Difference between revisions of "Commentators:Character Consolidation/1"

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<li>Koresh and other Persian kings – Seder Olam Rabbah 30, Bavli R"H 3b</li>
 
<li>Koresh and other Persian kings – Seder Olam Rabbah 30, Bavli R"H 3b</li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
<p><b>II. Identification of two characters with different names as the same person:</b></p>
+
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><b>II. Identification of two characters with different names as the same person:</b></p>
<ul>
+
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
 
<li>Yiskah as Sarah – <multilink><a href="SederOlamRabbah20" data-aht="source">Seder Olam Rabbah 21</a><a href="SederOlamRabbah20" data-aht="source">20</a><a href="Seder Olam Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Seder Olam Rabbah</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="BavliSanhedrin69b" data-aht="source">Bavli Sanhedrin 69b</a><a href="BavliSanhedrin69b" data-aht="source">Sanhedrin 69b</a><a href="Talmud Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink></li>
 
<li>Yiskah as Sarah – <multilink><a href="SederOlamRabbah20" data-aht="source">Seder Olam Rabbah 21</a><a href="SederOlamRabbah20" data-aht="source">20</a><a href="Seder Olam Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Seder Olam Rabbah</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="BavliSanhedrin69b" data-aht="source">Bavli Sanhedrin 69b</a><a href="BavliSanhedrin69b" data-aht="source">Sanhedrin 69b</a><a href="Talmud Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink></li>
 
<li>Malkizedek as Shem – <multilink><a href="BereshitRabbah56-10" data-aht="source">Bereshit Rabbah 56:10</a><a href="BereshitRabbah56-10" data-aht="source">56:10</a><a href="Bereshit Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Bereshit Rabbah</a></multilink></li>
 
<li>Malkizedek as Shem – <multilink><a href="BereshitRabbah56-10" data-aht="source">Bereshit Rabbah 56:10</a><a href="BereshitRabbah56-10" data-aht="source">56:10</a><a href="Bereshit Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Bereshit Rabbah</a></multilink></li>
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<li>Pinchas as Eliyahu –<multilink><a href="TargumYerushalmiYonatanShemot6-18" data-aht="source"> Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan) Shemot 6:18</a><a href="TargumYerushalmiYonatanShemot6-18" data-aht="source">Shemot 6:18</a><a href="Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)" data-aht="parshan">About Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)</a></multilink></li>
 
<li>Pinchas as Eliyahu –<multilink><a href="TargumYerushalmiYonatanShemot6-18" data-aht="source"> Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan) Shemot 6:18</a><a href="TargumYerushalmiYonatanShemot6-18" data-aht="source">Shemot 6:18</a><a href="Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)" data-aht="parshan">About Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)</a></multilink></li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
<p><b>III. Identification of two characters with the same or similar names as the same person:</b></p>
+
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><b>III. Identification of two characters with the same or similar names as the same person:</b></p>
<ul>
+
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
 
<li>Haran the father of Yiska with Haran the brother of Avraham – <multilink><a href="BavliSanhedrin69b" data-aht="source">Bavli Sanhedrin 69b</a><a href="BavliSanhedrin69b" data-aht="source">Sanhedrin 69b</a><a href="Talmud Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink></li>
 
<li>Haran the father of Yiska with Haran the brother of Avraham – <multilink><a href="BavliSanhedrin69b" data-aht="source">Bavli Sanhedrin 69b</a><a href="BavliSanhedrin69b" data-aht="source">Sanhedrin 69b</a><a href="Talmud Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink></li>
 
<li>Potiphar and Potiphera – Bavli Sotah 13b</li>
 
<li>Potiphar and Potiphera – Bavli Sotah 13b</li>
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<li>Ovadyah the steward of Ahav with Ovadyah the prophet – Bavli Sanhedrin 39b</li>
 
<li>Ovadyah the steward of Ahav with Ovadyah the prophet – Bavli Sanhedrin 39b</li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
<p><b>IV. Identification of anonymous people with known personalities:</b></p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><b>IV. Identification of anonymous people with known personalities:</b></p>
<ul>
+
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
 
<li>Naamah as Noach's wife – Bereshit Rabbah 23:3</li>
 
<li>Naamah as Noach's wife – Bereshit Rabbah 23:3</li>
 
<li>Og as the fugitive from Sedom – Bavli Niddah 61a</li>
 
<li>Og as the fugitive from Sedom – Bavli Niddah 61a</li>
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<li>Eved Melekh HaKushi as Barukh – Pirke DeRabbi Eliezer 53</li>
 
<li>Eved Melekh HaKushi as Barukh – Pirke DeRabbi Eliezer 53</li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
<p><b>V.&#160; Identification of one anonymous person with another:</b></p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><b>V.&#160; Identification of one anonymous person with another:</b></p>
<ul>
+
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
 
<li>Paroh in Shemot 1-2 with Paroh of Bereshit 37-50 and Paroh of Shemot 3-15 – see Melekh Chadash.</li>
 
<li>Paroh in Shemot 1-2 with Paroh of Bereshit 37-50 and Paroh of Shemot 3-15 – see Melekh Chadash.</li>
 
<li>The officers of the nation in Egypt with the princes or seventy elders – Bemidbar Rabbah 12:16, Shemot Rabbah 5:20</li>
 
<li>The officers of the nation in Egypt with the princes or seventy elders – Bemidbar Rabbah 12:16, Shemot Rabbah 5:20</li>
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<h2>Consolidation of Objects</h2>
 
<h2>Consolidation of Objects</h2>
<p><b>I. Identification of objects with other objects:</b></p>
+
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><b>I. Identification of objects with other objects:</b></p>
<ul>
+
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
 
<li>Esav's clothing with the leather garments of Adam and Chavah – Bereshit Rabbah 63:13</li>
 
<li>Esav's clothing with the leather garments of Adam and Chavah – Bereshit Rabbah 63:13</li>
 
<li>Yaakov and Yehudah's staff with Moshe's staff – Yalkut Shimoni Chukat 763</li>
 
<li>Yaakov and Yehudah's staff with Moshe's staff – Yalkut Shimoni Chukat 763</li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
<p><b>II. Identification of places with known places:</b></p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><b>II. Identification of places with known places:</b></p>
<p><b>III. Identification of unknown dates with known ones:</b></p>
+
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><b>III. Identification of unknown dates with known ones:</b></p>
<ul>
+
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
 
<li>Angel's visit to Lot – 15 Nisan</li>
 
<li>Angel's visit to Lot – 15 Nisan</li>
 
<li>Giving of the Decalogue – 6 Sivan</li>
 
<li>Giving of the Decalogue – 6 Sivan</li>
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<h2>Analysis</h2>
 
<h2>Analysis</h2>
 
<b>I. Why does the Midrash identify characters?</b> <br/>
 
<b>I. Why does the Midrash identify characters?</b> <br/>
<ul>
+
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
 
<li>Omnisignificance – Identifying anonymous or unknown figures explains why details are mentioned – Ramban Shemot 6:23</li>
 
<li>Omnisignificance – Identifying anonymous or unknown figures explains why details are mentioned – Ramban Shemot 6:23</li>
 
<li>Solve exegetical problems – see our discussion of Yitro's names in Shemot 18.</li>
 
<li>Solve exegetical problems – see our discussion of Yitro's names in Shemot 18.</li>
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<li>Character development and embellishment –&#160;</li>
 
<li>Character development and embellishment –&#160;</li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
<p><b>II. Textual hooks and parallels</b></p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><b>II. Textual hooks and parallels</b></p>
<p><b>III. Difficulties with methods:</b></p>
+
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><b>III. Difficulties with methods:</b></p>
<ul>
+
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
 
<li>Why would Tanakh use different names in different places?</li>
 
<li>Why would Tanakh use different names in different places?</li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>

Version as of 02:26, 1 July 2020

Character Consolidation

Introduction

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Consolidation of Characters

 I. Identification of three or more different names as the same person:

II. Identification of two characters with different names as the same person:

III. Identification of two characters with the same or similar names as the same person:

IV. Identification of anonymous people with known personalities:

  • Naamah as Noach's wife – Bereshit Rabbah 23:3
  • Og as the fugitive from Sedom – Bavli Niddah 61a
  • Eliezer and Yishmael as Avraham's servants – Bereshit Rabbah 48:13, Vayikra Rabbah 20:2
  • Dinah as Shimon's wife and Asenat's mother – Bereshit Rabbah 80:11
  • Menashe as Yosef's steward – Bereshit Rabbah 91:8
  • Datan and Aviram as the sinners in Egypt and the wilderness – Shemot Rabbah 1:30, Tanchuma Buber Beshalach 24
  • Calev and Pinchas as Yehoshua's spies – Tanchuma Buber Shelach 1
  • Eved Melekh HaKushi as Barukh – Pirke DeRabbi Eliezer 53

V.  Identification of one anonymous person with another:

  • Paroh in Shemot 1-2 with Paroh of Bereshit 37-50 and Paroh of Shemot 3-15 – see Melekh Chadash.
  • The officers of the nation in Egypt with the princes or seventy elders – Bemidbar Rabbah 12:16, Shemot Rabbah 5:20

Consolidation of Objects

I. Identification of objects with other objects:

  • Esav's clothing with the leather garments of Adam and Chavah – Bereshit Rabbah 63:13
  • Yaakov and Yehudah's staff with Moshe's staff – Yalkut Shimoni Chukat 763

II. Identification of places with known places:

III. Identification of unknown dates with known ones:

  • Angel's visit to Lot – 15 Nisan
  • Giving of the Decalogue – 6 Sivan
  • Moshe's descent with the 1st Tablets – 17 Tammuz
  • Moshe's descent with the 2nd Tablets – 10 Tishrei
  • Night of the return of the spies – 9 Av

Analysis

I. Why does the Midrash identify characters?

  • Omnisignificance – Identifying anonymous or unknown figures explains why details are mentioned – Ramban Shemot 6:23
  • Solve exegetical problems – see our discussion of Yitro's names in Shemot 18.
  • Avoiding theological problems –
  • Demonstrate reward and punishment – see Nechama Leibowitz in עיונים בספר במדבר pp.95-96.
  • Character development and embellishment – 

II. Textual hooks and parallels

III. Difficulties with methods:

  • Why would Tanakh use different names in different places?