Questions tagged [abraham]
First of the Patriarchs אברהם
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 נֶאֱמָ֣ן ...
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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."...
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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 ...
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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,...
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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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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 statement (...
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Avraham Kosher for Pesach Mustard [duplicate]
Seeing that Avraham served the angels mustard on Pesach (Bava Metzia 86b),
ולמה לי תלתא תסגי בחד אמר רב חנן בר רבא כדי להאכילן שלש לשונות בחרדל
אמר רבי תנחום בר חנילאי לעולם אל ישנה אדם מן המנהג ...
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Avraham's first prophecy
Parshas Lech Lecha has the first record of Hashem communicating with Avraham (Genesis 12:1):
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־...
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In what way was the test of לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ greater than the test of א֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים?
I assume that Avrohom's tests increased in difficulty.
The first test was whether or not to go into the furnace.
The test of leaving his birthplace has to be more difficult.
HKB”H made three ...
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How did Abraham perform brit milah?
Abraham (around 1800 BC) performed circumcision.
At that period, what tool must he have used to do that?
Also, Genesis 18:7-8 says he cooked a calf. What tool must he have used to kill the calf at ...
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What does the Hebrew for Genesis 17:1 suggest was being told to Abraham?
I am curious about the wording of Genesis 17:1. When Abraham was told to "walk before me," was there a specific context implied? Why not use "walk with me" or "follow thou me"?
I was studying using ...
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Why did the angel who destroyed Sodom have to visit Avraham? [duplicate]
רש"י בראשית \ וירא יח,ב
והנה שלשה אנשים אֶחָד לְבַשֵׂר אֶת שָׂרָה וְאֶחָד לַהֲפֹךְ אֶת סְדוֹם וְאֶחָד לְרַפְּאוֹת אֶת אַבְרָהָם, ... וּרְפָאֵל שֶׁרִפָּא אֶת אַבְרָהָם הָלַךְ מִשָּׁם לְהַצִּיל אֶת ...
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Maybe Avraham didn't do the mitzvah of milah earlier because his mitzvah was to do it at 99 years old?
There is a famous question asked: Since Avraham Avinu observed all the mitzvos of his own accord, (kedushin 82a, Yevamos 28b) Why did he not circumcise himself before Hashem commanded him to at the ...
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Why is Milah considered Avraham's first Mitzvah. Why not Lech-Lecha?
(בראשית כד ב)
שים נא ידך תחת ירכי
ופירש רש"י תחת ירכי לְפִי שֶׁהַנִּשְׁבָּע צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּטוֹל בְּיָדוֹ חֵפֶץ שֶׁל מִצְוָה, כְּגוֹן סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה, אוֹ תְּפִילִין (שבועות ל"ח), וְהַמִּילָה הָיְתָה ...
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If a convert is already a descendant of Abraham, does he become Ben Avraham Avinu?
A convert is considered to be the child of Abraham when called up to the Torah - ben Avraham Avinu.
Does this still apply if the convert was born as a non-Jewish paternal descendant of Abraham? For ...
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Are there any Jewish traditions that can place Abraham in the location of present day Mecca? [closed]
The Quran states...
And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) and (his son) Isma'il (Ishmael) were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah), (saying), "Our Lord! Accept (this service)...
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"If eight couldn't save the world, certainly eight couldn't save one city." Why not?
Rashi to Bereishis 18:32, explaining why Avraham only bargained for 10 and no less:
אָמַר דוֹר הַמַּבּוּל הָיוּ ח', נֹחַ וּבָנָיו וּנְשֵׁיהֶם, וְלֹא הִצִּילוּ עַל דּוֹרָם; וְעַל ט' עַל יְדֵי צֵרוּף ...
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How old was Avraham when Nimrod threw him into the fire in Ur Kasdim?
Rashi, the Midrash Rabbah, and many others mention the story of Avraham being thrown into a fiery furnace by Nimrod for refusing to worship Avoda Zara and being miraculously saved. I've spent a while ...
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Was Hagar Abraham's second wife or his pilegesh?
In Genesis 16:3 it is written:
"So Sarai, Abraham's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, at the end of ten years of Abraham's dwelling in the land of Canaan, and she gave her to Abraham her ...
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Yishmael is the corruption of chesed
I once heard the following idea, and I'm wondering what is the source for it.
Avraham was the pillar of chesed. His son Yishmael was rejected as being part of the Jewish people. Chazal say that ...
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Did Avraham learn Lot's fate? [duplicate]
In Bereishit 14 Avraham rescues Lot after the battle of the four kings and the five kings. At this time Lot is living in S'dom, and it seems reasonable that Avraham knows that. (Lot was captured ...
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Is it required for observant Jews to not associate with one who has rejected Judaism?
I have observed that Orthodox Jews seem to withdraw from those who were once "frum" (observant) but are now secular. Are they obligated to do so?
How are we to understand the parable in which God ...
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Who owns the Cave of Machpelah today?
In Genesis 23, Abraham purchased the Cave of Machpelah from Efron the Hittite. Several generations of Abraham's family were buried there, although eventually new burials ceased.
According to Jewish ...
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Did Avraham Avinu really have a daughter named Bakol?
I heard that Avraham Avinu had a daughter named Bakol. But in the Biblical narrative, there is no mention of a daughter to Avraham, only a son, Yitzchak, whom we all know well.
Did Avraham really ...
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Was Avrohom really born in 1948?
I have always been told that Avrohom Ovinu was born 1948 years after Odom was created. I recently thought I would add up the relevant figures in Sidra Bereisis and Sidra Noach to see what number I ...
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Connection Between Going to Canaan and Becoming a Great Nation
In Genesis (12:1-2) God tells Avraham to go to the land he would show him [Canaan] and that he would make him a great nation:
לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־...
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Why identified by the name Og?
Although the Midrash Bereshis Rabbah (42:8) records the story behind the origin of Og's name:
וַיָּבֹא הַפָּלִיט (בראשית יד, יג), רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ בְּשֵׁם בַּר
קַפָּרָא הוּא עוֹג הוּא פָּלִיט, ...
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Why was it that Lot and the place he fleed to were saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gemorah?
Bereshit 12:4 Lot went with him (Avraham).. 13:1 Lot with him (Avraham).. 13:5 And Lot also, who went with Avram..
After these points Lot goes on a seperate way from Avraham, but HaShem still shows ...
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Avraham Adon shel Sarah?
Why does Sarah refers to Avraham as אדני Adoni (Genesis 18:12)? Why not say Ishi אישי or Ba'ali בעלי if she is refering to him as her husband? Why would she call him her master/lord?
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How many descendants did Abraham give rise to?
In Genesis 22 there is a divine oath that seems to suggest that Abraham's descendants will be way more numerous than has yet been realize:
Berean Study Bible Genesis 22: 16 and said, "By Myself I ...
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Where was Abraham born?
Where was Abraham born?
There are a couple of confusing, and perhaps even conflicting verses in the bible about Abraham's original homeland.
The general consensus is that Abraham and his family were ...
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Looking for midrash on the reason why Avraham bought Machpelah
In Bereishit 23, Avraham buys Maarat HaMachpelah for four hundred shekels even though Ephron generously offers to give him the cave for free.
I recall there being a midrash that explains the reason ...
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In Avraham all to be blessed?
In relation to another question of mine Avraham a father of many
Bereshit 12:2-3 reads:
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing....
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Avraham a father of many
What was meant when HaShem told Avraham His covenant would be with him and he would become the father of a multitude of nations? (Genesis 17:4, see also 12:2-3).
To whom does the multitude of nations ...
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Avraham's ten tests and the miracles in Mitzraim
Avos d'Rebbi Nassan* 33 recounts that corresponding to Avraham's ten tests,1 Hashem performed ten miracles for the Bnei Yisrael in Mitzraim2 and struck the Mitzriim with ten makkos, and likewise He ...
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Why doesn't the Chumash record a blessing for Yitzchak?
Yitzchak blesses his two sons.
Ya'acov blesses his twelve sons and even a couple of grandsons.
Even Noach tells of the future of his sons.
Does Avraham ever formally bless Yitzchak? If so, why doesn't ...
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Why does God Tell Abimelech that he is innocent?
Why does God tell Amibelech that he innocently abducted Sara. One of the commentators (Rava?) says that in Abimelech's mind, he thought he was honoring Sarai by making her his Queen.
Why does ...
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Did the sea split in Yosef's merit or Avraham's merit?
The pasuk (Tehillim 114:3) tells us that at Kriyas Yam Suf, "the Sea saw and fled."
It seems that the Sea would not split until it saw something. The Medrash explains: What did it see? It saw Yosef's ...
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Who was Hagar's (Avraham's maid/wife) grandfather?
Who was Hagar's (Avraham's maid/wife) grandfather? I know there is a source somewhere for this but I am baffled as to where.
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Mormons claim to be from the tribes of Israel (revealed via a "Patriarchal Blessing"), is this offensive to the Jewish community?
It has come to my attention that members of the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), or more commonly known as Mormons, receive what is called a patriarchal blessing.
This "...
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