Questions tagged [abraham]
First of the Patriarchs אברהם
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Why wasn't Avraham lying when he said “Eloh-im yireh lo haseh li-ola, bni”?
When Avraham was going with Yitzchok to the Akaida.
As far as Avraham knew at the moment, there was no lamb. So the answer to Yitzchok's question should have been that there will be no lamb for the ...
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3answers
233 views
Did God want converts in the early days of Judaism?
The Midrash says that Abraham and Sarah made many converts, presumably with God's blessing:
Abraham made converts, for it is written, "And Abraham took Sarai his wife... and all the souls that they ...
2
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3answers
179 views
Did the Avos light the menorah? [duplicate]
The Gemara Yoma 28b says that Avraham Avinu kept the whole Torah including Eruv Tavshilin. We see that Avraham kept the Rabbinic laws. Does this mean he lit the Menorah as well?
אמר (רב) ואיתימא רב ...
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1answer
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Why did Avraham respond to Avimelech but not Pharaoh?
There are two instances recorded in the Torah where Avraham and Sarah have to leave their home and go to a dangerous region. Both times Avraham tells people that Sarah is his sister, and both times ...
3
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1answer
142 views
Why did Yitzchok use the same subterfuge for his wife that had not worked for Avraham?
When I read the Parashas Toldos, I was surprised to see that when Yitzchok went to the land of Avimeleh, he said that Rivka was his sister to protect his life in Bereshis, 26, 7.
It is obvious that ...
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0answers
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Deep Sleep Genesis 15.12
I would like to know if the "deep sleep" of Abraham (Genesis 15.12) is literally a "sleep", or a state of "trance" as The Midrash of Philo says (15.12). What does the biblical term mean? Also, ...
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1answer
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Why Me'arat Hamachpela was bought by Avraham and not conquered?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not an aggressor, but conquest and war are always in our set of tools (see Yaakov's preparations to meeting his brother).
IIRC Hittim people were idolaters and doomed to be ...
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Why Sarah didn't have more kids with Avraham?
IIRC, Sarah was completely rejuvenated in order to give birth to Itzhak, but I don't remember that G-d took it back after he was born.
Apparently, Avraham was eager to have more kids in his old age.
...
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In Avraham's story, what's the importance of his burial place, Meoras hamachpeila?
The Torah spends a couple of pages describing Avraham's desire to [be buried and] bury Sarah in a particular place - the Cave of the patriarchs. I find it difficult to comprehend this desire.
After ...
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1answer
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Why it was important for Avraham to bring more goyish children in his old age?
וַיֹּסֶף אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח אִשָּׁה וּשְׁמָהּ קְטוּרָה׃
Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. (Gen 25.1)
While the Gemmorah (Yevomos 62b) learns that a person must procreate through ...
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Source for Rashi's claim that some nations worshiped dust?
Rashi (Gen 18,4) on "יֻקַּח־נָא מְעַט־מַיִם וְרַחֲצוּ רַגְלֵיכֶם׃" says:
כַּסָּבוּר שֶׁהֵם עַרְבִיִּים שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּחֲוִים לַאֲבַק רַגְלֵיהֶם
He thought they were Arabians who worship the dust of ...
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2answers
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Why did Avraham ask Eliezer to go to his family?
What was so special about Avraham's family that he prefers that Eliezer should search there for a wife for Yitzchok (Bereshis 24:40)?
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Prayer for individual tzadikim in Sodom
According to Rashi, Avraham began his prayers by reasoning let the tzadikim save the entire cities, and if the tzadikim can't save the whole city, at least don't kill the tzadikim themselves.
אולי ...
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3answers
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Looking for a source about Avraham compared to Noah
I'm having some trouble tracking down a source I saw earlier that I'd like to review.
Around Beresheit 18:18 when Hashem is deciding whether or not to tell Avraham about the impending destruction of ...
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0answers
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Why does Rashi say Avraham thought the angels were wayfarers?
Rashi on Breishis 18:16
And the men arose from there, and they looked upon Sodom, and Abraham went with them to escort them,
says
to escort them: Heb. לְשַׁלְּחָם, to escort them. He thought ...
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3answers
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What was the ethnicity of Abraham?
The Book of Genesis says that Abraham was from Ur Kasdim. Usually English translations renders it "Ur of the Chaldees/Chaldeans". It is impossible for Kasdim to mean Chaldeans if the Torah was written ...
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3answers
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Why didn't Abraham ask the single best question?
Genesis 18:24ff:
And Abraham... said: Will You [God] also cause to perish the righteous one with the wicked one? ...Will You not spare the place for the sake of [say] 50 righteous ones in its ...
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Rashi's explanation of why we are told that Avram was 86 at the birth of Yishma'el
Bereishit 16:16:
וְאַבְרָ֕ם בֶּן־שְׁמֹנִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֵׁ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֑ים בְּלֶֽדֶת־הָגָ֥ר אֶת־יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל לְאַבְרָֽם׃
Avram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Yishma'el to Avram.
...
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Did Abraham and Noah know of each other?
Are there any sources that discuss whether Abraham and Noah knew of each other's existence, if there was ever any interactions between the two and/or if they ever met (not sure if their lives actually ...
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1answer
56 views
What was G-d's plan in having 20 generations before Abraham appears?
I'm trying to understand G-d's plan for creating wicked and sinful humans, waiting for 1600 years/10 generations for them to sin, wiping them out completely, then waiting for another 400 years for the ...
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1answer
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Source for Avraham's Conversation About Hoshana Rabba
Although many websites quote a Midrash saying Hashem told Avraham,
"I will give your descendants a special day for forgiveness: Hoshana Rabbah. If they are not forgiven on Rosh Hashana then let ...
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3answers
224 views
Did Abraham always follow halacha?
-The Talmud says that Abraham followed halacha [derived from Genesis 26:5].
-The Torah outlaws child sacrifice.
-So: On what grounds did Abraham agree to perform God's command to sacrifice his ...
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1answer
67 views
Why count the stars in the daytime? [closed]
It says in Lech Lecha that Hashem took Abraham outside and asked him to count the stars. And from the word "habet" we learn it was during the daytime.
Why would it be during the daytime when stars ...
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0answers
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Where does Flavius Josephus gets his description of historical events about the Patriarchs
Josephus lived in the 1st century and would accurately report the history in that time period. However he does report about the activities of the Patriarchs. These stories are found in the Jewish ...
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1answer
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What would qualify a Sedomite as a “righteous person”?
In Genesis 18:23-33, Avraham pleads with God to spare Sedom from the destruction it had earned through its wicked institutionalized cruelty. Eventually, Avraham extracts an agreement from God that the ...
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2answers
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“As many as the stars in the sky”- literally or allegorically?
In Bereishis 15:5 HaShem promises Avraham that his descendants will be as many as the stars in the sky:
וַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ הַח֗וּצָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים ...
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3answers
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Why don't we have a weaning party like Avraham did?
וַיִּגְדַּל הַיֶּלֶד וַיִּגָּמַל וַיַּעַשׂ אַבְרָהָם מִשְׁתֶּה גָדוֹל בְּיוֹם הִגָּמֵל אֶת־יִצְחָק׃
The child [Itzchak] grew up and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day that ...
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1answer
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Why is Abraham considered the “Founder of Judaism”?
Why is Abraham called 'the founder of Judaism' given that he didn't write its founding legislation, which is what 'founders' of other religions did (for example, Paul and Muhammed)? What place does ...
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1answer
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Sources for what happened to Avraham’s Converts? [duplicate]
In Bereishis (12:5 and in Rashi) we see that Avraham converted people in Charan, and then took them with him to Kena’an.
Do we know what happened to them?
• When Avraham and Lot separated, who did ...
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3answers
67 views
If there were people before/during Avraham's life that recognised Hashem, why was Avraham chosen specifically?
We know that Shem lived during the life of Avraham Avinu, described as Malki Tzedek.
Why is Avraham considered the first to spread ethical monotheism (concluding in G-d choosing him) if it's known ...
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0answers
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How come the Torah doesn't recount how Avraham and Sarah met?
We know how Yitzchak met Rivka, and how Yaakov met Rachel & Leah- but why doesn't the Torah tell us how Avraham and Sarah met?
If you want to say that it's because they weren't Jewish at the time ...
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3answers
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(Why) did Sarah allow herself to be put in a compromising situation
Starting in Genesis 12:13 Avraham and Sarah deceive Pharaoh into thinking that Sarah was not married. It seems from the verses that Avraham and Sarah understood that if Pharaoh thought Sarah was ...
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3answers
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In what manner / How, did Hashem appear to Avraham at Mamre? (Gen 18:1)
In what manner / How, did Hashem appear to Avraham at Mamre? (Gen 18:1)
We read in Gen 18:1 וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו יְהוָה, בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא; וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח-הָאֹהֶל, כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם.
And Hashem/The ...
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1answer
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Did Hashem originally intend to have a connection with everyone?
Does it say anywhere that when Hashem created the world it was with the intention to have a connection with everyone, but because people sinned Hashem saw he could only have this intimate connection ...
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1answer
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Source for Avraham failing his test at the Akeida?
In a recent interview on Times of Israel, Rabbi Nathan Lopez Cardozo says that he is of the opinion that Avraham failed his test at the Akeida:
I am of the opinion that Abraham, by being prepared ...
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1answer
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Abraham circumcision?
As we know in our today's world, a sentence can be understood if the vocabulary of the words which are in that sentence is also already understood.
But if there is a vocabulary which is not already ...
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0answers
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Is the line of David known/documented? [duplicate]
Bear in mind, I have a background in Christianity, so my superficial knowledge of Judaism is at best base on the old testament. In the old testament David is told his line will result in the Messiah.
...
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1answer
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Why Did God Directly Command Abraham to Sacrifice Isaac but Sent Angels to Stop Him?
Genesis 21:1-3 says that God “tested” Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice his son Isaac and that Abraham immediately (or almost immediately) followed the directions God provided. 21:9-17 says that ...
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0answers
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Centrality of Jerusalem for forefathers and before Temple
I was having an argument about the centrality of Jerusalem in our tradition when I realized surprisingly, that, seemingly from the scriptures, Jerusalem wasn't so central for our forefathers at all.
...
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2answers
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According to Rashi, how old was Avraham at B'rit Bein HaB'tarim?
Rashi to Shemot 12:40 says that B'rit Bein HaB'tarim took place thirty years before the birth of Yitzchak (when Avraham was one hundred years old), meaning that Avraham was seventy years old at the ...
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3answers
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Why didn't Avraham argue with HaShem about sacrificing Yitzchak just like he argued with Him about destroying Sodom? [duplicate]
It's known that when Avraham found out that Hashem was going to destroy Sodom and the other cities, he fervently argued with Hashem to save them.
My question is: when Hashem told Avraham to sacrifice ...
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6answers
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Sources that Avraham Avinu personified Gemilas Chasodim
See this thread which discusses that Avraham Avinu used to make his guests pay exorbitant prices if they did not wish to bless Hashem for the food.
I am struggling to differentiate between a ...
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2answers
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Is it sourced that Avrohom Avinu charged his guests payment if they did not make a Brachah?
The Gemara in Soitah (10a I think) says that Avrohom used to tell people not to thank him, but rather to thank Hashem for the food that they ate.
I seem to remember learning once that if they refused,...
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1answer
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Angels Frequently Visiting Avraham
Rashi (Bereishis 16:13) notes that Hagar wasn't frightened to see angels because she normally saw angels frequenting Avraham's household:
לְשׁוֹן תֵּמַהּ; וְכִי סְבוּרָה הָיִיתִי שֶׁאַף הֲלוֹם ...
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Is Nehemiah's description of Abraham's events out of order?
In Nechemia 9, we read a recap of God's interaction with Avraham:
אֲשֶׁ֤ר בָּחַ֙רְתָּ֙ בְּאַבְרָ֔ם וְהוֹצֵאת֖וֹ מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים וְשַׂ֥מְתָּ שְּׁמ֖וֹ אַבְרָהָֽם׃
וּמָצָ֣אתָ אֶת־לְבָבוֹ֮ ...
2
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1answer
90 views
Where, and what, is Elonei Mamre? And who is Mamre?
In Sefer Bereshit (specifically Parshat Lech Lecha, Vayera, and Chayei Sarah) the is a place called Elonei Mamre. This is usually translated something along the lines of "the trees of Mamre."
Where/...
7
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2answers
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Hashem's inconsistent responses about Sedom
In parshas Vayeira there is a whole back-and-forth between Hashem and Avraham. Each time Avraham pleaded to save everyone if a certain number of righteous individuals would be found. Each time Hashem ...
6
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2answers
67 views
Why does the Torah mention that Lot went with Avram twice?
Why does the Torah in Parshas Lech Lecha feel the need to say "vayeilech ito Lot", and Lot went with him (Avram)? The very next passuk tells us how Avram took Sarai his wife, Lot his nephew, and so ...
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0answers
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Uncomfortable Discussions Around Guests
Why doesn't Avraham wait until escorting the angelic "men" out of the tent before having the conversation with Sarah about "laughing" - the pesukim (Bereishis 18:15-16) follow one after the other.
...
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0answers
32 views
Avraham's Strange Happiness to Death?
Since והיה generally refers to something not bad,
Vayikra Rabba (11:7) - כל מקום שנאמר ויהי אין שמחה והיה אין צרה
why does Avraham use the word to start the following potentially tragic ...
