Lead Tidbit The AKEIDA (binding of Yitzchak) is introduced by the words VAIHI ACHAR HAD' VARIM HA'EILEH... - usually translated as "And it came to pass after these things". Rashbam (R' Shimon b. Meir; grandson of Rashi, 4845-4934) states that this phrase indicates a connection between what just happened with what is about to happen. (This might seem obvious, but the Rashbam's view is that the connection is to the immediately previous event, and not just something that happened earlier.) Specifically, Rashbam points to the agreement between Avraham and Avimelech, whereby Avraham gave Avimelech, king of P'lishtim, some of the territory that G-d had promised to Avraham and his progeny... forever. This angered G-d (says Rashbam, based on a Midrash which will be detailed shortly) and He in essence was saying to Avraham, "You were so proud of having a son so that you could make an agreement with Avimelech that was for your children and grandchildren, now take your son and offer him as an Olah on Har HaMoriya and we'll see what good your agreement with Avimelech is." The Midrash mentioned earlier is based on the pasuk (Shmuel Alef 6:1), "And the Ark of G-d was in the fields of P'lishtim for seven months." G-d says to Avraham: You sealed your deal with Avimelech with seven sheep, by your life his children will wage seven wars against yours, and they will win. Another thing: By your life, his children will kill seven righteous ones among your children - Shimshon, Chofni, Pinchas, Sha'ul and his three sons. Another thing: By your life, your children will suffer seven destructions of the Mikdash - the Ohe lMoed, and in Gilgal, Nov, Shilo, Giv'on, and the two Batei Mikdash. And another thing: Because of the agreement sealed with the seven sheep, the Aron will be in S'dei P'lishtim for seven months. A very sharp Rashbam, taking Avraham Avinu to task for agreeing to give some of Eretz Yisrael to someone else. [The Parshat
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