Difference between revisions of "Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Toledot/0/en"
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<li>Was Yaakov taking advantage of his brother's hunger for his own gain?  Was the sale not an example of extortion? Or, is there more going on in the story than a cursory read suggests?</li> | <li>Was Yaakov taking advantage of his brother's hunger for his own gain?  Was the sale not an example of extortion? Or, is there more going on in the story than a cursory read suggests?</li> | ||
<li>Was Esav's willingness to sell the birthright a sign of his impetuous nature, indicative of his living only in the moment, or was it a logical decision given the circumstances? </li> | <li>Was Esav's willingness to sell the birthright a sign of his impetuous nature, indicative of his living only in the moment, or was it a logical decision given the circumstances? </li> | ||
| − | <li>The way one answers the above is partially dependent on how one understands the birthright.  Was Yaakov purchasing a monetary inheritance (Ibn Ezra), a religious status (Bereshit | + | <li>The way one answers the above is partially dependent on how one understands the birthright.  Was Yaakov purchasing a monetary inheritance (<multilink><a href="IbnEzraBereshitFirstCommentary25-31" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshitFirstCommentary25-31" data-aht="source">Bereshit First Commentary 25:31</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink>), a religious status (<multilink><a href="RashiBereshit25-31" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiBereshit25-31" data-aht="source">Bereshit 25:31</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink>), or Avraham's legacy (<multilink><a href="RDavidZviHoffmannBereshit25-31" data-aht="source">R. D"Z Hoffmann</a><a href="RDavidZviHoffmannBereshit25-31" data-aht="source">Bereshit 25:31</a><a href="R. David Zvi Hoffmann" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Zvi Hoffmann</a></multilink>)?  Which position is best supported by the text?  How does each affect your understanding of the story as a whole?   See <a href="Sale of the Birthright – A Fair Deal" data-aht="page">Sale of the Birthright – A Fair Deal</a> for elaboration.</li> |
| + | </ul> | ||
| + | </category> | ||
| + | <category>Who to Bless | ||
| + | Given that Hashem ultimately wanted Yaakov to get the blessing, as evidenced by His confirmation thereof,  how are we to understand Yitzchak's original plan to bestow it Esav? | ||
| + | </category> | ||
| + | <category>Esav and Rome | ||
| + | <p>In the post-Biblical period, Esav has been associated with both Rome and Christianity, and has been presented as the archetype of Israel's sworn enemy.  Where does this association come from? How has it impacted the exegesis of Bereshit?</p> | ||
| + | <ul> | ||
| + | <li>Interestingly, the identification might have influenced different commentators in opposing ways.  Midrashic literature, viewing Esav as the progenitor of their contemporary enemy, Rome, often reads Esav in a harsh light, presenting him as wicked as his modern counterpart.  Josephus, in contrast, a Roman lackey, was loathe to denigrate his superiors, and thus paints a far more neutral portrait of Esav.</li> | ||
| + | <li>Can you think of other examples where an exegete's evaluation of a character or reading of a story is influenced by their personal life experiences and time period? For several examples, see commentators' evaluations of Achashverosh in <a href="Achashverosh's Shock and Fury" data-aht="page">Achashverosh's Shock and Fury</a> .</li> | ||
</ul> | </ul> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
Version as of 08:50, 29 January 2018
Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Toledot
Sale of the Birthright
How should each of Yaakov and Esav be evaluated for their role in the sale of the birthright?
- Was Yaakov taking advantage of his brother's hunger for his own gain? Was the sale not an example of extortion? Or, is there more going on in the story than a cursory read suggests?
- Was Esav's willingness to sell the birthright a sign of his impetuous nature, indicative of his living only in the moment, or was it a logical decision given the circumstances?
- The way one answers the above is partially dependent on how one understands the birthright. Was Yaakov purchasing a monetary inheritance (Ibn Ezra), a religious status (Rashi), or Avraham's legacy (R. D"Z Hoffmann)? Which position is best supported by the text? How does each affect your understanding of the story as a whole? See Sale of the Birthright – A Fair Deal for elaboration.
Who to Bless Given that Hashem ultimately wanted Yaakov to get the blessing, as evidenced by His confirmation thereof, how are we to understand Yitzchak's original plan to bestow it Esav?
Esav and Rome
In the post-Biblical period, Esav has been associated with both Rome and Christianity, and has been presented as the archetype of Israel's sworn enemy. Where does this association come from? How has it impacted the exegesis of Bereshit?
- Interestingly, the identification might have influenced different commentators in opposing ways. Midrashic literature, viewing Esav as the progenitor of their contemporary enemy, Rome, often reads Esav in a harsh light, presenting him as wicked as his modern counterpart. Josephus, in contrast, a Roman lackey, was loathe to denigrate his superiors, and thus paints a far more neutral portrait of Esav.
- Can you think of other examples where an exegete's evaluation of a character or reading of a story is influenced by their personal life experiences and time period? For several examples, see commentators' evaluations of Achashverosh in Achashverosh's Shock and Fury .
