Avraham and Yaakov/0

Avraham and Yaakov

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Content Parallels

	Parallels	Contrasts
Leaving Home
Uprooting	Avraham uproots from his family in Charan and heads to Canaan, while Yaakov makes the opposite trek, from Canaan to Charan.	While Avraham leaves upon the command of Hashem, Yaakov's departure is in essence a flight from his brother, Esav.
Blessing	Both departures are accompanied by a prophetic blessing, the first revelation of Hashem to each of these patriarchs.	While Avraham is blessed before he leaves, Yaakov receives Hashem's reassurance only en route.
Success	Both Avraham and Yaakov are successful and gain wealth in their new abodes.	While Avraham's success  earns him respect from his neighbors, Yaakov's  accomplished shepherding leads to Lavan's enmity.
Coming to Canaan
Route taken	Upon arrival in Canaan, Avraham stops first in Shechem and then in Beit El, eventually making his way to Chevron.  When Yaakov returns to Canaan, he takes the same path.1	While the verses suggest that Avraham merely passed through Shechem, Yaakov buys a plot of land there.
Altars	In both Shechem and Beit El, both grandfather and grandson build an altar for Hashem.	---
No room	When the "land could not contain them", both Avraham and Lot and Esav and Yaakov decide to separate.2	The text suggests that it is Avraham's initiative in one case, and Esav's in the other.
Family
Barren wife	Both Sarah and Rachel are described as beautiful but barren.
Giving of maidservants	Both Sarah and Rachel/Leah give their maidservants in marriage to their husbands so they can bear children in the wives' stead.	While Avraham ends up banishing Sarah's servant, Hagar, Bilhah and Zilpah remain married to Yaakov.
Source of strife	The multiple wives are a source of conflict in the family.	In Avraham's case the enmity is between real wife and servant, while in Yaakov's family, it is the two full wives who struggle.
Children	In each family, one son (Yitzchak/ Yosef) is favored over the others.	In Avraham's case, this leads to the expulsion of Yishmael, whereas  In Yaakov's story, all the sons are chosen in the end.
Potential loss	Avraham thinks his beloved Yitzchak is to die, and Yaakov believes his favorite, Yosef, is dead.	While Avraham willingly brings Yitzchak to be sacrifice, yaakov plays no role in Yosef's almost-death.
Lavan versus Paroh/Avimelekh
Wife-sister trick	Avraham passes Sarah off as his sister instead of his wife, while Lavan passes off Rachel's sister, Leah, as Yaakov's wife.	Avraham's actions are done with Sarah's consent,  while Lavan's are aimed at tricking Yaakov.
Complaint	In reaction to the trickery, Paroh and Yaakov both cry "what have you done to me?"
Wife taken	Avraham fears that Paroh/ Avimelekh will take Sarah, and Yaakov fears that Lavan will "steal" his wives.	Whereas Sarah is in fact taken, Rachel and Leah are not.
Hashem's warning	Hashem appears in a dream to Avimelekh/ Lavan warning them not to harm Avraham/Yaakov.	In reaction, Avimelekh ladens Avraham with gifts and offers him to live in his land. Lavan, in contrast, gives nothing and sets up a border between the families.
Covenant	Both Avraham and Yaakov make a covenant with the other side.
Change of Name
New names	Both Avraham and Yaakov are given new names by Hashem. Avram becomes Avraham, and Yaakov becomes Yisrael.	Whereas Avraham's name changes by but one letter, Yaakov gets a totally new name. In addition, Avraham is never again called by his old name, while Yaakov's names become interchangeable.
Role of the thigh	The name change is associated with a physical act connected to the thigh.3	In Avraham case, this is the positive act of circumcision.  By Yaakov, in contrast, it is an injury inflicted in his struggle with the "איש".
Blessing	The new name is accompanied by a blessing.

Analysis

• Degree of similarity – 
• Distinctive phrases – 

Conclusions

¹ See U. Cassuto who makes this point.

² While Lot heads to Sedom, Esav moves to Edom.

³ Yaakov is given his new name twice, once by the "איש", with whom he fights at night and later by Hashem.  It is only in the first episode that there is injury to the thigh.