Difference between revisions of "Battle of the Kings – Purpose of the Story/2"
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− | <category name=""> <opinion name="">Avraham's Character | + | <category name=""> |
+ | <opinion name="">Avraham's Character | ||
+ | <p>The story highlights how Avraham was unique not only in his monotheistic beliefs but also in his other attributes. The Torah's inclusion of the episode helps the reader better appreciate Avraham's greatness and presents his behavior as a model to emulate.</p> | ||
+ | <mekorot><multilink><a href="RadakBereshit14-1" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakBereshit14-1" data-aht="source">Bereshit 14:1</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RBachyaBereshit14-1" data-aht="source">R. Bachya</a><a href="RBachyaBereshit14-1" data-aht="source">Bereshit 14:1</a><a href="R. Bachya b. Asher" data-aht="parshan">About R. Bachya b. Asher</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RalbagBereshit14Toalot2-9" data-aht="source">Ralbag</a><a href="RalbagBereshit14Toalot2-9" data-aht="source">Bereshit 14 Toalot 2-9</a><a href="R. Levi b. Gershon (Ralbag)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Levi b. Gershon</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="AbarbanelBereshit14" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="AbarbanelBereshit12Question16" data-aht="source">Bereshit 12 Question 16</a><a href="AbarbanelBereshit14" data-aht="source">Bereshit 14</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RDZHoffmannBereshit14" data-aht="source">R. D"Z Hoffmann</a><a href="RDZHoffmannBereshit14" data-aht="source">Bereshit 14</a><a href="R. David Zvi Hoffmann" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Zvi Hoffmann</a></multilink></mekorot> | ||
+ | <point><b>What qualities?</b> These commentators differ regarding which specific characteristics of Avraham the chapter highlights: | ||
+ | <ul> | ||
+ | <li><b>Military Might</b> – According to R. Bachya and Abarbanel, Avraham's victory over the kings revealed both his bravery and his capabilities as a military strategist and warrior.<fn>Ralbag adds that it also teaches the reader more specific lessons in conducting a war. One should learn from Avraham who only took "חֲנִיכָיו יְלִידֵי בֵיתוֹ" to battle that only those who have been personally trained and gained confidence in warfare should go to fight. Moreover, one should do one's utmost to minimize the dangers of battle, learning from Avraham who decided to attack at night when the enemy would be less aware. R. D"Z Hoffmann, though, claims that this alone could not possibly be the story's purpose, as the Torah does not come to glorify its heroes as mighty warriors: "גיבורי התנ"ך 'גיבורי כח עושי דברו' הם ולא גיבורי מלאכת המלחמה".</fn></li> | ||
+ | <li><b>Loyalty</b> – Alternatively, Radak, Ralbag, Abarbanel, and R. D"Z Hoffmann assert that the story teaches the importance of enduring loyalty to one's family.  Avraham was willing to risk his own life in order to rescue his nephew, even though Lot had taken up company with evil people.</li> | ||
+ | <li><b>Selflessness</b> – Ralbag, Abarbanel, and R. D"Z Hoffmann point to Avraham's refusal to benefit from the spoils of battle as evidence of both his generosity and recognition that all belongs to Hashem. Avraham's conduct stands out, particularly in light of the norms of the Ancient Near East in which the victor took the spoils of battle.<fn>Avraham alone recognized that the real victor is Hashem.</fn></li> | ||
+ | </ul></point> | ||
+ | <point><b>Biblical parallels</b> – Throughout their commentaries, both Radak and Ralbag consistently point to the lessons the reader is meant to learn from the conduct of Biblical heroes.  Thus, for instance, both note Avraham's desire to preserve peace in the home ("שלום בית") in Bereshit 17 and his hospitality in Bereshit 18.</point> | ||
+ | <point><b>Extraneous details</b> – This position does not account for why the Torah needed to go in to elaborate detail regarding the Refaim, Zuzim, and other nations conquered by the four kings.</point> | ||
</opinion> | </opinion> | ||
+ | |||
<opinion name="">Hashem's Promises | <opinion name="">Hashem's Promises | ||
<p>Avraham's victory over the kings constituted a preliminary conquest of Canaan and its neighboring lands and was the beginning of the actualization of Hashem's promises to Avraham. The story is not out of place at all, but rather is integrally connected to the Divine covenants and assurances of the surrounding chapters.</p> | <p>Avraham's victory over the kings constituted a preliminary conquest of Canaan and its neighboring lands and was the beginning of the actualization of Hashem's promises to Avraham. The story is not out of place at all, but rather is integrally connected to the Divine covenants and assurances of the surrounding chapters.</p> |
Version as of 03:08, 31 October 2014
Battle of the Kings – Purpose of the Story
Exegetical Approaches
Overview
In attempting to understand the reasons for the Torah's inclusion the episode of the Battle of the Kings, some commentators focus on its relationship to the surrounding Avraham narratives, while others look to its relevance to the broader history of Israel. Thus, Radak and others suggest that the story serves to fill in the portrait of Avraham, highlighting his various qualities that emerge from the story, from selflessness to military prowess. Cassuto similarly connects the account to the other Avraham narratives, viewing it as the beginning of the realization of the Divine promises to Avraham.
In contrast, Ramban suggests that the narrative's significance is in its foreshadowing of future history, Israel's ultimate victory over the four kingdoms that will rule over it. Finally, R. Hirsch asserts that the story comes to emphasize the eternal vulnerability of the land of Israel and its people.
Avraham's Character
The story highlights how Avraham was unique not only in his monotheistic beliefs but also in his other attributes. The Torah's inclusion of the episode helps the reader better appreciate Avraham's greatness and presents his behavior as a model to emulate.
- Military Might – According to R. Bachya and Abarbanel, Avraham's victory over the kings revealed both his bravery and his capabilities as a military strategist and warrior.1
- Loyalty – Alternatively, Radak, Ralbag, Abarbanel, and R. D"Z Hoffmann assert that the story teaches the importance of enduring loyalty to one's family. Avraham was willing to risk his own life in order to rescue his nephew, even though Lot had taken up company with evil people.
- Selflessness – Ralbag, Abarbanel, and R. D"Z Hoffmann point to Avraham's refusal to benefit from the spoils of battle as evidence of both his generosity and recognition that all belongs to Hashem. Avraham's conduct stands out, particularly in light of the norms of the Ancient Near East in which the victor took the spoils of battle.2
Hashem's Promises
Avraham's victory over the kings constituted a preliminary conquest of Canaan and its neighboring lands and was the beginning of the actualization of Hashem's promises to Avraham. The story is not out of place at all, but rather is integrally connected to the Divine covenants and assurances of the surrounding chapters.
- The Children of Israel – R. Hirsch and Cassuto claim that since the four kings had conquered the entire region, when Avraham vanquished them and chased them all the way to Damascus,3 he effectively gained control over the entire land of Canaan. This action thus staked out the Israelites' future claims to the land.
- Ammon, Moav, and Seir – The Ma'asei Hashem and Cassuto note that Avraham gained rights also to the lands east of the Jordan which were to go to his other descendants and relatives, the progeny of Lot and Esav. In conquering the four kings, Avraham inherited all that they had previously conquered, including the lands of the Refaim, Zuzim, Eimim, and Hori. Thus, the story provides the background for how Avraham's family (other than Yaakov's descendants) became sovereign over the entire region.
Forecasting Future History
Israel's Ultimate Triumph
Avraham's triumph over the four kings foreshadows Israel's future prevailing over the four major kingdoms: Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The import of the episode, thus, lies in its impact on the future of the Israelite nation rather than its contribution to the portrait of Avraham.
Israel's Vulnerability of Israel
The episode serves to highlight the precarious placement of Israel amongst the nations.