[Par-reg] CHAYA SARA - questions for self study
Menachem Leibtag
tsc at bezeqint.net
Mon Oct 29 04:52:21 EDT 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 CHAYEI SARA - Questions for self
study
PART I - QUESTIONS FOR THE 'SHABBOS TABLE'
YITZCHAK & YISHMAEL
1. Have you ever heard of a place in Israel called
'Be'er
Lachai Ro'i'? If so, in what area of Israel is it
located,
and to the best of your recollection, what Biblical
events
took place there.
If not, review Breishit 24:62 and 25:11 (in their
context),
noting how this seems to be an area where Yitzchak was
living.
Can you explain why he chose this site?
Has this same site ever been mentioned earlier in
Chumash?
In case you don't recall, review the story in 16:5-16.
Based
on that story, in what manner may it be significant that
Yitzchak chose to live there? In your answer, relate to
the
relationship between Yitzchak and Yishmael, as can be
implied
in 25:9. Note as well 25:12-18.
Finally, see Ramban, Seforno, and Radak on 24:62 in
relation
to this question. Note how each opinion is quite
different.
2. Towards the end of the Parsha, Avraham sends away
all of
his children (except Yitzchak) to "Kedma, el eretz
kedem"
(25:6), while Yitzchak remains in Eretz Canaan. Relate
this
Biblical 'direction' of 'kedem' to Breishit 3:24, 4:16,
11:2,
& 13:11 (note Rashi)! Based on those sources, why do
you
think that the Torah found it necessary to tell us this
'direction' in relation to where Avraham sends his other
children?
'LASUACH BA-SADEH'
3. In 24:63, we are told that Yitzchak had gone
'lasuach ba-
sadeh'. In your opinion, what does this phrase mean?
Can you remember an earlier usage of a similar word
in
Sefer Breishit? If so, can you explain how this may be
related?
4. Next, study the classic commentators on this pasuk,
noting
the 'pshat' interpretations as presented by Ibn Ezra and
Rashbam; as well as (what appears to be) the 'drash'
approach
of Rashi (and Rabbeinu Chananel). [Note also Seforno.]
Can you explain how these interpretations relate to
Breishit
2:5? Be sure that you find the connection between
Rashi on
24:63 and Rashi on 2:5.
Finally, see Chizkuni on 25:63. Can you explain
why he
relates this pasuk to Gan Eden? Based on 2:5, can you
explain
why this 'drash' may be 'pshat'?
'EVED AVRAHAM' & RIVKA
5. Note that throughout the entire Parsha, we are never
told
the name of the 'eved Avraham'! Chazal explain that the
eved
was Eliezer, and that Avraham feared that Eliezer wanted
Yitzchak to marry his own daughter. Can you support
this
based on 15:1-4?
6. Even though Avraham's servant comes from far away,
Rivka's
family readily agrees to send her back with him. Review
the
story in 24:48-52, especially their stated reason for
agreeing
in 24:50! Use this pasuk to explain why they agree,
and
why it was necessary for Eliezer to repeat the entire
story of
how he met Rivka (i.e. from 24:33-50) . [Note how 24:53
provides an additional reason.]
7. Note the bracha that Rivka receives from her family:
"achoteinu, at hayi le-alfei revava, ve-yirash zar'ech
et
sha'ar son'av" (24:60). Compare this to God's earlier
promise
to Avraham at the Akeida: "ve-yirash zar'acha et sha'ar
oyvav"
(22:17). What is the significance of this parallel?
See Rashi & Rashbam.
PART II- QUESTIONS FOR SHIUR PREPARATION
For shiur on the topic - AVRAHAM & BNEI CHET
1. Avraham introduces his wish to buy a burial plot
from Bnei
Chet with the phrase "ger ve-toshav anochi imachem" (see
23:4).
How did you understand the words 'ger' and
'toshav'?
Are these two different reasons, or do both words
together explain one reason? [See the commentators,
noting
how most of them provide more or less the same
interpretations
[e.g. Rashbam, Ramban, Ibn Ezra.]
Then, as you study Rashi's interpretation, note how
he
explains"pshat and then drash. In your opinion, why
does
Rashi find it necessary to quote this Midrash Agadda?
Can you
suggest a deeper meaning?
Next, review Vayikra chapter 25, noting its primary
topics as well as the phrase 'ger ve-toshav' in 25:23,
35, &
47. What is the meaning of this phrase in 25:23, and
its
significance in the context of 25:23-24?
Finally, note the Torah's use of the word 'achuza'
in
25:24. How does this relate back to Breishit 23:4 and
the
phrase 'achuzat kever'.
2. Let's return to Avraham's request to buy an achuzat
kever
from Bnei Chet in 23:4. What does the word achuza mean?
What 'shoresh' does it stem from? What other words
share
the same shoresh? (See for example Breishit 22:13,
25:26,
47:27, Shmot 4:4.)
Compare this with other uses of achuza as in:
Breishit
47:11, Vayikra 14:34, Bamidbar 27:7, 32:5,22.
Can you explain why we often find the verb 'natan'
[to
give / grant] associated with the word achuza, as in the
above
examples?
Based on your answer to the above question, explain
the
meaning of achuza in Breishit 17:7-8 (in relation to
God's
promise of Eretz Canaan in brit mila). Compare this to
the
Torah's use of the word 'yerusha' when it describes how
the
land is being given to Avraham Avinu in brit bein
ha-btarim
(note Breishit 15:3-8,18.)
3. To understand more precisely what the word yerusha
implies, see Bamidbar 33:50-53, and also Vayikra 20:24.
In
these examples, what type of 'ownership' does the word
yerusha
imply? Based on these sources, what in your opinion is
the
difference between the acquisition of land based on
achuza or
yerusha?
Attempt to relate this to the differences in the
nature
of the two covenants that God made with Avraham - i.e.
in
relation to the land: brit mila (see 17:3-8); and in
relation
to how Yisrael will become a nation in brit bein
ha-btarim
(see 15:1-20).
4. Based on these sources, does 'Eretz Yisrael' belong
to Am
Yisrael or to God? Relate this to the first Rashi in
Chumash
(read that Rashi carefully, noting its parallel in
Yirmiyahu
27:5-6). Relate also to Shmot 19:4-6 ('ki li kol
ha-aretz')
and Vayikra 25:23-24. How does this relate to the
primary
theme of Sefer Breishit?
For Shiur on the topic - A WIFE FROM 'TOLDOT TERACH'
1. Note that both Avraham and Yitzchak insist that
their
[chosen] children take wives from the family of Nachor
(see
24:3-4,10 and 28:2).
Note also who Avraham and Nachor married - see
11:29 and
20:12, and Rashi on those psukim. (Relate this also to
Breishit 28:9.) What do you think is the significance
of this
phenomenon?
2. Based on the above, it would seem that there is
something
special about the children of Terach ('toldot Terach').
What
do you think is the nature of this special quality?
Relate
your answer to 11:27-32. See also Seforno & Chizkuni on
11:31-32.
Relate this to the fact that the Torah specifies
'eileh
toldot Terach' (11:27) at the conclusion of the series
which
began with 'eileh toldot Shem' (11:10), yet for some
reason
never introduces in a similar manner 'eileh toldot
Avraham',
even though we do later find 'eileh toldot Yitzchak'
(25:19),
and 'eileh toldot Yaakov' (37:2)!
Why do you think that toldot Avraham are 'missing',
while
we seem to have toldot Terach instead?
3. Where does the unit which began with toldot Terach
end?
(In other words, where is the next time that we find
'eileh
toldot...'?)
What would you consider the primary topic of this
unit?
Note that this unit contains not only the story of
Avraham, but also includes the story of Haran's and
Nachor's
children (see 19:30-38, 22:20-24 & 25:1-9.) Can you
explain
why these stories are included?
4. In your opinion, how does Sefer Breishit use the
progression of the series of eileh toldot... to help
develop
its theme?
PART III - PARSHANUT
1. Read 24:1. What ambiguity is present in the Torah's
use
of the word ba-kol'?
a) What does the word ba-kol mean? Note how
almost
every parshan offers a different explanation. See
Rashi, Ibn
Ezra, Rashbam and Radak. Try to explain the differences
between the explanations.
b) Explain, according to each parshan, how this
pasuk
relates to the parshia that follows afterward.
c) Now, see Ramban. (The Ramban is quite long,
but see
at least the first section of his peirush.) How is
Ramban's
peirush different than the others? Why do you think
Ramban
enters into such detail here?
d) As you study these commentaries, attempt to
notice
what is typical of the style of each commentator?
2. Before Avraham sends Eliezer on his mission, he
makes him
take an oath - see 24:3. Read this pasuk carefully,
noting
what is difficult about the manner how Avraham describes
God
in this pasuk - "Elokei ha-shamayim ve-Elokei ha-aretz".
Compare this to Avraham's own statement in 24:7!
First, note how Rashi understands 24:3, and what he
learns from it! [See also the related Gemara in Mo'ed
Katan
18b.]
Then see Ramban on 24:3. In what manner is his
explanation of 'Elokei ha-aretz' totally different than
Rashi's? Can you explain why? (Note that Ramban
himself
explains why!)
Next, see Seforno on 24:3. Explain how his
interpretation is totally different than Rashi or
Ramban.
Finally, see Radak on 24:3. Is his peirush most
similar
to Seforno?
Try to explain why.
How does Radak resolve the parallel in 24:7?
See also Rashi on 24:7.
How did Ramban deal with this problem in his
peirush to
24:3?
[Note as well the very interesting (&
philosophical)
manner in which Chizkuni (on 24:7) relates to Rashi's
peirush.]
3. At the middle of 24:7, we also find that Avraham
says that
God had 'spoken to him' and 'sworn to him' that he will
give
this land to his offspring. In your opinion, what
specific
incidents is Avraham Avinu referring to? In other
words, when
did God 'speak' [diber] to him, and when did God 'swear'
[nishba] to him about the land for his offspring [zera
va-
aretz].
After you do (or don't) find an answer, see how
Rashi,
Radak, and Seforno related to this question. [Note also
how
Ramban argues with Rashi's explanation of 'diber li'.]
Which of these two interpretations relates
primarily to
the previous use of the word 'shevu'a', and which
interpretation relates to the phrase that follows
'le-zar'acha
eten et ha-aretz ha-zot'?
Use this distinction to explain the reason for this
'machloket'.
4. At the end of the Parsha (25:1-4), we are told of
Avraham's children from a wife named Ketura. Chazal say
that
Ketura was actually Hagar, and that Avraham remarried
her in
his old age.
a) Do you think this idea is pshat?
b) Now see Rashi, Rashbam, Ibn Ezra, Chizkuni and
Radak.
Again, note how and why each parshan offers a different
opinion. Note also the reasons given for each
interpretation.
5. Read 24:6-9, noting how Avraham's instructions to
Eliezer
include a 'promise'(?) that Hashem will send a 'guardian
angel' to assure that Eliezer will be successful (read
24:7
carefully).
In your opinion, is Avraham's statement that God
will
send His angel to help a 'prayer' or a 'prophecy'? In
your
answer, relate to the entire set of psukim from 24:1-10.
After you have thought out the possibilities, see
the
commentaries of Ibn Ezra, Rashbam, Chizkuni and Radak on
this
phrase.
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