[Par-lite] Toldot - shiur #3

Wed Nov 7 16:59:10 EST 2007

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        THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.tanach.org]
		In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag
	Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem Leibtag
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                    PARSHAT TOLDOT - shiur #3 

     - WHAT MITZVOT DID THE AVOT KEEP?

	What mitzvot did the Avot keep? 
	There are those who claim that the Avot kept the
entire Torah - even the Oral Law and later Rabbinic
prohibitions!  Yet many students, when hearing this
opinion, find it difficult to accept.
    In the following shiur, we analyze the pasuk that
forms the source for this opinion in an attempt to
better understand the debate among the commentators in
regard to its interpretation.  Our study will also
provide us with a rare insight into how the great
commentators understood the lives of our forefathers.

INTRODUCTION
	Early on in Parshat Toldot, the Torah tells us
of a famine in Eretz Canaan that caused Yitzchak to
consider moving temporarily to Egypt.  However, God
intervened - instructing Yitzchak to stay in Eretz
Canaan, while re-affirming His promise to Avraham that
Yitzchak would be the 'chosen son' (see 26:1-5).
    We begin our shiur by taking special note of God's
concluding remarks to Yitzchak at that time, as they
form the basis of our discussion:
	"ekev asher shama Avraham b'koli va'yishmor..." 
    [because Avraham listened to Me and kept:]]
"MISHMARTI, MITZVOTEI, CHUKOTEI, v'TORATEI."
     (see 26:5)

	When reading this pasuk, the obvious question
arises: What is the precise meaning of each of these
words that describes the variety of ways that Avraham
obeyed God?
		a) SHAMA B'KOLI 
		b) VA'YISHMOR MISHMARTI
		c) MITZVOTEI
		d) CHUKOTEI
		e) TOROTEI
	As we should expect, each of the classical
commentators contemplates this question, but to our
surprise, each commentator presents a very different
answer.
	However, before we begin our study of those
commentaries, let's first consider what we should expect
to find.

THREE APPROACHES
	To identify the meaning of these five words (in
the above pasuk), one can take one of three basic
approaches to define the meaning of each word:

1)  Look for that same word in the story of Avraham's
life -
In other words, we must conduct a 'word search' for each
of these phrases in the Torah's account of the life of
Avraham (from Parshat Lech L'cha thru Chaya Sarah).  If
we find the same word, then that must be what this pasuk
refers to. [If we don't we'll need to 'improvise'.]
		[as will do Rashbam &  Chizkuni]

2) Look for the same word later on in Chumash -
In other words, we must search the entire Torah to find
the various categories of laws that each word refers to,
and assume that what it refers to later on in Chumash is
what it refers to as well in the life of Avraham Avinu
in Sefer Breishit.
		[Rashi, Ramban (l'fi Chazal)]

3) Look for the concept behind that word or phrase.
In other words, based on the meaning of each word in the
Hebrew language (and in Chumash), we identify the
concept of what each word relates to.  Then we search
the Torah's story of the life of Avraham Avinu to find
and event relating to that concept.
		[Ibn Ezra, Ramban (l'fi ha'pshat),
Radak, Seforno] 

WOULDN'T IT BE NICE...
	Ideally, if we found an example of each one of
these phrases in the Torah's description of Avraham's
life from Parshat Lech L'cha through Chaya Sarah, then
the first approach would work best.  
	However, a comprehensive search finds specific
examples for only some of these words, causing most of
the "parshanim" [commentators] to employ a different
approach.
    We'll discuss their various interpretations and
approaches according to the order we suggested in our
introduction.

RASHBAM 
	Rashbam follows our first approach, as he
obviously begins by searching for each specific word
within the Torah's presentation of the story Avraham
Avinu. 
	For the first three words, Rashbam is quite
'successful', as he quotes a precise example for each
word:
	a) SHAMA B'KOLI - at the Akeyda, as the Torah
states:
		"...ekev asher shamata b'koli" (see
22:18)

	b) MISHMARETI - to perform the mitzvah of brit
milah. 
    quoting from Parshat Lech L'cha:
   	"v'ata et briti TISHMOR... himol kol zachar"
(see 17:9)

	c) MITZVOTEI - brit Milah on the  EIGHTH day
		as it states at the circumcision
ceremony for Yitzchak:
"And Avraham circumcised Yitzchak his son when he was
eight days old - ka'asher TZIVAH oto ha'Elokim" (see
21:4)

	However, for the last two words - CHUKOTEI &
TORATEI he is less successful, for there is no 'exact
match'. Therefore, Rashbam defaults to a more general
definition for "chukotei v''torotei", understanding that
they refer to all of the 'ethical' mitzvot that Avraham
most certainly had kept. Even though God did not command
these mitzvot explicitly, it is quite implicit from
Chumash that God expected Avraham (and all mankind) to
act in an ethical manner (see Breishit 18:18-19!).
	Note how Rashbam defines this as "ikar pshuto
shel mikra":
"CHUKOTEI V'TORATEI: According to IKAR PSHUTO [simple
pshat], all of the 'obvious mitzvot' [i.e. ethical laws]
like stealing, adultery, coveting, justice, and
welcoming guests; these we kept BEFORE Matan Torah, but
were renewed and expounded in the covenant [of Matan
Torah]." (see Rashbam 26:5)

    Even though Rashbam understands "chukotei
v''torotei" as general categories, he does bring several
examples of these ethical mitzvot that are found in
specific events in Avraham's life that are described in
Sefer Breishit:
    stealing - "asher GAZLU avdei Avimelech (see
21:25!!); 
	adultery & coveting / Pharaoh & Avimelech taking
Sarah;
	justice  - w/ Melech Sdom & Shalem, after war of
5 kings;
	welcoming guests - the 3 angels & story of Lot &
Sdom!

CHIZKUNI - even 'better' than Rashbam
	As we noted above, in his attempt to find a
specific example for each word, Rashbam is only '3' for
'5'.  However, Chizkuni doesn't give up so quickly, and
attempts to identify '5' for '5'!
	After quoting the same first three examples as
Rashbam, Chizkuni also finds specific examples for the
words CHOK & TORAH as well, but to do so, he must employ
some 'textual' assistance from Sefer Tehilim.  What
Chizkuni does is simply ingenious, as he turns to Sefer
Tehillim, to find references to the life of Avraham
Avinu where we find a word similar to "chok" and
"torah".
	CHUKOTEI - refers once again to BRIT MILAH, but
this time for all future generations as well, as it says
in Tehilim:
"zachar l'olam brito... asher karat et Avraham...
v'yamideha l'Yaakov l'CHOK, l'Yisrael BRIT OLAM..." 
    (see Tehillim 105:8-10 /or "hodu" in Psukei
d'zimrah!)

	Hence, the word "chukotei" in Breishit 26:5
relates to God's commandment to Avraham a Brit Milah:
"v'hayta briti b'vsarchem l'BRIT OLAM" (see 17:13)
	Similarly:
	TORATEI - refers to Avraham Avinu's original
'aliya' to Israel for it states in Tehillim:
    "askilcha v'ORECHA b'derech zu TAYLECH" 
    (see Tehilim 32:8)
	Here we find the word "hora'ah" - which implies
an instruction - in the same pasuk that describes
'walking in the path of God' (similar to God's command
to Avraham: of  "lech l'cha..." (see 12:1-3)

	This attempt by Chizkuni to identify a specific
example for each word is beautiful, however he himself
admits that it may be  'stretching' pshat a bit too
much. Therefore, he concludes his pirush by suggesting
that a more simple "pshat" for "mitzvotei chukotei
v'toratei" would be to include the seven laws given to
the children of Noach, which Avraham himself also kept.
[How these seven mitzvot break down according to these
three categories of "mitzvot", "chukim", and "torot"
will be discussed by Radak & Ramban.]

RASHI - a similar, but opposite approach
	Rashi employs a different approach (the second
approach mentioned in our introduction), claiming that
whatever these words refer to later on in Chumash, are
precisely what Avraham kept in his own life time.  [See
Rashi inside.] 
    Note how Rashi categorizes these different words
based on their definition later on in Chumash, and cites
an example for each word from the entire spectrum of
Halacha, from the Written Law, to the Oral Law, and even
to later Rabbinic ordinations.  
	a) SHAMA B'KOL - when I tested him (at the
Akeyda/ 22:18)
	b) MISHMARTI - Rabbinic laws that protect the
Torah laws
	c) MITZVOTEI - the 'logical' and ethical laws of
the Torah
	d) CHUKOTEI - the Torah laws that have no
apparent reason
	e) TOROTEI - the Oral law, and "halacha l'Moshe
m'Sinai

    Hence, according to Rashi, Avraham Avinu kept the
entire Torah (even though it had not been given yet), or
in essence, Avraham kept the same mitzvot that Rashi
kept!
	
RAMBAN (according to Chazal)
	As usual, Ramban begins his commentary by taking
issue with Rashi's interpretation - that the Avot kept
all of the mitzvot. 
    Ramban begins by questioning this very assumption.
After all, if the Avot kept the entire Torah, how did
Yaakov marry two sisters, and erect a MATZEYVA, etc.?
	Ramban attempts to 'patch' Rashi's
interpretation, by explaining Chazal's statement that
the Avot kept the entire Torah from a different angle.
Ramban claims that this Midrash refers to the fact that
the Avot kept SHABBAT, based on another Midrashic
statement that the mitzvah of Shabbat is equal in value
to keeping all the mitzvot of the Torah.
	Hence, Avraham kept the mitzvah of shabbat as
well as the seven mitzvot of Bnei Noach and brit milah.
>From this 'pool' of mitzvot that Avraham kept, Ramban
explains how each word in 26:5 may relate to a specific
category within the 7 Noachide laws:
	MISHMARTI - extensions of "arayot" /forbidden
marriages
	MITZVOTEI - not to steal or kill
	CHUKOTEI - "eiver min ha'chay" - a limb from a
live animal
	TOROTEI - "dinim" establishing civil laws & no
idol worship

[Afterward, Ramban returns to his original questions on
Rashi's Midrashic interpretation [adding a bit of
'zionism'],  explaining the Avot's obligation to follow
the ('future') laws of the Torah applied ONLY in Eretz
Yisrael.]

RAMBAN - al derech ha'pshat
	Ramban concludes his commentary by suggesting a
totally different interpretation that he introduces as
"al derech ha'pshat" - [following the way of the simple
meaning of the text].
    In this approach (which will follow the third
approach that we discussed in our introduction), Ramban
simply follows the simple meaning of each word in
Hebrew, and applies those concepts to events in the life
of Avraham Avinu.

	MISHMARTI
	Most interesting is Rabman's understanding of
"mishmarti".  This word stems from the Hebrew word
"li'shmor" - to guard.  [A "shomer" is a watchman or
body-guard.]  Hence, Ramban explains that "vayishmor
mishmarti" relates to how Avraham 'guarded' or
'protected' God, and that was by both preaching and
teaching monotheism, and by publicly arguing against
those who preached belief in other gods.  
	But where in Chumash does it say that Avraham
did so?
	Ramban explains that this is precisely the
meaning of the phrase "va'yikra b'shem Hashem" in
relation to Avraham Avinu (see Breishit 12:8, 13:4 and
21:33].
[Note how Ramban's explanation of "va'yishmor mishmarti"
reflects in many ways Ramban's own life experiences, as
he too 'stood God's guard' by publicly arguing against
those he attacked Judaism!]

	MITZVOTEI - according to Ramban, implies a
direct commandment, and hence refers to when God
commanded Avraham to move to Canaan ("lech l'cha" /see
12:1-3); to offer his son (at the Akeyda/ see 22:1-2) ,
and to 'listen to his wife' - i.e. to send away Hagar
(see 21:12).

	CHUKOTEI -  Ramban explains, refers to how
Avraham 'followed the ways of God'  -  being merciful &
just, and doing acts of "tzedek u'mishpat" (social
justice).  This interpretation, obviously based on
Breishit 18:19, is rather amazing, for most everyone
thinks that a "chok" in the Bible defines a law that
'doesn't make sense' (see Rashi on 26:5) - and here
Ramban applies it to the laws that make the most sense!
	At the conclusion of our shiur, we'll return to
explain why.

	TOROTEI - Here, Ramban follows the popular
understanding of the word "torah" as referring to God's
eternal laws, and hence during the time period of
Avraham, it must refer to the actual 'mitzvos' that he
kept, such as brit milah & the seven Noachide laws.

	Note how Ramban's approach is most
comprehensive, attempting to tackle pshat, while taking
serious consideration of the Midrash, and looking for
overall thematic significance - and consistent with his
thematic understanding of Sefer Breishit.

IBN EZRA - short and sweet
	Ibn Ezra, as we would expect, also follows the
third approach, looking for the simple meaning of each
word, and applying it to Avraham's own life. 
    Ibn Ezra begins by understanding MISHMERETI as a
general category that includes all of the three
sub-categories that follow - MITZVOTEI CHUKOTEI
v'TORATEI.  
    [That solves one definition.]
    Then he suggests examples for what those three words
may refer to (based on the meaning of each word in
Hebrew):

	MITZVOTEI = "lech l'cha..." i.e. Avraham's ALIYA
	CHUKOTEI =  following God's way of life' 
    ('engraved' in his heart)
	TOROTEI = by fulfilling the mitzvah of brit
milah.

    Note how these last three definitions are
essentially identical to Ramban's interpretation "al
derech ha'pshat". [The truth is, Ibn Ezra lived before
Ramban, and we should have brought his opinion first.]  
	Note as well how Ibn Ezra makes no attempt to
find a 'textual' parallel for each word in this pasuk.
Instead, he follows the concept behind the word! 

RADAK - 'widening the pool'
	Radak's approach is quite similar to Ibn Ezra's,
for he also understands each of these words as general
categories. However, Ibn Ezra seems to limit his
examples to those mitzvot that Avraham himself was
commanded, while Radak 'widens the pool' by including
ALL of the mitzvot of Bnei Noach (assuming that Avraham
was commanded to keep them). Then, within this pool of
mitzvot, Radak differentiates between "mitzvot", and
"chukim" etc. based on the definition of these
categories later on in Chumash (e.g. "mitzvotei" refers
to the "mitzvot sichliyot" [the laws that man can arrive
at using his own intellect - like stealing and killing
etc.].

SEFORNO
	We conclude with Seforno, as his approach adds
an extra dimension to our understanding of the thematic
significance of this pasuk.
    First of all, Seforno, like Ramban & Radak, follows
the third approach - and explains how these phrases
relate to concepts (or general categories) that include
the "seven mitzvot of Bnei Noach".  Secondly, Seforno
adds an 'extra touch' to Ramban's understanding of
"mishmarti", agreeing that it implies to 'watching God's
guard', but providing us with a different example of how
Avraham accomplished this:
"He kept God's 'special guard' which was to do kindness,
as the verse in Tehillim states: ' All the ways of God
are kindness and truth (25:10); and to teach the proper
way for those who had gone astray - and this he did when
he 'called out in God's Name', and kept as well
mitzvotei, chukotei, b'torotei - that God commanded Bnei
Noach - and [Avraham] also beautifully taught them and
kept them - as a shining example for others to follow
[k'mofet l'rabim]"
    (see Seforno on 26:5)

	Note how Seforno. like Ramban, also relates
"mishmarti" to how Avraham 'called out in God's Name' -
yet suggests a significantly different interpretation.
Ramban understood how this was accomplished by what he
said ['verbally'] - i.e. by publicly defending God.  In
contrast, Seforno explains that this was accomplished by
what Avraham's did, i.e. by his actions and the example
he set for others. 
	Note how Seforno attempts to thematically
connect the very reason for why God chose Avraham Avinu
("or la'goyim" / see Yeshayhau 42:5-6) - to Avraham's
own way of life.  
[Note how Seforno takes into consideration the primary
theme of Sefer Breishit, as he attempts to understand
each pasukl!]

	Finally, Seforno adds an additional dimension,
for he continues his commentary by explaining how this
statement relates to the events that follow in chapter
26. 
    Note how our pasuk (i.e. 26:5) does not conclude a
'parshia'; rather, it introduces a set of stories in
which Yitzchak 'runs into trouble' with the Plishtim and
Avimelech (see 26:6-33). 
    Therefore,  Seforno concludes that this pasuk serves
as a bit of "musar" [rebuke/ or at least encouragement]
to Yitzchak, as God explains to Yitzchak that so far he
was chosen because he was Avraham's son.  Nonetheless,
God now reminds Yitzchak that Avraham was a man of
action, and 'earned' his special status through his
deeds - 'hinting' that Yitzchak should also begin to be
a bit more pro-active. If Avraham spent his time by
preaching and teaching God's laws - calling out in God's
Name, and setting a personal example by pursuing "tzedek
u'mishpat", God now expects no less from Yitzchak. 
	In this manner, Seforno explains why Yitzchak
suffered so much strife with Avimelech and his servants
in the story that follows (i.e. the arguments at "esek"
& "sitnah"). However, later in this same 'parshia', we
find that Yitzchak himself finally "calls out in God's
Name" (see 26:25-29). From that time on, Yitzchak
becomes successful, and develops a positive relationship
with his neighbors.  Ultimately, God is finally with
Yitzchak, but only after he fulfills his
responsibilities.

CHUKIM THAT MAKE SENSE!
	To conclude our study, it is important to note
how Ibn Ezra, Ramban, and Rashbam all explained the word
"chukotei" - as referring to God's 'way of life' -
implying being a just an upright person, and acting with
kindness to others.
	The reason why is rather simple.  The word
"chok" in Hebrew implies something set that doesn't
change - like statutes (or technically speaking
something 'engraved'). In this sense, the laws of nature
are referred to as "chukim" - for they don't change (see
Yirmiyahu 33:25).  
	Therefore, when God mentions "chukotei" - they
refer to His [God's] 'way of life' - as His ways are to
be kind and to uphold justice.  In this manner, Avraham
emulated God by acting in His ways - and thus setting an
example for others to follow.
	The fact that so many commentators emphasize
this point as a key element in Avraham's own life,
reflects their understanding that being kind, just, and
upright must be a core value in Judiasm. 
	Even though there may be a controversy
concerning which specific mitzvot the Avot kept (be it
613 or 7, or 8 or 9 etc.) - everyone agrees that their
greatness lied in their 'way of life' - their moral
behavior, social justice, and their dedication towards
'making a Name for God', thus setting a model for others
to learn from.  
    Certainly - a model that we ourselves must follow.
    . 
						shabbat
shalom
						menachem

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