Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 12/0
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Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 12
Wives and Sisters There are several stories in Sefer Bereshit in which a wife passes herself off as a sister.
Tools
- Makbilot Bamikra points out that Avraham’s claim that Sarah is his sister is parallel to two similar stories, one later in the narrative of of Avraham and Sarah (Bereshit 20) and one in the narrative of Yitzchak and Rivka (Bereshit 26).
Articles
- See המוטיב 'אשתי-אחותי ומלך' שלושה סיפורים וארבעה וקריאה אחרת by Prof. Moshe Zipor who compares and analyzes the wife-sister stories, using the comparison as a paradigm for how to do comparative readings of Tanakh in general.
- See Endangering Sarai in Egypt for an exploration of the moral and strategic questions that arise from the behavior of the Patriarchs in this narrative and in the others in which they claim that their wives are their sisters
Avraham and Iyyov
There are a number of parallels between the narratives of Avraham and of Iyyov. Both are exceptionally God-fearing individuals who endure difficult tests.
Tools
- Concordance – If one highlights the words "יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים" in Bereshit 22:12 and chooses the concordance from the drop-down menu, all appearances of the phrase in Tanakh will display. At a glance, it becomes evident that the only two named individuals who are so-called are Avraham and Iyyov.1 The shared description invites a comparison between the two figures.
Primary Sources
Several Rabbinic sources compare Avraham and Iyyov:
- R. Yehuda HaNasi in Tosefta Sotah 6:1 compares Avraham and Iyyov, noting that both characters are described as "יְרֵא אֱ-לֹהִים", but that just as Avraham acted out of a love of God (and not merely fear), so too did Iyyov.
- See Tosefta Bava Kamma 9:11, and Bereshit Rabbah 49:9 for other parallels, and Bavli Bava Batra 15b who notes that Tanakh's praise of Iyyov even surpasses that of Avraham.
Articles
- See Avraham and Iyyov for an exploration of the comparisons and contrasts between the two figures.
- Rav Soloveitchik’s writing on Iyyov in Kol Dodi Dofek accentuates the aspects of Iyyov’s personality that are different from the legacy of Avraham.
Avraham and Bilaam
Primary Sources
- Mishna Avot 5:19 contrasts the character traits of Avraham and Bilaam. While Avraham was marked by a "good eye", a humble spirit and a lowly soul, Bilaam was known for the opposite qualities.
- Bereshit Rabbah 55:8 notes how both Avraham and Bilaam wake early and saddle their own donkeys to embark on a mission. While Avraham is motivated by love and the desire to heed God's words when commanded to sacrifice Yitzchak, Bilaam is motivated by hatred and a desire to curse the nation.
Articles
- See Balaam: The Prophet and the Consultant by R. Menachem Leibtag for analysis of the parallel and contrasting themes of the stories of Avraham and Bilaam.
- See Avraham and Balaam: A Biblical Contrast by Ricky Novick for a discussion of the linguistic and conceptual parallels between the stories of the two figures which might have prompted the Sages to compare the two in the sources listed above.
