Special Features Is she or Isn't She? Another compelling argument against saying that G-d spoke directly to Rivka is the fact that her name does not appear among the list of Jewish prophetesses enumerated in the Gemara. (They are: Sara, Miriam, Devora, Chana, Avigayil, Hulda, Esther.) On the other hand, the Midrash says on the pasuk, "And Rivka was told about Eisav's plans...", who told her? - Ru'ach HaKodesh, the Divine Spirit. Furthermore Targum Onkeles atypically adds something to his translation of the pasuk dealing with Rivka's instructions to Yaakov. Yaakov hesitates to deceive his father, lest he be cursed instead of blessed. Rivka says, "Upon me will be your curse, just do as I say." Onkeles "translates" the pasuk like this: "Onto me was told with prophecy..." It is possible that receiving Divine communication does not necessarily earn the individual the title of prophet. Divine inspiration is different from receiving a direct mission from G-d. Whether or not we count Rivka as a prophetess, it is clear that she had a special relationship with G-d, as did all the Avot and Imahot. G'MATRIYA NOT QUITE FREE WILL Eisav was not born with traits that would necessarily lead him down the path of evil, nor was Yaakov predestined to be a righteous person. Each of them - and each of us - was born with characteristics and tendencies towards certain types of behavior. But every person has the free will to channel what and who he is in the direction of good or evil. We are NOT created or born equal. We are all born free to choose what we do with what G-d has given us. Eisav had certain traits that leaned in the direction of evil. His challenge was great, and he failed. A blood thirsty person can turn out to be violent and perhaps even a murderer. But he can also become a Shochet or a Mohel or a surgeon, thereby channeling one of his personality traits in a positive direction. A person is judged in this world based on what he accomplishes with what G-d gave him. Some people are smarter than others, better looking, calmer, more sensitive - whatever. We each have our challenges. What matters is what we accomplish with our lives, what kind of people we become. Be it easy or hard, or somewhere in between, we all have the challenge to be faithful to G-d, study Torah, keep the mitzvot, and be good parents, children, siblings, friends, spouses... good people.
G'matriya = 3+40+9+200+10+1 = 263 R. Yaakov Orbach z"l "Your brother came with guile (B'MIRMAH) and took your bracha." Rashi says B'MIRMAH means B'CHOCHMAH, with wisdom. Certainly, it is a "nicer" word than "with guile". One commentary suggests the following: The Midrash tells us that the evening in question, when Yitzchak sent Eisav to prepare his meal, was the Seder night.Yaakov not only received the blessing from Yitzchak in exchange for food, but also cleverly precluded Eisav from doing the same because what Yaakov fed Yitzchak constituted the Afikoman, after which further eating is forbidden. The numeric value of B'MIRMAH is 2+40+200+40+5=287, the same as AFIKOMAN, 1+80+10+100+6+40+50=287. There are at least two other indications in the verses of a connection to the Seder - Yaakov asks his father to "stand please and sit and partake of the food"; sitting (reclining) is a mitzva at the Seder. And Yaakov offers his father wine, even though Yitzchak had asked only for food. (Exactly what it means that Yitzchak partook of a Pesach Seder is a difficult concept.) TORAH TIDBITS, the football
team We had the same problem with Chayei Sara, until I realized that the girl in the picture below is NOT Rivka Imeinu. You see it is what could have happened to Eliezer had G-d not arranged matters to turn out so favorably. This is how some of the commentaries explain the statement in the Gemara, that Eliezer is an example of someone who did not ask properly, but G-d nonetheless answered him properly. Myrealization came to late for inclusion in last week's TT, and I would have held this one until next year too, except that this is my way of bringing you, dear TT reader, behind the scenes (a bit), and my way of wishing Netanel Epstein and family MAZAL TOV on his Bar Mitzva this week (To'l'dot). I think we might be seeing some of his illustrations in upcoming issues of Torah Tidbits. We'll see if it works out. And we'll need some feedback from you as well. Thanks.
Torah Tidbits Dedications [The To'l'dot Homepage] |
