Questions tagged [avot-patriarch-fathers]
Generally refers to Avraham (Abraham), Yitzchak (Isaac), and Yaakov (Jacob); the three patriarchs of the Jewish People.
323
questions
1
vote
2answers
61 views
Why was Shimon Hatzadik so-called?
In Pirkei Avot 1:2, Shimon is called Hatzaddik (the righteous). I gathered a couple of questions about this fact:
Why was [only] he called so and not other Rabbis? Was he called so by the Greeks (...
3
votes
0answers
102 views
Do Arabs have a distinct stature among non-Jews as they descend from Abraham?
To best of my knowledge, according to Judaism, both Arabs and Jews descend from Abraham. In particular, Arabs are believed to be descended from Ishmael, and Jews are believed to be descended from ...
4
votes
2answers
79 views
Why did the 10 Brothers tell Yaakov that Yosef had died if doing so would cause him such intense pain & grief?
Is there any Torah commentary that addresses how Yaakov’s ten sons could have been so cold, heartless and cruel, to cause Yaakov’s intense, 22-year, unconsolable grief over Yosef’s death? What child ...
2
votes
0answers
62 views
Did Rachel really die on the way from Padan Aram?
Why does Yaakov says that Rachel died when he came from Padan Aram (ואני בבאי מפדן)? Apparently, she died much later, not after leaving from the house of Lavan.
Rachel dies in 35:19, Yaakov departs ...
0
votes
1answer
78 views
What is the significance of Dina in the Biblical narrative?
Dina is mentioned only several times in the Torah - her birth, her rape and the massacre, and her counted with the 70 souls coming down to Egypt. The midrash tells us how Jacob mistreat her with Esau ...
5
votes
3answers
184 views
Why wasn't Yosef's wife counted in the 70 people of Yaakov's family that went down to Egypt?
Some say that they were 66 and that the missing 4 are: Yocheved, Yosef and his 2 sons. How about Osnas (Dina's daughter, Yosef's wife). If Yosef and his children were counted why not Osnas?
1
vote
0answers
40 views
Is there any practical implication to the Avot's being priests?
According to various sources, Malkitzedek was punished for blessing Avraham before blessing Hashem by having his "priesthood" status taken away and placed on Avraham. This status is then ...
-1
votes
2answers
86 views
What were Yaakov's original intentions for marrying Lavan's daughter(s)?
I learned from my Rabbi's books (R' Moshe Luriah's "בית גנזי על התורה" - Ariz"l's tradition) that:
Yaakov and Esav paralleled Rachel and Leah and were "destined" one for ...
2
votes
1answer
66 views
Yaakov, Lavan, and the sheep deal(s)
Yaakov tells Lavan that "You changed my wages ten times." [Chazal: actually a hundred times.] It's a sad story. If Lavan had just given Yaakov normal wages, מחצית שכר - splitting the outcome ...
2
votes
1answer
54 views
Shevuah worded in the negative
I've been bothered for a long time: Throughout Tanach, shevuos (oaths) and brisos (covenants) are phrased in the negative (where it doesn't just say, I swear __, like בי נשבעתי ___). Generally ...
1
vote
1answer
85 views
Why did Isaac trust his senses over his feeling?
וַיִּגַּשׁ יַעֲקֹב אֶל־יִצְחָק אָבִיו וַיְמֻשֵּׁהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר הַקֹּל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו׃ - So Jacob drew close to his father Isaac, who felt him and wondered. “The voice is the ...
-3
votes
1answer
73 views
Why didn’t Yaakov marry both sisters simultaneously?
This might sound strange but the effective Jewish Halacha allows for marrying multiple women at once:
נוֹשֵׂא אָדָם כַּמָּה נָשִׁים אֲפִלּוּ מֵאָה בֵּין בְּבַת אַחַת בֵּין בָּזוֹ אַחַר זוֹ - A person ...
8
votes
2answers
161 views
What Biblical couple is the standard for happy and healthy marital relationships?
On Shabbos, we bless our kids with Brochos to grow like our forefathers/mothers. When my kid announced that he's getting married I exclaimed "may God put your marriage like..." and got stuck ...
1
vote
0answers
27 views
Different languages describing forefathers' wealth
Off the top of my head, I bring three different verses describing the (enormous) wealth of our forefathers, each mentioning different parts of it:
Abraham: "וְאַבְרָם כָּבֵד מְאֹד בַּמִּקְנֶה ...
1
vote
3answers
126 views
Why is Bethuel referred to as “Son of Milkah” and not “Son of Nahor”?
Several times in the Parasha Bethuel is referred to as "Son of Milkah" and not "Son of Nahor", for example:
... וְהִנֵּה רִבְקָה יֹצֵאת אֲשֶׁר יֻלְּדָה לִבְתוּאֵל בֶּן־מִלְכָּה ...
0
votes
0answers
31 views
When does Torah attribute birth to the mother and when to the father?
I spot two approaches to informing a birth in the Torah:
attributing it to the mother, for example: "... הִנֵּה יָלְדָה מִלְכָּה גַם־הִוא בָּנִים לְנָחוֹר אָחִיךָ׃", “Milcah too has borne ...
1
vote
1answer
80 views
Why is abstinence is important for Rivkah but not other foremothers or other Toranic female figures?
וְהַנַּעֲרָ טֹבַת מַרְאֶה מְאֹד בְּתוּלָה וְאִישׁ לֹא יְדָעָהּ ...׃ - The maiden was very beautiful, a virgin whom no man had known. Genesis.24.16
Why is the fact of sexual abstinence is important ...
0
votes
2answers
55 views
Legal status of Abraham sending Eliezer to marry Rivka
I'm confused about the legal status of Abraham sending his slave to get Rivka from Bethuel.
IIRC, Isaac was completely unaware of the mission, he didn't send Eliezer, Abraham was one to send Eliezer ...
3
votes
2answers
166 views
Why didn't our forefathers team up with Shem and Ever?
Our sources mention not only the mere existence of Abraham's pious forefathers, such as Shem and Ever but their Toranic activities in the Promised land, such as Shem being a Kohen in Jerusalem and ...
2
votes
3answers
234 views
Are there any respected rabbis who say that the Avot did not follow all of the laws of the Torah before it was given?
I am disturbed by the oft-repeated claim that Abraham, Issac, and Jacob followed all the details of Torah before it was given to us at Sinai. I suspect that it is a case of later generations ...
3
votes
1answer
73 views
Why did God not prevent all 3 patriarchs from going to Egypt during a famine?
The Ramban strongly criticized Abraham for leaving the Holy Land during a famine, and cited that episode as the reason for the Jews' enslavement in Egypt:
And you should know that our father Abraham ...
3
votes
3answers
138 views
How does “ancestral merit” work?
We see the usage of Zechut Avot, which I loosely translate as "ancestral merit" used in numerous circumstances to ask God to forgive our sins and wrongdoings. Moses used this several times ...
1
vote
2answers
54 views
What age was Avraham's name change?
As we know Avraham was changed from Avram.
Does anyone know how old Avraham was when he got his name change?
4
votes
3answers
144 views
What was the nature of the apparition of Yaakov that appeared to Yosef?
Sotah 36b writes that an apparition of Yaakov visited Yosef when he was about to sin with Potiphar's wife.
(בראשית לט, יב) ותתפשהו בבגדו לאמר וגו' באותה שעה באתה דיוקנו של אביו ונראתה לו בחלון אמר לו ...
0
votes
2answers
96 views
What would have been the Godly way to address the rape of Dinah?
Why were Shimon and Levi the ones to hear about Dinah's rape and not Yaakov?
Where does it mention Yaakov's actual emotive state?
And finally, what would the Torah have mandated to have done in such a ...
0
votes
2answers
93 views
Yaakov Avinu didn't die and connection to not eating?
In Taanis 5b there is a story with two amoraim
רב נחמן ור' יצחק הוו יתבי בסעודתא א"ל רב נחמן לר' יצחק לימא מר מילתא א"ל הכי א"ר יוחנן אין מסיחין בסעודה שמא יקדים קנה לושט ויבא לידי ...
1
vote
1answer
82 views
Was Yaakov lacking Bitachon?
When Yaakov becomes afraid of Eisav's arrival, the passuk says that he was very frightened. Chazal in Maseches Brachos note that he was afraid שמא יגרום החטא. Does this display a lack of Bitachon, ...
3
votes
1answer
262 views
Why does Yitzchak's name mean to laugh if he represents gevurah?
Why does Yitzchak's name mean to laugh if he represents gevurah? Gevurah is something that is restrained and hold back. And laughter is something which breaks out of the chains and feels more free.
4
votes
2answers
614 views
Are there any Midrashim where Yitzchak was actually sacrificed by Avraham?
Are there any Midrashim where Yitzchak was actually sacrificed by Avraham?
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1136172-gen-22-11-16a-the-story-of-the-near-sacrifice-of-isaac-is
"a later midrashic ...
5
votes
1answer
145 views
Do any of the Rishonim or earlier commentators attempt to suggest what clothing the Ovos wore?
Midrash (Minor Pesikta, Ki Savo 41a) says the Bnei Yisroel didn't change their clothing in Mitzrayim. I presume (but correct me if I'm wrong), that this means they dressed like the Ovos did. My next ...
4
votes
1answer
47 views
Sefer on Avot Keeping Mitzvot
I heard that there was a sefer written that has approximately 100 answers to the question of whether the Avot kept all of the Mitzvot. If anyone know about this and has the name of the sefer and ...
2
votes
3answers
184 views
Jacob and stone pillars
There are several allusions in the Torah that through divine inspiration the Patriarchs kept it entirely (see Yoma 28b based on Bereishit 26:5 for Abraham and Rashi on Bereishit 32:5 for Jacob). Yet, ...
2
votes
1answer
67 views
How come only Yaakov is Bikesh Shalva?
Rashi comments at the beginning of this week's parsha, that Yaakov requested to sit in tranquility:
וישב, בִּקֵּשׁ יַעֲקֹב לֵישֵׁב בְּשַׁלְוָה, קָפַץ עָלָיו רָגְזוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף – צַדִּיקִים ...
0
votes
2answers
99 views
The proposed killing of Yosef would have left 11 tribes
We know the Patriarchs and Matriarchs prophetically had knowledge there would be the Shevatim (12 tribes) descended through Ya'akov.
Source: (Bereshit Rabbah 72,5) concerning the fact that Ya'akov ...
0
votes
1answer
66 views
Forefathers and consumerism - why they had more that they can eat?
Yaakov said (Gen 33.11):
... כִּי־חַנַּנִי אֱלֹהִים וְכִי יֶשׁ־לִי־כֹל ...׃
... for God has favored me and I have everything...
Rashi:
יש לי כל: כָּל סִפּוּקִי; וְעֵשָׂו דִּבֵּר בִּלְשׁוֹן ...
1
vote
0answers
38 views
How Halachic was Yaakov's decision to discriminate between his wives and kids?
וַיָּ֧שֶׂם אֶת־הַשְּׁפָח֛וֹת וְאֶת־יַלְדֵיהֶ֖ן רִֽאשֹׁנָ֑ה,
וְאֶת־לֵאָ֤ה וִֽילָדֶ֙יהָ֙ אַחֲרֹנִ֔ים,
וְאֶת־רָחֵ֥ל וְאֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף אַחֲרֹנִֽים׃
putting the maids and their children first, Leah ...
0
votes
1answer
80 views
What to we learn from וַיִּשַּׁק יַעֲקֹב לְרָחֵל? [duplicate]
The following is an (uncited) premise in learning torah that creates this question. Every word of the torah is measured (there are no extra words) and therefore important.
In parshas Yeyeitzei (...
5
votes
2answers
150 views
Yaakov and the Angel: Hand to Hand?
In the encounter between Yaakov Avinu and the "man", it says (Genesis 32:26):
וַיַּ֗רְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָכֹל֙ ל֔וֹ וַיִּגַּ֖ע בְּכַף־יְרֵכ֑וֹ וַתֵּ֙קַע֙ כַּף־יֶ֣רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּהֵֽאָבְק֖וֹ ...
0
votes
0answers
58 views
Where are the graves of the mothers?
In Breishit 23:2, Rash"i cites Breishit Rabba which mentions that 4 couples were buried there. (I asked a separate question about Adam and Chava).
When visiting Me'arat Hamachpela, one finds signs ...
-1
votes
1answer
134 views
Why Torah never mentions any type of conversion for our foremothers?
As we know, all our foremothers came from homes of [famous] idolaters - Betuel and Lavan (well, Sarah also).
Once Avraham started the dynasty with Itzhak it seems reasonable that all newcomers will ...
1
vote
0answers
45 views
What is the importance of Milkah, Nahor's wife to attribute the children after her?
Milka is mentioned a couple of times as giving birth to Nahor's children, e.g.:
... וַיֻּגַּד לְאַבְרָהָם לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה יָלְדָה מִלְכָּה גַם־הִיא בָּנִים לְנָחוֹר אָחִיךָ׃
... Abraham was told, “...
0
votes
0answers
32 views
Why does Itzhak make Nissuin before/instead of Kiddushin?
וַיְבִאֶהָ יִצְחָק הָאֹהֱלָה שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת־רִבְקָה וַתְּהִי־לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה
וַיֶּאֱהָבֶהָ וַיִּנָּחֵם יִצְחָק אַחֲרֵי אִמּוֹ׃
Isaac then brought her into the tent of his mother ...
-1
votes
2answers
137 views
Why didn't our forefathers buy land in the Holy land?
Our forefathers were freakishly rich, but they didn't invest in real estate in the Holy Land for their descendants besides two graveyards (for Sarah in Hebron and Yossef in Shechem).
It appears that ...
2
votes
2answers
94 views
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)?
4
votes
2answers
131 views
Why didn't our forefathers build a Temple?
Following my previous question "why-did-our-forefathers-live-in-tents-in-israel-and-not-in-houses":
The concept of a Temple is not new, Yaakov already called the place "בית אלהים". However, as we can ...
5
votes
0answers
46 views
Why did our forefathers live in tents in Israel and not in houses?
It appears that there's a clear trend of our forefathers, Avraham, Tzhak, and Jacob, to dwell in tents in the Holy Land, wandering from one place to another, instead of settling down, taking hold of ...
3
votes
1answer
232 views
When did G-d say to Yaakov that he will have 12 sons?
As a preliminary question for "yaakov's-hurry-to-have-kids-at-84":
On the Posuk (Gen 29,21) "וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל־לָבָן הָבָה אֶת־אִשְׁתִּי כִּי מָלְאוּ יָמָי וְאָבוֹאָה אֵלֶיהָ׃" Bereyshis Rabba 70,...
7
votes
1answer
135 views
What was Bilhah and Zilpah's ancestry?
While the forefathers were very cautious in choosing their spouses from Avraham's family, the Torah says nothing about Bilhah and Zilpah's ancestry.
What nation/family there were from and why the ...
5
votes
1answer
158 views
In Shemoneh Esrei- why “God of Avraham, God of Yitzchak, & God of Yaakov” instead of “God of Avraham, Yitzchak, & Yaakov?”
In the first bracha of Shemoneh Esrei, why do we say:
אֱלקֵּי אַבְרָהָם. אֱלקֵּי יִצְחָק. וֵאלקֵּי יַעֲקב
God of Avraham, God of Yitzchak, and God of Yaakov;
instead of just saying:
אֱלקֵּי ...
5
votes
2answers
124 views
What happens when you turn 100?
The Mishna says:
A hundred-year-old is as if he were dead, passed away and ceased connection with the world. [Avot 5:25]
At first blush this seems callous and disrespectful. What is the teaching ...
