Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 24/0
Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 24
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.
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 Rashi 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 the continuity of the family in the case of Avraham or the continuity 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
Articles
- Nechama Leibowitz compares the accounts and discusses the differences in various places in her gilyonot on the Parsahah.
