Abravanel

Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) was a preeminent Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblical
commentator. Chapter 39 chronicles Joseph’s ordeal, a slave sold to Egypt: “And Joseph was brought
down to Egypt…”

“And Joseph was brought down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of
Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hand
of the Ishmaelites, that had brought him down thither. And God was with
Joseph, and he was successful. And he was in the house of his master
the Egyptian.”

Abravanel’s close read of the next verse reveals much. “And God was with Joseph, and he was
successful. And he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.” In a single verse, Abravanel notes, we
read: “And God was…and he was…and he was…” Surely, the Bible could have written more concisely:
“And God was with Joseph, succeeding in his master’s house” or something to that effect. This begs a
question: What does Scripture convey, with its seeming extra verbiage, when a crisper sentence would
have sufficed?

Abravanel insists that the wording was anything but superfluous. Each phrase, he shows, comes to
emphasize a fundamental fact: Divine providence protected and blessed Joseph.

Consider, Abravanel says, what actually transpired with sale of Joseph versus what could have occurred,
had God’s guiding hand been absent.

Sans divine providence, the Ishmaelites who acquired Joseph may have decided to keep him as their
porter, traipsing endless sand dunes. Or, they may have dragged him to far away destinations, say
Timbuktu. Who says that the Ishmaelites couldn’t have sold him to a buyer who engaged in
backbreaking labor, and put Joseph on a chain gang? Perhaps, without divine good fortune, Jacob’s
beloved son could have ended up employed in other degrading jobs – cleaning latrines in a souk?

Really, it doesn’t take much imagination to picture Joseph employed in work far beneath his station, had
the Maker not intervened. But God did intervene, Abravanel makes clear.

And so, Jacob’s favorite son “was brought down to Egypt.” Egypt at that time was a paradigm of
civilization, with creature comforts – no less. Moreover, the Egyptian who purchased Joseph was
“Potiphar, an officer of Pharoah’s…”

Unquestionably, concludes Abravanel, the Creator orchestrated a cushy landing for Joseph, sold
ignominiously as a slave by his brothers. In Egypt, he would excel and flourish, courtesy of God.

Bible studies with Don Isaac Abravanel’s commentary (also spelled Abarbanel) has withstood the test of
time. For over five centuries, Abravanel has delighted – and enlightened – clergy and layman alike,
offering enduring interpretations of the Bible.

Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) was a preeminent Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblical
commentator. In chapter 41, we read how Joseph’s life takes a radical turn – for the better. His meteoric
journey rise to power started one night, when Egypt’s king’s sleep was disrupted by ghoulish dreams
featuring nightmarish imagery.

“Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brough him hastily out
of the dungeon. And he shaved himself, and changed his clothing, and
came in unto Pharaoh.”

Distraught, Pharaoh awoke haunted to the core. He convened his closest counselors to interpret the
dreams, to no avail. They disappointed him, adding to his distress. That’s when the chief butler stepped
forward. He had a recommendation for Pharaoh, a master dream interpreter who just might be able to
decipher the king’s dreams, and assuage his angst.

Abravanel illustrates how divine providence brought Joseph to the pinnacle of power. Specifically, he
notes how the Maker – Doer of good and evil – charts history. In earlier chapters, the Bible records ten
travesties committed against Joseph. Here, God provides ten antidotes, also supported by Scripture.

1) In Canaan, Joseph was hated by his brothers. In Egypt, Joseph was the darling to strangers,
including Pharaoh and his couriers.
2) In Canaan, dreams exacerbated animosity in Jacob’s family. In Egypt, dreams were the vehicle
by which Joseph became popular.
3) Joseph’s brothers stripped him of his coat of many colors. In Egypt, the king outfitted Joseph in
royal raiment.
4) Joseph’s ordeal began when his brothers threw him into a pit naked. Pharaoh summoned
Joseph from his dungeon, and rushed him to the palace after he had shaved and dressed
respectfully in preparation for meeting the monarch.
5) Whereas Joseph had been ignominiously sold in Canaan, in Egypt he was put in charge of selling
local grain.
6) In Canaan, when Joseph approached his brothers, they acted callously, as if strangers. In Egypt,
when his brothers came to buy food, the shoe would be on a different foot, in a manner of
speaking. Joseph pretended he had never laid his eyes upon them.
7) Earlier, Joseph had been alienated from his brothers. Now, they engage him for commerce.
8) Prior, Joseph had been disgraced and degraded. At present, Joseph ruled Egypt.
9) While a slave, Potiphar’s wife tried repeatedly to seduce Joseph. He resisted her bids. In power,
Joseph marries Osnat, daughter of Potiphar.
10) While serving time in prison, the chief butler failed to remember Joseph. When restored to
office, the chief recommends Joseph to Pharaoh.

In sum, we have listed ten providential antidotes custom designed to lift Joseph’s spirits, and comfort
him. For Abravanel, this is proof positive that both good and evil emanate from Heaven. The evil that
had so pained Joseph became stepping stones to his path to fame and glory.

“And it came to pass, when Pharoah had let the people go, that God led
them not by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was
near, for God said: Lest perhaps the people repent when they see war,
and they return to Egypt.”

On our verse, readers readily note a difficulty with our verse. The Torah appears to disclose God’s
motive for taking the escaped Jews via a desert, rather through the Coastal Route, that would have been
a breeze. And it would have gotten the Jews to Canaan much faster.

But what is written is not the underlying reason for God’s “peculiar” itinerary for His flock, as we shall
soon discuss. Why does the Torah provide a feeble rationale (“Lest perhaps the people repent when
they see war…”), when more meaty ones present themselves? Indeed, opting for a tenuous reason and
omitting the real ones represents a glaring problem with the text.

From the outset of the ten plagues, God was itching, you might say, to part the Red Sea, sending the
Egyptians to Davy Jones’s locker. Below we bring three reasons to explain Heaven’s motive for leading
the Hebrews away from the Coastal Road, instead, directing them via the divine cloud column and pillar
of fire headlong into an arid wasteland.

One has to do with the Hebrews leaving Egypt courtesy of and by permission of Pharoah. It was
understood that the monarch authorized them to serve God in the desert per Moshe’s request: “Let my
people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness.” From the first meeting at the palace,
the wilderness was the professed destination. For that reason, the Creator did not bring them out to the
Coastal Route. It would have given Pharoah license to slander the prophet, calling him a liar. Further,
Pharoah would have deduced that their destination was the land of the Philistines, with no intention to
serve God in the desert. This is expressed by our verse: “And it came to pass, when Pharoah had let the
people go, that God led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines…”

The Torah stresses that Pharoah permitted the Jews to leave. It was understood that they would
celebrate in a serene, albeit barren setting. For that reason, Hashem could not guide them to Canaan via
the land of the Philistines, adjacent to Egypt. Such a plan would have brought the monarch to conclude
that in the land of Philistines were where the encampment sought refuge.

Two concerned another wrinkle God may have anticipated. Had the Hebrews traveled along the
Philistine Road, there stood a strong likelihood that the Philistines would have girded for war. Jewish
preparedness, let us say, was nil. The masses would not have mustered up the courage to fight. And
given that Egypt was nigh, they would have returned to it, opting for enslavement. We have concluded
the second reason. Before we continue to the third one, we interject a midrash, based on our verse.

“Although that was near” allows for multiple interpretations. In Pirkei Rabbi Eliezer, it is hinted that
“although that was near” cloaks one of the very first Hebrew wars, one that ended in abject disaster. We
speak about a misguided attempt by the Children of Efraim to hasten the liberation of Canaan. The
impetuous tribe of Efraim marched headstrong out of Egypt and into the land of the Philistines, where
they were soundly smashed. Two hundred thousand soldiers met death in their inglorious rush for
redemption: “The Children of Efraim were as archers handling the bow, that turned back in the day of
battle.” Our verse states, “Lest perhaps the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.” It alludes to the annihilation of the tribe of Efraim. When the encampment witnesses Efraim’s carnage,
their brothers’ bones strewn about on the Philistine Road, they will chant in unity: Let us return to
Egypt.

To summarize the second point, we put forth that God did not guide them along the Coastal Highway,
rather He opted for the desert. A vital lapse of time (forty years!) would grant the Hebrews precious
opportunity to thoroughly train for war. After decades in the wilderness, they would encounter Sichon’s,
Og’s, and the Canaanites’ formidable forces, emerging victorious. Further, these enemies are based far,
far away from Egypt. Geographical considerations would have given pause to the Hebrews about a
return to their former slaveowners.

Three is the most powerful and compelling. The Philistine Route offered no body of water. The Creator
hungered to split the sea for the Jews, and to drown Egyptians in it (revenge for Egyptians drowning
Hebrew babies). That necessitated the nation to be led into the desert. The Red Sea served as the plan’s
centerpiece. Our section’s second verse says: “But God led the people about, by the way of the
wilderness by the Red Sea…”

We can prove our point by interjecting a Hebrew grammar rule. Specifically, it concerns the usage of the
Hebrew letter vav, generally a conjunction meaning “and.” However, in Scripture a vav may also signal a
root cause. For our purposes here, we will show how it works, and reframe the section’s second verse
accordingly. “And God, in order to lead the people about by the way of the wilderness – because of the
Red Sea…”

Rendering the verse as we have provides the proper accent or tone. Consequently, we better
understand God’s main rationale for doing what He did. That is, he led them into a desert, and not into
Canaan via the Coastal Road, because of a highly-anticipated confrontation and divine rendezvous at the
Red Sea with their heartless, quondam taskmasters and baby-killers.

“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 the Jews. The Almighty’s messenger mistakenly thought further plagues unnecessary.

God knew differently…’

 Page 172 Sinai Rules by Zev Bar Eitan

Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) was a preeminent Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblical
commentator. In the book of Exodus, parashat Mishpatim, it delves into divine, judicial statutes that comprise large swathes of
Jewish law or jurisprudence. This subject matter continues into the upcoming chapters, as well.

“And these are the statutes which you shall set before them.”

For the full discussion of Jewish jurisprudence, see Abravanel’s World. However, for our purposes here,
we touch upon Abravanel’s introduction. He emphasizes one of his guiding principles that he applies
throughout his commentary on the Bible. We speak about the integrity of Holy Writ. Not only must the
words and verses be carefully analyzed and understood, but also their order, sequence, or juxtaposition
illuminate the text.

Let us elaborate. Abravanel writes in his preface to this chapter that he perused his predecessors’
approaches regarding the sequence of the divine commandments pertaining to Jewish law. Does it
matter which statute proceeds another?

To his dismay, Abravanel found that a majority of commentators write that order is inconsequential.
Since they assumed that the organization of the laws were random or haphazard, these commentators
felt no pressing need, for example, to derive clarification or meaning from our chapter’s first
commandment (“If you buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve…”) to the second one (“And if a
man sell his daughter to be a maid-servant…”), or to the third topic (“He who smites a man, so that he
dies…”). For those writers who posit that all of our chapter’s statutes act as independent units, they
failed to grasp minutiae which emerge from a proper appreciation of any given rule’s placement. Put
differently, because they did not connect the dots, they missed the bigger picture.

Indeed, Abravanel leveled sharp remarks regarding such a lackadaisical approach to the Bible’s organic
integrity, let us call it. He had, perhaps, less patience for those commentators who did attempt to derive
meaning from the statute’s sequence, but offered only gibberish. “Accept or reject them at your
discretion,” Abravanel advises.

Abravanel launches into an insightful discourse showing just how crucial juxtaposition is to a precise
understanding of our chapter in particular, and of the Bible in general. How does Abravanel come to this
conclusion, that sequence matters?

It’s plain logic, Abravanel’s advances. Since God Himself is the judge of the universe, will He Himself not
mete out justice? Did He not array His laws according to purposeful sequence? It’s as basic as that: God
did not dictate the Pentateuch in a whimsical fashion to Moses. His design and method run throughout.

Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) was a preeminent Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblical
commentator. The subject of the three major Jewish festivals is broached in Exodus chapter 23.
Attendance in Jerusalem’s Holy Temple during those holidays is compulsory: “Three times in the year all
your males shall appear before God Almighty.”

“Three times you shall keep a feast unto Me in the year.”

Abravanel writes, as we have ascertained in an earlier blog, that the Ten Commandments are really a
start place for many more divine commandments. In that vein, when the Bible obligates Hebrews to
observe Sabbath, it also alludes to the observance of the three major Jewish festivals.

Passover comes first: “The feast of unleavened bread shall you keep. Seven days you shall eat
unleavened bread…”Abravanel explains that, in fact, the eating of unleavened bread is only compulsory
on the first day of Passover. The verse just cited means that should a Hebrew desire to eat bread during
the seven-day holiday, that bread must be unleavened.

Another detail about Passover emerges: timing. “At the time appointed in the month of Aviv, for in it
you came out from Egypt.”Aviv, in Hebrew, means springtime. The genius of the Jewish calendar
combines the lunar and solar months in order to safeguard that Passover will always be celebrated in
the spring. When the Hebrews ascended Jerusalem’s holy mountain, they did not arrive empty-handed.
Each visitor brought animal sacrifices to the Temple.

The feast of harvest came next, followed by the third and last holiday – the feast of ingathering. “And the feast of harvest, the first fruits of your labor, which you sow in the field, and the feast of ingathering,at the end of the year, when you gather in your labors out of the field.”

Abravanel teaches that the second festival coincides with the wheat harvest. Hence, Jews must offer the
first fruits of grain to the attending priestly class in Jerusalem.

As for the third major festival, it refers to the feast of ingathering. At that time, Hebrews brought wine,
oil, plus a vast array of produce to the Temple. Lest readers get the wrong idea, Abravanel warns, and
assume that the major festivals were celebrated in people’s hometowns, an explicit verse disabuses that
false notion: “Three times in the year all your males shall appear before God Almighty.”

“Before God Almighty” requires clarification. What does the phrase impart? It stresses the main point of
visiting the Holy Temple. That is, the major festivals are not for the purpose of gorging on food and
delighting in other mundane activities. Rather, visitors to Jerusalem were meant to foster an intimate
relationship with the Maker, cleaving to Him. Proper demeanor toward God resembles a servant before
his master.

How appropriate, then, to celebrate each festival in otherworldly repose and devotion to the One
Above! Priests and Levites residing in Jerusalem assisted their brethren to better understand holy
teachings, further enhancing the Holy City’s spiritual experience for all visitors.

See Abravanel’s World for a full discussion of the Jewish festivals, including one of Abravanel’s most
resourceful efforts to find a connection between the third festival (“the feast of the ingathering”) and a
seeming unrelated commandment pertaining to dietary laws – “You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s
milk.”

“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 the menorah before taking on the main subject – that of the priest’s
special clothing. How should readers relate to this zigzag?

Really, God’s command to Moshe regarding lighting the menorah was not intended as a divine order
whose time had arrived, but rather as a prophetic heads-up…’

Page 88 Shemot vol. II: Assembled at Sinai

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
sacrifices. In contrast, here the Torah highlights Aaron and his sons, as Moses instructed them in
proper procedures. After all, they were entrusted with officiating in the Tabernacle. Some tasks were
performed by Aaron the High Priest, while others were done by Aaron’s sons. They were subordinate
to him. “Command Aaron and his sons.”

Page 132 Vayikra vol. I: The Meat of the Matter

to undergo circumcision or brit milah. Both verses are explicit.

Hebrews sojourning in a foreign land would emerge to liberate, and take possession of, Israel.

One last clarification for the classic Biblical commentators. They argued that God had not performedmiracles for the patriarchs along the lines that He had done for Moshe. For their proof, they bring the example of turning Moshe’s staff into a snake. Or another example of something supernatural that the Creator did for Moshe was the wonder of the prophet’s hand becoming leprous, and then hale again.

We now turn and suggest what amounts to a truer read of our verse. Backdrop is essential. At the time when God reached out to Moshe, both he and nation had grown disillusioned over the prospect of evergaining freedom from Egyptian taskmasters. Centuries of exile stripped slaves of their faith, relegatingredemption or geulah to no more than a quixotic pipe dream of yesteryear. “For since I came to Pharoah to speak in Your name…”

brevity, we bring only the first rationale.

know Him. God’s messages had come via an intermediary, and not directly or panim el panim.

name [Hashem], I made Me not known to them.”

had never been granted to the patriarchs.

must.

“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 does he first start with the mitzvah to observe Shabbat:
“Six days shall work be done?”

The question looms larger, Abarbanel asks, because the obligation to keep Shabbat had been broached
in an earlier section, the one discussing manna. Further, the Jews heard a repeat of the Shabbat
mitzvah, later on Sinai. Moreover, four chapters earlier, yet another reference to Shabbat observance
was mentioned. Hence, Abarbanel’s glaring question here: Why bring up Shabbat again?

One final point. In last week’s section, Ki Tisa, we find the Torah issued a warning to heed Shabbat after
wrapping up a broad discussion on the Mishkan. Yet, here we find the order reversed. Shabbat gets
mentioned prior to verses speaking about the Mishkan.

Abarbanel supplies a timeline. After Moshe descended from Sinai, he commanded the entire nation,
men and women, to gather outside of the camp, specifically in his lecture hall, or the Tent of Assembly.
The prophet intended to inform the masses what God had commanded. That is, each person should
donate to the Tabernacle enterprise. This follows the opinion of the classic Biblical scholar, the Ramban.

Likely, this assembly took place the day after Moshe had descended from Sinai. He conveyed to his
brethren that the Maker had forgiven and pardoned them for their iniquity. Moreover, the Shechinah
would rest in their midst. Wonders, stupendous wonders, would He do for them, beyond the likes of
which had ever been performed – anywhere or anytime.

Of course, the Hebrews delighted in the news. Ecstatic. That is when Moshe saw fit to teach them about
the Mishkan. To be clear, the prophet had learned of this divine commandment as he sat upon Sinai,
before his co-religionists had built a Molten Calf. When the Creator reconciled with His nation,
evidenced by the giving of the second set of Tablets, God entered into a covenant: the Shechinah would
dwell among the Hebrews.

The loving and intimate relationship between the Jews and God had been repaired, restored. Reclaimed
affection expression may be summed up in an earlier verse: “Build Me a Tabernacle that I may dwell in
your midst.” Thus, after divine anger subsided, a time of renewed intimacy had been ushered in.

That is precisely when Moshe bid his brethren to build the Tabernacle: “These are the words which God
has commanded, that you should do them.” At this juncture, the prophet cautioned the Hebrews to
observe Shabbat. This signaled that Mishkan’s and its vessels’ activities would take place during the six
work days of the week, Shabbat excluded, for it is a holy time for God. Put differently, Mishkan work
does not trump Shabbat sanctity, with its concomitant dos and don’ts.

This section’s third verse reads: “You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath
day.” Prohibiting fire on Shabbat taught the Jews that the sanctity of the seventh day exceeded that of
the Jewish festivals, where fire is permitted (in certain cases of food preparation or ochel nefesh).

With this important element in place, Abarbanel answers his original question regarding the seeming
peculiar insertion of the Shabbat verse in a section otherwise dedicated to the building of the
Tabernacle. It conveys the sanctity of the Sabbath, one which ranked higher even than the other major
festivals, celebratory occasions where fire may be permitted under proper circumstances (ochel nefesh).

As for the words “throughout your habitations”, they teach another Shabbat rule. Namely, the Hebrews
are obliged to keep Shabbat wherever they reside, in the Holy Land or elsewhere. Major Biblical writers
learn something else about this prepositional phrase: “throughout your habitations.” The prohibition
does not apply to the priests engaged in Mishkan activities (at least some of the holy activities, but
that’s for another blog).

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 of Leviticus (Vayikra), Abravanel lays out his lengthiest introduction of any of the Torah’s five Books
of Moses. (Interestingly, some books have no prefatory remarks whatsoever.) Naturally, this presents a
blogger, who is intent to keep blogs short, with a pickle. Our solution is to present below a sampling or
taste of this important prolegomenon.

Genesis (Bereshit) of the divine Torah tells about the creation of the world ex nihilo. Readers also learn
about the roots of mankind and the first generations. We also read about the lives of the saintly Jewish
patriarchs, culminating with Jacob and his family descending into Egypt.

In the Book of Exodus (Shemot) the Torah conveys how Egyptians manhandled the Hebrews, against a
backdrop of exile and enslavement. Centuries of misery concluded with God’s redemption of His chosen
ones, Moses and Aaron playing lead roles. Miracles a many accompanied the Jews in Egypt and at the
Red Sea. The desert trek, too, played a venue to wonders.

And then came Sinai. There the entire nation experienced full-blown prophecy. From the mouth of the
Maker, they received the Torah and commandments. Folly followed; the people sinned egregiously
when they fashioned a calf of gold. How was catharsis achieved?

When the Hebrews built the Tabernacle, to house the mystical Shechinah(the presence of God) and spread divine providence
in their midst, Heaven’s cloud swathed the encampment. Specifically, the cloud covered the Tent; God’s
glory permeated the Tabernacle.

This brings us to the Torah’s third book – the Book of Leviticus (Vayikra). It explains the service of the
Tabernacle. We learn how the priests or Kohanim served the Creator, service that helped the Holy
People achieve atonement for their sins. For the Kohanim’s part, they dedicated their lives to plumb the
depths of the Torah, Jewish Law, and the divine six hundred and thirteen commandments. Moreover,
the Kohanim taught their brethren good conduct. These pious mentors showed the Jews to walk in
God’s ways, the path to upright character and deed, per the verse: “For the priest’s lips should keep
knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.” On
topic, Scripture records: “And you shall come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall
be in those days. And you shall inquire, and they shall declare unto you the sentence of judgment.” Here
is another description of the role of the priests: “They shall teach Jacob Your ordinances, and Israel Your
law.”

Now we turn to another topic in the introduction to Leviticus: sacrifices (korbonot). The Torah is
explicit regarding animal sacrifices in the Tabernacle. However, for modern readers, sacrifices have
become a closed book. Too many centuries of non-performance of the holy service have taken their toll.
With the destruction of the holy Temples in Jerusalem, the Hebrews’ glory and magnificence has faded.
The Rambam, a classic Biblical and Oral Law expositor, writes as much.

Further contributing to why we have a spotty understanding of sacrifices has to do with the Torah’s
treatment of the multifaceted subject. In a word, it is all over the place. For instance, one aspect is
mentioned in Exodus. Another source may be traced to Numbers, where more than ten separate
sections on sacrifices are interspersed. And, of course, sacrifices will be spoken about in Leviticus.

Hence, the need for our prolegomenon. We will not introduce novel ideas. Instead, our steady course
will follow the Scripture’s treatment of the subject, as well as the authentic Oral Law. The Rambam’s far-
reaching eye, too, will be our guide. Our task, then, will be to gather disparate sources, and properly
organize them.

As stated, we provide only a thumbnail sketch of the original version of Abravanel’s introduction.
Interested readers are encouraged to read the full introduction in Vayikra volume I: The Meat of the
Matter. In it, readers shall gain a solid grasp on animal sacrifices, an important Biblical topic that has
become, tragically, arcane.

“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
that grander observation: “how God brought Yisrael out of Egypt.” Put differently, at first the Torah
alludes to miracles galore, indicating discussion of all of the wonders that devastated Egypt, including
the vast miracles performed at the Red Sea. Viewed as a whole, this panorama is followed by news of
the Jews’ exodus. But, isn’t the exodus part and parcel of that bigger picture, “all that God had done for
Moshe, and for Yisrael His people?”

Furthermore, why doesn’t our verse refer to the plagues that rocked Egypt, bringing it to its knees? Mammoth miracles a many. And yet Yitro focuses on the Hebrews casting off their shackles and gaining freedom. Finally, why isn’t a word of Moshe’s performance uttered?
“Now Yitro, the priest of Midian, Moshe’s father-in-law, heard…” Despite Yitro’s dominant position
within Midian society, and despite the honor Moshe might have shown to him by going to Midian and
debriefing the elder statesman, things did not turn out that way. Distance was not the issue; Midian was
close by. The prophet had even more compelling reasons to take the jaunt to Midian: His wife and
children were there. Why, then, had Moshe, uncharacteristically for a husband and father, not departed
and rode out to his wife and kids?

In fact, we need to reassess the entire scene. When Yitro, who was “the priest of Midian” and “Moshe’s
father-in-law” heard the news’ headlines, he was naturally gobsmacked. The priest learned “of all that
God had done for Moshe”, meaning the honor and prominence accorded to him. Yitro heard about
national redemption and unprecedented rescue operation: “And for Yisrael His people.” The purpose of
these wonders featured “how God brought Yisrael out of Egypt.” Divine miracles accompanied the
Hebrews out of bondage. Note, the Hebrew term we originally translated as “how” or ki needs a tweak,
seeing that ki allows for multiple meanings. We substitute “when” for “how” or ka’asher.

This emerges. The verse is meant to be read as a tell-all of what transpired in Egypt, “all that God had
done.” Thus, we understand that Yitro had been apprised of the plagues and ultimate crippling of what
had been a vibrant country and economy. The priest also knew about the splitting of the Red Sea,
including the drowning of Pharoah and his troops. Even the news of the Jews’ victory over Amalek had
made the rounds.

Sensational headlines piqued Yitro’s interest, to state it lightly. He also wanted to bring Tzipporah to
Moshe. The priest’s presence would help smooth reconciliation. When the prophet would see his wife
and two sons, healthy family life could resume.

This is especially so since the boys were a source of blessing and good cheer. One son’s name was
Gershom, a name given to mark Moshe’s sojourn in a foreign land: “I have been a stranger in a strange
land.” The second son’s name was Eliezer. That name invoked salvation – “the God of my father was my
help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharoah.” Indeed, providence stayed Pharoah’s hand from
executing Moshe as the prophet delivered plague after plague after plague.

Moshe, for his part, did not want to budge from the encampment, a place resonating with closeness to
the Creator or devekut. Moreover, the prophet served as the nation’s leader and he did not want to
leave his brethren. Also, Moshe needed to oversee the people’s preparation for receiving the Torah at
Sinai. Hence, the seer did not go to Midian so close to where the camp marched, to honor Yitro. Nor was
the prophet in the position to go to Midian and encourage his wife to join him, or to see his sons. This
devolved upon Yitro; he needed to make the trip.

Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) was a preeminent Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblical
commentator. Exodus chapter 19 sets the backdrop for mankind’s defining moment: The transmission of
the Torah on Mount Sinai.

“In the third month after the Children of Israel were gone forth out of the
land of Egypt, the same day came into the wilderness of Sinai.”

Abravanel asks about the timing of the watershed event: Why did God wait so long? Consider, the
Hebrews left Egypt three months earlier. Why now? Abravanel probes further, asking why the Creator
hadn’t transmitted the Pentateuch to Adam, the first man? Or perhaps, Abravanel writes, the Torah
should have been given to Noah, when the Maker entered into a covenant with mankind. As for
exemplary individuals, certainly the patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – ranked as worthy
recipients. Hence, why didn’t God communicate the Torah to them, as He does now with Moses?

At length, Abravanel answers this intriguing question. See Abravanel’s World for the full treatment.
Here, we will touch on the three main points of the essay. But here is the starting premise. The Torah
should not be mischaracterized as a religious text concerning conduct, a guidebook of dos and don’ts.
Rather it is a divinely-crafted and heavenly-honed system for mastering true faith, divine belief. Now let
us return to the question: Why was God’s Torah transmitted at this particular juncture in history?

One, it wouldn’t befit the Pentateuch to be given to a special individual or even a cadre of holy people.
Torah demands throngs or myriads of gathered, quality folk. Only in the midst of the Chosen Nation can
Torah be transmitted.

Two, the intermediary or transferor of the Torah needed to be a unique soul, a noble personage. With
all due respect to the phenomenal patriarchs and their illustrious ancestors (including Adam and Noah),
Moses was cut from a different cloth. Of course, we are speaking about highly unusual traits. Abravanel
lists ten. To give a sampling, first on the list is moderation of physical or spousal comforts, like sexual
intimacy. In a word – detachment. Second is disinterest in eating and drinking, illustrated by Moses’
forty-day periods without food or drink.

Three, context and orchestration are key. Thunder and lightning and shofar blasts contributed to Sinai’s
ambience and mood, promoting the proper prelude. The lead-up miracles wrought in Egypt and the
splitting of the Red Sea, too, were all indispensable.

In sum, Abravanel teaches that God’s Torah needed a specific combination or conflation of diverse
elements to perfectly fall into place, before it could be wrested from heaven and brought down to earth.

A critical mass of huddled Hebrews, under the tutelage of the greatest of all prophets – Moses, on the
heels of the wonders the Creator performed in Egypt and in the desert proved to be the requisite and
rich ensemble.

"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

“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 context, it means that Heaven did away with celestial intermediaries. In their
place, the Almighty instituted His direct divine guidance to the Jews and to Moshe, their faithful
shepherd.’

Page 9 Shemot vol. II: Assembled at Sinai

Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) was a preeminent Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblical
commentator. In Exodus chapter 25, parshat Terumah, we read about the divine commandment to build for God a
sanctuary in the tabernacle. We also learn how this sacred structure was to be financed.

“And God spoke unto Moses saying: Speak to the Children of Israel, that
they take for Me an offering. Of every man whose heart makes him
willing, you shall take My offering….And let them make Me a sanctuary,
that I may dwell among them.”

Abravanel gets right to the point: Why did God command the Jews to build a sanctuary for Him? Is the
Creator a physical being, in need of shelter? Of course, any physicality attributed to the Maker ranks
preposterous, let alone despicable and untruthful. Wise Solomon, who built Jerusalem’s Holy Temple,
stated the thorny problem: “But will God in very truth dwell on earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven
of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this house that I have built?”

Here is a synopsis of Abravanel’s approach. “God forbid,” Abravanel categorically states, “that the
Creator is needful of a house with all its appurtenances.” Bible students, instead, should understand
this commandment as follows. The Tabernacle is an object lesson, a concrete reminder that God dwells
amidst the Hebrew encampment.

Each Jew must process and internalize that lofty message, so it becomes etched in his soul and fiber.
Song of songs alluded to God’s proximity this way: “He stands behind our wall. He looks through the
windows. He peers through the lattice.”The Creator watches every move, hears every thought.

The prophet Isaiah confirms this theological paradox of God’s infinitude and nearness. “Thus says God:
The heaven is My throne, and the earth My footstool. Where is the house that you may build unto Me?
And where is the place that may be My resting place? For all these things has My hand made…”

Abravanel puts his finger on the significance inherent in the Tabernacle. The divine edifice is designed in
order for Jews to know in their heart of hearts that the Creator’s providence cuddles the Chosen People.
Abravanel returns to Isaiah: “But on this man will I look, even on him that is poor and of a contrite spirit,
and trembles at My word.”

“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” See Abravanel’s World for the full
impact of this divine directive.

Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) was a preeminent Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblical
commentator. We read in Exodus chapter 20, parshat Yitro, that the Ten Commandments were transmitted to the
Hebrews on Mount Sinai.

“And God spoke all these words saying: I am God, Who brought you out
of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no
other gods before Me…”

Abravanel discusses exactly what makes the Ten Commandments stand out from the rest of the Bible. It
is, not surprisingly, an elaborate discourse. See Abravanel’s World for the entirety of it. Here, we will
share with Bible students Abravanel’s three, salient observations.

One has to do with the Speaker – God. In contrast to all of the other divine commandments, only the
Decalogue was from Heaven, sans an intermediary. That is, when it came to the other commandments,
Moses delivered them to the Hebrews, at God’s behest. Not so with the Ten Commandments. Neither
angel or seraph or prophet uttered them; they came directly from Above. On that historic day, the
Creator of heaven and earth descended, as it were, and addressed His nation. Understand, therefore,
the Decalogues’ intrinsic prominence.

Two stresses the audience, the Chosen People. With the other commandments, God transmitted them
to a single person, Moses, albeit His specially-designated messenger who had shown himself worthy.
Moses’ brethren were not privy to hear what Moses heard, nor see what he had seen. How different
were the Ten Commandments! Every person, young and old, heard and understood God’s words. The
myriads of Jews were an integral part of the conversation with the Divine. The fire at Sinai they beheld;
the audible voice they heard.

Three emphasizes the material upon which the Ten Commandments were written – all etched in stone.
No other verse in the Torah, no other commandment had been so indelibly engraved. Rather, they were
transcribed from God to Moses, who wrote them on parchment. As for the Ten Commandments,
moreover, no engraver’s tool had been utilized. It was the Maker’s handiwork, His imprint upon rock.
Moses hadn’t participated an iota in it.

In brief, Bible students are hereby apprised of the Ten Commandment’s uniqueness, their
otherworldliness. The Almighty alone put His imprimatur on them, in a manner of speaking, as
evidenced by the three reasons stated above.

Almighty, but by My name [Hashem] I made Me not known to them.”  Parashat Va’era, First Aliyah

must.

“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.
According to the Talmudic sages, the red cow commandment belongs to the body of priestly
commandments. They learn that it forms part of those commandments whose focus is the
Tabernacle service. As for the date, the sages peg the red cow mitzvah to the first of Nisan. On
that most auspicious day, ten crowns descended from Heaven. Apropos, the rabbis explained,
the red cow was ceremoniously burned. Its ashes would become a key element for the
cleansing mixture, ashes that served to rehabilitate and spiritually cleanse the Jewish nation.
Said cleansing prepared and allowed Hebrews to enter the Holy Tabernacle with proper
readiness.

However, this opinion of the placement of the red cow commandment is problematic. If
the red cow commandment occurred simultaneous with the building of the Tabernacle, why
wasn’t it written in Leviticus (and not here in Numbers), where the body of Temple and priestly
commandments are provided? Second, why do we find the red cow commandment set here
among the two highly perturbing narratives covering the Korach rebels and camp complainers
or maylinim, both events taking a heavy toll on the wrongdoers.

Abravanel answers as follows. The ancient sages put forth that Moshe performed the
rites associated with the first red cow. He occupied himself with it when he served as the High
Priest in the Tabernacle. On the first day of Nisan, the Tabernacle was erected in the desert. On
that day, a red cow was ceremoniously burned, this for purposes of spiritually cleansing those
men and women who wanted to visit the holy place. Had visitors to the Tabernacle not been
ritually cleansed, they would have defiled it and profaned its sanctity.

The admixture featuring the red cow’s ashes that Moshe prepared went a long way.
Forty years. For forty years, while the Jews wandered in the desert, the prophet’s signature
batch served its purpose admirably. Temple goers took of the red cow’s ashes and purified
themselves before visiting the Tabernacle.

At the conclusion of the forty years, the Chosen People were slated to liberate Canaan.
God foresaw the Holy Land engulfed in bloody wars. Hebrew soldiers would come in close
contact with the dead, triggering their ritual defilement. Some campaigns would take place in
cities; some in open fields. Regardless of the battle’s location, the result would be the same.
Jewish warriors would be needful of red cow ashes to help them restore their ritual status.

Moshe’s batch would not suffice. For that reason, the Almighty guided and directed
Moshe and Aharon in the minutiae of the red cow commandment. As for Korach’s gang and
camp complainers, many of their followers had perished during the two respective rebellions.
Moshe’s original quantity of red cow ashes were, perforce, depleted by the loyalists handling
the corpses.

For these two reasons, God provided an expedient in our Torah section when He
commanded Moshe and Aharon to record this red cow mitzvah. Note, however, although we
read of the red cow’s particulars at this juncture, it would only become operational on the eve
of the Hebrews marching into Canaan.

From the forthcoming Abravanel’s World, Bamidbar Vol. II
Parashat Chukat, First Aliyah Zot Chukat (Numbers 19:1-2).

“And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle
that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the
earth, and the waters assuaged.”

Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) was a preeminent Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblical
commentator. In Genesis chapter 8, the Bible chronicles the conclusion of the great flood, replete with
an exact timeline of events. When the earth dried, the Noah’s ark came to a rest. He opened the ark’s
door in efforts to assess damage. Bleakly, devastation glared back at the ancient mariner.

Abravanel provides Bible students with four key takeaways from the Biblical blow that bashed the
world. They offer readers insights in religious creed, underscoring God’s hands-on interface with His
universe.

•  God rewards and He punishes. The Almighty pays attention to His creations, and compensates
  accordingly. God’s ways are trusted and perfect. Further, He communicates with man, informing
  them of the future.
•  God created a world from nothing, and if He so desires, He returns it back to nothingness. The
  deluge proved how existence is putty in His hands. For Abravanel, the heavens and earth are
  transitory, a subject he develops throughout his Bible commentaries.
•  The propagation of any given species follows natural means – requiring a male and female.
  Apropos, God commanded Noah to bring males and females into the ark for “the day after.”
•  When God created the world, one of His creations was time. Time was, and always will be,
  measured in terms of a solar calendar, consisting of 365 days a year, subdivided into twelve
  lunar months, and further subdivided into thirty days per month. Noah’s ark floated, in cadence
  with time as we know it. Noah’s sea sojourn lasted a year (plus ten days).

We have briefly summarized Abravanel’s four lessons in faith, a short primer in belief. It is one that he
derives from the denouement of the great flood’s account. For the fuller discussion, see Abravanel’s
World of Torah.