Difference between revisions of "Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Vayetze/0/he"
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<h1>נושאים לשולחן שבת – פרשת ויצא</h1> | <h1>נושאים לשולחן שבת – פרשת ויצא</h1> | ||
| − | <category>Religiosity | + | <category>Religiosity של האבות והאמהות |
| − | <p> Is it possible that not all our ancestors were pure monotheistic believers, and that for some, belief in one God was rather the result of a religious journey?  <a href="Rachel's Stealing of the Terafim" data-aht="page"> | + | <p> Is it possible that not all our ancestors were pure monotheistic believers, and that for some, belief in one God was rather the result of a religious journey?  <a href="Rachel's Stealing of the Terafim" data-aht="page">גניבת רחל את התרפים</a> raises this question for the reader who wonders why Rachel would have stolen her father's figurines. </p> |
<ul> | <ul> | ||
| − | <li>Did she do so for her own personal use, perhaps having inherited some of her father's idolatrous beliefs? Or did she steal them so as prevent Lavan from such worship?  If the latter, do the ends justify the means? Compare <multilink><a href="RashiBereshit31-19" data-aht="source"> | + | <li>Did she do so for her own personal use, perhaps having inherited some of her father's idolatrous beliefs? Or did she steal them so as prevent Lavan from such worship?  If the latter, do the ends justify the means? Compare <multilink><a href="RashiBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">רש״י</a><a href="RashiBereshit31-19" data-aht="source">בראשית ל״א:י״ט</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">אודות ר' שלמה יצחקי</a></multilink> ו<a href="IbnEzraBereshitThirdCommentary35-2-4" data-aht="source">אבן עזרא</a>.</li> |
| − | <li>Debate the two possibilities at your Shabbat table.  Are there any other incidents in the lives of the Avot which might lead one to question their level of religiosity?<fn> | + | <li>Debate the two possibilities at your Shabbat table.  Are there any other incidents in the lives of the Avot which might lead one to question their level of religiosity?<fn>ראו נדרו של יעקב לה' בבראשית כ"ח:כ'-כ"א ולשונו שם:  "וְהָיָה י"י לִי לֵאלֹהִים".  האם כוונתו היא שעד אז, ה' לא יהיה עבורו הא-להים?!  ראו <a href="http://mg.alhatorah.org/Bereshit/28#21">המפרשים על אתר</a>.  ראו גם בראשית ל"ה:ב', שם יעקב מצווה את משפחתו: "הָסִרוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר אֲשֶׁר בְּתֹכְכֶם".  למה יש למשפחתו אלילים שצריך להשמידם?</fn></li> |
</ul> | </ul> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
| − | <category> | + | <category>מסרים להווה או לעתיד? |
| − | <p>Commentators debate whether <a href="Yaakov's Dream" data-aht="page"> | + | <p>Commentators debate whether <a href="Yaakov's Dream" data-aht="page">חלום יעקב</a> held a message for him in the present (<a href="BemidbarRabbah4-1" data-aht="source">במדבר רבה</a>) or for the Nation of Israel in the future (<a href="TanchumaVayetze2" data-aht="source">תנחומא</a>).  A similar disagreement can be found with regards to the significance of <a href="Wrestling With Angels and Men" data-aht="page">מאבקו של יעקב</a> עם האיש/מלאך.</p> |
<p>Do you think it is possible that events that transpired in the Patriarch's lives could have held meaning only for future generations, or does everything in Torah need to have held some significance for its own time as well?  What would be the purpose of sharing with Yaakov a foreshadowing of events which were first to occur thousands of years after he died?</p> | <p>Do you think it is possible that events that transpired in the Patriarch's lives could have held meaning only for future generations, or does everything in Torah need to have held some significance for its own time as well?  What would be the purpose of sharing with Yaakov a foreshadowing of events which were first to occur thousands of years after he died?</p> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
<category>In-laws or Outlaws in Tanakh | <category>In-laws or Outlaws in Tanakh | ||
| − | <p>There are several stories in Tanakh which detail the relationship between a husband and his father-in-law.  These include the stories of Yaakov and Lavan, Moshe and Yitro,<fn> | + | <p>There are several stories in Tanakh which detail the relationship between a husband and his father-in-law.  These include the stories of Yaakov and Lavan, Moshe and Yitro,<fn>לא כל המפרשים סבורים שיתרו היה חותנו של משה, ויש הסבורים שהוא היה גיסו.  לסיכום וניתוח הדעות השונות, ראו <a href="Yitro – Names" data-aht="page">שמותיו של יתרו</a>.</fn> and David and Shaul.  A comparison of the narratives (ראו <a href="In-laws" data-aht="page">חתנים וחותנים בתנ"ך</a>) shows that while they all share certain features, only Moshe and Yitro enjoyed a positive relationship.</p> |
<ul> | <ul> | ||
<li>Was it inevitable that Yaakov and David would have problems with their in-laws? Was there tension from the beginning?  If not, what changed to cause the strife? How were Moshe and Yitro able to avoid the same pitfalls?</li> | <li>Was it inevitable that Yaakov and David would have problems with their in-laws? Was there tension from the beginning?  If not, what changed to cause the strife? How were Moshe and Yitro able to avoid the same pitfalls?</li> | ||
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</ul> | </ul> | ||
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| − | <category> | + | <category>בן כמה? |
<p>We often ignore the ages of characters in Tanakh, making assumptions based on the overall narrative rather than the given facts.  When reading closely, however, some of the ages, or unknowns, turn out to be quite surprising.  Challenge your Shabbat Table to think about the following:</p> | <p>We often ignore the ages of characters in Tanakh, making assumptions based on the overall narrative rather than the given facts.  When reading closely, however, some of the ages, or unknowns, turn out to be quite surprising.  Challenge your Shabbat Table to think about the following:</p> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
| − | <li>How far apart in age were the sons of Yaakov? Though one might think that Yosef was much younger than his older siblings, a simple reading of the verses suggests that Yaakov bore all of his first 12 children<fn> | + | <li>How far apart in age were the sons of Yaakov? Though one might think that Yosef was much younger than his older siblings, a simple reading of the verses suggests that Yaakov bore all of his first 12 children<fn>המספר כולל את דינה, אך לא את בנימין.</fn> in just 6 years!  Considering that seven were from Leah alone, how is this possible?</li> |
| − | <li>How old were Shimon and Levi when they massacred the population of Shekhem?   The verses would seem to suggest that they were at most 12 and 13!  Is this tenable?  For other possible ways of reading the siblings' ages and their ramifications, | + | <li>How old were Shimon and Levi when they massacred the population of Shekhem?   The verses would seem to suggest that they were at most 12 and 13!  Is this tenable?  For other possible ways of reading the siblings' ages and their ramifications, ראו <a href="The Births and Relative Ages of Yaakov's Children" data-aht="page">הכרונולוגיה של הולדת בני יעקב</a>.</li> |
</ul> | </ul> | ||
<p>Other stories outside of our parashah also raise age-related questions:</p> | <p>Other stories outside of our parashah also raise age-related questions:</p> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
| − | <li>How old was Avraham when he married Keturah?  Did he really remarry at the advanced age of (at least) 140, as the verses seem to suggest?  | + | <li>How old was Avraham when he married Keturah?  Did he really remarry at the advanced age of (at least) 140, as the verses seem to suggest?  ראו <a href="Avraham's Many Wives" data-aht="page">נשי אברהם</a>.</li> |
</ul> | </ul> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
| − | <li>How old were Kayin and Hevel at the time of Hevel's murder?  How old were Yaakov and Esav during the sale of the birthright, or Rivka at her marriage?  Was Yitzchak an adult or a child at the Akeidah? These ages are all unknown, but the various possibilities can greatly impact each story.  See how several artists render the characters in <a href="Kayin and Hevel in Art" data-aht="page"> | + | <li>How old were Kayin and Hevel at the time of Hevel's murder?  How old were Yaakov and Esav during the sale of the birthright, or Rivka at her marriage?  Was Yitzchak an adult or a child at the Akeidah? These ages are all unknown, but the various possibilities can greatly impact each story.  See how several artists render the characters in <a href="Kayin and Hevel in Art" data-aht="page">קין והבל באמנות</a>, <a href="Akeidat Yitzchak in Art" data-aht="page">עקידת יצחק באמנות</a>, <a href="Rivka at the Well in Art" data-aht="page">רבקה אצל הבאר באמנות</a>, ו<a href="Sale of the Birthright in Art" data-aht="page">מכירת הבכורה באמנות</a>.  לאחר מכן, השוו לדעות במפרשים הקלאסיים.</li> |
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<p>לעוד נושאים בפרשה, ראו: <a href="Parashat Vayetze/TopicList" data-aht="page">רשימת נושאים – פרשת ויצא</a>.</p> | <p>לעוד נושאים בפרשה, ראו: <a href="Parashat Vayetze/TopicList" data-aht="page">רשימת נושאים – פרשת ויצא</a>.</p> | ||
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Version as of 06:20, 24 July 2019
נושאים לשולחן שבת – פרשת ויצא
Religiosity של האבות והאמהות
Is it possible that not all our ancestors were pure monotheistic believers, and that for some, belief in one God was rather the result of a religious journey? גניבת רחל את התרפים raises this question for the reader who wonders why Rachel would have stolen her father's figurines.
- Did she do so for her own personal use, perhaps having inherited some of her father's idolatrous beliefs? Or did she steal them so as prevent Lavan from such worship? If the latter, do the ends justify the means? Compare רש״י ואבן עזרא.
- Debate the two possibilities at your Shabbat table. Are there any other incidents in the lives of the Avot which might lead one to question their level of religiosity?1
מסרים להווה או לעתיד?
Commentators debate whether חלום יעקב held a message for him in the present (במדבר רבה) or for the Nation of Israel in the future (תנחומא). A similar disagreement can be found with regards to the significance of מאבקו של יעקב עם האיש/מלאך.
Do you think it is possible that events that transpired in the Patriarch's lives could have held meaning only for future generations, or does everything in Torah need to have held some significance for its own time as well? What would be the purpose of sharing with Yaakov a foreshadowing of events which were first to occur thousands of years after he died?
In-laws or Outlaws in Tanakh
There are several stories in Tanakh which detail the relationship between a husband and his father-in-law. These include the stories of Yaakov and Lavan, Moshe and Yitro,2 and David and Shaul. A comparison of the narratives (ראו חתנים וחותנים בתנ"ך) shows that while they all share certain features, only Moshe and Yitro enjoyed a positive relationship.
- Was it inevitable that Yaakov and David would have problems with their in-laws? Was there tension from the beginning? If not, what changed to cause the strife? How were Moshe and Yitro able to avoid the same pitfalls?
- It is a stereotype that in-laws do not get along. What is it in the nature of such a relationship that often causes tension? Do you think that any of the standard sources of friction played a role in the episodes in Tanakh?
בן כמה?
We often ignore the ages of characters in Tanakh, making assumptions based on the overall narrative rather than the given facts. When reading closely, however, some of the ages, or unknowns, turn out to be quite surprising. Challenge your Shabbat Table to think about the following:
- How far apart in age were the sons of Yaakov? Though one might think that Yosef was much younger than his older siblings, a simple reading of the verses suggests that Yaakov bore all of his first 12 children3 in just 6 years! Considering that seven were from Leah alone, how is this possible?
- How old were Shimon and Levi when they massacred the population of Shekhem? The verses would seem to suggest that they were at most 12 and 13! Is this tenable? For other possible ways of reading the siblings' ages and their ramifications, ראו הכרונולוגיה של הולדת בני יעקב.
Other stories outside of our parashah also raise age-related questions:
- How old was Avraham when he married Keturah? Did he really remarry at the advanced age of (at least) 140, as the verses seem to suggest? ראו נשי אברהם.
- How old were Kayin and Hevel at the time of Hevel's murder? How old were Yaakov and Esav during the sale of the birthright, or Rivka at her marriage? Was Yitzchak an adult or a child at the Akeidah? These ages are all unknown, but the various possibilities can greatly impact each story. See how several artists render the characters in קין והבל באמנות, עקידת יצחק באמנות, רבקה אצל הבאר באמנות, ומכירת הבכורה באמנות. לאחר מכן, השוו לדעות במפרשים הקלאסיים.
עוד...
לעוד נושאים בפרשה, ראו: רשימת נושאים – פרשת ויצא.
