Because Avraham Kept the Covenant - Yitzhak Inherits?

Famine strikes the land of Canaan. Isaac heads south towards Egypt, as his father had done in a similar situation. Before Isaac leaves the land, however, God reveals himself to him and commands him not to leave. At this moment, God addresses Isaac, renewing and expanding the covenant that had previously existed with Abraham. After promising that he and his offspring would inherit the land, He explains that it is because Abraham had succeeded in maintaining his end of the covenant. The verse tells us: "Ekev (since) Avraham hearkened to my voice, and kept my ordinations, commandments, laws and teachings" (26:5). There are two points worthy of discussion on this verse.

The first question is on a theological level. Why is it that because of Avraham's awareness of God and his ensuing acts, the covenant should be extended to Isaac? Certainly one can answer that God had indeed promised not just to Avraham but to his offspring. Likewise, one can claim that because God loved Avraham, He decides to extend that love to further generations. These answers would explain why God continues the covenant, but not why God renews the covenant, creating a fresh covenant with Isaac. Perhaps the answer lies in the words of the reason to renew the covenant: due to Avraham's deeds, the covenant will be renewed. Maybe we can suggest that God is telling Isaac: If you continue the deeds of your father, then the covenant will be renewed through you.

The second question is: what are these deeds (i.e. ordinations, commandments, laws and teachings) which are listed in a vague manner? Rashi, based on Chazal's premise that Avraham kept the entire Torah, explains that each word represents categories of the 613 mitzvot contained in the Torah and that Avraham indeed fulfilled the commandments.

Rashbam, clearly disturbed by the assumption that Avraham could have observed commandments not yet given, suggests an answer according to the more straightforward understanding of the text. He claims that some of the terms refer to actual deeds that we find in Avraham's life. Other terms, for Rashbam, are not Torah commandments, as we see them but rather concepts and laws of society which we could say are based on morality: theft, adultery, civil justice, and acts of kindness. He notes that these were all practiced before Sinai and were merely concretized as a national covenant with Israel at Sinai.

Rashbam is teaching us that these deeds contain values and principals of life that relate to the morality and functioning of humanity, and that these precede the Torah. Indeed, these are principals that later become aspects of our divine Torah. Before the Torah, however, these are the deeds that created a society. Avraham succeeded in discovering, even creating a new world following his sense of a divine morality. It was now left to Isaac, to continue this society and develop it further, based on an inner sense of divine morality and social justice.

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Why did Rivka's Family Waver?

Parashat Chayei-Sara tells of Avraham’s servant’s experiences as he set out to find a suitable bride for Yitzchak. The servant invokes God’s assistance, asking that the girl destined to marry Yitzchak appear at the well outside the city and offer to provide water for both the servant and his camels. Sure enough, Rivka, the daughter of Yitzchak’s cousin, Betuel, appears at the well, and when the servant asks for water, she draws even for his camels. When the servant tells of his experiences to Rivka’s family, they enthusiastically acknowledge God’s hand in arranging the match, and agree to allow Rivka to marry Yitzchak: “The matter has resulted from the Lord; we can speak to you neither good nor evil. Here is Rivka before you – take [her] and go forth” (24:50-51).

Surprisingly, however, their enthusiasm rapidly wanes and gives way to ambivalence. The very next morning, the servant expresses his wish to return to Avraham with the bride, but the family asks that he delay his trip and remain with them for some time (24:55). The servant insists that he return immediately, noting that God’s assistance has accompanied him to this point and he did not wish to risk losing it. The family asks Rivka for her opinion, and she decides to leave that day with the servant.

The question naturally arises as to the reason for the sudden change of heart. If the family had so emphatically approved of the match, why did they then want Rivka to remain with them?

Chizkuni offers a halakhic explanation of the family’s conduct, noting the ruling of the Mishna at the beginning of Masekhet Ketubot. The Mishna there establishes that after a woman is betrothed for the first time (as opposed to a widow or divorcee), she is given twelve months to prepare herself for her wedding. On this basis, Chizkuni suggests that the family had misunderstood the servant’s precise role in this process. They had initially thought that the servant was merely bringing the bride to Canaan, where Yitzchak would betroth her and then marry her twelve months later. However, they saw that the servant actually betrothed Rivka, acting as Yitzhak’s agent. Hence, they felt she was to be given another twelve months before leaving to marry her groom. (The Radak explains similarly.)

However, even if we accept the premise that the ruling of the Mishna in Ketubot was binding in ancient times, this explanation seems difficult in light of the fact that Avraham’s servant insisted that Rivka be brought to Canaan immediately. If she was to be given twelve months to prepare, the servant should have, presumably, granted the family’s wishes without insisting on bringing her without delay.

The Alshich explains differently, finding the answer in the Torah’s description of the gifts granted by the servant after receiving the family’s approval. The Torah relates that the servant showered Rivka with gifts of gold and silver, whereas he gave “migdanot” – generally interpreted to mean fruit – to the family (24:53). The Alshich asserts that Rivka’s family gave their emphatic approval because they anticipated considerable financial benefits in exchange for Rivka’s hand in marriage. Once they saw that Avraham’s wealth would be shared with Rivka, but not with them, they lost interest in the match and attempted to delay the servant.

The Alshich’s approach conveys an important lesson about sincerity. Rivka’s family spoke very “religiously” in response to the servant – “The matter has resulted from the Lord.” They responded in lofty, spiritual terms and spoke of how the match was ordained in the heavens and was thus beyond their control. In truth, however, their approval had nothing at all to do with God and His predetermination of marriages. Rather, it had to do with an age-old human vice – greed.

It is easy to speak the language of religion, to sound spiritual and idealistic, but often such speech serves to conceal vested self-serving interests. We must carefully examine ourselves to determine that our hearts and mouths are in sync, and that we not only sound religiously committed, but feel and act with genuine religious commitment.

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Sometimes it's Not Worth Fighting: Avraham and Ephron

The opening section of Parashat Chayei-Sara tells of Avraham’s purchase of a parcel of land from Efron, a member of the Chittite tribe in Chevron, as a burial site after the death of his wife, Sara. Efron offers the land Avraham requests free of charge, saying, “What is a 400-shekel land between us? Bury your dead!” (23:15).

While the plain meaning of the verse is that Efron offers to give the field to Avraham as a gift, as Rashi and others explain, Chazal understood that Efron was in fact asking – or even demanding – the exorbitant price of 400 silver coins (see the sources cited by Torah Sheleima to this verse, #72). The textual basis for this interpretation is the very next verse, which tells, “Avraham listened to Efron, and Avraham paid Efron the money which he mentioned…” Here we read that Avraham “listened to Efron” (“va-yishma Avraham le-Efron”), which suggests that he granted Efron’s request. This must mean that Efron had requested four hundred silver coins, and thus Chazal understood that although Efron sounded as though he was offering the land free of charge, he was, in fact, stating a price for the sale. The Midrash (Tanchuma, Re’ei 10) says about Efron, “hikhnis ayin tzara be-mammono” – he greedily sought to capitalize on Avraham’s wealth by asking an exorbitant price for the land he wanted.

Avraham’s response becomes especially meaningful in light of Chazal’s harshly critical view of Efron. According to the Midrash, Efron acted with pure greed, as he was well aware of Avraham’s wealth and decided to take advantage of his need for a burial site by asking a high price. Yet, in response to Efron’s avarice, “va-yishma Avraham le-Efron” – Avraham simply accepted the offer, rather than argue or haggle.

Generally, when we feel we are being taken advantage of, our instinctive reaction is to resist and stand our ground. But while in many situations this is certainly appropriate and even necessary, Avraham’s exchange with Efron teaches us that sometimes we are best advised to simply say “ok” and move on.

Not every fight that could be waged is worth waging. Avraham, it seems, assessed his situation and determined that his wisest course of action was simply to pay the full price without further delay. We can consider several different reasons why – perhaps Avraham did not want to further delay Sara’s burial, or he wanted to firmly establish his sterling reputation of integrity and kindness – but regardless, his immediate acquiescence to Efron’s demands is noteworthy and teaches an important lesson. Before instinctively arguing, we need to carefully consider whether the argument indeed serves our best interests, or whether we are better served by acquiescing.

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Avraham's Epilogue - Devotion to Family

Parashat Chayei-Sara is the third and final parasha that tells of the life of Avraham, but both in content and from the standpoint of literary structure, it is distinct and stands apart. The story of Avraham’s life is bookended by two commands of “lekh-lekha” – the command to leave his home and relocate in Canaan, which appears at the beginning of Parashat Lekh-Lekha, and the command to “go forth” to Mount Moriah for the akeida, the section which concludes Parashat Vayera. In between, we read of Avraham’s experiences as he forged a special covenant with God, which began being fulfilled when he obtained great wealth, achieved prominence, earned special divine protection from adversaries, and, finally, when he begot a son. The story of Avraham could have, at first glance, ended after the akeida, which is commonly seen as the last of his “tests” and marks the last time God spoke to him.

But the Torah then “appends” Parashat Chayei-Sara, where we read of Avraham the individual, as opposed to Avraham the patriarch and covenantal partner of God. In this parasha, Avraham does not receive prophecies from God, erect altars for “calling out in the Name of the Lord,” wage wars, struggle with the powerful rulers in Canaan, or host angels. In Parashat Chayei-Sara, Avraham tends to his family, ensuring a proper and respectful burial for his wife, finding a wife for his son, and then remarrying and having more children who from the outset were not destined to have any part in his covenant with God. We might say that this parasha portrays Avraham as an “ordinary” person. Certainly, there is much to learn from his words and actions even in “ordinary” life, but the persona developed in Parashat Chayei-Sara is that of a husband and father, not a man who changed history.

And this might precisely be the reason why this “addendum” was necessary. The Torah perhaps seeks to warn us not to think that the life of Avraham is only about Lekh-Lekha and Vayera, about history making, prophecy, angelic encounters, supernatural protection and miraculous military triumphs. Avraham’s life was also about family, the so-called “simple things,” the private enterprises of caring for a wife and children.

Rashi, commenting on the beginning of the parasha, cites the Midrash’s famous comment that Sara died as a result of hearing of the akeida, and thus Avraham returned home from Moriah to find his wife dead. Symbolically, and in a strikingly dramatic and even distressing way, the Midrash here expresses the reality of life that public life takes its toll on one’s family. While Avraham was “making history” atop Mount Moriah, providing merit for his descendants to this day and beyond, his wife back home died. Avraham did exactly what he had to do, but no person – even somebody as great as Avraham – could be in two places at once. Climbing to Mount Moriah, being an Avraham Avinu, exacts a price on family.

But in Parashat Chayei-Sara, we are shown that Avraham worked to minimize this sacrifice, to care for his family alongside his achievements as founder of Am Yisrael. While some sacrifice is inevitable, it does not have to be crippling. And thus Parashat Chayei-Sara teaches that Avraham our patriarch was also Avraham the husband and father, that spiritual greatness includes commitment to one’s basic, fundamental duties to his family.

(Based on a sicha by Rav Moshe Taragin)

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Avraham's Purchase of the Cave of Makhpela: No Cutting Corners

The opening section of Parashat Chayei-Sara tells of Avraham’s purchase of the Makhpela cave and the surrounding area from Efron, a member of the Chiti tribe. There are two obvious aspects of this section that call to our attention. First, although the Chitites explicitly grant Avraham permission to bury his deceased wife anywhere he liked, and even after Efron offers him ownership over the Makhpela field free of charge, Avraham still insists on paying full price for the property. He refuses to accept a gift of land, and does not bury Sara until after the money is transferred and a legal acquisition is made.

A second prominent feature of this story is the publicity of the affair. The Torah emphasizes several times that the acquisition was made publicly, in full view of the Chiti tribe, and, curiously, Avraham asks the tribesmen to approach Efron on his behalf to request the purchase, rather than approaching Efron privately. Avraham appears to have afforded great importance to the public demonstration of his legal purchase of this territory.

Rav Reuven Bulka, in his Torah Therapy (p. 14), suggests that these aspects of the story are intended to convey a vital lesson relevant to Avraham’s descendants and their status as God’s special people:

Avraham wanted to show the people of his generation, and by so doing the people of all generations, that you do not use the word of God as a wedge and a weapon with which to bully people. God’s promise does not give carte-blanche to take advantage of others – to hide behind the divine word and impose God’s will. God can take care of the fulfillment of the promise more than adequately. The human responsibility, having been blessed with a godly promise, is to behave in a godly, exemplary fashion, so that people will see it, admire it, and come closer to such a conception of God.

Avraham’s handling of the situation demonstrates that he did not understand God’s promise as granting him special privileges. Our unique relationship with the Almighty gives us not entitlements, but rather responsibilities. It requires us to go to extra lengths to ensure we conduct ourselves ethically, rather than entitling us to shortcuts and special dispensations.

Despite having received God’s promise that his progeny would inherit the land, Avraham did not cut any corners in securing a burial plot. He insisted on following the same legal procedures followed by all other people, to show that God’s special relationship imposes additional demands and responsibilities, rather than entitling us to shortcuts. We must not utilize our covenant with God as a free pass excusing us from the accepted norms and protocols of civilized, ethical living. It must instead drive us to pursue higher standards, without any sense of privilege or entitlement.

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Rivka at the Well: Patient Kindness

We read in Parashat Chayei-Sara of Avraham’s servant’s experiences at the well outside Aram Naharayim, where he had gone in search of a suitable bride for Rivka. Upon arriving at the well, the servant prays to the Almighty to ensure that the girl who offers to draw water for his camels, after he requests only water for himself, should be suitable for marrying Yitzchak. His prayers are answered, and Rivka, Avraham’s great-niece and a worthy match for Yitzchak, arrives and graciously offers water to the servant and his camels.

A careful reading of this narrative reveals a slight but perhaps significant discrepancy between the servant’s expectations and Rivka’s actual response. The servant envisioned a girl who would respond to his request for water by saying, “Drink, and I will give [water] for your camels to drink, as well” (24:14). This was not, however, Rivka’s response to the servant. Upon hearing his request for water, Rivka simply said, “Drink, my master” (24:18), and proceeded to give him water from her pitcher. It was only after he finished drinking that she then said, “I shall also draw for your camels, until they have drunk their fill” (24:19). Whereas the servant anticipated that the girl would immediately offer water for both himself and his camels, Rivka first agreed to give him water, and only then extended the offer to draw water for his camels.

What might be the significance of this distinction, between an immediate offer to draw water for the camels, and delaying that offer until after the servant finished drinking?

The servant, perhaps, anticipated a young woman bursting with enthusiastic generosity and a willingness to help others, a person who would instantaneously, almost by instinct, agree to draw water for both him and his camels. Her quality of kindness and desire to do favors would cause the words, “Drink, and I will give [water] for your camels to drink, as well” to roll from her lips the moment she hears of a foreigner who just arrived at the well after a long journey.

Rivka, however, was more patient and conservative in her kindness. She adopted a “first things first” approach, ensuring to first complete the more immediate, pressing need before setting her sights upon more ambitious goals. The servant asked her for a favor, and she responded by fulfilling his request. Only once that relatively simple, straightforward favor was complete did she proceed to the next level of drawing water for ten thirsty camels. First she did an ordinary favor, and only then did she proceed to the extraordinary favor.

Rivka’s conduct perhaps teaches the importance of careful calculation and patience even in the area of chesed. It is tempting for good, well-meaning people to respond on impulse to requests for help, or to situations where help is needed, and to offer extraordinary favors, making overambitious commitments before realizing all that is entailed.

Rivka shows us the example of making conservative, moderate commitments before proceeding to more ambitious undertakings. Chesed is often more effective and successful when conducted in a calculated, step-by-step manner, as opposed to a mindless, instinctive rush of goodwill, sincere as it may be. We should first “give water to the servant,” fulfilling the most basic, pressing needs of the people around us, before “drawing water for the camels” and making extraordinary, ambitious commitments.

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מילים כקרבנות

לנותרים בארץ (לעיל פרק י"א), השמיע הושע את קריאתו האחרונה, המפתיעה (י"ד, ב-ד) –

שוּבה ישראל עד ה' א-להיך,
כי כָשַלתָ (=חרבה שומרון) בַּעֲוֹנֶךָ;
קְחוּ עמכם דברים,
ושוּבוּ אל ה' – אִמְרוּ אליו:
כל תִשָׂא עָוֹן (=כל עוון תסלח),
וקח (מעשה) טוב,
וּנְשַלְמה פָרים שְׂפָתֵינוּ (=בווידוי ותשובה בפה);

'מקדש' כבר לא היה, ולא ממלכה, לא פוליטיקה ולא קרבנות, והנביא ציין זאת דווקא כתיקון לחטאי הממלכה (אשור ומצרים), ול'מקדשי' העגלים –

אשר (רק) בך (=ה') יְרֻחַם (דור) יָתוֹם (ד).

הנה כבר בחורבן שומרון, כ-800 שנה לפני 'יבנה וחכמיה', הציבה הנבואה מפי הושע לא רק את העדפת החסד על הזבח (לעיל ה', ו), אלא גם תחליף לקרבנות בהיעדר מקדש – בתפילה, בדברים ובווידוי. ואז באה תשובת ה' כמענה של אהבה לתשובת ישראל (י"ד, ה-ט):

"אֶרְפָּא מְשוּבָתָם (=חֶטְאֵיהֶם ששָבוּ מהם),
אֹהֲבֵם נדבה (=בלי גבול),
כי שָב (חרון) אַפּי ממנו...
אפרים (יאמר): מה לי עוד לָעֲצַבּים (=ישליך אלילים כמו 'עַנַת' ו'אֲשֵרה') –
אני (ה') עָניתי (=פָּקַדתי אותו לטובה) וַאֲשוּרֶנוּ (=ואֶצְפֶּה בו),
אני כִּבְרוֹש רַעֲנָן (=בלי עצי סגידה ופסילים), מִמֶני פֶּרְיְךָ נִמצָא;

מה הרקע לפסוק זה? גם כשהשמיד יהוא את פולחן הבעל משומרון, נותרו הרבה השפעות אליליות בנוסף לעגלי הזהב – "וגם האֲשֵרה עמדה בשֹמרון" (מל"ב י"ג, ו) – אף נמצאו כתובות, שבהן הצמידו 'אֲשֵרה', לשֵם 'ה' (השוכן) ב'שֹמרֹן'.*

הנביא הושע, היחיד מנביאי התוכחה, הדיבור והמשל, ששפתו וסגנונו מהצפון הישראלי, חותם על כך בפסוק נפלא –
מי חכם ויָבֵן אלה, נבון ויֵדָעֵם,
כי ישרים דרכי ה',
וצַדִקים יֵלכוּ בָם,
וּפֹשעים יִכָּשלוּ בָם (=באותם הדרכים הישרים).

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* בחורבת תימן (=כונתילת עג'רוד), שחפר זאב משל

באדיבות אתר 929

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לחזור אל השורשים

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החתונה של הושע וההזדמנות לתשובה

"שׁוּבָה יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד ה' אֱ--לֹוהֶיךָ כִּי כָשַׁלְתָּ בַּעֲוֹנֶךָ" (י"ד, ב)

זוהי הנבואה החותמת את ספר הושע. אך חז"ל מספרים לנו, שזוהי דוקא הנבואה הפותחת את נבואות הושע:

אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא (לראובן): מעולם לא חטא אדם לפני ועשה תשובה ואתה פתחת בתשובה תחילה. חייך, שבן בנך עומד ופותח בתשובה תחילה, אי זה הוא? זה הושע: "שובה ישראל עד ה' א--לוהיך" (בראשית רבה פ"ד).

על סמך מה שינו חז"ל את מקומה של הנבואה מן הסוף להתחלה? תשובה ניתֵּן מדיוק הלשון:

"תְּחִלַּת דִּבֶּר ה' בְּהוֹשֵׁעַ וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל הוֹשֵׁעַ לֵךְ קַח לְךָ אֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים וְיַלְדֵי זְנוּנִים כִּי זָנֹה תִזְנֶה הָאָרֶץ מֵאַחֲרֵי ה'" (א', ב)

הנבואה הראשונה פותחת בשתי פתיחות ("תחילת דבר ה' בהושע", "ויאמר ה' אל הושע"). משמע, נאמרה שם נבואה נוספת ולא נכתבה. אך מניין ידעו חז"ל, שזו נבואת התשובה החותמת את הספר? ניתן תשובה מתוכנה של הנבואה:

הנביא מצטווה מפי הקב"ה לעשות מעשה שלא ייעשה, לקחת זונה לאישה. ביום הנישואין באו מן הסתם כל הרכלנים וכל נציגי העיתונות הצהובה לצפות במחזה המביך, בנביא ה' הלוקח זונה להיות לו לבת זוג. הכלה עומדת בחופתה והנביא, החתן, קרב אליה. לפתע הוא פונה לקהל ואומר: 'שובה ישראל עד ה' א-לוהיך כי כשלת בעוונך'. הוא מסתובב, פונה לכלה, עונד לה טבעת ואומר: 'הרי את מקודשת לי'. הקהל הבין: למרות שממלכת ישראל שעזבה את ה' אל אלוהים אחרים נחשבת כאישה זונה, הקב"ה מוכן מחדש 'לשאת אותה לאישה' כביכול, אם רק תסכים להשליך את אליליה ולשוב אליו. כראובן שקלקל עם בלהה ושב בתשובה, כזונה העומדת עתה תחת חופתו של הושע הנביא, כך יקבל ה' גם את כנסת ישראל אם תשוב אליו.

"קְחוּ עִמָּכֶם דְּבָרִים וְשׁוּבוּ אֶל ה' אִמְרוּ אֵלָיו כָּל תִּשָּׂא עָוֹן וְקַח טוֹב" (י"ד, ג)

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אשור לא יושיענו

בפרק י' קראנו על "שֹד שַלְמַן" (=שַלְמַנְאֶסֶר), שכבש מבצרים, והחריב את מקדש בית-אל, כעת מתואר חורבן שומרון. בעיני הנבואה, פחות חשוב מה בדיוק קרה, וחשוב מאד לסכם למה זה קרה:

"כְּמַרְעִיתָם (=כשהקימו להם רועים=מלכים) וַיִשְׂבָּעוּ,
שָׂבְעוּ וַיָרָם לִבָּם (=בגאווה),
על כן שְכֵחוּני (ו);
שִחֶתְךָ ישראל (=השחיתות בך),
(אף) כי בי (=ה') בְעֶזרֶךָ;
אֱהי (=אַיֵה) מַלכְּךָ אֵיפֹוֹא?
ויוֹשִיעֲךָ בכל עָרֶיךָ (הנופלות), ושֹפְטֶיךָ (=איה מנהיגיך),
אשר אָמַרתָ: תנה לי מלך ושָׂרים (ט);
צָרוּר (=קָשוּר וסָגוּר) עֲוֹן אפרים,
צְפוּנה (=חֲתוּמה) חַטָאתוֹ (יב);
תֶאְשַם שֹמרון כי מָרתה בֵּא-לֹהֶיהָ... (י"ד, א);
אַשוּר לא יוֹשיעֵנוּ, על סוס (מצרי) לא נִרכָּב (עוד),
ולא נֹאמַר עוד אלֹהינו למעשה יָדֵינוּ (עגלי הזהב; י"ד, ד);

ובכל זאת נשאל: מה קרה במצור שומרון (=3 שנים; מל"ב י"ז, ה)?

וָאֱהי (=וָאהיה) להם כמו שָחַל (=כאריה טורף),
כנָמֵר על דרך אָשוּר (=אֶצפֶּה; רמז לצבא אַשוּר),
אֶפְגְשֵם (בשדה הקרב) כדֹב שַכּוּל,
חַיַת השדה תְבַקְעֵם (את גופות החיילים; י"ג, ז-ח);
אֶתֶן לך מלך בְּאַפּי (=בכעסי; הושע בן-אֵלה, שהומלך על ידי אשור),
ואקח (אותו) בעֶבְרָתי (=בכעס גדול, אחרי שמרד בסיוע מצרי; י"ג, יא);
יָבוֹא (כרוח) קדים – רוח ה' – מִמִדבָּר עֹלֶה (=צבא אשור הגיע ממזרח),
ויֵבוֹש מְקוֹרוֹ, ויֶחֱרַב מַעְיָנוֹ (=השתלט על כל מקורות המים),
הוא יִשְסֶה (=בָּזַז) אוצר כל כְּלִי חֶמדה (בתוך שומרון; י"ג, טו);
בַּחרב יִפֹּלוּ (מגיני שומרון),
עֹלְלֵיהֶם (=תינוקות) יְרֻטָשוּ, והָרִיוֹתָיו (=ונשים הָרוֹת) יְבֻקָעוּ (י"ד, א);

גם מלכי ארם, חזאל ובן הדד, נהגו כך בנשים ובתינוקות (מל"ב ח', יב), אבל לא הצליחו לכבוש את שומרון (מל"ב ו'). המעצמה האשורית עשתה זאת.

באדיבות אתר 929

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