Promise to the Forefathers

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  1. The Covenant of Love between God and Israel (Audio)

    Prof. Jonathan Grossman | 14 minutes

    This shiur discusses the nature of the covenant as expressed in Parashat Eikev. What is the meaning behind the aparent emphasis of the  juxtaposition of the wicked and idolatrous nations and the promise to the forefathers?

  2. Ramban on Toldot: Did the Avot Keep the Torah?

    Rabbi Ezra Bick | 32 minutes

    God promises to Yitzhak and give the Land to his descendants because Avraham kept God's commandments. - The Torah does not use only one word, but rather says that Avraham kept God's "mishmeret", "mitzvot", "chukim", and "torot." What does all this mean? Some commentators explain that the forefathers kept the entire Torah before it was given, but Ramban points out various actions of the forefathers which would have violated some commandments in the Torah. Ramban explains that they kept the entire Torah, but only in the Land of Israel, where there is intrinsic value in keeping the mitzvot even when they are not yet officially binding commandments.

  3. Two Promises: One Fulfilled, One Not Yet Fulfilled (6:3)

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    Endless commentaries have attempted to explain the verse “And I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak and to Yaakov as Kel-Shakkai, but My name YKVK I did not make known to them.", but its mystery has not yet been solved. A "simple" reading would seem to suggest that this Divine statement reveals some of God's different names, with a distinction being made between two periods: to the forefathers God revealed Himself by the name "Kel-Shakkai," but He was not known to them as YKVK. Now, on the other hand, with the time drawing close for redemption, God reveals Himself to Moshe with this latter name – as we see at the beginning of the utterance, in verse 2: "I am YKVK."

    This explanation presents a great difficulty: the name YKVK (the "Tetragrammaton,") appears more than a hundred times in Sefer Bereishit, The name is used not only in the narrative, but also in the language of various speakers – including God's own utterances to both Avraham and Yaakov. 

    A close analysis of the text leads to the understading that there is a connection between each of these names and the nature of the promise that is associated specifically with that name. What God promised to the forefathers when He appeared to them as Kel-Shakkai – that He would multiply their seed greatly – He has already fulfilled; what remains now to be fulfilled is the other aspect of the promise to the forefathers, and the fulfillment of that aspect – the promise of the land – is the main subject of the rest of the speech.

  4. Ki Tavo: How to Take Your Place in Jewish History - Part 2

    Rabbi David Fohrman |

    In this video, Rabbi Fohrman suggests that the pauses in the farmer’s speech are ways for him to show that he understands his place in the larger framework of Jewish history, and the promise that began back with our forefathers and came to fruition with him.

     

     
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