Edom
נמצאו 17 תוצאות חיפוש
The First Dream
Rabbi Yaakov MedanAccording to the conventional interpretation by the Sages, the Four Kingdoms refer to Babylon, Persia/Medes, Greece, and Rome. Later interpretations extend Rome into Christianity, while others combine Rome with Greece, allowing the fourth kingdom to be Yishma’el - Islam. These interpretations assume that the prophecy ends with a Jewish kingdom in the end of the days and therefore must span throughout human history. An alternative interpretation suggests that the four kingdoms are Babylon, Persia/Medes, Alexander the Great, and the Diadochi kingdom which comprises the Ptolemy and the Selucids, and the dream extends itself to the kingdom of the Hashmona’im. Many prophecies deviate from their initial intentions due to man’s deviation from God’s path, and are destined to be fulfilled in the future.
Ehud and Shamgar
Rabbi Michael HattinThe geographical context of the kingdoms to the East of the Jordan River is presented as the background to the heroics of Ehud ben Gera.
Shamgar ben Anat is described in one brief verse like Shimshon - a hero who fights the Philistines. A suggestion is raised that he is from the Tribe of Shimon. Did every tribe provide at least one judge? An attempt to reconcile a contradiction between the words of Rabbi Eliezer in the Talmud and the Yalkut Shimoni regarding this question is presented.
The War Against Moav
Rabbi Alex IsraelAmbivalence pervades this chapter. On the one hand, the united forces of Israel find themselves in the desert without water, an error interpreted as a sign of God's disfavor. On the other hand, water is provided miraculously. Israel receives a prophecy from Elisha that it will deal a crushing blow to Moav; ultimately Israel withdraws, resulting in an inconclusive end to the battle. Israel is commanded in the Torah not to be destructive to the land on a military conquest but here Elisha commands them to destroy. Is it possible that Meisha's human sacrifice turns the tide of the war or is he successful in destroying the alliance between Edom and Israel by killing Edom's heir to the throne? Is God with Israel or is He not? This chapter ends with many questions remaining.
The Book of Ovadya: Content and Meaning
Dr. Avigail Rockתאריך פרסום: תש"ע | |
Sefer Ovadya in its entirety is comprised of a prophecy directed at the nation of Edom, rebuking them for various offenses they had perpetrated against the Jewish nation during the destruction of the first Temple. Through a close reading of the book, as well as by referencing many other sources throughout the Tanach, we can appreciate how crucial this prophecy is for understanding the events that are to unfold in the future of the Jewish nation.
Chronology, Structure, and Two Judean Kings
Rabbi Alex IsraelIn many of the Elisha stories the king in the story is not identified. While many assume that the anonymous king is Yehoram, Ahav's son, because of the sequence of the chapters, the good relationship between Elisha and the king in some of the stories and the ease in which Aram lays seige to Shomron indicate that the kings in the story belong to Yehu's dynasty. Two possible explanations are offered as to the non-chronological order of the Elisha's stories.
Yehoram, King of Yehuda, strays from the path of Yehoshafat his father and adopts the path of the House of Ahav, of which his wife Atalya is a daughter. Besides the spiritual turmoil that his rule brings, Yehoram murders all of his brothers who he views as a threat to his rule and loses control over areas that have been under the rule of Yehuda since David's reign. How does Eliyahu send Yehoram a castigating letter long after his disappearance?
Amatzya and the War with Yoash
Rabbi Alex IsraelSefer Melakhim presents Amatzya as a King who is religiously devoted and successful in expanding his empire. His aggression towards Yisrael, possibly generated by overinflated hubris, lead to his demise. Divrei Ha-yamim detail the sources of political tension between the North and South, but it also presents two distinct stages of Amatzya's reign. Prior to the campaign against Edom, Amatzya obeys the prophet and acts faithfully to God; he demonstrates compassion (against his father's assassins) and seeks national unity. After the successful campaign in Edom, he worships idols, intimidates the prophet and resists his message, exhibits extreme cruelty to Edom, and engages in a bombastic war campaign. Divrei Ha-yamim offers a coherent rationale for Amatzya's downfall; his turn to idolatry and his direct challenge to God arouse God's punishment.
In some ways Amatzya recalls his father, Yoash of Yehuda, whose early life was marked by ardent devotion to God, but who altered radically in later life, rejecting the priesthood, turning to idolatry. Both kings disastrously mismanaged a war which resulted in Yerushalayim being penetrated by the enemy, and both kings were assassinated by political opponents.
God Gave the Land of Moav to the Moabites
Ramban on Parshat Devarim
Rabbi Ezra Bick | 37 דקותPerek Bet (Chapter Two) of the Book of Devarim starts with Moshe summarizing the voyages of Bnei Yisrael in the desert. As his narrative reaches the point where Bnei Yisrael come close to other nations who are blocking the way, some strange and seemingly contradictory phrases appear. At first it sounds like Bnei Yisrael turn away and avoid attack out of fear, and then the narrative states that they did not attack Moav or Edom because the Lands of Moav and Edom were designated as such by God. What is going on here? We turn to Ramban for insight into these passages.
Prophecies Concerning the Nations
Dr. Tova GanzelThe prevailing perception in the Ancient East was that kings were emissaries of the gods or even gods themselves, and that every nation had its own god that ensured its victor in war. The prophet counters this perception by gathering all the prophecies about the nations into a single collection. This emphasizes that God, Lord of the entire world, decides the fate of each and every nation.
These chapters in Yehezkel, unlike the prophecies addressed to other nations by other prophets, make scant mention of Israel’s redemption.
In Chapter 25, Yehezkel conveys brief prophecies concerning Ammon, Moav, Edom and the Pelishtim, each of which has a lengthy historical relationship with Israel. These prophecies share a uniform structure.
The transition between the first and second parts of the book is indirectly shown here through the content of the prophecy to Ammon, In response to their joy over the desecration of the Temple and the desolation of the land and the exile, Yehezkel prophesies their disappearance and annihilation.
God’s Eternal Preference for Israel over Edom
Dr. Tova GanzelAlthough it seems that this prophecy is directed to Edom, it is actually addressed to Israel. The shared historical background of the Israel and Edom, on one hand, and the habitation of the Edomites to the south of Yehuda, on the other, presented a religious challenge.
The nation’s fear that God preferred Esav prevailed until the beginning of the return to the land. Even after the Second Temple was built by the returnees, the status of the Edomites – the descendants of Esav – caused Am Yisrael to doubt their own status in God’s eyes. This seems to be an echo of the fear that the Divine choice of Yaakov over Esav is not an eternal choice but that God might change His mind. The impression arising from Yehezkel’s response is that the nation feels that perhaps now, following the destruction of the Temple, after it has been made clear that Am Yisrael did not uphold the covenant with God, God will continue His covenant with Avraham via the sons of Esav, rather than through the descendants of Yaakov.
The hostility between Israel and Edom throughout the generations grew even stronger during the years of Yehezkel’s prophecies, owing to the active participation of some Edomites in shedding the blood of Am Yisrael during the Destruction.
To alleviate the fear of the nation, Yehezkel prophesied the destruction and desolation of Edom as a punishment for their abuse of the remnant of Yehuda. The mountains of Israel will be rebuilt on the ruins of Mount Se’ir.
Yeshayahu 33-34 - Matan Al HaPerek
Rabbi David SabatoPerek 33 focuses on Assyria's campaign against Jerusalem, prophesying God's deliverance of Jerusalem and the destruction of Assyria, followed by the glory and moral purity of Jerusalem that would follow.
Perek 34 includes a prophecy of destruction of Edom, which is described as similar to that of Sodom.
A Midrashic Look at Esav and David
Rabbi David SilverbergThe Haftara of Vayishlach: Edom, Thieves and Vintagers
Rabbi David SilverbergGeneologies: Seir, Edom, and Amalek
Rabbi David SilverbergYosef's Dreams of Unity - Avoiding Edom's Fate
Rabbi David SilverbergEhud and Shamgar
Rabbi Michael HattinThe geographical context of the kingdoms to the East of the Jordan River is presented as the background to the heroics of Ehud ben Gera.
Shamgar ben Anat is described in one brief verse like Shimshon - a hero who fights the Philistines. A suggestion is raised that he is from the Tribe of Shimon. Did every tribe provide at least one judge? An attempt to reconcile a contradiction between the words of Rabbi Eliezer in the Talmud and the Yalkut Shimoni regarding this question is presented.
The Prophecies of Amos: Oracles against the Nations (continued)
07
Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalomתאריך פרסום: 5778 |
In this shiur, we will continue our study of Amos’s oracles against the nations. Last week, we surveyed the history of Aram in order to put the crime of which they are accused and the punishment designated for them into context. We will do much the same with the oracles against Philistia (“Peleshet”) and Phoenicia (“Tzor”). The rationale for studying these two together goes beyond convenience
and their juxtaposition in the text. It may well be that these two coastal nations – the only two to be accused of the crime of handing over war refugees – have more in common than alphabetical proximity.The Prophecies of Amos: Oracles against the Nations (continued)
Shiur #08
Rabbi Yitzchak EtshalomIn this lecture, we will continue our study of Amos’s oracles against the nations. In the previous chapter, we surveyed the histories of the coastal “interlopers,” the Phoenicians and the Philistines, in order to put their crimes and punishments in context. In this lecture, we will do the same with the oracle against Edom. The rationale for isolating Edom is its rich background vis-à-vis Israel, with which we will begin our survey. In addition, this oracle completes the first cycle of “long-long-short-short” speeches in Amos. Next week, we will turn to Ammon and Moav.