Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508), also spelled Abarbanel was a penetrating Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblical commentator. In Genesis Chapter 2, he unearths the meaning of the two trees featured in the Garden of Eden: the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Regarding the tree of life, Abravanel questions: How is it that the tree bestows eternal life upon someone who eats of...
 

Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508), also spelled Abarbanel was a penetrating Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblical commentator. It is, of course, nary impossible to pare Abravanel’s encyclopedic and groundbreaking commentary on the Bible, and reduce it to a short blog. Indeed, where would one start? How could we sift through the thousands and thousands of pages of his magnus opus, in order to produce an Abravanel mission statement...
 

“In the beginning, God created the heaven and earth.” Introduction to Angelology and Abarbanel Throughout his groundbreaking Biblical commentaries, Don Isaac Abravanel (also spelled Abarbanel) (1437-1508) writes extensively on angels. This should not come as a surprise. After all, angels or heavenly facilitators played and continue to play significant roles in heaven and on earth. What is surprising, Abravanel asks, is this: Given that of all God’s...
 

“And God spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying: This is the governing law that God commands, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel that they should take for you a red cow, hardy [and] blemish free, which has never borne upon it a yoke.” Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) observes: One important question concerning the red cow commandment is its placement or position among the 613 Torah commandments...
 

The Biblical narrative in Samuel records one of the most controversial encounters in the entire Bible—the story of King David and Bat Sheva. This is precisely the question I put to my Bible study group, which has taken several sessions to work out, or rather, to work through. A prefatory remark is in order. This discussion is based on the Abravanel’s lengthy and thorough treatment of the subject...
 

Abarbanel’s first Aliyah to Parashat Tzav, an excerpt from Abravanel’s World of Torah by Zev Bar Eitan “And God spoke to Moses saying: Command Aaron and his sons saying. This is the law of the burnt offering…” ‘Recall that in the earlier section of Leviticus, Moses addressed the Hebrew general assembly. That was because the section dealt with and focused on categories of the populace needing to bring...
 

Parashat Tzav, First Aliyah, based on Abravanel’s World of Torah by Zev Bar Eitan Bible Studies with Don Isaac Abarbanel and the Ramban. Sacrifices in the Tabernacle: Sin offerings, guilt offerings, and peace offerings. Abarbanel asks: Does God even want sacrifices? What does the Torah’s sequence of the offerings teach about God? “And God spoke to Moses saying. Command Aaron and his sons saying, this is the law...
 

“And God called unto Moses, and spoke unto him out of the Tent of the Meeting. Speak unto the Children of Israel, and say unto them: When any man of you brings an offering unto God, you shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd or the flock.” ‘Heaven acknowledged how priests deserved the Jews’ financial support. Through a system of tithes and gifts, their needs...
 

Abarbanel’s introduction to Leviticus based on Abravanel’s World of Torah by Zev Bar Eitan “And God called unto Moses, and spoke unto him out of the Tent of Meeting. Speak unto the Children of Israel, and say unto them: When any man of you brings an offering unto God, you shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd or of the flock.” In the Book...
 

“And Moshe assembled all the congregation of the Children of Israel and he said to them: These are the words that God has commanded to do them.” Abarbanel asks : When did Moshe make the appeal to fund the Tabernacle? ‘After Moshe descended the mountain, he addressed the entire nation. His call, naturally, reached out to men and women. A gathering took place in the prophet’s personal Tent of...
 

“And Moses assembled all the congregation of the Children of Israel, and said unto them: These are the words which God has commanded, that you should do them.” Abarbanel notes that the lead verse requires explanation. If Moshe gathered the Hebrews for the purpose of issuing a command to build the Tabernacle, as it says, “These are the words which God has commanded, that you should do them”, why...
 

Parashat Ki Tisa, First Aliyah, an excerpt from Abravanel’s World of Torah by Zev Bar Eitan “And God said to Moshe saying: For the sake of your taking a census of the Children of Israel according to their count, each man shall give atonement for his soul to the Almighty in reckoning them so that plague does not befall them by dint of having been numbered.” "Divine wisdom foresaw...
 

“And God spoke to Moshe saying. When you take the sum of the Children of Israel, according to their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto God, when you number them, that there be no plague among them, when you number them.” Our section speaks about a census for soldiers. The count is associated with a “ransom”, in efforts to ward off pestilence...
 

“And you shall command the Children of Israel, that they bring unto you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. In the Tent of Meeting…Aharon and his sons shall set it in order, to burn from evening to morning before God…” ‘This section’s opening paragraphs seem disjointed because they switch theme tracks. Note that the lead verse talks about lighting...
 

“And you shall command the Children of Israel, that they bring unto you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. In the Tent of Meeting…Aharon and his sons shall set it in order, to burn from evening to morning before God…” Isaac Abravanel contends that it is curious for our section to start with a divine command regarding the priests arranging...
 

“And God said to Moshe, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel and collect a separated portion. From those who are generous you shall take a separated portion for Me.” ‘In a general Torah sense and here in this section in particular, Heaven’s modus operandi comes out in full splendor. That is, Hashem desired to increase both the Hebrew people’s merit and Moshe’s prominence. In our...
 

“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” Don Isaac Abarbanel (1437-1508) asks on this Torah section of Terumah: Why did God command the Hebrews to build a sanctuary? As it says: “That I may dwell among them?” One might deduce that the Maker has physical properties and that a sanctuary can fully contain Him. Preposterous. Hashem is non-corporeal. Thus, no chamber...
 

"In sum, tight linkage between the Utterances (10 Commandments) and accompanying laws convincingly persuades readers that Parashat Mishpatim conveys divine directives unlike any manmade moral code." Shemot: Sinai Rules, page 464
 

“Now these are the statutes which you shall set before them.” This section pertains to Jewish law, a cornerstone of Judaism. Let us provide a brief introduction to this all-important subject. The Torah has three distinct categories of commandments or mitzvot. At present, we are only interested in statutes or mishpatim, divine laws which comprise Jewish jurisprudence. At root is what is commonly referred to as civil law...
 

“Now Yitro, the priest of Midian, Moshe’s father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moshe, and for Yisrael His people, how God brought Yisrael out of Egypt.” ‘Before delving into our passage’s narrative, it is important to determine where it fits into the broader chronology scheme. When did Yitro arrive on the scene and advise Moshe to set up a multi-tiered court...
 

“Now Yitro, the priest of Midian, Moshe’s father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moshe, and for Yisrael His people, how God brought Yisrael out of Egypt.” The verse creates a curious conundrum: After we read that Yitro “heard of all that God had done for Moshe, and for Yisrael”, which really represents a catch-all, it then offers a slimmed down version of...
 

Splitting the Red Sea “And God went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, that they might go by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night departed not from before the people.” ‘The Almighty also provided these travelers with a pillar...
 

“So that I might place these signs of Mine in his midst.” ‘Pharoah was a lost cause but God aimed to instill lessons of eternal faith within His people. When they looked around them and saw God’s hand everywhere, it would be a boon. Belief would spring eternal. A better approach to these verses is that Moshe was taken in by Pharoah’s post-hail promise to liberate...
 

“And I appeared unto Avraham, unto Yitzchak, and unto Yaakov, as God Almighty, but by My name [Hashem] I made Me not known to them.” Classic commentators struggled to make sense of our verse. Some hold that it means that God had not revealed Himself to them via the Ineffable name. Others posit that Hashem made promises to them, but did not fulfil them. Both positions are weak, as...
 

"“And Moshe (Moses) spoke thusly to the Children of Israel but they did not heed Moshe on account of exasperation and overexertion.” Work rendered the Hebrews emotionally drained and physically overtaxed. They had neither patience nor time for Moshe’s assurances. His words fell on deaf ears. Yes, they believed in the shepherd from Midian’s clarion call for deliverance, but these wearied workers were essentially oblivious to Moshe...
 

Parshot Bo:“And Moshe and Aharon went in unto Pharoah, and said…let My people go, that they may serve Me….Else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow will I bring locusts unto your border…” We ask: Why did the Torah’s arranger of the parshiyot begin this parashah with the plague of locusts? After all, it is not the Torah’s launch into what would...
 

Parashat Va’era, First Aliyah “And Moshe spoke thusly to the Children of Israel but they did not heed Moshe on account of exasperation and overexertion.” Work rendered the Hebrews emotionally drained and physically overtaxed. They had neither patience nor time for Moshe’s assurances. His words fell on deaf ears. Yes, they believed in the shepherd from Midian’s clarion call for deliverance, but these wearied workers were essentially...
 

“And I appeared unto Avraham, unto Yitzchak, and unto Yaakov, as God Almighty, but by My name [Hashem] I made Me not known to them.” Parashat Va’era, First Aliyah Classic commentators struggled to make sense of our verse. Some hold that it means that God had not revealed Himself to them via the Ineffable name. Others posit that Hashem made promises to them, but did not fulfil them...
 

For Yaakov (Jacob), a bitter famine coupled with his sons’ insistence comprised formidable tailwinds propelling him to Egypt. Still, he might have braved hunger and stayed put in beloved Canaan. Perhaps he could have resisted their incessant appeals had it not been for one irresistible magnet. Its force tugged and jerked mercilessly. Uppermost in the mind and heart of the aged patriarch was an image that he hadn’t been...
 

Exodus (Shemot in Hebrew) segues from Genesis (Bereshit), for good reason. Here are four rationales that explain what takes us from the Torah’s first to second book. 1) Bereshit dealt with individuals of great personal stature. To name some of the moral giants, we list: Adam, Noach, Shem, Eiver, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov and his sons. There were other outstanding personalities, as well. After the narratives of these men of...
 

With Zev Bar-Eitan discussing his English series, "Abravanel's World of Torah"  
 

One gets the distinct impression that Yaakov's final seventeen years - spent in Goshen, Egypt - were his golden years. Reunited with his beloved Yosef, surrounded by his children and grandchildren, it was for all intents and purposes the epitome of Sabbas and Savtas call Yiddishe nachas. Moreover, the third patriarch's ruchniut churned most prolifically. Specifically, divine communications that he earlier received in Canaan came into magnificent focus. Based on Yaakov's newly...
 

After Yaakov received the delightfully shocking news that his son Yosef was alive and well in Egypt (and gainfully employed!), the Torah records his gut reaction. 'And Yisrael said: How incomprehensible it is that Yosef is still alive. I will go down [to Egypt] and see him before I pass away." Sometime thereafter, the patriarch took a more thoughtful approach to his predicament, and a monstrous predicament it was. Could...
 

Arguably, Parashat Miketz is Bereshit's most dramatic chapter. And that is saying quite a lot, especially considering the riveting subject matter contained in each and every one of Genesis’ twelve parshiyot. Do they not comprise episodes and narratives chock-full of esoterica, intrigue, and bafflement that stretch man's imagination, reason, and intellect? Tucked into Miketz' seventh aliyah where the feverish high pitch blazes, a smaller but important question surfaces. In...
 

This parasha is the first of four parshiyot that deal with one of Tanach’s most protracted scandals: The Selling of Yosef by his brothers into Slavery. That single topic is at the very heart of these chapters. At root, perhaps one question towers above the rest. It is this. If Yosef’s brothers’ deed ranks as egregious as it appears, then why doesn’t the Torah record their just...
 

In this parasha, Yaakov’s long, anticipated reunion with his brother Esav unfolds. Building suspense makes it one of the most dramatic and tense narratives in Sefer Bereshit. Yaakov’s preparation for the event was two-fold. On one level, a physical one, the patriarch readied his family and property for potential hostilities should Esav’s forces attack. A second additional tack employed by Yaakov took into account mental and...
 

Bible students need not be put off by the fact that the Torah is written in fantastic shorthand. It does, however, mean that serious students are expected to do a fair amount of sleuthing and honest investigation if they are to properly apprehend its enduring wisdom. While this observation is true in a general sense, it is equally as relevant when we try to get a better feel or read...
 

The Torah devotes three parshiyot to Avraham (Lech Lecha, Vayera, and Chayei Sara) and the balance of Bereshit (from Vayetze to Vayachi) deals with Yaakov and the twelve tribes. Toldot is the sole parasha that teaches us about Yitzchak's life. Q: Is Yitzchak the patriarch we never quite got to know? Why such scant and skeletal treatment for him? After all, Yitzchak, uniquely, is referred to as a pure, burnt...
 

Q: What was Avraham thinking when he made his public plea to procure in perpetuity Hevron’s multi-tiered cave (Ma’ara Hamachpela). To clarify, the question here is not why Avraham desired the Cave in the first place. That can be answered very simply enough. Namely, he badly wanted it on account of its association with Adam and Eve having been buried there. Jewish tradition attests to that. Rather...
 

Vayera opens with “And the Almighty appeared to him [Avraham] in Elonei Mamre as he sat at the tent’s entrance in the heat of the day.” Q: If the Torah wanted to pinpoint the place or locale from where this prophetic vision emanated, then the verse only needed to state “in Elonei Mamrei” or “at the tent’s entrance.” Why was it important to add a prepositional phrase regarding...
 

Below are two ideas on this week’s parasha. The first one comes to answer a famous question. Given that Avraham was spared Nimrod/Ur Kasdim's wrath and death by fire, why doesn’t the Torah mention that miracle explicitly? Instead, only an innuendo suffices, as the major commentators have noted. To answer, let us provide a premise. Avram had been a well-known philosopher in his city. Moreover, his...
 

Commentators question the sequence of Noach’s sons’ birth order. Who were the eldest, the middle, and youngest children? Several classics commentators have weighed in on this subject, bringing proofs from Scripture. Another particularly curious and quirky question is this one: How many sons did Noach have? The quick answer is three but might there have been a fourth one as well? Fairly, students wonder: From where is this query...
 

There are, of course, many fundamental questions students must grapple with when they open a Chumash (Torah). One is: Are Tanach (Biblical) narratives literal, metaphorical, or figurative? Great commentators have weighed in on this subject when it comes to Gan Eden (Garden of Eden), in general, and the snake episode in particular. Fairly they ask: Is it for real? Did the snake – even generously allowing for a crafty one – strike...
 

 

 

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