Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 24/0

Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 24

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Overview

This index is meant to help the reader explore Biblical parallels, be they two accounts of the same event, stories with similar motifs and themes, or units of text which are linguistically similar and perhaps alluding one to the other. The page includes links to tools that aid in comparison, primary sources that touch upon the parallels, and summaries of and links to articles which analyze them in depth.

Avraham and Rivka

Tanakh Lab¹ demonstrates that Bereshit 24 contains many linguistic parallels to Bereshit 12.  This highlights the similarities between the stories of Avraham and of Rivka, both of whom make a decision to journey to Canaan and to separate from their places of birth so as to establish the Jewish people. 

Tools

• See the Tanakh Lab to compare the two chapters.

Articles

• See חיי שרה: דמותה של רבקה, by R. Amnon Bazak for an exploration of the parallels between the personalities and choices of Avraham and Rivka. They both exemplify the quality of kindness, are willing to leave their homelands, and are enthusiastic to distance themselves from idolatrous society.  Moreover, Rivka demonstrates an appreciation for the dignity of man when she first ensures that Avraham’s servant has had enough water before even mentioning watering his camels. 
• See The Bride of Yitzchak, by R. Chanoch Waxman, for comparison of the stories and personalities of Avraham and Rivka, and analysis of how Avraham’s servant’s speech to Rivka’s family reflects his understanding that Rivka’s family does not share her values.  The article concludes by noting that Rivka and Yitzchak together embody the core values and messages of Avraham’s legacy: Rivka follows in Avraham's path of "lekh lekha" (the need to journey towards future nationhood) and in his religious ethic of kindness, while Yitzchak embodies the values of submission highlighted in the story of the Akeidah.

Lavan, Lot, and Avraham

There are several points of comparison between the stories of the hospitality of Avraham, Lot, and Lavan which might shed light on the characters of each.

Tools

• Tanakh Lab – One can use the Tanakh Lab to compare Lavan’s hospitality in Bereshit 24 with that of Avraham in Bereshit 18 on one hand, and with that of Lot in Bereshit 19 on the other hand. 

Sources

• One aspect of Lavan actions that stands in contrast to the other stories is the statement in 24:30 that Lavan noticed the jewelry that had been given to Rivka before inviting Avraham’s servant into his house. See RashiBereshit 24:29About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki that this suggests that Lavan's hospitality (as opposed to that of Avraham and Lot) was motivated by self-interest.  

Avraham and David

There are several parallels between the ways in which in Avraham and David make provisions for their descendants as they near death.

Tools

• Concordance – If one highlights the phrase "זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים" in the Mikraot Gedolot on Bereshit 24:1, and chooses concordance from the drop-down, one can see that only three figures are so described - Avraham, Yehoshua, and David.² In each case this is followed by a discussion of how they make provisions for their descendants or followers, addressing both spiritual and practical needs.

Articles

• See חיי שרה: בין אברהם לדוד by R. Yehuda Shaviv for a comparison and contrast of the personalities of Avraham and David in light of their actions at the ends of their lives. Where Avraham is active and full of energy, David appears weak and passive.  Avraham commands respect from his family,³ while David's last days are plagued by his sons' rebellions.  This may be connected to the different approaches the two leaders took to parenting and education over the course of their lives.  On the other hand, both take decisive action when it comes to the all-important task of establishing continuity, whether of the family in the case of Avraham or of the kingship in the case of David.  

The Servant's Retelling

In Bereshit 24, the narrator describes Avraham's servant's search for a wife for Yitzchak and then records the servant's recounting of that search to Rivka's family.  The two accounts are linguistically very similar making the reader wonder for the need to repeat the story twice.  Moreover, the few differences make one question which account is the factual one and why the other veered from what happened.

Tools

• Use the Tanakh Lab to compare the two accounts.

Sources

• Many commentators discuss the variations between the accounts. See, for example, RashiBereshit 24:23Bereshit 24:47About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, RashbamBereshit 24:22About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 24:14About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, and ShadalBereshit 24:22About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto.

Articles

• See The Search for Yitzchak's Wife and the Servant's Retelling for a comprehensive table comparing the two accounts and analysis of the differences. The article notes that many of the servant's additions or omissions might stem from the norms of polite discourse and a desire to honor Avraham's family and best convince them to agree to sending Rivka. In the places where the two accounts actively disagree with one another, commentators either try to harmonize and equate the accounts or choose one version as the accurate one, while explaining why the other presented the story differently.⁴
• Nechama Leibowitz compares the accounts and discusses the differences in various places in her gilyonot on the Parashah.  

¹ In the Tanakh Lab, click on the Torah icon for a list of linguistically similar chapters to that being displayed.

² This might be why the Sages chose Melakhim I 1 to be the haftarah for Parashat Chayyei Sarah.

³ Even the banished Yishmael joins in burying him.

⁴ See also A Wife for Yitzchak for discussion of how some of the discrepancies relate to the question of what was Avraham's main criterion for choosing a wife for Yitzchak: that she be from his family, that she not be Canaanite, or that she be of noble character.