Issac, Wealth & Wells

Torah study 1-21 Rabbi Janet Marder

Genesis 26:14-22

Isaac and the Philistines Well Water...

Isaac has become wealthy and the Philistines were jealous

Gold and silver vs flocks... Conspicuous wealth changes the dynamic of the relationship with neighbors. Has aroused the resentment of his neighbors.

"One rich man is envious of other rich men particularly if one is a Jew. "

SRH - Envious of the man rather than the wealth..

Philistines destroy the wells... Stop them up.

Abraham's wells from previous verses... Cisterns. Need to be cleaned out from time to time. The philistines are hurting themselves by their actions.

Different reading in allegorical terms... Eli Munk interpret Wells symbol of spiritual and fertility... The cistern is broken vs a well or natural spring. .... Wells are God and cisterns are false gods/idols.

The symbols are that the philistines were blocking the teachings of Isaac and his family.

Parallels future ... Restricted in their right of domicile. He is expelled from the place... Foreshadowed the pattern for the history of the Jews going forward into the diaspora.

A message about displaying ones wealth. We have a positive attitude toward wealth... But many teachings about ostentation ... Dangers of conspicuous wealth..

Causes issues with gentiles

Shame and pain to the poor

Generates an attitude of arrogance

Talmud specifically rules that you should not display wealth to others.

Book THE COLOR PURPLE... Alice Walker... Farmer owned his own farm.. Open store does well. The white merchants jealous. Burns store and lynched.

JAP jokes (Jewish American Princess).

Do Jews today have any feeling of insecurity to show their wealth.

Issue of expulsion. Reason you are bigger than we are... Could also be read. You have gotten wealthy from us...

1306 Philip I'V expelled the Jews from France.. We're tax collectors but then replaced by Italians. Expelled the Jews and took their property...

Example that happened over and over to the Jews in history.

Question if maybe the same concept would apply to the State of Israel ... Their success shown makes their neighbors jealous and want to expel them.

Hafts Chaim. Basis for antisemitism is they believe we are mightier than them. Envy.

V17

Isaac leaves and camps where Abraham once lived..

R. Brant Rosen ... Be open to alternative solutions... Keep trying to find a peaceful way to live.

Isaac did not fight back... Chooses the peaceful way... Characteristic Jewish strategy in history. Worked well until the holocaust .

Wells same names as father gave... A way to establish the rights to the wells.. Original names mark ownership...

Commentary...

Re-dig the well of ones father..

R Bathia. Do not deviate from his fathers ways... Isaac the only patriarch whose name was not changed... Because he was faithful to his fathers way

Peter Pitzilie.... Book Our Fathers Wells... Metaphor for patriarchy.

Engagement with his fathers legacy... In every generation "back to the sources". (another book)

Isaac is the preeminent patriarch.. He returns to his fathers ways... Parallel to Jesus.

Prefix re. Marks the story of Isaac's life. He does repair... He re lives parts of his fathers life.. A conservator of the past !

Nachum Sarna. Anthropological view.... Come across a spring ... Owned by Isaac but the shepherds claim it.... Challenge to this ownership....

Whole Torah about not having a home ... Leads up to the time when they are going to have a home!