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<DIV>*************************************************************<BR>
THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]<BR>
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag<BR> Shiurim in
Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag<BR>*************************************************************</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
PARSHAT
NOACH<BR>
<BR> The Mabul (the Flood) and Migdal Bavel (the Tower
of<BR>Babel) are undoubtedly the two primary stories in this
week's<BR>Parsha. However, each of these two stories is preceded by
a<BR>list of genealogies that appear to be rather
irrelevant.<BR> Furthermore, at the conclusion of
Parshat Noach (see<BR>11:10-25) we find yet another set of genealogies
(that<BR>introduces the story of Avraham Avinu).<BR> In
this week's shiur, we explain how these 'sifrei<BR>toladot' (lists of
genealogies) create a 'framework' for Sefer<BR>Breishit and can help us better
understand how these stories<BR>(i.e the Flood and Migdal Bavel) contribute to
its overall<BR>theme.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>INTRODUCTION<BR> In our introductory shiur on Sefer
Breishit, we discussed<BR>the methodology that we employ to uncover the primary
theme of<BR>each sefer. We begin our shiur with a quick review of
those<BR>basic steps:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>1) To identify the primary topic of each 'parshia'</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>2) To group the titles of these 'parshiot' into units that<BR> share
a more common topic. [Each of these units could be<BR> considered as
'chapters' of the book .]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>3) To group these 'chapter' divisions into larger units that<BR>
share a common topic or theme [similar to 'sections' of a<BR> book].</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>4) To suggest an overall theme of the book, by analyzing the<BR>
progression of theme from one section to the next.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> In our shiur, we will show how the various sets
of<BR>"toladot" in Sefer Breishit can help us apply this<BR>methodology, and can
point us in a direction that may help us<BR>uncover its underlying theme.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>FROM A LIST TO AN OUTLINE<BR> In the following
table, we list all of the 'parshiot' in<BR>the first seventeen chapters of Sefer
Breishit, joining<BR>together only the most obvious groups of parshiot by
noting<BR>their specific and then more general
topics.<BR> Study this list carefully, noting how the
specific topics<BR>can easily group into more general topics:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>PSUKIM SPECFIC
TOPIC
GENERAL TOPIC<BR>======
=============
============
<BR>1:1-2:3 7 days of
Creation Creation of nature</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>2:4-3:15 the Gan Eden
story Gan
Eden<BR>3:16 Chava's
punishment Gan
Eden<BR>3:17-21 Man's
punishment Gan
Eden<BR>3:22-24 Expulsion from Gan
Eden Gan Eden</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>4:1-26 Cain's sin and punishment
Outside Gan Eden</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>5:1-31 [Toladot:]
Adam->Noach Dor Ha-mabul<BR>5:32-6:4
Man's
downfall
[pre-Mabul]<BR>6:5-8 reason for Mabul /
Hashem [pre- Mabul]<BR>6:9-12 reason
for Mabul / Elokim [pre-Mabul]<BR>6:13-8:14 Punishment -
the Flood The Mabul<BR>8:15-9:7
Leaving the
Ark
[post-Mabul]<BR>9:8-17 'Brit
ha-keshet'
[post-Mabul]<BR>9:18-29 Cham cursed/Shem
blessed [post-Mabul]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>10:1-32 [Toladot:] sons of Noach The 70
Nations<BR>11:1-9 Builders of the
Tower Migdal Bavel</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>11:10-32 [Toladot:] Shem->Terach
Avraham Avinu<BR>12:1-9 Avraham's
aliya Avraham
Avinu<BR>12:10-13:18 Lot leaves
Avraham Avraham
Avinu<BR>14:1-24 War of 4 & 5
kings Avraham
Avinu<BR>15:1-21 Covenant bein
ha’btarim Avraham Avinu<BR>Chapter 16 Yishmael's
birth Avraham
Avinu<BR>Chapter 17 Brit mila -
covenant Avraham Avinu<BR>
etc.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> [To verify this, I recommend that you review this table
(and<BR> its conclusions) using a Tanach Koren.]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> As you review this chart, note how the first set
of major<BR>topics all relate in one form or other to God's
'Hashgacha'<BR>[providence], i.e. His intervention in the history of
mankind<BR>as He punishes man (or mankind) for wayward
behavior.<BR> In fact, just about all of the stories in
Chumash (prior<BR>to the arrival of Avraham Avinu) relate in some manner to
the<BR>general topic of 'sin & punishment' ['sachar ve-onesh'].
For<BR>example, after Creation we find the following stories:<BR> * Adam
& Eve sin & hence are expelled from Gan Eden<BR> * Cain is
punished for the murder of Hevel<BR> * Dor ha-mabul is punished for its
corruption<BR> * 'Dor ha-plaga' is 'punished' for building the
Tower<BR> <BR> Afterward, the focus of Sefer Breishit shifts from
stories<BR>of 'sin & punishment' to God's choice of Avraham Avinu -
and<BR>the story of his offspring.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>ENTER - 'TOLADOT'<BR> However, within this
progression of topics, we find a<BR>very interesting phenomenon. Return to
the table (above) and<BR>note how each of these general topics are first
introduced by<BR>a set of toladot [genealogies]. For example:<BR>* The
toladot from Adam to Noach (chapter 5) introduce the<BR> story of the
Mabul (chapters 6->9).<BR>* The toladot or Noach's children (chapter 10)
introduces the<BR> story of Migdal Bavel (11:1-9 / the Tower of
Babel).<BR>* The toladot from Shem to Terach (chapter 11) introduce
the<BR> story of Avraham Avinu (chapters 12-...)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> In fact, as surprising as it may sound, even the
story of<BR>Gan Eden (chapters 2-3) is first introduced by
toladot!<BR> "These are the "toladot" of the heavens
& earth..."<BR> [See 2:4! / note the various English
translations.]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Furthermore, later on in Sefer Breishit, we
continue to<BR>find toladot. Note how we later find: toladot of
Yishmael<BR>(see 25:12); toladot of Yitzchak (see 25:19); toladot of
Esav<BR>(see 36:1); & toladot of Yaakov (see 37:2).<BR> The following
table summarizes this pattern, and illustrates<BR>how [some sort of] "toladot"
introduces each of the main<BR>topics in Sefer Breishit. As you review
this table note how<BR>the first several topics all relate to 'chet ve-onesh',
i.e.<BR>God's punishment of man (or mankind) for his sins, while
the<BR>remaining topics relate to the story of our forefathers -
the<BR>Avot!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>CHAPTER TOPIC<BR>======= =======</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>2 Toldot shamayim
va-aretz<BR>2->4 -> Man in (and out of) Gan
Eden<BR> <BR>5
Toldot Adam to Noach<BR>6->9 -> ha-Mabul - The story of
the Flood<BR> <BR>10
Toldot Bnei Noach -<BR> Shem, Cham
& Yefet<BR>11:1-9 -> Migdal Bavel - The Tower of
Babel<BR>
<BR>11 Toldot Shem until Terach<BR>12->25
-> God's choice of Avraham
Avinu<BR> <BR>25-35 Toldot
Yitzchak <BR> - story of Yaakov &
Esav<BR>
<BR>36 Toldot Esav -
<BR> - story of Esav's
children<BR> <BR>37-50 Toldot
Yaakov - <BR> - story of Yosef & his brothers</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Although this pattern is rarely noticed, these
sifrei<BR>toladot actually create a framework for the entire book
of<BR>Breishit!<BR> In this manner, the toladot
introduce each and every<BR>story in Sefer Breishit. To explain why, we
must first take a<BR>minute to explain what the word toladot means:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>WHAT IS A TOLADA?<BR> The word toladot stems from
the Hebrew word 'vlad', a<BR>child or offspring. Therefore, 'eileh toldot'
should be<BR>translated 'these are the children
of...'.<BR> For example: 'eileh toldot Adam' (5:1) means
- 'these are<BR>the children of Adam' - and thus introduces the story
of<BR>Adam's children, i.e. Shet, Enosh, Keinan, etc. Similarly,<BR>'eileh
toldot Noach' introduces the story of Noach's children<BR>- Shem, Cham, and
Yefet. [See Rashbam on Breishit 37:2 for a<BR>more complete
explanation.]<BR> Some of these toldot in Sefer Breishit
are very short; as<BR>they simply state that the person lived, married, had
children<BR>and died (e.g. the generations from Adam to Noach).
Other<BR>toldot are very detailed, e.g. those of Noach, Terach,<BR>Yitzchak, and
Yaakov. Nonetheless, every story in Sefer<BR>Breishit could be understood
as a detail in the progression of<BR>these "toladot".</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> This explanation raises a question concerning the
first<BR>instance where we find toldot - i.e. toldot shamayim va-aretz<BR>(see
2:4). How do the heavens and earth have 'children'?!<BR> [Note how
various English translations attempt to solve this<BR> problem when they
translate this pasuk!]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> The answer to this question may be quite
meaningful.<BR>Recall that the first chapter of Breishit explains how
God<BR>created shamayim va-aretz (heavens and earth) from 'nothing'<BR>(ex
nihilo). Then, immediately afterward in the next chapter,<BR>we encounter
the first use of toldot:<BR> "Eileh toldot ha-shamayim
ve-ha'aretz
be-hibar'am..."<BR>
(2:4).<BR> So what does Chumash refer to as the toladot
of shamayim<BR>va-aretz, i.e what are the children of heaven and
earth?<BR> If we follow the progressive pattern of Sefer Breishit
(as<BR>illustrated by the above table) then 'toldot shamayim va-<BR>aretz' must
refer to man himself [i.e. Adam ha-rishon], for it<BR>is the story of his
creation that immediately follows this<BR>introductory pasuk!<BR>
<BR> In other words, Adam ha'Rishon is considered the 'offspring'<BR>of
shamayim va-aretz. This interpretation could help explain<BR>the
significance of the pasuk that describes how God created<BR>man in perek bet
(the first topic of this unit):<BR> "And Hashem Elokim formed man from the
dust of the earth and<BR> blew into his nostrils nishmat chayim - the
breath of life"<BR> (see 2:7). This second ingredient may reflect
the aspect of<BR> man which comes from (or at least returns to)
heaven.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> In contrast to the story of Creation in perek
aleph,<BR>which features a clear division between shamayim [note the<BR>purpose
of the 'rakiya' in 1:6], the special manner of God's<BR>creation of man in perek
bet may reflect his unique ability to<BR>connect between heaven and
earth.<BR> [See Rashi on 2:5, where he explains that God created man
so<BR> that he could pray for rain - in order for vegetation to<BR>
grow. See also last week's shiur on Parshat Breishit.]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Similarly, the next set of toladot - from Adam to
Noach<BR>(see chapter 5) lead immediately into the story of the Flood.<BR>Note
how 9:28-29 - the psukim that conclude the Noach story,<BR>are clearly part of
the same literary unit that began with the<BR>toladot in chapter 5 (i.e. they
follow the same 'template').<BR> This pattern of "toladot" that introduce
stories continues<BR>all the way until the very end of Sefer Breishit.
Therefore,<BR>we conclude that these sifrei toladot do more than 'keep
the<BR>sefer together'; they also help develop the theme of
Sefer<BR>Breishit.<BR> We will now show how these
toladot create not only a<BR>framework for Sefer Breishit; they can also help us
identify<BR>its two distinct sections that create its primary theme.<BR>Let's
explain:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>THE TWO SECTIONS OF SEFER BREISHIT<BR> Despite this
successive nature of the toladot in Sefer<BR>Breishit, they clearly divide into
two distinct sections.<BR> 1) God's creation of mankind
(chapters 1-11)<BR> w/
stories relating to 'sachar ve-onesh'<BR> 2) The story
of the avot (chapters 12->50)<BR> God's choice of Avraham's
offspring to become His nation.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Even though the majority of Sefer Breishit focuses
on the<BR>family of Avraham Avinu (Section Two), in the first eleven<BR>chapters
(Section One), the Torah's focus is on mankind as a<BR>whole.<BR> For
example. even when Section One includes special details<BR>about Noach, it is
not because he is designated to become a<BR>special nation - rather, it is
because through Noach that<BR>mankind will be preserved. After the flood,
the Torah tells<BR>us how Noach's offspring evolve into nations, and
their<BR>dispersing (see chapter 10). Even though we find that
Noach<BR>blesses Shem and Yefet (see 9:25-27), the concept of a
special<BR>nation with a special covenant does not begin until the story<BR>of
Avraham Avinu.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> In contrast, Section Two (chapters 11-50) focuses
on the<BR>story of Am Yisrael - God's special nation. In this
section,<BR>Sefer Breishit is no longer universalistic, rather it
becomes<BR>particularistic.<BR> Therefore, this section begins with toldot
Shem till Terach<BR>(see 11:10-24) that introduce the story of Avraham Avinu,
whom<BR>God chooses in chapter 12 to become the forefather of His<BR>special
nation. The remainder of Sefer Breishit explains<BR>which of Avraham's
offspring are chosen [= 'bechira'], e.g<BR>Yitzchak and Yaakov], and which are
rejected [= 'dechiya'],<BR>e.g Yishmael and Esav].<BR>
This explains why Sefer Breishit concludes precisely when<BR>this complicated
bechira process reaches its completion - i.e.<BR>when all twelve sons of Yaakov
have been chosen, and none of<BR>his offspring will ever again be
rejected.<BR> [This may also explain the significance of Yaakov's
name<BR> change to Yisrael [see TSC shiur on Parshat Vayishlach.]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Our final table summarizes how the toladot help
define<BR>these two sections of Sefer Breishit:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> I. UNIVERSALISTIC (chapters 1->11) - Creation of
mankind</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>PEREK
TOLDOT
the STORY OF...<BR>=====
======
===========<BR>1-4 'shamayim
va-aretz' Man in (and out of) Gan
Eden<BR>5-9 from Adam to
Noach 'dor ha-mabul' - the
Flood<BR>10-11 bnei Noach to 70 nations 'dor
ha-plaga' - Migdal Bavel</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> II. PARTICULARISTIC (11->50) - God's choice of Am
Yisrael</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>PEREK
TOLDOT the STORY
OF...<BR>=====
======
===========<BR>11 Shem to Terach
leads up to Avraham Avinu<BR>11-25
Terach God's choice of
Avraham & Yitzchak<BR>25
Yishmael *his 'rejection'
(dechiya)<BR>25-35
Yitzchak Yaakov and Esav (their
rivalry)<BR>36
Esav
* his 'rejection'<BR>37-50
Yaakov The 12 tribes/
Yosef and his
brothers<BR>
70 'nefesh' go down to Egypt</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> However, if our original assumption that each
sefer in<BR>Chumash carries a unique prophetic theme is correct, then<BR>there
should be a thematic reason for the progression of<BR>events from Section One to
Section Two. Therefore, to<BR>identify the overall theme of Sefer
Breishit, one must take<BR>into consideration how these two sections relate to
one<BR>another.<BR> To help uncover that theme, we must take a closer look
at<BR>the structure created by these toladot.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>SHEM & SHEM HASHEM<BR> Note once again from the
above table how each general<BR>topic in the first section of Sefer Breishit was
first<BR>introduced by a set of toladot. In a similar manner, each
of<BR>these units concludes with an event which in some way relates<BR>to the
concept of 'shem Hashem'. Let's explain how.<BR>
Our first unit, the story of Adam ha-rishon, concludes at<BR>the end of chapter
four with a very intriguing pasuk:<BR> "And also Shet gave birth to a son
and called him Enosh,<BR> then he 'began' to call out in the Name of God
['az huchal<BR> likro be-shem Hashem'] (see 4:26).<BR>
[Most commentators explain that 'huchal' implies that man<BR>
began to 'defile' God's Name (shoresh 'chillul'), i.e.<BR>
they didn't call in His Name properly - see also Rambam<BR>
Hilchot Avoda Zara I:1]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> No matter how we explain the word huchal in this
pasuk,<BR>all the commentators agree that God's intention was for man
to<BR>'call out in His Name'. Note, however, how this pasuk<BR>concludes
the section that began in 2:4 with the story of Gan<BR>Eden. Even though
man was banished from Gan Eden and Cain was<BR>punished for murder, God still
has expectations from mankind -<BR>man is expected to search for God, to 'call
out in His Name'.<BR> Despite this high expectation, the
next unit of toladot,<BR>which leads into the story of the Mabul, shows that
man's<BR>behavior fell far short of God's hopes. God became so
enraged<BR>that He decides to destroy His creation and start over again<BR>with
Noach. This unit which begins in 5:1 concludes in<BR>chapter 9 with a
special set of mitzvot for Bnei Noach (9:1-<BR>7), a covenant ('brit ha-keshet'
(9:8-17), and ends with the<BR>story of Noach becoming drunk (9:18-29).
However, even in<BR>this final story (of this unit) we find once again a
reference<BR>to "shem Hashem":<BR> After cursing Canaan
for his actions, Noach then blesses<BR>his son Shem:<BR>
"Blessed be God, the Lord of Shem..." (see 9:26-27).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Now it is not by chance that Noach named his son -
Shem.<BR>Most likely, Noach's decision to name his son Shem was rooted<BR>in his
hope that his son would fulfill God's expectation that<BR>man would learn to
call out "be-shem Hashem", as explained in<BR>4:26!<BR> [It is not by
chance that Chazal consider Shem the founder<BR> of the first Yeshiva, the
house of learning where Avraham,<BR> Yitzchak, and Yaakov studied, i.e.
'Yeshivat Shem ve-Ever'.]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Noach blesses Shem in the hope that he and
his<BR>descendants will indeed fulfill this goal. However, once<BR>again,
we find that the next generation fails. In chapter 10,<BR>again we find a
unit that begins with toladot - this time the<BR>development of the seventy
nations from the children of Shem,<BR>Cham, and Yefet - and again, just like the
two units that<BR>preceded it, this unit also concludes with a story where
the<BR>word "shem" emerges as thematically significant, i.e. the<BR>story of
Migdal Bavel. As we will now explain, in this<BR>story, once again
mankind is not looking for God; rather they<BR>are interested solely in making a
'name ['shem'] for<BR>themselves!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>MIGDAL BAVEL<BR> When reading the first four psukim
of the story of Migdal<BR>Bavel, it is hard to pinpoint one specific sin:
[Note,<BR>however, the significant usage of the first person plural.]<BR>
"Everyone on earth had the same language and the same words.<BR> And as
they traveled from the east, they came upon a valley<BR> in the land of
Shin'ar and settled there. They said to one<BR> another: Come, let
us make bricks and burn them hard... And<BR> they said, Come let us build
us a city and a tower with its<BR> top in the sky, and we will make a name
for ourselves -<BR> v'naaseh lanu shem - lest we shall be scattered all
over the<BR> world. Then God came down to see...." (see
11:1-7).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> From a cursory reading, it is not clear exactly
what was<BR>so terrible about this generation. After all, is
not<BR>achieving 'achdut' [unity] a positive goal? Likewise, the use<BR>of
human ingenuity to initiate an industrial revolution,<BR>developing man-made
building materials, i.e bricks from clay<BR>etc., seems to be a positive
advancement of society.<BR>Furthermore, there appears to be nothing wrong with
simply<BR>building a city and a tower. Why was God so angered that
He<BR>decided to stop this construction and disperse
mankind?<BR> Chazal focus their criticism of this
generation on their<BR>antagonistic attitude towards God (see Rashi 11:1).
One key<BR>phrase in the Torah's explanation of the purpose for the
tower<BR>reflects the egocentric nature of this generation:<BR>
"ve-na'aseh lanu shem" [we shall make a name for ourselves]<BR>
(11:4) [see Sanhedrin 109a].</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Instead of devoting themselves to the name of God,
this<BR>generation devotes all of their efforts for the sake of an<BR>unholy
end. Their society and culture focused solely on man's<BR>dominion and
strength, while totally neglecting any divine<BR>purpose for their existence.
[See Ramban on 11:4!]<BR> Although this generation's
moral behavior was probably<BR>much better than that of the generation of the
Flood, God<BR>remained disappointed, for they established an
anthropocentric<BR>society (i.e. man in the center) instead of a theocentric
one<BR>(i.e. God in the center). Their primary aim was to make a<BR>'name
for themselves', but not for God.<BR> As God's hope that this new
generation would 'koreh be-shem<BR>Hashem' - to call out in His Name - never
materialized - He<BR>instigates their dispersion. God must take
action to assure<BR>that this misdirected unity will not achieve its stated
goal<BR>(see 11:5-7). Therefore, God causes the 'mixing of languages'<BR>-
so that each nation will follow its own direction, unable to<BR>unify - until
they will find a common goal worthy of that<BR>unity.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>AVRAHAM IS CHOSEN FOR A PURPOSE<BR> Our analysis
thus far can help us identify the thematic<BR>significance this Migdal Bavel
incident within the progression<BR>of events in Sefer Breishit - for the very
next story is God's<BR>choice of Avraham Avinu to become His special
nation!<BR> In a manner similar to the earlier stories in Chumash,
the<BR>story of God choosing Avraham Avinu is first introduced, and<BR>not by
chance, by tracing his genealogy back ten generations -<BR>so that it will begin
with Shem - the son of Noach! The<BR>thematic connection to "shem" becomes
obvious.<BR> From this perspective, the story of Migdal
Bavel should<BR>not be viewed as just another event that took place - so
that<BR>we know how and when the development of language began.<BR>Rather, this
story 'sets the stage' for God's choice of<BR>Avraham Avinu, for it will become
the destiny of Avraham, the<BR>primary descendent of toldot Shem, to bring God's
Name back<BR>into the history of civilization; to 'fix' the error
of<BR>civilization at Migdal Bavel!<BR> Therefore, it
should come as no surprise to us that upon<BR>his arrival in Eretz Canaan, the
Torah informs us of how<BR>Avraham Avinu ascends to Bet-El and builds a
mizbeiach where<BR>he 'calls out in God's Name':<BR> "And Avraham came to
the Land, to Shechem... and God spoke<BR> to him saying: 'To your
offspring I have given this Land'...<BR> and Avraham traveled from there
towards the mountain range<BR> to the east of Bet-el... and he built there
an altar - and<BR> CALLED OUT IN THE NAME OF
GOD"<BR> [See 12:8 (and Ramban), compare
4:26).<BR> <BR>
Similarly, it should not surprise us that when the<BR>prophet Isaiah describes
the 'messianic age' (see Isaiah 2:1-<BR>5) - he speaks of unity of
mankind:<BR> - when all nations will gather together once again, but
this<BR> time to climb the mountain of God (not a valley)<BR> -
arriving at the city of Jerusalem - to its special tower -<BR> i.e. the
Bet ha-Mikdash - 'the place that God has chosen for<BR> His Name to dwell
there' [see Devarim 12:5-12]<BR> - thus rectifying the events that took
place at Migdal<BR>Bavel.<BR> <BR> And when the prophet Tzefania
describes ultimate redemption,<BR>we find once again an allusion to Migdal
Bavel:<BR> 'ki az ehpoch el amim safa brura, likro chulam
be-shem<BR> Hashem le-ovdo shchem echad'. (see 3:9)<BR>
<BR> In our shiur on Parshat Lech Lecha we will continue
this<BR>discussion, as we will discuss in greater detail the purpose<BR>for
God's choice of Avraham Avinu. Till
then,<BR>
shabbat
shalom<BR>
menachem</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>=============================<BR>FOR FURTHER IYUN<BR>A. In light of
our discussion, we can better appreciate a<BR>puzzling statement made by Ben
Azai:<BR> "Zeh sefer toldot
ha-adam...<BR> It is taught - R. Akiva says, 've-ahavta
le-rei'acha<BR>kamocha' - love your neighbor as yourself - klal gadol
ba-<BR>Torah - This is a great principle of the
Torah.<BR> Ben Azai says, 'zeh sefer toldot ha-adam'
(5:1) - klal<BR>gadol mi-zeh - is an even greater
principle.<BR>
(Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:4).<BR> How could one suggest that
the very technical list of the<BR>genealogies from Adam to Noach found in
Breishit 5:1-32<BR>constitutes even a principle, let alone one more
important<BR>than the famous dictum that one should love his neighbor
as<BR>himself!? One could suggest that Ben Azai's
statement is<BR>not referring specifically to the genealogies, but rather
to<BR>the overall structure of Sefer Breishit as formed by the<BR>toladot, and
thus its theme. Although it is very important to<BR>'love thy neighbor',
the theme of Sefer Breishit - that Am<BR>Yisrael must lead all mankind to a
theocentric existence - is<BR>an even greater tenet of our faith.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>B. What other parallels (or contrasting parallels) can you<BR>find
between Yeshayahu 2:1-6 and the story of Migdal Bavel?<BR>[Be sure to relate to
'bik'a' and 'har' as well!]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>C. See Tzfania 3:8-9 and its context, especially 'ki az<BR>ehpoch el
amim safa brura, likro chulam be-shem Hashem le-ovdo<BR>shchem echad'. How
does this relate to our explanation of<BR>Migdal
Bavel!?<BR> Now, see Seforno in his introduction to
Sefer Breishit.<BR>Note how he explains the progression of events from the
Mabul<BR>until God's choice of Avraham Avinu! Does it become clear
how<BR>the Seforno understood this pasuk in
Tzfania!!<BR> [Be sure to find where he 'quotes'
it.]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>D. Am Yisrael is later commanded in Sefer Dvarim to establish<BR>the
mikdash 'ba-makom asher yivchar Hashem leshachein shmo<BR>sham'! (Dvarim
12:5,11). Relate this to the above.<BR> See also
Shmuel II 7:22-27 and Melachim I 8:42-44).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>E. The suggested thematic connection between Migdal Bavel and<BR>the
bechira of Avraham Avinu is supported by the Midrash that<BR>states that Avraham
was 48 years old when he recognized God<BR>for the first time. Avraham
Avinu reached age 48 on the same<BR>year that Peleg died (see Rashi on 10:25),
which according to<BR>Chazal corresponds to the precise year of Migdal Bavel -
1996<BR>to briyat ha-olam. Recall that Avraham was born in year
1948!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>F. In case you 'can't wait' until next week, some preparation<BR>for
next week's shiur on Avraham Avinu & shem
Hashem.<BR> Note that when Avraham Avinu first arrives
in Eretz<BR>Yisrael, he builds a mizbeiach at Bet-El and calls out
be-shem<BR>Hashem (12:8). After his sojourn in Egypt due to the
famine,<BR>Avraham returns to this mizbeiach at Bet-El and once again<BR>calls
out be-shem Hashem! (13:4 / see also 21:33).<BR> After
reading this entire section (12:1-13:4) carefully,<BR>try to explain why Bet-El
is the focal point of Avraham's<BR>aliya.<BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>