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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Saturday, June 25, 2011

The Well Incident and Lambs

Study 6-25 Genesis 22:22-34
Well Incident - Seven Lambs - Beersheva

Eli Munk. Pact between Abraham and Avimelach foreshadow of the future... The eventual messianic reconciliation

V24. “I swear it.” Unusual Hebrew format. Word for "I". Emphasis is on self but not for future generations, Eli Munk. Anochi adds weight to the pronoun. Says I am taking the oath...not you. Avimelach is a idolator and so it points out that Avimelach cannot swear.
No mention of "other gods".
Talmud. Names of other divinities cannot be mentioned. Not heard from your lips means that you cannot swear or cause others to swear by an idolator's god.

Cannot make a partnership with a non Jew. Because of this "swearing".
Extreme opinion.
Rashi's students in the middle ages respond. Refer to non Jews swear by their saints but don't view as divinities. Says they really have the same God and are not pagans.
Had to find a way to allow the business relationships with non Jews.
Commentators in history: Wrestling between the fine line between civic responsibility and their separate identity.

Rebuke regarding the well. A complaint! "Hoheir". Rebuke? Reproof?
Rashi. Says "dispute" or misunderstanding rather than a rebuke..
"Reproof leads to peace." need to be able to hash out the difficult issues in order to make a treaty.
First there was a trust building gesture before Abraham could file a complaint.
Robert Alter says word is "upbraided."

The Well Issue. The servants of Avimelach seized ... Stole ... Robbed his well.
Steal is in secret / Rob is in public.
Abraham is not a ruler- no land no army. But here he is negotiating for the well.
Sophorno. (Italian) And later commentators.
Not a personal complaint but a more general complaint that there is uncontrolled violence in Avimelach's land. Implies that he is not controlling his own people.

Avimelach response. Unaware..
Turning tables on Abraham. He should have told him about it.
What happens in one scenario. Turns to his general and accuses him of not telling him. And then the general responds that he didn't know.
Parallel to today's conflict with the Palastinians.

Eli Munk. Tie in of the well with Hagar episode. Well is more of a symbolic reference for spirituality. Symbol of water to the divine.

Cultural identity to stand firm at the same time create this alliance on a political level with non Jews.

v27 Sheep and Oxen
Cut a covenant. Previously a cutting an animal. Not here.
Recall. Avimelach gave Abraham gifts after the Sarah incident.
Now Abraham is giving gifts to Avimelach ... But no slaves - no human trafficking.

V28 Seven Ewes
By themselves. Set apart.
Female. Future of the flock depends.
Number seven symbolic.
Noahkite laws.
Proof of Abraham's sovereignty over the well. Later same words used between Jacob and Laban.
Sheep as a witness... Always seven sheep.
Seven generations between Abraham and Moses. Seven sanctuaries destroyed. ...
Indicate suffering.

Next - naming of Beershivah.

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