[Par-reg] Chaya Sara - questions for self study

Sun Oct 24 15:04:45 EDT 2010

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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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