avram always pitched his wife's tent first.

end of v8 - "He called to God by name"
*Nachmanades - interprets that Avram started preaching about God.
13th Century Spain - later Nachmanades was forced to defend his faith and then he was exiled from Spain.

*Eli Munk - Where Jerusalem will stand - Avram begins a missionary effort. The patriarchs 'spread the word of God'.

"There was a famine in the land"
As soon as he gets to the land - things turn bleak.

What is famine? - Death - serious matter-
Famines do not happen often in Israel - 5 famines mentioned in Bible.
Why is there famine? - Lack of rain in a place dependent on rain for water.
Why did they go to Egypt? Egypt is not dependent on rain.

Nahum M. Sarna commentary:
Land not have milk & honey in Genesis -
Israel dependent on rainfall... Egypt not - has the Nile.
The few times there famine are mentioned:
Here, the time of Joseph, in the time of David, the time of Joshua, in the story of Ruth.
The people were aware of their need for divine protection.

Famine in the land is one of the 'trials of Abraham'.
Book by Rabbi Michael Ozair: The Ten Trials of Abraham

The Rambam, (Maimonides) in his explanation of the above Mishna enumerates the ten trials:

1) the “Calling" of Lech Lecha, leaving behind a situation that is no longer working in order to surrender to the unknown.

2) the famine in Canaan, especially after G-d has promised blessing and prosperity – economic security of the entire region is threatened. Feelings of abandonment and perhaps betrayal from Life itself.

3) the injustice he faced in Egypt concerning Sarah – government sponsored injustice.

4) the war between the four kings and the five kings – being at the mercy of the turbulent political climate of the times.

5) the marriage to Hagar that came as a result of having no children with Sarah – family drama and relationship challenges

6) the command to circumcise himself at his advanced age – carrying out G-d’s Will can be painful.

7) the injustice and deception suffered at the hands of Avimelech of Grar when he also took Sarah – people could be cunning, manipulative and self seeking at the expense of others

8) the sending away of Hagar after having impregnated her - family drama, heartbreak, and pain.

9) The sending away of his son Ishmael – family drama, heartbreak and pain.

10) And finally, the binding and attempted sacrifice of Yitzchak, his beloved son, Isaac – testing the limits of sanity itself


Rashi - Famine 'in the land' - means ONLY in that land - to test Abraham. God told him to go there and now He has to leave there.
Will Abraham hold his faith in trying times?

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