Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 25
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.Infertility
The story of Yitzchak and Rivka’s difficulties in having a child parallels the narratives of many other prominent couples in Tanakh.
Tools
- See Makbilot Bamikra for a list and links to stories dealing with infertility in Tanakh.
Articles
- See Barren Women for an exploration of the parallels between the six Biblical narratives of barren women who give birth to leaders of Israel and commentators’ perspectives on the possible reasons for their barrenness. Some suggest that their barrenness was an impetus for their spiritual growth, others maintain that it was a means of engendering greater love for the children they would eventually bear, while yet others view it as proof of Hashem’s miraculous intervention in the births of their children.
Tension Between Brothers
The story of the struggles between Yaakov and Esav is one of many stories of tension between brothers in Sefer Bereshit.
Tools
- Makbilot Bamikra points out that Esav’s expressed intent to kill Yaakov in Bereshit 27:41 is parallel to the brothers’ plan to kill Yosef in Bereshit 37:19-21.
- Tanakh Lab – Compare the linguistic parallels between the two stories in the Tanakh Lab. The parallel language of "לְאַחֶיךָ וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְךָ" / "וְאַחֶיךָ לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺת לְךָ" might hint to what lies at the heart of the various stories of jealousy throughout the book - struggles over who will be the "chosen" one, to whom others will bow and pay homage.
Articles / Lectures
- In קנאת אחים בספר בראשית, R. Shlomo Brin explores the pattern of tensions between brothers in Sefer Bereshit. He suggests that a comparison of the stories of sibling rivalry highlights that there is a progression towards better relationships as the book moves forward.1 Thus, though Sefer Bereshit opens with jealousy and fratricide, Sefer Shemot opens with a picture of sibling harmony, as Aharon, Moshe and Miryam work together.
- See וישב:מריבת אחים by Rabbanit Esti Rosenberg and Dr. Yosefa Wruble for a discussion of sibling strife throughout Sefer Bereshit. The Torah presents jealousy and competition as deeply rooted and natural, and calls upon people to overcome it nonetheless. Yosef manages to reverse the cycle when he decides not to take vengeance upon his brothers, and Sefer Shemot thus begins with the first relationship between siblings that is not fraught.
Divine Promises of Children
There are several instances in Tanakh in which Hashem promises a child to a childless parent (as in this chapter). These stories follow a similar format, with each story containing several common motifs. However, it is often the variations between the stories which are most telling.
Tools
- See Makbilot BaMiIkra for a list and links to such stories, including: promises of the births of Yitzchak, Yaakov and Esav, Shimshon, Shemuel, and the child of the Shunamite woman
Articles
- For an analytical comparison and contrasting of these narratives, see How Convention Helps Us Read: The Case of the Bible’s Annunciation Type-Scene by Robert Alter. Alter identifies the conventional components of an annunciation type-scene, noting that each instance of it includes certain variations from the expected formula. These differences serve to highlight the uniqueness of each story and set of characters.