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‏"מכרה כיום את בכורתך לי" (בראשית כה לא)‏

Translated as: Sell me as of this day your birthright

What do the words "as of this day" mean?

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2 Answers

up vote 4 down vote

Different interpretations that I've seen (not sourced yet):

  • "Sell it to me 'like day'" - just as the daytime is light and clear, so too the sale should be a "clear" sale.
  • "Sell it to me 'as of today'" - as of this moment, I will have the rights of the firstborn.
  • "Sell it to me 'like it was today'" - I should be the firstborn, as I acted like the oldest today in providing food for you.
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up vote 1 down vote

Ramban cites Onkelos: ke'yom dilhain, since the inheritance would only take place on the death of Yitzchok, 'today' refers to that future day

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