Avraham's Aliyah/2

Avraham's Aliyah

Exegetical Approaches

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Overview

Commentators disagree regarding the motivations for Avraham's move out of Ur Kasdim and the dynamics of his migration towards Canaan.  Ibn Ezra asserts that Avraham left his homeland of Ur Kasdim at the age of 70 due to the Divine directive, but was delayed in Charan for five years before completing the journey.  Ramban, in contrast, asserts that Avraham's initial emigration was personal and not Divinely inspired.  Only after he had already been living in Charan, did Hashem instruct him to head to Canaan.  A third approach taken by Seder Olam Rabbah suggests that Avraham actually made multiple trips to Canaan.  He traveled there for the Covenant of the Pieces when he was 70, later returned to Charan, and made the permanent move to the Promised Land only at the age of 75.

Two Staged Process Beginning at Age 70

Hashem's command of "לֶךְ לְךָ" was originally given to Avraham in Ur Kasdim when he was 70.  He emigrated immediately, remained in Charan for five years, and then completed the final leg of the journey to Canaan.

Sources:R. Saadia GaonTafsir Bereshit 12:1Commentary Bereshit 11:31Commentary Bereshit 12:1About R. Saadia Gaon, Ibn EzraBereshit 11:29Bereshit 12:1Bereshit 15:7Bereshit 24:4About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, RadakBereshit 11:31Bereshit 12:1Bereshit 24:4About R. David Kimchi¹

Chronology – According to this position, the verses are achronological.  Although the command of "לֶךְ לְךָ" first appears at the beginning of Chapter 12, it really occurred before the original move to Charan described in Chapter 11.²

Why did Avraham's family leave Ur Kasdim? According to these sources, the family originally left Ur Kasdim due to Hashem's command ("לֶךְ לְךָ") to Avraham.³  Avraham, rather than Terach, prompted the family's uprooting.

"‎‏וַיִּקַּח תֶּרַח אֶת אַבְרָם...‏" – R. Saadia and Radak suggest that despite it being Avraham's initiative to leave, the verse nonetheless attributes the move to Terach since he was the patriarch of the family.⁴

"לָלֶכֶת אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן" – These commentators disagree regarding why Terach and Avraham headed towards Canaan specifically:

• On Hashem's command – According to Ibn Ezra, even though it is not explicit in the text, Hashem did in fact tell Avraham explicitly that he should travel to Canaan.⁵ The family left with the intent of arriving there, and Avraham procrastinated in Charan only because his father wished to remain there.
• Natural next stop – 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.⁶

"וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ" – Although all of these sources agree that Hashem's command to Avraham was given while he was still in Ur Kasdim, and not, as the verses might suggest, in Charan, they differ in how they read the verse:

• According to Ibn Ezra, the statement is simply an example of Biblical verses which are not presented in their chronological place.
• R. Saadia agrees that the story is not told chronologically, but he asserts that Tanakh simply reversed the cause and effect.  He suggests that the verse is connected to the previous passage and should read as if written, "And Terach took... [because] Hashem said to Avraham, go".
• Radak, in contrast, maintains that the word "וַיֹּאמֶר" should be understood as "He had already said".

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 on to the events relevant only to Avraham.

"מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ" – These sources understand the word "מּוֹלַדְתְּךָ" to mean birthplace, and they view this verse as proof that Hashem must have spoken to Avraham in Ur Kasdim.⁷  Had Avraham been in Charan, he would not be leaving his place of birth.

"וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ" – The phrase "מִבֵּית אָבִיךָ" is somewhat difficult in light of the fact that Avraham did not leave his immediate family behind him.  Ibn Ezra explains that Hashem knew that Terach was to stay in Charan.  Alternatively, one might suggest that the term refers literally to the house Avraham grew up in, or perhaps to the rest of the family that did not join.

Avraham's servant – "אֶל אַרְצִי וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּי תֵּלֵךְ" – This understanding must explain how, when Avraham tells his servant to go "אֶל אַרְצִי וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּי", the servant heads to the city of Nachor, or Charan, rather than to Ur Kasdim.  Ibn Ezra suggests that only the word "מוֹלַדְתִּי" referred to Ur Kasdim, while the the word "אַרְצִי" referred to Charan,⁸ where Avraham had lived for several years.⁹

Ur Kasdim or ‎‏?עֵבֶר הַנָּהָר – Ramban questions this approach from Yehoshua 24 which presents Avraham as coming from "עֵבֶר הַנָּהָר".  Ramban assumes that this refers to the area of Aram Naharayim (Charan)¹⁰ rather than Ur Kasdim, which he places in Babylonia (home of the Chaldeans).¹¹ However, it is possible that the term "עֵבֶר הַנָּהָר" might not refer to the area of Aram.  If the river spoken of is the Euphrates, it could perhaps refer to any region along the Euphrates.

"אֲנִי ה' אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים" – Ibn Ezra points to this verse from the Covenant of the Pieces¹² as evidence that Hashem commanded Avraham to leave while he was still in Ur Kasdim.

430 vs. 400 – The fixing of Avraham's departure from Ur Kasdim specifically at age 70 is motivated by a desire to solve the discrepancy between the accounts of the length of the Egyptian Exile in Bereshit 15:13 (400 years) and Shemot 12:40-41 (430 years).  These sources maintain that the 430 year period is dated from Avraham's personal exile, while the 400 years is dated from the birth of Yitzchak.  If so, Avraham must have been 70 when he left Ur.  For elaboration, see Duration of the Egyptian Exile.

Why date the move from the departure from Charan? According to this approach, it is not clear why the Torah deems it important to tell the reader that Avraham left Charan at 75, if Charan had just been a transition point and the main departure took place at 70.

Single Stage Beginning at Age 75

Hashem first commanded Avraham to go to Canaan only after Avraham was already living in Charan.  At the time of the Divine directive, Avraham was 75 years old.

Sources:Jubilees12About Jubilees, Book of Judith5:5-11About Judith, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBereshit 12:1About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RambanBereshit 11:28-31Bereshit 12:1Bereshit 24:7About R. Moshe b. Nachman, AbarbanelBereshit 11:27Bereshit 11:27 QuestionsAbout R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, ShadalBereshit 11:28,31Bereshit 12:1About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto

Why did Avraham's family leave Ur Kasdim? This position offers various possibilities:

• Flee persecution – According to Ramban, due to Avraham's monotheistic beliefs, his family was persecuted in Ur Kasdim.¹³  Thus, Terach decided to relocate to Canaan, a long distance from the Chaldeans.  He had not originally thought to stop in Charan at all, thinking that it was too close to Ur Kasdim and the family would still be in danger there.  However, since they had family ties in Charan, they wound up settling there.¹⁴
• Personal reasons – Abarbanel asserts that Terach thought that the atmosphere of Ur Kasdim was detrimental to his family, leading him to bear only three children, his son Haran to die early, and Avraham and Sarah to be barren.  He hoped that a change of scenery and the good air of the mountainous Canaan would be beneficial for his household.  En route they passed Charan, found it pleasing, and decided to settle there instead.
• Claim inheritance – Chizkuni¹⁵ maintains that the family, being of Semitic origins, headed to Canaan since that land was given to them as an inheritance.¹⁶ 

"‎‏וַיִּקַּח תֶּרַח אֶת אַבְרָם...‏" – The verse very logically attributes the move to Terach since it was his initiative.

" וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ" – According to this position, this sentence is found in its chronological place and Hashem commanded Avraham to emigrate only once he had already moved to Charan.

• After belief in Hashem – According to Jubilees, though Avraham had already rejected idolatry when in Ur Kasdim, it was only after his arrival in Charan that he recognized Hashem.  It was after this recognition that Hashem told him to move to Canaan.
• Easier move – Abarbanel suggests that Hashem waited until Avraham was already in Charan, thinking that the move would be easier for him from there, since he had already been uprooted from his homeland and much of his family.

"מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ" – This position must explain how leaving Charan constituted leaving Avraham's "‏‎‎‏מולדת".‎‏‏¹⁷  These sources differ in their understanding of the word, and, thus, also in how they resolve the problem:

• Birthplace – According to both R"Y Bekhor Shor and Ramban "מולדת" is a place of birth.  R. Yosef Bekhor Shor asserts that, even though Avraham had already physically left his home, Hashem told him to also mentally sever ties and to have no intentions of returning there.  Ramban, in contrast, assumes that Charan, rather than Ur Kasdim, was Avraham's birthplace.¹⁸  At some point, Terach had moved his family to live in Ur Kasdim, but that was not where Avraham was born.
• Family – Shadal,¹⁹ in contrast, claims that the word means family, obviating the issue of Charan not being Avraham's place of birth.  As evidence of this usage, Shadal points to Bereshit 43:7, Esther 2:10, and Esther 8:6.

"מִבֵּית אָבִיךָ" – As Avraham was leaving his family behind in Charan, this term is easily understood.

Avraham's servant – "אֶל אַרְצִי וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּי תֵּלֵךְ"

• Ramban points to this story as proof that Avraham's birthplace was Charan, as the servant, after being told to go "אֶל אַרְצִי וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּי", went to Charan. 
• The story could also support Shadal's suggestion that the word means family, since in the servant's retelling he says that Avraham told him "אֶל בֵּית אָבִי תֵּלֵךְ וְאֶל מִשְׁפַּחְתִּי".

Ur Kasdim and עֵבֶר הַנָּהָר? Ramban points to the verses in Yehoshua 24 which state that Hashem took Avraham from "עֵבֶר הַנָּהָר" as proof that he must have been born in Charan (which is in Aram Naharayim) and not Ur Kasdim (Babylonia).  Both Abarbanel and Shadal, though, assume that Ur Kasdim itself was not in Babylonia, but rather in the region of Aram Naharayim.²⁰

"אֲנִי ה' אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים" – This verse is difficult for this position as it suggests that Hashem spoke to Avraham while he was still in Ur Kasdim.  Shadal explains that it simply means that behind the scenes, Hashem pulled the strings leading to Avraham's departure.²¹  Ramban, in contrast, explains that "הוֹצֵאתִיךָ" refers to saving and freeing Avraham from prison or the furnace of Ur Kasdim, not to taking him out of the country.

Time spent in Charan – According to this approach, it is unclear how long Avraham spent in Charan.  R"Y Behor Shor assumes that he was there for five years,²² while Jubilees maintains that he spent a full 14 years there.

Multiple Aliyot

At the age of 70, Avraham moved to Israel for the Covenant of the Pieces.  He then returned to Charan temporarily, but later moved back to Canaan at the age of 75.

Sources:Seder Olam Rabbah13About Seder Olam Rabbah²³

Motivation for this position – The motivation for this approach is the apparent contradiction regarding the duration of the exile in Bereshit 15 (400 years) and Shemot 12 (430 years).  Seder Olam Rabbah resolves the problem by maintaining that the 400 years started from the birth of Yitzchak, while the 430 count began thirty years earlier, at the Covenant of the Pieces, when Avraham was 70.²⁴  From Hashem's words, "אֲנִי ה' אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ... לָתֶת לְךָ אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת", Seder Olam concludes that the Covenant took place in Israel, leading to the idea that Avraham must have made aliyah at 70, then left, only to return again later.

Why leave Israel? Ralbag questions how it is possible that Avraham, once in Israel, could have left the promised land without good reason.  Ran responds that Avraham had originally left immediately upon Hashem's command, without time to organize his possessions.  He returned later to Charan only to pack up his belongings and arrange the permanent move.²⁵

Double language of leaving – Ran suggests that this approach helps explain the doubling in the text regarding Avraham's departure.  Bereshit 12:4 says, "ויֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו ה' וַיֵּלֶךְ אִתּוֹ לוֹט ", and then verse 5 repeats, "וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם אֶת שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת לוֹט... וַיֵּצְאוּ לָלֶכֶת".  Ran posits that the first "וַיֵּלֶךְ" refers to Avraham's leaving at the age of 70, while the second speaks of his second aliyah, at the age of 75, when he took not just Lot, but his whole family and possessions.

Why achronological? This position would need to explain why the Torah does not set the Covenant in its chronological place.  Rashbam suggests that the Torah wanted to juxtapose the promise of land with the promise of progeny mentioned in the first part of Chapter 15.

When did Avraham depart from Ur Kasdim to Charan? Seder Olam Rabbah presents Avraham as returning to Charan and not to his hometown of Ur Kasdim after the covenant, suggesting that Avraham's family had moved there at some point prior to the Covenant.  This works with Chapter 11 which states that Avraham went from Ur Kasdim (not Canaan) to Charan, and that he went together with his father and family, and not alone.²⁶

Why move to Charan?

• This position might suggest that Hashem had told Avraham to leave to Israel for the Covenant while still in Ur Kasdim.  He and his family headed there via Charan (the natural route one would take for such a journey).  While his family settled in Charan, Avraham continued on to Israel.
• Alternatively, the move was unconnected to any directives of Hashem.  Perhaps, Terach and Avraham were fleeing persecution, as Ramban suggests, or they were motivated by personal reasons, like Abarbanel posits. 

The Command of "לֶךְ לְךָ"

• At 75 – This position could maintain that the command is in its chronological place, and was given to Avraham at 75, after he had returned to Charan from Israel.²⁷
• At 70 – Alternatively, the command was given when Avraham was 70, and referred to his leaving for the Covenant.  If it was given when Avraham was still in Ur Kasdim, one would have to say that this verse, too, is achronological.  If, though, one posits that Avraham's move to Charan was years earlier, and unrelated to the command, one need not posit any achronology.  Either way, though, it is strange why the text should highlight Avraham's final departure at 75, if this was simply a continuation of the original one.

"מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ"

• If one assumes that the command was given in Charan, this position might explain that "מולדת" means family rather than birthplace (as Avraham was not in his birthplace but rather in Charan when given the command). 
• If, though, the command was given in Ur Kasdim, the verse does not pose a problem.

"אֲנִי ה' אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים"

• This might support the option that Hashem told Avraham to leave for the Covenant while he was still in Ur Kasdim.
• However, if one assumes that Hashem's command of "לֶךְ לְךָ" was only in Charan, this approach would have to explain, like Shadal, that Hashem was referring to His overall plan which took Avraham from Ur Kasdim, via Charan, to Israel.

Variations of this approach – There are several variations of this approach, most of which are textually difficult to sustain:

•  Bavli Avodah Zarah posits that Avraham was 52 when he left for Israel, taking with him "אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן".  Tosafot there suggests that he stayed in Canaan through the Covenant at 70, and then returned to Charan for five years before once again moving to Israel.  This does not work with the simple sense of the verses which suggest that Avraham was 75 when he took these souls with him.²⁸
• Tanchuma dates the Covenant of the Pieces to Avraham's 48th year.²⁹  It does not explicitly state that it took place in Israel, but assuming that it did, this position, too, would assert that Avraham made multiple trips.  The advantage of this approach is that if Avraham returned to Ur Kasdim soon after the prophecy, it would mean that he was out of Israel for over 25 years before Hashem's command of "לֶךְ לְךָ".  If so, it is clear why the second departure would require its own command and be highlighted in the verses.
• R. Yechiel of Paris suggests that Avraham actually moved back and forth three times: at 70 for the Covenant, 74 for the Battle of the Kings,³⁰ and 75 for good. This, though, requires one to rearrange the chronology of the entire unit, making the position somewhat difficult.³¹

¹ Cf. Philo who asserts that Avraham left both Ur Kasdim and, later, Charan, upon the influence of an "oracle".  He does not date the emigration, and since he is not commenting on the verses themselves, it is difficult to know he relates to the specific textual difficulties.

² For further discussion and other examples of achronology in Tanakh, see Chronological and Thematic Order.

³ According to Philo, the directive was related to Avraham's recognition of Hashem.  Hashem thought that leaving the idolatry of the Chaldeans behind and migrating to a new place would help Avraham be "better able to comprehend the nature of the Ruler of the Universe".

⁴ Radak asserts that in the later phrase, "וַיֵּצְאוּ אִתָּם", the word "אִתָּם" refers to Avraham and Sarah (as the plural form precludes it referring to Terach alone). This part of the verse, then, does attribute the leaving to Avraham and presents everyone as accompanying him. [R. Saadia explains similarly, but he suggests that the plural form refers to Avraham and Terach.]

⁵ When Hashem said to Avraham to go to the land "that I will show you", He then elaborated and explained to which land He was referring.  Ibn Ezra adds that Hashem's words "אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ" might have been another way of saying that all of the land that Avraham sees would belong to him, as in: "כִּי אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה רֹאֶה לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה".

⁶ He apparently assumes that both Ur Kasdim and Charan were in the same country, and so Avraham had to leave both if he was to leave "his land".

⁷ Since Avraham is in Ur Kasdim before he starts his travels, this position assumes that he was born there as well.

⁸ Cf. Radak who suggests that the term refers to the larger region of Aram Naharayim.

⁹ Ramban questions why Avraham would refer to a place in which he had lived for only a short time as "אַרְצִי".  One normally considers a place to be one's land only if one was born there, had lived there for a long while, or is currently living there.

¹⁰ See, for instance, Shemuel II 10:16 which identifies Aram as being situated in "עֵבֶר הַנָּהָר".

¹¹ In contrast, Radak appears to believe that both Charan and Ur Kasdim are cities in the same general region of Aram.  In explaining Hashem's command to leave his land and birthplace, he writes: "ומן הארץ ההיא שהיא ארץ ארם", suggesting that he thought that Ur Kasdim was in Aram (cf. Abarbanel below).  If this is possible, it would obviate the contradiction in saying that Avraham came from both Ur Kasdim and ‎"‏עֵבֶר הַנָּהָר".

¹² One could also point to the similar verse in Nechemyah.

¹³ Ramban is drawing off the tradition in Bereshit Rabbah which speaks of Avraham being thrown into a fiery furnace by Nimrod.  See also the Book of Judith which suggests that Avraham was chased out due to his religious beliefs.

¹⁴ See below that Ramban assumes that Avraham was actually born in Charan and that his family originated from there rather than Ur Kasdim.

¹⁵  See the Reconstructed Rashbam on this verse.

¹⁶ Noach had blessed Shem that Canaan would serve him: "בָּרוּךְ ה' אֱלֹהֵי שֵׁם וִיהִי כְנַעַן עֶבֶד לָמוֹ".

¹⁷ The term "מֵאַרְצְךָ" is much less problematic since Charan could be called Avraham's land even if he had resided there only for a short while, as that was his present location.  Nonetheless, both Abarbanel and Shadal offer a different explanation, suggesting that Ur Kasdim and Charan were both in the same country, so leaving Charan constituted leaving "מֵאַרְצְךָ".  Ramban, in contrast, assumes that Charan (rather than Ur Kasdim) was Avraham's original homeland, and thus in leaving it, he was obviously leaving "his land".

¹⁸ To support his claim, Ramban points out that the land of Ur Kasdim belonged to the descendants of Cham, and not to Shem, the ancestor of Avraham.  Moreover, Avraham is known as "אַבְרָם הָעִבְרִי", and in Yehoshua 24 we are told that he was from "עֵבֶר הַנָּהָר" which would support the idea that he came from Aram Narahayim, or Charan.  In addition, it is known that Nachor lived in Charan even though it is never mentioned that he traveled there with Terach and Avraham.  Ramban explains that he had remained behind in Charan when the rest of the family had moved temporarily to Ur Kasdim.  As such, only the youngest of the brothers, Haran, was born in Ur Kasdim.

¹⁹ In his comments to Bereshit 24, Ramban raises this as a second possible meaning as well.  See also Rashbam on Bereshit 24.

²⁰ Both suggest that it was named after the Chaldeans for some unknown reason, with Abarbanel raising the possibility that maybe it got its name after being conquered by them.  To support his position, Shadal points out that had Ur Kasdim really been in Babylonia, Avraham would not have needed to travel via Charan to reach Canaan.   One might question, though, if crossing the desert instead was really a viable option.

²¹ Abarbanel does not address the question explicitly, but he seems to explain the events in a similar manner.

²² This allows him to resolve the discrepancy regarding the duration of the exile, by suggesting that the 430 years began with Avraham's departure from his homeland at 70, while the 400 years began with Yitzchak's birth. Cf. the sources in the first approach above.

²³ Though many other sources follow Seder Olam Rabbah's lead in suggesting that the Covenant took place when Avraham was 70, they do not all say explicitly that it took place in Israel, in which case they would not maintain that there were multiple moves. For elaboration regarding the dating of the Covenant, see Bereshit 15 – One Prophecy or Two?and Duration of the Egyptian Exile.

²⁴ Since Avraham was 100 when Yitzchak was born, the Covenant must have occurred when he was 70.

²⁵ This assumes that Avraham was living in Charan before the Covenant.  See point below for elaboration.

²⁶ See Ralbag who questions Seder Olam Rabbah on this point, assuming that the end of Chapter 11 must have happened only after the Covenant.  However, one need not make that assumption.

²⁷ If, however, the Ran is correct that Avraham only returned to pack up his belongings, the command would seem superfluous, as Avraham was in the act of moving regardless.

²⁸ It is also unclear why Avraham would suddenly leave after nearly 20 years in Israel, and why the Torah would choose to highlight his second departure rather than the first.  The Bavli's motivation is not textual, but rather a desire to date the spread of Torah to the year 2000 from Creation.  [As Avraham was born in 1948, he was 52 in the year 2000.]  The Bavli understands that "the souls" that Avraham "made" refers to people whom he converted to Torah; thus Torah was first disseminated in the year 2000.

²⁹ This is motivated by the idea that Avraham first discovered Hashem at 48, and immediately thereafter Hashem promised him the Land of Israel in the Covenant of the Pieces.  Cf. Jubilees above who similarly posits that upon recognizing Hashem, Hashem told Avraham to move to Israel (but not for the Covenant).

³⁰ This calculation is based on Bavli Shabbat 10b which states that Sedom was at peace for 26 years. [They served כדרלעומר for 12 years, rebelled for 13 years and were attacked the year afterwards.]  This period is counted from the generation of the dispersal, at which point Avraham was 48 (see Seder Olam Rabbah).  Thus, Avraham was 74 during the war.

³¹ According to R. Yechiel, the first part of Chapter 12 occurs when Avraham is 75, Chapter 14 (and apparently most of Chapters 12–13 which provide the backdrop for Lot being taken captive during the Battle of the Kings) happens when he is 74, and Chapter 15 takes place when he is 70.  According to this, the Avraham story would be unfolding in reverse chronological order.