Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Responsa for Isaiah 51:2

הַבִּ֙יטוּ֙ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֣ם אֲבִיכֶ֔ם וְאֶל־שָׂרָ֖ה תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶ֑ם כִּי־אֶחָ֣ד קְרָאתִ֔יו וַאֲבָרְכֵ֖הוּ וְאַרְבֵּֽהוּ׃ (ס)

Look unto Abraham your father, And unto Sarah that bore you; For when he was but one I called him, And I blessed him, and made him many.

Shut min haShamayim

They answered:"Reason is not with the aged, and counsel is not with the young." (Shabbat 89b:4) "For Abraham knows us not, Israel does not recognise us" (Isaiah 63:16), rather "my covenant will be made with Isaac." (Genesis 17:21), "I have singled him out," (Isaiah 51:2) "and will give him the birthright," (Psalms 89:28) "and he shall be blessed." (Genesis 27:33)*These verses seem to support Isaac, i.e, R. Isaac Alfasi, over the Abraham and Jacob, perhaps referring to Rabbeinu Tam.
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