Difference between revisions of "Rachel's Stealing of the Terafim/2"

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<category>Survival
 
<category>Survival
 
<p>Rachel stole the terafim so that her father could not use them to divine where the family had fled to.</p>
 
<p>Rachel stole the terafim so that her father could not use them to divine where the family had fled to.</p>
<mekorot><multilink><a href="TanchumaVayetze12" data-aht="source">Tanchuma</a><a href="TanchumaVayetze12" data-aht="source">Vayetze 12</a><a href="Tanchuma" data-aht="parshan">About the Tanchuma</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RashbamBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Rashbam</a><a href="RashbamBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="R. Shemuel b. Meir (Rashbam)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel b. Meir</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="IbnEzraBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="R. Yosef Bekhor Shor" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink>, Tosafists, <multilink><a href="RadakBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="RadakBereshit31-30" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:30</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RambanBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="RambanBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Nachman</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="ShadalBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Shadal</a><a href="ShadalBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="R. Shemuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto</a></multilink></mekorot>
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<mekorot><multilink><a href="TanchumaVayetze12" data-aht="source">Tanchuma #1</a><a href="TanchumaVayetze12" data-aht="source">Vayetze 12</a><a href="Tanchuma" data-aht="parshan">About the Tanchuma</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RashbamBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Rashbam</a><a href="RashbamBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="R. Shemuel b. Meir (Rashbam)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel b. Meir</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="IbnEzraBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="R. Yosef Bekhor Shor" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink>, Tosafists, <multilink><a href="RadakBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="RadakBereshit31-30" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:30</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RambanBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="RambanBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Nachman</a></multilink>, Ralbag #2, <multilink><a href="ShadalBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Shadal</a><a href="ShadalBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="R. Shemuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto</a></multilink></mekorot>
<point><b>What are terafim?</b></point>
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<point><b>What are terafim?</b> According to these commentators the terafim were objects used for divination. Tanchuma asserts that they are called "תְּרָפִים" because they are a "מַעֲשֵׂה תֹרֶף", an object of impurity.&#160; Ramban, in contrast, asserts that the term comes from the fact that their words are like a weak prophecy (נבואה רפה) and not very reliable.</point>
 
<point><b>לָמָּה גָנַבְתָּ אֶת אֱלֹהָי</b></point>
 
<point><b>לָמָּה גָנַבְתָּ אֶת אֱלֹהָי</b></point>
 
<point><b>Sitting on the terafim</b></point>
 
<point><b>Sitting on the terafim</b></point>
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<opinion>Preventative
 
<opinion>Preventative
 
<p>Rachel took the terafim so that her father would no longer worship them.</p>
 
<p>Rachel took the terafim so that her father would no longer worship them.</p>
<mekorot><multilink><a href="BereshitRabbah74-5" data-aht="source">Bereshit Rabbah</a><a href="BereshitRabbah74-5" data-aht="source">74:5</a><a href="Bereshit Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Bereshit Rabbah</a></multilink>,&#160;<multilink><a href="RChananelcitedbyRBachyaBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">R. Chananel</a><a href="RChananelcitedbyRBachyaBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">(cited by R. Bachya) Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="R. Chananel b. Chushiel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chananel b. Chushiel</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RashiBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink></mekorot>
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<mekorot><multilink><a href="BereshitRabbah74-5" data-aht="source">Bereshit Rabbah</a><a href="BereshitRabbah74-5" data-aht="source">74:5</a><a href="Bereshit Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Bereshit Rabbah</a></multilink>,&#160;<multilink><a href="TanchumaVayetze12" data-aht="source">Tanchuma #2</a><a href="TanchumaVayetze12" data-aht="source">Vayetze 12</a><a href="Tanchuma" data-aht="parshan">About the Tanchuma</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RChananelcitedbyRBachyaBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">R. Chananel</a><a href="RChananelcitedbyRBachyaBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">(cited by R. Bachya) Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="R. Chananel b. Chushiel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chananel b. Chushiel</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RashiBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">Bereshit 31:19</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink>, Ralbag #1</mekorot>
 
</opinion>
 
</opinion>
 
<opinion>Personal
 
<opinion>Personal

Version as of 11:02, 18 November 2015

Rachel's Stealing of the Terafim

Exegetical Approaches

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Survival

Rachel stole the terafim so that her father could not use them to divine where the family had fled to.

What are terafim? According to these commentators the terafim were objects used for divination. Tanchuma asserts that they are called "תְּרָפִים" because they are a "מַעֲשֵׂה תֹרֶף", an object of impurity.  Ramban, in contrast, asserts that the term comes from the fact that their words are like a weak prophecy (נבואה רפה) and not very reliable.
לָמָּה גָנַבְתָּ אֶת אֱלֹהָי
Sitting on the terafim
Belief in magic and divination
Evaluation of Rachel's actions
Religiosity of the forefathers

Religious Motivations

Preventative

Personal

Rachel wanted the terafim for her own personal use.

Economic Advantage

The terafim testified to Yaakov's rights to Lavan's inheritance.

Sources:Modern scholars