Difference between revisions of "Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Vayera/0/he"
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<category>מתיחת ביקורת על האבות | <category>מתיחת ביקורת על האבות | ||
| − | <p>באיזו מידה עלינו לראות באבות מודל לחיקוי, ולפרש מחדש את מעשיהם כך שלא יוכל להיות צל של ספק לגבי צדיקותם? מתי ראוי למתוח ביקורת על מעשיהם ולראות בהם בני אדם כמונו, המסוגלים לחטוא? השתמשו בסיפורו של <a href="Banishment of Hagar and Yishmael" data-aht="page">Banishment of Hagar and Yishmael</a> as a test case to explore the question.</p><ul> | + | <p>באיזו מידה עלינו לראות באבות מודל לחיקוי, ולפרש מחדש את מעשיהם כך שלא יוכל להיות צל של ספק לגבי צדיקותם? מתי ראוי למתוח ביקורת על מעשיהם ולראות בהם בני אדם כמונו, המסוגלים לחטוא? השתמשו בסיפורו של <a href="Banishment of Hagar and Yishmael" data-aht="page">Banishment of Hagar and Yishmael</a> as a test case to explore the question.</p> |
| + | <ul> | ||
<li>What crime could possibly justify the banishment of one's son? </li> | <li>What crime could possibly justify the banishment of one's son? </li> | ||
<li>How should Yishmael's "צחוק" be understood?  Is it possible that the righteous Sarah would be ready to expel Yishmael for innocuous laughter? On the other hand, is it conceivable that a son raised by Avraham could have committed crimes so dire that such a punishment was warranted?</li> | <li>How should Yishmael's "צחוק" be understood?  Is it possible that the righteous Sarah would be ready to expel Yishmael for innocuous laughter? On the other hand, is it conceivable that a son raised by Avraham could have committed crimes so dire that such a punishment was warranted?</li> | ||
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| − | <category> | + | <category>ענישה קולקטיבית או תשועה קולקטיבית |
<p>Many readers view <a href="Avraham's Prayer for Sedom" data-aht="page">תפילת אברהם עבור סדום</a> as a condemnation of collective punishment.  A closer look, however, reveals that his request is more complex.  Avraham seems to simultaneously appeal to Divine mercy for collective salvation, asking to spare even the wicked of the city due to the virtues of the righteous. Discuss with your family:</p> | <p>Many readers view <a href="Avraham's Prayer for Sedom" data-aht="page">תפילת אברהם עבור סדום</a> as a condemnation of collective punishment.  A closer look, however, reveals that his request is more complex.  Avraham seems to simultaneously appeal to Divine mercy for collective salvation, asking to spare even the wicked of the city due to the virtues of the righteous. Discuss with your family:</p> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
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| − | <category> | + | <category>מלאכים או בני אדם |
<p>What does the Torah believe about angels?  Though many characters are referred to as "מלאכים", when does this term refer to a celestial being and when to a human messenger?  Are angels corporeal, or immaterial beings? If the latter, how can they be seen by humans or do physical actions such as eating? </p> | <p>What does the Torah believe about angels?  Though many characters are referred to as "מלאכים", when does this term refer to a celestial being and when to a human messenger?  Are angels corporeal, or immaterial beings? If the latter, how can they be seen by humans or do physical actions such as eating? </p> | ||
<p>What can the story of <a href="Avraham's Guests – Angels or Men" data-aht="page">אברהם ושלושת המלאכים</a> teach about the subject? Compare the approaches of rationalists like <multilink><a href="RambamMorehNevukhim242" data-aht="source">רמב״ם</a><a href="RambamMorehNevukhim242" data-aht="source">ב מ״ב</a><a href="Rambam Moreh Nevukhim" data-aht="parshan">About Rambam Moreh Nevukhim</a></multilink> and<multilink><a href="RalbagBereshitBeurHaParashah18-2-5" data-aht="source">רלב״ג</a><a href="RalbagBereshitBeurHaParashah18-2-5" data-aht="source">בראשית ביאור הפרשה י״ח:ב׳-ה׳</a><a href="R. Levi b. Gershom (Ralbag, Gersonides)" data-aht="parshan">אודות ר' לוי בן גרשום</a></multilink>, with the more mystically inclined, such as <multilink><a href="RambanBereshit18-1" data-aht="source">רמב״ן</a><a href="RambanBereshit18-1" data-aht="source">בראשית י״ח:א׳</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">אודות ר' משה בן נחמן</a></multilink>.  With whose position do you agree?</p> | <p>What can the story of <a href="Avraham's Guests – Angels or Men" data-aht="page">אברהם ושלושת המלאכים</a> teach about the subject? Compare the approaches of rationalists like <multilink><a href="RambamMorehNevukhim242" data-aht="source">רמב״ם</a><a href="RambamMorehNevukhim242" data-aht="source">ב מ״ב</a><a href="Rambam Moreh Nevukhim" data-aht="parshan">About Rambam Moreh Nevukhim</a></multilink> and<multilink><a href="RalbagBereshitBeurHaParashah18-2-5" data-aht="source">רלב״ג</a><a href="RalbagBereshitBeurHaParashah18-2-5" data-aht="source">בראשית ביאור הפרשה י״ח:ב׳-ה׳</a><a href="R. Levi b. Gershom (Ralbag, Gersonides)" data-aht="parshan">אודות ר' לוי בן גרשום</a></multilink>, with the more mystically inclined, such as <multilink><a href="RambanBereshit18-1" data-aht="source">רמב״ן</a><a href="RambanBereshit18-1" data-aht="source">בראשית י״ח:א׳</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">אודות ר' משה בן נחמן</a></multilink>.  With whose position do you agree?</p> | ||
Version as of 05:22, 19 July 2019
נושאים לשולחן שבת – פרשת וירא
האם האבות שמרו את המצוות?
שאלה זו עוררה דיון סוער בקרב הפרשנים לאורך כל הדורות. מצד אחד, האבות והאימהות חיו מאות שנים לפני שניתנה התורה לבני ישראל, ורבים מחוקי התורה לא יכלו להיות רלוונטיים לגביהם. מצד שני, לא סביר להניח כי אבות ואימהות היהדות לא שמרו את מצוות הבסיסיות ביותר בתורה.
- מאילו פסוקים ניתן להסיק כי האבות שמרו את המצוות, לפחות באופן חלקי?
- אילו הוכחות ניתן להביא מהפסוקים לכל אחת מן העמדות?
- מה עמדתכם בנושא? מדוע? ראו אבות ומצוות.
מתיחת ביקורת על האבות
באיזו מידה עלינו לראות באבות מודל לחיקוי, ולפרש מחדש את מעשיהם כך שלא יוכל להיות צל של ספק לגבי צדיקותם? מתי ראוי למתוח ביקורת על מעשיהם ולראות בהם בני אדם כמונו, המסוגלים לחטוא? השתמשו בסיפורו של Banishment of Hagar and Yishmael as a test case to explore the question.
- What crime could possibly justify the banishment of one's son?
- How should Yishmael's "צחוק" be understood? Is it possible that the righteous Sarah would be ready to expel Yishmael for innocuous laughter? On the other hand, is it conceivable that a son raised by Avraham could have committed crimes so dire that such a punishment was warranted?
- Compare the Tannaim in Bereshit Rabbah, who defend Sarah by depicting a particularly wicked Yishmael, with R. Avraham Saba who condemns her (despite Hashem backing her decision!)
ענישה קולקטיבית או תשועה קולקטיבית
Many readers view תפילת אברהם עבור סדום as a condemnation of collective punishment. A closer look, however, reveals that his request is more complex. Avraham seems to simultaneously appeal to Divine mercy for collective salvation, asking to spare even the wicked of the city due to the virtues of the righteous. Discuss with your family:
- Is collective salvation any more just than collective punishment? Is Avraham being inconsistent in condemning one while requesting the other? Or, should his plea be understood in a different way?
- Can Hashem be swayed by human argument? Is it conceivable that Hashem's feelings about collective punishment/salvation changed as a result of Avraham's pleas? Does the story suggest that they did?
- Finally, look to other examples of punishment in Tanakh. Is collective punishment the norm or the exception?1
מלאכים או בני אדם
What does the Torah believe about angels? Though many characters are referred to as "מלאכים", when does this term refer to a celestial being and when to a human messenger? Are angels corporeal, or immaterial beings? If the latter, how can they be seen by humans or do physical actions such as eating?
What can the story of אברהם ושלושת המלאכים teach about the subject? Compare the approaches of rationalists like רמב״ם andרלב״ג, with the more mystically inclined, such as רמב״ן. With whose position do you agree?
Immoral Commands?
How is one to understand both Hashem' directive to sacrifice Yitzchak and Avraham's willing compliance?
- How can a moral God, who later in the Torah denounces murder and declares the practice of child sacrifice to be abhorrent, demand of Avraham to kill his child? Why did Avraham agree without even questioning the directive, as he had when Hashem revealed his intentions to destroy Sedom?
- To debate: What is the proper course of action when human conceptions of morality, or even the Torah's own ethical system, conflict with a Divine command? If Hashem were to tell you, today, to sacrifice a loved one, what would you do?
- See מטרת עקידת יצחק for discussion of these and other theological issues raised by the story.
עוד...
לעוד נושאים בפרשה, ראו: רשימת נושאים – פרשת וירא.
