Kommentar zu Bereschit 14:19
וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֖הוּ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר בָּר֤וּךְ אַבְרָם֙ לְאֵ֣ל עֶלְי֔וֹן קֹנֵ֖ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃
Und er segnete ihn und sprach: Gesegnet werde Abram vom höchsten Gott, dem Schöpfer des Himmels und der Erde.
Rashi on Genesis
קנה שמים וארץ MAKER, or POSSESSOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH — similar to (Psalms 134:3) עשה שמים וארץ “Maker of heaven and earth”: through His having made them He acquired them as His possession.
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Ramban on Genesis
KONEI (POSSESSOR) OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. Rashi wrote: “Konei is similar to osei (maker);192In our text of Rashi, ‘Osei’ (Maker) of heaven and earth. Psalms 134:3. through His having made them He acquired them as His possession.”
But these are really two different interpretations.193From Rashi it would appear that osei and kinyan — making and acquiring — constitute but one interpretation when in fact they are two: konei is similar to osei, and konei is like kinyan (acquisition). Perhaps it is indeed the case that the word kinyan (acquisition) is also used in the case of asiyah (making). Thus you find, For Thou ‘kanita’ (hast made) my reins,194Pslams 139:13. repeating the thought [expressed in the second half of the verse], Thou hast knit me together in my mother’s womb.195Ramban’s point is that since the second half of the verse clearly speaks of the making of man, the first half of the verse which uses the word kanita must also refer to “making,” rather than “acquiring.” A similar case is the verse, Is He not ‘konecha’ thy father? Hath He not made thee, and established thee?196Deuteronomy 32:6. Here too the word konecha is used together with asiyah, indicating that they have a similar connotation. Thus the Sacred Language uses kinyan in the case of “making.” Conversely, And the souls which ‘asu’ [literally, they made] in Haran,197Above, 12:5. means “they acquired.” And of that which was our father’s ‘asah’ (hath he made)198Further, 31:1. — [here too it means “hath he acquired.”]
That which Rashi says further — “He acquired them as His possession,” is correct, for whatever belongs to a person is called kinyano (his acquisition). Sheep are called mikneh because they constitute the main wealth of a person. In the language of the Sages: “He who picks up a find for his friend, his friend kanah [has taken title to it];”199Baba Metziah 10a. Here the word konah does not mean that he acquired it from the other since he never picked it up for himself. Instead, it means taking title to it. “watching gives ‘keniya’ (the right of possession) in ownerless property;”200Ibid., 118a. Here too konah does not mean that he acquired it from another person but that he took title to it. “a man’s yard koneh (obtains title) for him without his knowledge.”201Ibid., 11a. This too is a similar case. Similarly, the Sages, in all places, use the expression of kinyan for taking possession, meaning that it is his. This was the intention of Onkelos when he translated konei (of heaven and earth) as d’kinyanei, [meaning “Whose possessions are heaven and earth”], and he did not say kanah (who acquired).
But these are really two different interpretations.193From Rashi it would appear that osei and kinyan — making and acquiring — constitute but one interpretation when in fact they are two: konei is similar to osei, and konei is like kinyan (acquisition). Perhaps it is indeed the case that the word kinyan (acquisition) is also used in the case of asiyah (making). Thus you find, For Thou ‘kanita’ (hast made) my reins,194Pslams 139:13. repeating the thought [expressed in the second half of the verse], Thou hast knit me together in my mother’s womb.195Ramban’s point is that since the second half of the verse clearly speaks of the making of man, the first half of the verse which uses the word kanita must also refer to “making,” rather than “acquiring.” A similar case is the verse, Is He not ‘konecha’ thy father? Hath He not made thee, and established thee?196Deuteronomy 32:6. Here too the word konecha is used together with asiyah, indicating that they have a similar connotation. Thus the Sacred Language uses kinyan in the case of “making.” Conversely, And the souls which ‘asu’ [literally, they made] in Haran,197Above, 12:5. means “they acquired.” And of that which was our father’s ‘asah’ (hath he made)198Further, 31:1. — [here too it means “hath he acquired.”]
That which Rashi says further — “He acquired them as His possession,” is correct, for whatever belongs to a person is called kinyano (his acquisition). Sheep are called mikneh because they constitute the main wealth of a person. In the language of the Sages: “He who picks up a find for his friend, his friend kanah [has taken title to it];”199Baba Metziah 10a. Here the word konah does not mean that he acquired it from the other since he never picked it up for himself. Instead, it means taking title to it. “watching gives ‘keniya’ (the right of possession) in ownerless property;”200Ibid., 118a. Here too konah does not mean that he acquired it from another person but that he took title to it. “a man’s yard koneh (obtains title) for him without his knowledge.”201Ibid., 11a. This too is a similar case. Similarly, the Sages, in all places, use the expression of kinyan for taking possession, meaning that it is his. This was the intention of Onkelos when he translated konei (of heaven and earth) as d’kinyanei, [meaning “Whose possessions are heaven and earth”], and he did not say kanah (who acquired).
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Kli Yakar on Genesis
Possessor of heaven and earth. Malki Zedek uses this title here in honor of Avraham, who was the first to make known God’s involvement with the lower world. Alternatively, he mentions it in his blessing to indicate that all bounty derives from the “dew of heaven and the fatness of earth” (27:28). Alternatively, it was through the victory over the four kings that God’s sovereignty over the earth became known.
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