Avraham's Aliyah/2
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Avraham's Aliyah
Exegetical Approaches
Left at 70
Hashem commanded Avraham to leave Ur Kasdim when he was 70. He left, stayed in Charan for five years, and then made the final move to Canaan.
" וַיֹּאמֶר י"י אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ" – This statement is not found in its chronological place, and really occurred before the family left Ur Kasdim. Radak maintains that the word "וַיֹּאמֶר" should be understood as "He had already said".
Why did Avraham's family leave Ur Kasdim? According to these sources, the family left on the initiative of Avraham rather than Terach. Upon hearing Hashem's command, Avraham prepared to depart and convinced part of his family to join him.
"וַיִּקַּח תֶּרַח אֶת אַבְרָם... " – Radak suggests that despite it being Avraham's decision to leave, the verse nonetheless attributes the move to Terach since he was the patriarch of the family, and all those who left were his descendents.
"לָלֶכֶת אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן" – These commentators disagree in how they explain why Avraham went towards Canaan if Hashem had not told him where he was headed.
- According to Ibn Ezra, even though it is not explicit in the text, Hashem did in fact tell Avraham upfront that he should travel to Canaan.1 The family left with the intent of arriving there and Avraham only procrastinated in Charan since the land was pleasing to his father.
- Radak disagrees, suggesting that though Avraham was unaware of the final destination, he headed towards Canaan since that was the first country outside the borders of Aram.
Why is the story achronological? R. Saadia asserts that since leaving Ur Kasdim is connected to the death of Terach in Charan, the Torah wanted to first discuss the matters relating to Terach before moving into the material relevant only to Avraham.
Meaning of "מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ"
Other occurrences of the word "מולדת"
Location of Ur Kasdim - Is Avraham from עבר הנבהר?
430 vs 400 – This position is motivated to set Avraham's departure from Ur Kasdim at 70 specifically in order to solve the discrepancy regarding the duration of the exile. These sources maintain that the 430 year period is dated form Avraham's personal exile, while the 400 years is dated from the birth of YItzchak.
"וְאַבְרָם בֶּן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵחָרָן" – This approach must explain why the Torah deems it importantto tell the reader that Varahm left Charan at 75, if the mian departure had been at 70.
"אֲנִי י"י אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים" – Ibn Ezra points to this verse as evidence that Hashem commanded Avraham to leave while still in Ur Kasdim.2
Left Charan on Hashem's Command at 75
Hashem first commanded Avraham to go to Israel after he was already living in Charan. He headed towards the promised land at the age of 75.
Moved to Israel Multiple Times
Avraham moved to Israel for the Covenant of the Pieces, returned to Charan, and then left agin at the age of 75.
