Avraham and Avimelekh

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1. Avraham and the Angels

   Rabbi Ezra Bick

   What is the significance of God's direct revelation to Avraham? And what is the significance of the revelation of angels? What was the change Avraham underwent after the Covenant of Circumcision? How is this change reflected in the subsequent stories?

2. God's Revelation to Avraham

   Rabbi Zeev Weitman

   What is the purpose of God's revelation to Avraham in the beginning of Parashat Vaera? What is the relationship between this revelation and the Covenant of Circumcision? What does Sara's laughter express, and why is she criticized for her laughter? And what is the significance of Avraham's prayer for Sodom?

3. From Lekh Lekha Me-artzekcha to Lekh Lekha El Ha-makom- A Dynasty Born of Faith

   Rabbi Reuven Taragin

   By closely examining Avraham's life story from Lekh Lekha until the Akeida we can notice that while Avraham's first tests challenged him to part with the past or present in light of his future; his last test forced him to part with that future as well. His willingness to complete the task proved him to be one singularly focused on the service of God and the glorification of His name.

4. Why was Avraham Offered Gifts?

   Rabbi David Silverberg

5. Avraham's Mission

   Rabbi Shalom Berger

   We find a "correction" in Vayera of several problematic episodes in Lekh Lekha.

   The "atonement" is the acceptance that it is God who is in charge, and that it is God's promises and covenants that are eternal and are to be relied upon. God's promise of a permanent relationship with Avraham's descendants in the land that He promised can only be realized when Avraham (and his descendants) recognize their responsibility and obligation to His covenants.

   The blessings of the nations are dependent on Avraham and his descendants taking their rightful place in the world. Avraham must recognize his place and the place of his family in the land, and he must teach them of the covenants - the personal and national britot with God - through which God can keep His promises to Avraham's descendants; thus, he will offer blessings to all of the nations of the world.

6. Why Would Anyone Stop Up Wells?

   Rabbi David Silverberg

7. Why Avimelekh Changed his Attitude toward Yitzhak

   Rabbi David Silverberg

8. Yitzhak's and Avraham's Agreements with Avimelekh

   Rabbi David Silverberg

9. Avimelekh's Self-Righteousness

   Rabbi David Silverberg

10. The Finances of the Forefathers - Part 3

    Rabbi Yaakov Beasley

    We have been analyzing the specific role money performs in Avraham’s narrative. This shiur will focus on how that pertains to the last few stories of Avraham's life.

    Without wealth, Avraham’s mission to spread his unique moral brand of monotheism in the world would have gone unnoticed.  Ultimately, through his wealth and prestige, Avraham is able to not only attract the world’s attention, but also ensure the survival and continuity of his own unique mission.

11. Nehemya Wards Off his Enemies

    Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky

    Prophecy is on the wane. In this transitional moment, the book of Nehemya invokes the term “navi” in both ambiguous and shifting ways. Prophecy still exists, but it casts a far shorter shadow than in earlier ages.

    During the time of the patriarchs and Moshe, prophecy certainly existed. Indeed, Moshe himself was the greatest of prophets. Nonetheless, Moshe’s primary mode of leadership was not necessarily exercised in the way of the later prophets. The same may be said of the patriarchs. Similarly, as the Biblical period ebbs away, prophecy continues to exist, but no longer represents a major mode of Jewish leadership. It is appropriate, therefore, that just as the earliest usages of navi are unclear, so too in Ezra-Nehemya, we find ambiguous usages of the word that gradually transition away from prophecy.

    While divine reward and punishment still figure heavily in Ezra-Nehemya, Sanbalat and Tovia’s concern for tarnishing Nehemya’s reputation has a strikingly modern ring to it; they wished to embroil him in scandal. As before, here too we find evidence that the transition to a post-prophetic period is well underway.

12. Rashbam

    Part 1

    Dr. Avigail Rock

    Rashbam displays a great deal of respect towards his grandfather, Rashi, having learnt a great deal from him, but this does not prevent him from arguing on his views. The Rashbam’s commentaries are original and creative; his avoidance of Midrashic material allows him to look at the verse in an innovative, direct way.

    The nature of Rashbam’s commentary makes the following assumptions:

    • The commentaries prior to him, including his grandfather Rashi, might have thought that they were explaining the verses in accordance with the peshat, their commentaries do not express the simple meaning of the verse.
    • The “enlightened” are those who study Tanakh without relying on any Midrashic material.
    • The Rashbam’s pursuit of pure peshat does not take away from his regard for the Sages’ traditions, which are reliable and valid. The data derived from the derash is more important than the data derived from peshat.
    • Nonetheless, the peshat maintains an independent significance.
    • Both the Peshat and the Derash are true readings of the Torah.

    The principles of Peshat according to Rashbam include:

    • Taking into account common sense, logic and nature.
    • A verse must be understood as part of the general context in which it is placed and as being integrated in the sequence of verses in which it is found.
    • The peshat of Tanakh should be understood on its own, without consulting any external information; all data must be either explicit in the text or implicit in human logic or accepted practice.

    Rashbam’s Rules for Understanding the Biblical Lexicon include:

    • Synonyms are used in juxtaposition to each other without alluding to a different meaning to each word.
    • When the Torah introduces a passage with “And it was at that time,” it is an expression which comes to tell us that this event is closely tied to the previous event.

13. Vayera: Knowledge and Recognition

    Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky

14. VaYerah: The Man of Prayer

    Rabbi Jay Kelman

15. Parshat Vayera Part 4: Gerar

    Rabbi Alex Israel | 27 minutes

    What is the nature of the occurrence in Gerar? Was Avimelech evil or righteous? Through a close examination of the text we can gain a deeper understanding of this episode.  

    Courtesy of www.tanachstudy.com

16. The Three Stories of the Matriarchs Taken to the King

    Rabbi Gad Eldad

    In Parashat Toldot, we encounter for the third time one of the patriarchs wishing to settle in a new place - where he introduces his wife as his sister, but the king finds out and confronts him. The first and second stories involve Avraham. The second and third stories both take place in Gerar. From this perspective, the middle story is the link that connects all three stories, and it is indeed the most detailed of them.

    Why did Avraham use the "sister-wife" subterfuge a second time, even though it did not work in Egypt? Was he in the wrong? Was Avimelekh innocent? What is his true character? And why is the plague on his house mentioned only at the very end? Did Avimelekh's full obedience to God's command  stem from genuine integrity and morality, or from coercion?

     

17. Parshat Vayera Part 5: Expulsion of Yishmael

    Rabbi Alex Israel | 32 minutes

    Perek 21 describes the birth of Yitzchak and the banishment of Yishmael, solidifying Yitzchak’s status as Avraham’s heir. This podcast discusses the nature of this decision and its implications for future generations. 

    Courtesy of www.tanachstudy.com

18. Parshat Vayera - Avimelekh and the Second Sister-Wife Story

    Rabbi Chanoch Waxman | 35 minutes

    We will discuss a story that strikes the reader as very familiar - the "second sister-wife" story, wherein Sarah is takein to the house of Avimelekh, paralleling Avraham’s sojourn in Egypt. The language of the stories is eerily familiar. We will outline the less-obvious connection between the two stories – Divine intervention puts a stop to impending disaster.

    What is the point of having these repetitive parallel stories? why does Divine Providence arrange that the same things happen to Avraham over and over? What are we supposed to learn from these repetitions? We compare and contrast the stories and find a striking difference. What can we make of the crucial difference at the ends of the two stories?

    We consider the context of the two stories, and look at them again in the light of seeing Avraham's hospitality as a counterweight to Sedom.