Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 33/5

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Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 33

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Rashbam Bereshit 32:29רשב״ם בראשית ל״ב:כ״ט

Ki sarita: Sarita is from [the root s-r-h,] the same root as in the phrase, "Grown to manhood, he strove (sarah) with a divine being," (Hos. 12.4), just as [in the second person singular masculine perfect qal form the root] q-n-h becomes qanita and '-s-h becomes 'asita. However, vayyasar in the phrase, "He strove (vayyasar) with an angel and prevailed," is [from the root s-v-r,] just like shav, qam and ras that have [third person masculine singular imperfect vav-consecutive qal] forms vayyaqom, vayyashov and vayyaros, The reason that Jacob was punished and lamed was that, despite God's promise, he attempted to flee. Similarly one finds that whenever someone attempts a journey or refuses a journey against God's will, he is punished. Moses said. "Make someone else your agent," (Ex. 4.13) and then, "The LORD became angry" (Ex. 4. 14). So according to the plain meaning of Scripture [in that verse also one finds God's wrath resulting from a mission being refused]. Albeit, the Sages said (Zevahim 102a): Whenever the text says that God became angry, a perceivable effect ensues. Here [i.e. God's anger in Ex. 4.14], what perceivable effect ensues? [God said,] "Your brother, Aaron, the Levite" (ibid.). In other words, [God said,] "Aaron had been destined to be a Levite, while you, Moses, would have been a priest; now he will be a priest, and you a Levite." However, following the plain meaning of Scripture, [a more explicit perceivable effect ensued, as follows:] since Moses was reluctant to go, the result was that "God encountered him and sought to kill him" (Ex. 4.24). Similarly, Jonah [who refused God’s mission] was swallowed up into the belly of the fish (Jonah 2.1). Similarly, concerning Balaam (Num. 22.22), "God became angry that he was going," and as a result he became lame, as it is written (Num. 22.25), "She squeezed Balaam's foot against the wall," and (Num 23.3), "He went about shefi," which means lame, as in the phrase (Job 33.21), "My bones were dislocated (shuppu)."

כי שרית – מגזרת: באונו שרה את אלהים (הושע י״ב:ד׳), כמו: קנה קנית, עשה עשית. אבל וישר אל מלאך ויוכל (הושע י״ב:ה׳), מגזרת: שב קם רץ, שיאמר ויקם וישב וירץ. ומה שלקה יעקב ונצלע, לפי שהקב״ה הבטיחו והוא היה בורח. וכן מצינו בכל ההולכים בדרך שלא ברצון הקב״ה או ממאנים ללכת, שנענשו. במשה כת׳: שלח נא ביד תשלח (שמות ד׳:י״ג), ויחר אף י״י במשה (שמות ד׳:י״ד). ולפי הפשט אף על פי שאמרו חכמים בכל מקום חרון אף עושה רושם וכאן מה רושם יש, הלא אהרן אחיך הלוי (שמות ד׳:י״ד) עתיד הוא להיות לוי ואתה כהן ועכשיו הוא יהיה כהן ואתה לוי (השוו בבלי זבחים ק״ב:א׳), אך לפי הפשט לפי שהיה מתעצל ללכת כת׳: ויהי בדרך במלון ויפגשהו {י״י} ויבקש המיתו (שמות ד׳:כ״ד). וכן ביונה שנבלע במעי הדגה, וכן בבלעם: ויחר אף אלהים כי הולך הוא (במדבר כ״ב:כ״ב) ונעשה חיגר, כדכתיב: ותלחץ {את} רגל בלעם (במדבר כ״ב:כ״ה), וילך שפי (במדבר כ״ג:ג׳) – חיגר, כמו: ושופו עצמותיו (איוב ל״ג:כ״א).