Comentario sobre Génesis 17:28

אני אל שדי I AM GOD ALMIGHTY — I am He whose (ש) Godship suffices (די) for every creature (Genesis Rabbah 46:3), therefore, ‘‘walk before Me”, and I will be your God and Protector. Similarly, wherever in the Scriptures this Divine Name שדי occurs, it signifies the idea of His sufficiency — but it all depends upon the context as to what the “sufficiency” refers to.

‘E-IL SHA-DAI.’ These are two distinct Divine names, each one descriptive in itself.³⁶⁷And not as Abraham ibn Ezra has it, i.e., that they both constitute one descriptive noun: “a G-d who is almighty” and “an almighty G-d.” Now the meaning of the word eil is “mighty”, derived from the expression, Eilei Moab (the mighty ones of Moab).³⁶⁸Exodus 15:15. The meaning of Sha—dai, according to Rashi, is “He whose G-dship suffices for every creature.” In the book Moreh Nebuchim³⁶⁹I, 63 (toward the end). the Rabbi²⁹⁴Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam). See Seder Bereshith, Note 139. explained that the name Sha—dai signifies “he who is sufficient.” That is to say, He does not require the existence of what He created or the conservation of any other being; rather, His existence is self-sufficient. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained in the name of the Nagid³⁷⁰Shmuel Hanagid. In our text of Ibn Ezra, it appears anonymously as “And many explain.” that the name is from the root shodeid, meaning “victor and prevailer over the hosts of heaven.” This is the correct interpretation, for the name Sha—dai represents the attribute of power which conducts the world, concerning which the Sages have said that it is “the attribute of Justice of the world below.”³⁷¹Bereshith Rabbah 35:4.
The reason for mentioning this Divine Name now is that with it are done the hidden miracles³⁷²All miracles which a man can deny, saying that they are part of the natural order, are called “hidden,” while those that cannot be denied but are clearly the intervention of the power of G-d are called “open.” (Ma’or Veshamesh.) This concept is a major foundation in Ramban’s thinking. It will appear in many other places in a more developed manner. See e.g., further, 46:15; Exodus 6:2; Leviticus 26:11. for the righteous, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine,³⁷³Psalms 33:19. as well as to redeem them in war from the power of the sword,³⁷⁴See Job 5:20. just as all the miracles done to Abraham and to the other patriarchs, and as all the blessings and curses mentioned in the Torah in the section Im Bechukothai³⁷⁵Leviticus 26:3-46. and in the section Vehaya Ki Thavo.³⁷⁶Deuteronomy 28:1-69. These blessings and curses are all miracles for it is not in nature that the rains should come in their due season³⁷⁷Leviticus 26:4. when we worship G-d, nor are the skies to be like iron³⁷⁸Ibid., Verse 19. if we plant our fields in the seventh year, and similarly all promises in the Torah. Rather, they are all miracles by which the disposition of natural law is overpowered, except that no change from the natural order of the world is noticeable, as was the case with the miracles done through Mosheh Rabbeinu with the ten plagues, the dividing of the Sea, the Manna, the well, and their like, for these are miracles which openly changed nature, and they were done with the Tetragrammaton which He told to him. It is for this reason that He now told Abraham our father that He is the Almighty, the Victor Who will prevail over his constellation of birth so that he will have a son, and thus there will be a covenant between Him and his seed forever, meaning that the portion of the Eternal is His people,³⁷⁹Deuteronomy 32:9. and that He will lead them at His own will, as they will not be under the rule of a star or constellation.
Know and consider that our father Abraham did not mention the Tetragrammaton [Eternal] in any of his utterances except in combination with the Divine Name written [G-d],³⁸⁰Such as in 15:2 above. or in combination with E-il Elyon [G-d Most High],³⁸¹Ibid., 14:22. but he did mention in his affairs the name Elokim [G-d]. Thus he will say, The Eternal, the G-d of heaven.³⁸²Further, 24:3. He said, however, the Eternal seeth,³⁸³Ibid., 22:14. In this case Abraham used the Tetragrammaton (Eternal) by itself. This would contradict the principle stated by Ramban above that Abraham never used this Divine Name except in some combination with another Name. Ramban answers that since the reference there is to the Sanctuary which was destined to be built on that mountain in the future and where the sacrifices were to be brought, the Tetragrammaton is the proper name to be used, as will be explained in the beginning of the book of Leviticus when sacrifices are discussed. because it refers to the place of the future Sanctuary. Jacob, on the other hand, always mentioned E-il Sha-dai [G-d Almighty],³⁸⁴Ibid., 43:14; 48:3. which Moses our teacher never mentions. If you will be worthy you will understand this entire matter from that which the Rabbis said in Tractate Yebamoth:³⁸⁵49b. “All prophets contemplated Deity through an unlucid speculum,” which is why Isaiah said, And I saw G-d,³⁸⁶Isaiah 6:1. [i.e., the Divine Name written Aleph Dalet]. “But Moses contemplated Deity through a lucid speculum.” This is why He said, For a man shall not see Me and live,³⁸⁷Exodus 33:20. whereas Isaiah’s verse, and I saw G-d,³⁸⁶Isaiah 6:1. is written with the Aleph Dalet. I will mention this theme again in Parshath Va’eira³⁸⁸Ibid., 6:2. if G-d will look upon my grief.³⁸⁹A personal reference of Ramban to the difficult times in his life when he was engaged in the writing of this work.

וירא ה, a מראה is always a vision one level lower than true prophecy. This is why G'd said to Moses in Exodus 6,3 ושמי ה' לא נודעתי להם, "but I had not revealed to them My true name Hashem."

ויהי אברם בן תשעים ותשע שנים, after 13 years had passed since Ishmael was born G'd commanded Avram about the circumcision. G'd had waited with this command until Avram would be close to 100 years old in order to make the miracle of a 100 year old man and a ninety year old woman having a child all the greater. Also, Avram, subjecting himself to the operation involved in circumcising himself would acquire an even greater merit if he did so at such an age when his physical virility had already declined. G'd issued the command before Yitzchok would be born in order that Yitzchok would be the product of a union with a Jewish father, i.e. a father who had been circumcised at the time when he impregnated his wife with his sperm. Seeing that the circumcision weakens the reproductive organ of the person undergoing it, especially at such an age. Avram's producing a son after that experience was therefore all the more remarkable.

א-ל שדי, “the G’d Shaddai.” The plain meaning is: “a powerful deity.” Rashi interprets the word שדי, as meaning that G’d proclaims Himself as sufficient, די, for any human being, i.e. His supervision, His Providence of the human being’s fate is adequate for anyone. They do not require additional patrons. Ibn Ezra, quoting Shemuel Hanaggid, derives the word שדי from שודד, meaning “victorious, conquering the heavens.”

I am the One Whose Godliness suffices. Avraham had said to Hashem: “If I circumcise myself, people will regard me with disgust!” Hashem answered him: “I am the One Who said to My world: It suffices...” (Maharshal)

Abraham war bereits neunundneunzig Jahre alt, ein ganzes vollendetes Leben lag bereits zurück, er hätte dies schon für die höchste Vollendung halten können und erfuhr nun, dass er eben erst am Anfange stehe.

התהלך לפני והיה תמים, “walk before Me and become complete, free from blemish.” In order for Avraham to achieve this stature, G–d added the letter ה, a metaphor for His name, to Avraham’s name. The numerical value of the letters in Avraham’s name would then amount to 248, the number of limbs in his body. This is the conclusion arrived at in the Talmud, tractate Nedarim folio 32. According to Romi bar Abba, the reason why Abraham was first known as אברם and subsequently as אברהם is that originally G–d gave him control over 243 limbs, whereas from now on he had control over all of his 248 limbs. They are: two eyes, two ears, his torso, his head. If you want to realise how important the physical act of circumcision was, you will find this explained on folio 31 of tractate Nedarim. In the commentary known as Mechilta, it is stated that the reason why both Avraham and Sarah are never again referred to by their original names, as opposed to Yaakov, who after G–d changed his name to Yisrael is frequently still referred to by his original name Yaakov, this is because after both had their names changed, their original names had not been obliterated completely as the letters of their original names had been retained also as part of their new names. Their names had only been “improved.” Israel being a totally new name was not meant to invalidate his original name. The only reason we know this is because the Torah continues to make use of it. [The name Yaakov, given to him by outsiders, not his father, had suggested that he was somehow inferior spiritually already from birth. The angel in his nocturnal wrestling match had alluded to this. (Genesis 32,29) The Torah by continuing to use it, shows that in G–d’s eyes it never reflected upon him in a negative fashion. Ed.] The sages of the Mechilta add further that the reason why the name of the third patriarch, Yitzchok, has never been changed or amended, is that he had been named by G–d Himself, long before he had even been born. (Verse 19 in our chapter)

.התהלך לפני, an invitation to perform the rite of circumcision, as a result of which his body would become more “perfect.”

התהלך לפני WALK BEFORE ME — as the Targum takes it: worship before Me — cleave to My service.

אני א-ל שדי, "I am the One Who is sufficient unto Himself by My very existence to carry out My special function the creation of the universe all by Myself without assistance by anyone else. [The word די expresses this self-sufficiency of the Lord/Creator. Ed.] The very opposite is true of all created phenomena other than the Creator. [the difference between G'd and creatures is that G'd is a "self-starter," whereas all other phenomena require something to activate them even when performing the functions for which they have been created. Ed.] This all means that the recipient of a visual image, מראה, a vision, becomes aware of the existence of the Creator and His power, without him however becoming aware of underlying causes of such. The patriarchs became witnesses to G'd performing "invisible" miracles, as distinct from the "visible" miracles performed by Moses and other prophets after him to some extent. [an "invisible" miracle maybe recognized as such because the time and place has been foretold to the beneficiary, as in the case where the angels told Avram that Sarah would give birth to a son within the year. "Visible" miracles, are for instance, water turning into blood, or all the firstborn of one nation dying at the same time [after this event having been announced.] the latter type of miracle says more about G'd as the originator of all that occurs in the universe than does the former kind of miracle. This latter kind of insight was not revealed by G'd before Moses, as we quoted form Exodus 6,3.

אני א-ל שדי, the word שדי means "strong, victorious." (root שדד) We find the term appearing in that sense in Ezekiel 1,24, כקול מים רבים כקול שדי, "like the sound of mighty waters, like the sound of Shaddai." Also in Ezekiel 10,5 כקול א-ל שדי it appears in the same sense. G-d meant to tell him that although you are physically weak and Sarai is barren, I, G'd will overcome all these impediments and the laws of nature are subject to My control, so that I can change them whenever it suits me. G'd referred to this power again in Exodus 6,3 when Moses had despaired of hismission. He told them that he had already demonstrated ths power when He made the three matriarchs, all of whom had been biologically barren, overcome such a handicap so that each bore a child or children. G'd had responded to the prayers of these people or their husbands and altered the laws of nature in order to fulfill their requests. When the word שדי is meant to be an attribute, it should be spelled שדדי, shaddeday." It would then mean something akin to Proverbs 28,23 מוכיח אדם אחרי חן ימצא, i.e. that as a result of being rebuked, the subject of the rebuke will eventually find favour (in the eyes of the rebuker).

התהלך לפני והיה תמים, “serve Me and become perfect.” Rashi understands the words היה תמים as a call to Avraham to successfully pass all the tests G’d would subject him to. Ibn Ezra understands these words as a warning that Avraham should not question G’d’s commands by asking why these tasks are required of him. Nachmanides explains the word התהלך as similar to the commandment to the Jewish people in Deut. 13,5 אחרי ה' אלוקיך תלכו, i.e. “follow all the instructions of the Lord your G’d.” (after you have been instructed about them) The command התהלך לפני goes beyond this and asks Avraham to anticipate G’d’s commandments and to act in accordance with his understanding of what G’d would later on command him. [it is difficult to imagine a greater compliment to Avraham than our verse here. Ed.]

This, too, is an imperative following an imperative, “Be perfect...” [Rashi is answering the question:] Since it is already written, “Walk before Me,” what was added by, “And be perfect”? Rashi explains that this, too, is a command. It is one imperative following another, saying: “Be perfect in all My tests.”

WALK BEFORE ME. i.e., by following the path which I will show you. [This command is similar in] meaning to the verse, After the Eternal G-d shall ye walk, and Him shall ye fear,³⁹⁰Deuteronomy 13:5. except that with respect to a general command to follow His way which precedes His specific instructions, He says, Walk before Me, while with respect to a command which follows the specific command, He says, After the Eternal ye shall walk.³⁹¹Here Abraham had not yet specifically been commanded what to do, for the command concerning circumcision was later revealed to him. Hence G-d says to him, Walk ‘before’ Me, meaning “follow the commandment which I will give to you.” But in the verse from Deuteronomy, where the commandments have already been annunciated, the verse properly says, ‘After’ the Eternal ye shall walk. The purport of both commands is to walk after G-d, fear Him alone and do whatever He commands.

Nach doppelter Seite hin ist diese Tatsache wichtig. Da sprechen die einen: "wenn man nur der moralischen und humanen Seite des Lebens genügt, so hat man auch Gott genügt, auch das Judentum will ja nichts anderes". Und andere meinen: "Jude sein sei ein anderes Sein als Menschsein, sei ein Surrogat dafür". Stünde hier nicht, Abraham sei bereits 99. Jahre alt gewesen, als der Begründungsbund des Judentums, als der Bund der Mila mit ihm geschlossen wurde, so hätten wir glauben können, alle die großen Tugenden, die wir von Abraham bis jetzt kennen gelernt, wären das Produkt dieses, etwa bereits in frühester Jugend mit ihm geschlossenen Bundes gewesen, ja sie umfassten die ganze Blüte dieses Bundes. So aber war dies alles bereits der Mila vorangegangen. Die jetzt an ihn ergehende Anforderung: היה תמים setzt die vollständige Verwirklichung der reinen Humanität voraus. Der Abrahamsbund ist eine höhere Vollendung des Menschlichen; "musst erst Mensch sein, ehe du Jude sein willst". Jude sein setzt voraus, dass nichts Reinmenschliches dir fremd sei. Du bist noch lange kein Jude, wenn du bloß alles das bist, was bisher Abraham entfaltet. So mild, so menschlich, so versöhnlich, so uneigennützig usw. wie Abraham bisher sich gezeigt, gewährt erst das Ideal eines reinen Noachiden. Gott hatte Abraham erst 99 Jahre durch alle die erziehenden Ereignisse hindurch geführt, hatte ihn erst alles lösen lassen, was Gott von jedem reinen Menschen fordert, und erst dann ward Gott dem Abraham zum zweitenmale sichtbar und sprach zu ihm: ׳אני א׳ ש usw.

והיה תמים, “as a result of which you will become perfect.”

והיה תמים AND BE PERFECT — This, too, is a command following upon the previous command: be whole-hearted in all the trials I impose upon you. According to the Midrash (Genesis Rabbah 46:4), however, it means: walk before Me by observing the precept of circumcision and through this you will become perfect, for so long as you are uncircumcised I regard you as having a blemish. Another explanation of היה תמים BE THOU PERFECT — at present you lack the power of controlling morally five organs, viz., two eyes, two ears and the membrum. Therefore will I add a letter (i. e. the letter 'ה the numerical value of which is five) to your name (אברם which equals 243) so that the total of the letters of your name (אברהם) will become 248, corresponding to the number of limbs of your body (cf. Nedarim 32b).

התהלך, an instruction to conduct himself in this manner in all his activities.

התהלך לפני, as rendered by Onkelos, "serve Me" by carrying out what I command you ( in order to become perfect). This is also that meaning of the word התהלך in Genesis 24,40 as well as in Genesis 48,15. It is a reference to serving the lord in thought and deed. All service of the Lord is rooted in man's heart. This is why King Chiskiyah in Kings II 20,3 in his prayer says: אני ה' דבר נא את אשר התהלכתי לפניך באמת ובלבב שלם, "please o Lord remember how I have served you in truth and with a pure heart, etc." Chiskiyah first refers to his serving G'd with his heart, before mentioning that he had performed deeds which constituted service of the Lord also, when he said והטוב בעיניך עשיתי, "and I have done what is pleasing in Your eyes." At this juncture G'd commands Avram that He will require additional service from him, service to be performed on his own body. He had already proven that his heart was pure. He had also already perfected his personality traits to the extent that his mind and intelligence had suggested such improvements. This form of service to be performed on his body was something that his mind and reason would reject as illogical. G'd demanded this only in order for the people whom Avraham would produce would be recognizable by the circumcision of their body as unique, as wearing the mark of G'd. Even though many of the gentiles do circumcise themselves also, they do not do so in response to a command by G'd. Only the special seed of Avram, i.e. Yitzchok was included in this command. Also Yitzchok's special seed was included in that command, [i.e. according to our author Ishmael's children and Esau's children as well as the sons Avraham had by Keturah would not have been included in this commandment. Because of these considerations G'd commanded the circumcision before Yitzchok would be born or even conceived. Any convert, not alive at that time but joining the Jewish people and its faith are therefore described as being בני אברהם "descendants, sons of Avraham," [This is an additional meaning of the name change from Avram to Avraham, foretelling him that he would become the spiritual father of all future converts. Ed.]

והיה תמים, “and become perfect (in being in step with the wavelength of the Creator)” We find a similar directive addressed to the whole Jewish nation, i.e. each individual separately, in Deut. 18,13 תמים תהיה עם ה' אלוקיך. In that instance, the directive follows the injunction not to employ sorcerers, magicians, etc., but to have perfect, exclusive faith in the Lord, not to consult astrologers about what your future holds in store for you. G’d intimates to Avraham here, and to the people as a whole in Deuteronomy, that He alone holds the reins of our fate in His capable hands. He is capable and willing to do good for us even, if according to our horoscope, we appear to face insurmountable obstacles. This is what our sages meant when they interpreted the words (15,5) ויוצא אותו החוצה, “He took him outside,” to mean that He showed Avraham that there is a historical dimension beyond that indicated by astrology, i.e. הוציא אותו מהאצטגנינות שלו.

Now you are lacking five organs ... The Re’m writes: These organs, over which a person lacks full control, lead him to sin. But because of Avraham’s great righteousness, Hashem gave him control over them. For it is written (Shmuel I, 2:9), “The feet of His pious ones He will guard”: when one overcomes one’s yetzer hara, in the end Hashem gives one full control over it [see Yoma 38b].

AND BE THOU WHOLE-HEARTED. This is an additional commandment in this matter, similar in meaning to the verse, Thou shalt be whole-hearted with the Eternal thy G-d,³⁹²Ibid., 18:13. which follows G-d’s admonition: There shall not be found among you any one that … useth divination, a soothsayer, or an enchanter, or sorcerer, etc.³⁹³Ibid., Verse 10. The purport of both verses is that one should believe in his heart that the Holy One, blessed be He, alone is the Omnipotent from beginning to end. It is He who has the power to do and to undo, and therefore he should not listen to the soothsayers and diviners or to the enchanters and the sorcerers. He shall in no way believe that their words shall be fulfilled, but he should decree in his heart that everything is in the hand of the Supreme One, who is G-d, G-d Almighty, Who doeth a person good, which was not predestined by his constellation, and bringeth evil upon him despite a constellation that was good and auspicious. In accordance with the manner in which a man walks before Him, He frustrateth the tokens of the impostors, and maketh diviners mad.³⁹⁴Isaiah 44:25. It is this which the Sages had in mind when they said: “[G-d said to Abraham], ‘Go forth from your astrological speculations, etc.’”³⁹⁵See above, 15:5.
Now Rashi explained: “And be thou whole-hearted. Be whole-hearted in all the trials I impose upon you.” And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the verse means that he should not seek the reason for the commandment of circumcision, it being similar in meaning to the verse: Let my heart be undivided in Thy statutes, in order that I may not be put to shame.³⁹⁶Psalms 119:80. The correct interpretation is as I have explained.

Aus 2. B. M. 6, 13 wissen wir, dass der spezifische Charakter der den Vätern gewordenen Gottesoffenbarung in diesem Namen enthalten sei. Über dessen Etymologie gehen die Ansichten auseinander. Man hat an שדד oder an די mit vorgesetztem Relativpronomen ש gedacht. Bei den Weisen waltet die letztere Ansicht vor, und dafür spricht auch unleugbar die Form. Denn wenn von שדד, wäre das י nicht zu erklären, hingegen für die relative Pronominalform שַ mit folgendem Dagesch בשגם ,שַקַמְתִי Beispiele bieten. Also: אשר די) די rad. דיה, gesteigerte Form von דגה sich vermehren: das voll Genügende, genug), Ich bin das , Genug!׳ und ich bin "genug": In diesen beiden Auffassungen enthüllen uns die Weisen ז"ל die tiefsten Gottanschauungen. אני הוא שאמרתי לעולמי די שאלמלא שאמרתי לשמים וארץ די עד עכשיו היו מותחין והולכין - אני הוא שאין העולם ומלואו כדי לאלקותי - דייך שאני פטרונך ולא לך לבדך אלא דיו לעולם ב״ר מוי) - שאני אלורו שאני פטרונו) "Ich bins, der ich meiner Welt das: Genug! zugerufen, hätte Ich Himmel und Erde nicht "genug!" zugerufen, sie würden sich noch gegenwärtig fort und fort weiter entwickeln. — Ich bin׳s, dessen Gottheit die Welt und ihre Fülle nicht genügen. Es ist dir genug, dass Ich dein Schutzherr bin und nicht dir allein, es genügt der Welt, dass Ich ihr Gott, dass Ich ihr Schutzherr bin".

לפני, as if you were looking for guidance Me in all your undertakings and trying to emulate Me. We have adopted this concept when we inscribe our synagogues with the verse שויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד, "I am ever mindful of the Lord's presence." (Psalms 16,8)

והיה תמים, meaning that by fulfillment of this commandment Avram would then be considered as "perfect. Once there would be a visible sign of Avram's faith and loyalty to His Creator on his body this would act at the same time as the symbol of the covenant between G'd and him (and the Jewish people). Every covenant requires to be confirmed by blood, [this being the "essence" of the party with whom G'd concluded a covenant. Ed.] At this point G'd spoke to Avram in general terms not spelling out the nature of the covenant until verse 10. After having heard all of what G'd said to him, Avram now understood the meaning of the word תמים on two levels. 1) The meaning we have already explained about service of G'd consisting both of intangible parts of man such as his heart and his mind, as well as his body. 2) G'd taught him that although, at first glance, the loss of a foreskin and the loss of blood might make him conclude that instead of becoming more perfect he had now become less perfect than he had been previously, this was not so. G'd explained that the circumcision did not mean the loss of an organ but only the removal of some excess flesh from that organ, and that the very removal of that excess would result in his becoming תמים, perfect. The absence of this excess would be the symbol of the covenant between him and G'd. If he had already been born with that piece of flesh missing, the fact that it was missing could not have served as the symbol of the covenant. Additionally, there would be a need to lose a few drops of blood as the symbol of that covenant, as explained in Shabbat 135.

Two eyes ... You might ask: Could Avraham really have lacked all these organs? The answer is: Surely he had them, but since he did not control them, it was as if he lacked them. Hashem now told him that they would all be under his control. Question: Did Avraham not lack the heart as well, as he was still uncircumcised of heart? The answer is: Only external organs are counted here. Furthermore, it is written in Nechemiah 9:8: “You found his [Avraham’s] heart faithful before You. And [then] You made the bris with him.” We see that even before circumcision, Avraham’s heart was hardly [considered as] uncircumcised. (Maharshal)

Siehe dich um in meiner Welt! Überall siehst du dem Ganzen und dem Einzelnen ein "Genug!" aufgeprägt und dieses "Genug" offenbart "Mich!" Wären Himmel und Erde das ewige Produkt ewig blind waltender Naturkräfte — wie die altersgraue Weisheit der Menschentorheit spricht — warum schaffen diese schaffenden Kräfte nicht fort, was hat ihrem Schaffen in dem nun bereits Jahrtausende bestehenden Bestande das Ziel gesetzt, welches "Genug!" hält ihre Schöpferallmacht zurück, dass sie sich nicht fort und fort in neuen Schöpfungen offenbaren! Eben dieses "Genug!" dieser Sabbatstempel der Schöpfung, ist das Gottessiegel an Himmel und Erde, macht die Menschenweisheit zum Gelächter, verkündet Himmel und Erde nicht als das Produkt blinder, physisch gebundener Kräfte, sondern als das freie Werk eines seine Schöpfergedanken mit freier Allmacht und freiem Willen frei verwirklichenden Meisters, eines א׳ ש די, eines seinen eigenen Schöpfungen Ziel setzenden Einen. —

והיה תמים, "acquire the maximum degree of perfection human being are capable of attaining. Be intelligent so that you can acquire more intimate knowledge of Me through recognising the way I operate in the universe. As a result you will be emulate My attributes to the degree that this is possible for humans." The deeds of man reflect his having emulated G'd when he tried to do so. This is what Moses had in mind when he asked G'd: הודיעני נא את דרכיך ואדעך, "make know to me Your ways so that by this means I will get to know You." (Exodus 33,13) This is the ultimate perfection that the human species is able to achieve. This was G'd's objective for man when He created him, when he added the word בצלמנו, "in our image," when announcing that He was about to create man with the words נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמותנו, "let us make man in our image" (Genesis 1,26).

Und nicht nur dem großen Ganzen, jedem kleinsten Wesen, dem kleinsten mit Krast begabten, in Form gekleideten Stoffteilchen hat Er Sein "!'דַ" aufgeprägt, ja dieses "!די" ist der einzige Born seines Seins und der Art seines Seins. Jeder Kraft ist ein Spielraum des Wirkens geöffnet, innerhalb dessen sie die lebendigste Energie, über den hinaus sie Null ist. Jede Form ist selber Umgrenzung (צור), ist die Umgrenzung des Stoffes zum räumlichen Spielraum der in ihm wirkenden Kräfte, ja ist vielleicht nichts als das Produkt des der Kraft zugerufenen !'דַ, die an ihren Lineamenten ihre Grenze gefunden. Des Schöpfers !'דַַ ists, das alles zugewogen und zugemessen, das sich in jedem Maß, jeder Größe, jedem Gesetz und jedem Ziel offenbart. — (Vergl. oben zu ויכלו.)

Und dieser Gott ist nicht aufgegangen in seine Welt, er ist ׳ד für die Welt, aber die ganze Welt und ihre Fülle erschöpft sein Gottsein nicht. Er ist nicht noch nur als die dem Schöpfungswerke inhärirende Schöpferkraft, als Weltseele, Weltgeist vorhanden, wie dies das philosophierende und spekulierende heidnische WeltBewusstsein konstruiert — er hat sich nicht erschöpft in seinem Werke und ist rein aufgegangen in sein Werk, wie die zahnlose Weisheit sich das Welträtsel deutet; אין העולם ומלואו כדי לאלדותו, außer und über seinem Werke und über sein Werk hinaus steht in freier unerschöpflicher Energie der Gott, der nicht aus Erschöpfung ein Ziel seines Schaffens gefunden, sondern, um seinem eigenen freien Gedanken zu genügen, seinem eigenen Schaffen das די gesetzt.

Und darum ist nur dieser Eine, די Seiende und די Setzende: Gott, und er ist auch dir und der Welt די, Ihr habt genug, wenn ihr Ihn habt, und habt ihr Ihn nicht, so habet ihr nichts!

Wenn eine spätere Auffassung diesen Gottesnamen von שדר ableitet, und ihn als משדד מערכות erklärt, so ist diese Auffassung, wie bereits bemerkt, grammatisch nicht ganz gerechtfertigt; im Begriff entfernt dieselbe sich nicht viel von der obigen. מערכה ist die natürliche, von Gott gesetzte Ordnung der Dinge, משדר ist der über diese Ordnung frei Waltende. In dieser Auffassung tritt das Merkmal der Freiheit in dem Gottesbegriff mehr hervor, das unseren Gottesgedanken vor jener Verirrung schützt, die den Weltschöpfer mit jenem bekannten Zauberlehrling identifiziert, dem die Zauberformel verloren gegangen, die von ihm selbst hervorgerufenen Geister zu bannen. Es ist wieder dieselbe Wahrheit, die ihn nicht in die Welt aufgehen, sondern als den in freier, persön- licher Allmacht über seine Welt Waltenden und Gebietenden begreifen lässt.

Also: "Ich bin der freie, allmächtige Gott, der überall Jeglichem Ziel und Maß, jedem Wesen die Freiheit im Gesetz, den Spielraum innerhalb gewisser Schranken gesetzt hat; führe dich vor meinem Angesichte". Es ist ein Unterschied zwischen הלך und .התהלך הלך ist nicht nur die Bewegung des Menschen, vielmehr eine jede Bewegung zu einem Ziele. Sie kann auch eine unwillkürliche, willenlose sein. So vom Strome: והלך על כל גדותיו (Jes. 8, 7). התהלך jedoch bezeichnet entgegengesetzt: seinen Wandel nicht von äußeren Umständen bedingen lassen, sondern von innen heraus sich führen, also: eine aus freiem Entschluss und inniger Energie hervorgehende Bewegung. Daher nur von Menschen und von Gott selbst. Nur einmal אף חצציך יתהלכו (Psalm 77, 18) von den als Gottespfeile gesandten Blitzen, deren Bewegung aber eben durch diesen Ausdruck der bloß physischen, blinden Bewegung enthoben und die damit zu Gottesboten erhoben werden, die sich nach dem in sich aufgenommenen Gottesauftrag bewegen. התהלך לפני, nicht התהלך אתי, welches nur: sich in seinem Geschicke von Gott führen lassen, bedeuten würde; sondern לפני, stets die Gegenwart Gottes vor Augen haben; also hier: bei jedem Schritte auf Den hinblicken, der überall Ziel und Maß gesetzt, die Freiheit nur im Gesetze verliehen.

Der Charakter, den ein solcher Wandel fordert und gestaltet, kann nichts anderes als derselbe sein, den ׳א׳ ש allen Wesen aufgeprägt hat, den alle anderen Wesen willenlos, unwandelbar tragen, den aber Abraham frei sich aneignen soll. Dieser Charakter des Schöpferwerks ist aber nichts als: הצור תמים פעלו .תמים, nach Auffassung der Weisen: der Formgebende, Gestaltende, הצַיָיר ,und der mit dieser Form Jeglichem Maß und Ziel und Grenze Setzende hat eben damit seinem Werke im ganzen und einzelnen den Charakter תמים aufgedrückt.

תמים, rad. תמם, größtenteils: aufhören zu sein, dann auch: aufhören zu tun, bis zu einem Ende geführt sein, nichts weiter zu thun haben, fertig sein. Dann auch von Zuständen: dem nichts fehlt, der bis an die Grenze der Vollendung geführt ist, an dem nichts zu viel und nichts zu wenig ist; so das תמים beim Opfer. Wir haben schon oben (zu ויכלו) bemerkt, wie in dem jüdischen Sprachgedanken Vollendetsein und Aufhören sogar bis zum Verschwinden mit denselben Ausdrücken bezeichnet werde; wie alles Vollkommene nur einseitig sein könne, aufgehört haben müsse, irgend anderes zu sein. Würde man das תמים nur relativ als Eigenschaft des Menschen in Beziehung zu Gott, wie ׳תמים תהיי עם ד usw. begreifen, so würde es einen Charakter bezeichnen, der gar nichts anderes will, auf gar nichts anderes Rücksicht nimmt, als: Gott zu dienen. Leute können einen solchen Menschen leicht berücken, eben weil er für gar nichts anderes Sinn hat und in dieses eine Streben ganz aufgeht; allein gleichwohl הולך בתום ילך בטח. Jedoch in diesem Sinne wäre תמים nur relativ gut, es könnte auch einen תמים לעזאהל geben, während תמים doch, wie hier evident, als absolut gut zu begreifen ist. Im Grundbegriff תמם ist allerdings die negative Bedeutung vorherrschend: bis hierher und nicht weiter. Verwandt damit דמם: schweigen, sich bescheiden zurückziehen und harren; auch טמם: unzulänglich, verschlossen sein. Es erscheint somit תמים als derjenige, der in allen seinen Beziehungen bis an die Grenze des Gestatteten und Gebotenen geht und dort stille steht, somit positiv und negativ Selbstbeherrschung übt. Das תמים füllt die Grenzen, den Kreis, das Gebiet, das ihm Gott angewiesen, völlig aus und hört in ihm auf. Es entspricht dem: "nicht mehr und nicht minder" dem: לא תוסיף und לא תגרע.

תמים ist somit für den Menschencharakter das reine Korrelat des Gottcharakters: שדי. Alle Wesen außer dem Menschen können nicht weiter gehen, das von Gott ihnen gesetzte די ist für sie unüberschreitbar. Dem Juden ist gesagt: werde aus freiem Ent- schlusse der sich selbst U-Setzende, sage dir די, wo Gott dir די sagt. Das ist das ganze Judentum. Die ganze תורה ist nichts anderes als das Gottes-^ für alles Menschliche. Daher die jüdische Bezeichnung der Sünde als עברה, als das Hinüberschreiten über diese Grenze. Innerhalb des von Gott gesteckten Spielraums ist alles, auch das Sinnlichste, heilig und gut. Absolut, an sich, ist durchaus nichts gut und nichts schlecht am Menschen. Kein Verbot fordert Vernichtung einer Anlage, weist jeder vielmehr einen bestimmten Spielraum an. Nur beim Überschreiten, meistens auch beim Nichterreichen der Grenze wird es Sünde. Dies ist der jüdische Grundcharakter der Gesetzlichkeit. "Innerhalb der von Gott gesetzten Grenzen sollst du frei dich führen!" Dies ist auch der Unterschied zwischen dem Juden und dem bisherigen Abraham. Dem abrahamitischen Wesen ohne diesen "Bund" genügt zur Tugend der bloße gute Wille. In der nichtjüdischen Welt wird jede Tat durch die gute Gesinnung gedeckt. Dem Judentum genügt die gute Gesinnung, die gute כונה, nicht; es muß die gute Gesinnung auf die gute Tat gerichtet sein, und den Maßstab für die Güte der Tat gibt das Gottes-U, der Gotteswille, das göttliche Gesetz, eine Wahrheit, die R. Jehuda Halevi seinem Kusari zu Grunde gelegt hat. Bis hierher wurde Abraham wegen seines guten Herzens und Wesens geschätzt und geliebt. Das Höhere, das hier von ihm gefordert wird, ist: die Gesetzlichkeit, "die freie Unterordnung" unter Gottes Gesetz, um so das frei zu werden, was alle anderen Wesen durch ihre natürliche Anlage gezwungen sind. So auch die Weisen: בתחלה המליכו על רמ"ג איברים ולבסוף על רמ"ח אלו הן שתי עינים Bis dahin habe Abraham über alle seine (׳ושתי אונים וראש הגויה (נדרים ל"ב ב Glieder bis auf diejenigen Sinne geherrscht, über welche gewöhnliche Menschen selten volle Meisterschaft erlangen. Von nun an trat für ihn ein anderes ein: Sinne und Triebe, denen andere Menschen mehr blind folgen, sollen im neuen Bunde der freien Beherrschung der menschlichen Willenskraft unterstehen; selbst der mächtigste Trieb soll gemeistert, ihnen allen im Namen Gottes: !׳ד gesagt werden. Nicht bloß, wo es gilt "human" zu sein, immer und in allen Beziehungen soll der jüdische Mensch göttlich, und eben darin erst wahrhaft vollendet, "menschlich" sein. Auf diesen Entschluss der sich Gott frei unterordnenden Tat hat Gott das ganze Gebäude errichtet, dessen Resultat das jüdische Volk, das Haus Abrahams ist.

ואתנה בריתי AND I WILL MAKE MY COVENANT — a covenant of love and a covenant regarding the land — to give it to you as an inheritance through your observance of this precept.

ואתנה בריתי ביני ובינך, it is on this basis that I will establish My covenant between Me and between you. להיות לך לאלוהים ולזרעך אחריך, so that you will teach your descendants the lesson you have absorbed about Me.

ואתנה ... וארבה אותך, you should not think that on account of the circumcision your future descendants will be fewer because your reproductive organ has become weakened by the removal of the foreskin. On the contrary, I will multiply your seed.
במאד מאד, an expression designed to express the unusual extent of what is about to happen. The word מאד always refers to some form of multiplicity.

I will give My covenant. Hashem’s earlier covenant with him (15:18) was unilateral, but this one was “between Me and you,” imposing obligations upon both parties. Thus Avraham was also obliged to do his part to perfect creation, starting with his own body.

ואתנה בריתי וגו׳. Entschließe dich zu dieser Unterordnung unter mein Gesetz, denn ich möchte etwas hinstellen zwischen dich und mich, das ברית, das meinerseits und deinerseits "absolut" sein soll. Die jüdische Bestimmung wächst nicht aus den natürlichen Ereignissen hervor, eine pragmatische Geschichte der Juden im gewöhnlichen Sinne ist unmöglich. Auf natürlichem Wege wäre nie der erste Jude entstanden, und gäbe es längst keinen Juden mehr. צחק׳, der gewöhnlichen Berechnung eine lächerliche Unmöglichkeit, das ist der Typus der jüdischen Erscheinung. Beides, beiderseits, כיני וביניך, die von mir dir zu gewährende geschichtliche Existenz, sowie die von dir mir zu leistende Hingebung, soll כרית sein, von allen äußeren Verhältnissen und Bedingungen völlig abgelöst, völlig unabhängig.

ואתנה בריתי, die Verbindung von ברית mit נתן kommt fast nicht wieder vor, (nur noch einmal bei Pinchas: הנני נותן לו את בריתי שלום). Einen Bund errichten heißt sonst: הקים ברית ,כרת ברית nie aber נתן ברית. Es ist daher möglich, dass ואתנה בריתי nicht die Errichtung eines eigenen Bündnisses, sondern die Übertragung eines bereits bestehenden auf Abraham bedeute. Schon längst, als Gott der Menschheit die Erde zum zweitenmale schenkte, hatte er einen Bund mit der Gesamtmenschheit geschlossen, und als ברית dahingestellt, dass, trotz aller künftigen Verirrungen, die Menschheit nicht wieder zu Grunde gehen, sondern einen solchen Weg der Erziehung geführt werden solle, dass des חמס und der השחתת דרך immer weniger, und die Menschheit immer würdiger werde, das Paradies auf Erden zu finden. Für diesen ברית, für dieses absolute Ziel, hatte Gott bisher ein Werkzeug gesucht, wünschte es nun in Abraham gefunden zu haben, und spricht daher: ich möchte gerne durch dich jenen mit der Menschheit geschlossenen ברית zur Verwirklichung bringen, וארבה אותך במאוד מאור, mit dir beginnen, und dich zum Grundkeim der wieder mir zu gewinnenden Gesamtmenschheit setzen. Du wärest dann der erste mir für jene Heileszukunft wiedergewonnene Mensch, und ich werde dich und die Menschheit also führen, dass zuletzt in deinem Geiste alle Menschen erstehen und du dich in jedem Menschen wiederholest. (Siehe zu Kap.1, 28). (Auch bei Pinchas dürfte das הנני נותן לו את בריתי in ähnlichem Sinne sich erklären. Auch Pinchas hatte eine Hingebung bewährt, die eigentlich von der Gesamtgemeinde erwartet werden sollte. Den ברית den Gott mit der Gesamtheit geschlossen hatte, überträgt Er daher in besonderer Weise auf Pinchas, vielleicht: übergibt ihm diesen Bund zur Wahrung.)

ויפל אברם על פניו AND ABRAM FELL UPON HIS FACE through fear of the Shechinah, because before he was circumcised he did not have the strength to stand on his feet whilst the Holy Spirit stood over him; and it is to this that what is stated in the case of the heathen Balaam refers, (Numbers 24:4) “fallen down, yet with open eyes”. This is to be found in Baraitha of R. Eliezer (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 29).

AND ABRAM FELL ON HIS FACE. The purpose of this expression was to direct his mind towards the prophecy. When the prophecy concerning the commandment of circumcision was completed, Abraham rose and stood. When the word from heaven came to him a second time, saying to him, As for Sarai thy wife, etc.,³⁹⁷Further, Verse 15. he once again fell on his face to direct his mind towards the prophecy, and he also prayed concerning Ishmael.³⁹⁸Verse 18 here. in line with the verses: And they fell upon their faces, and said, O G-d, the G-d of the spirits, etc.;³⁹⁹Numbers 16:22. That I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.⁴⁰⁰Ibid., Verses 21-22.

ויפול אברם על פניו, this was a voluntary act demonstrating his gratitude to G'd for entering into the covenant with him.

ויפול אברם על פניו, he prostrated himself and thanked the Lord Who had told him that He would make this covenant with him, something he interpreted as a sign of G'd's love for him.

ויפול אברם על פניו, “Avraham prostrated himself before the Lord.” This was in order to show his readiness to receive prophetic communication from G’d.. In this instance, the commandment to circumcise himself was the physical part of fulfilling the commandment to become “perfect,” unblemished. As soon as he had received the commandment of circumcision he received the prophecy that Sarai, renamed Sarah, would bear him a son. (verses 16, and again 19) Avraham fell on his face once more preparatory to his prayer that Ishmael should be a son worthy of his father. Seeing that nothing is beyond G’d’s power, אלוקי הרוחות, “the Lord of all spirits,” he thought it appropriate to offer this prayer on behalf of Ishmael [who must have displayed signs of not following in his father’s footsteps already at that time. Ed.]

...This is the first time that the name, Elokim, is mentioned in God's speaking to Abraham. As we find that the name, Elokim, is attached to His creatures: "Elokei Avraham"; "Elokei Yitschak", Elokei Yisrael" - which is something that we do not find with the other names [of God]. As [this aspect of God] is diffused into the entire creation; such that from this angle, He is called Elokei HaOlam (the God of the world). And this is the name, Elokim, that is mentioned in the story of creation, in which he implanted the laws of nature... And there is [this aspect of God] that descends upon any man that is prepared for it, based on his preparation, like the forefathers... upon whom He had [this aspect] dwell upon in a different way that was elevated from [how this aspect] is found in nature...

From fear of the Divine Presence ... [You might ask:] When it is written earlier (12:7), “Adonoy appeared to Avram,” why is it not written that he fell on his face? The answer is: He fell on his face then as well, as derived from here. And falling on his face was not mentioned until now to show the difference between before circumcision and after. For after his circumcision, it is written (18:22): “Avraham was still standing before Hashem.”

Sich hinwerfen drückt das Aufgeben seiner Selbständigkeit aus. Indem man zugleich sich "auf sein Angesicht" wirft, hört man zugleich auf sehend zu sein, wird bloß hörend, gibt also die materielle und geistige Selbständigkeit dem andern gegenüber auf. Ähnlich wie die Engel um Gottes Thron Angesicht und Füße verhüllen und nur bereit sind, in Erfüllung des Gottesgeheißes die Schwingen der Kraft zu entfalten. Mit diesem aufs Angesicht Hinwerfen war Abraham seinerseits auf die Bundesanforderung eingegangen.

ויפול אברם על פניו, “Avram prostrated himself” from joy over this welcome message [that finally he qualified for performing this commandment. Ed.]

וידבר אתו אלוהים לאמור, He said the following word to him לאמור, in order for Avraham in turn to communicate them to the members of this household when he would meet them.

Während es bisher ׳וירא אליו ה und ואתנה בריתי hieß, heißt es jetzt: וידבר אתו i/אלקיםVor eingegangener Verbindlichkeit war das Eingehen dem freiwilligen Ent .i- schlusse Abrahams hingegeben, es war nur Gottes Wunsch; hätte Abraham sich nicht dazu entschlossen, er wäre immer noch בן נח geblieben. Nach übernommener Verbindlichkeit war das Verhältnis zur Verpflichtung erwachsen und als אלקי, als Gott des Rechts und der Ordnung, der mit sich und seinen Anordnungen nicht spielen lässt, spricht Gott das Folgende, und daher auch: לאמר, damit es Abraham weiter tradiere.

BEHOLD, MY COVENANT IS WITH THEE, AND THOU SHALT BE THE FATHER OF A MULTITUDE OF NATIONS. This refers to the covenant of the circumcision, as He will explain, “This is the sign of the Covenant,⁴⁰¹In Verse 10: This is my covenant. and after the covenant you will be the father of a multitude of nations.”
Blessed be the Lord! By Him alone are actions weighed, for He preceded and commanded Abraham to enter into His covenant to be circumcised before Sarah became pregnant so that his seed would be holy.

אני הנה בריתי אתך, "I am now doing what I had told you, to make the covenant actual."

אני הנה בריתי אתך, just as you have ben certain that when I said to you that I am א-ל שדי that I have the power to change the laws of nature, I am telling you additionally, that you will not only be the founder of one nation, but that you will became the founder of numerous nations. Both Yitzchok, Ishmael, and the sons of Keturah will al become important nations.

אני הנה בריתי אתך, “as far as I am concerned, here is My covenant with you.” The covenant G’d refers to here is the covenant of the circumcision. G’d instructed him to perform the sign of the covenant before Sarah would conceive, so that the baby born from her would also have been conceived in a state of purity and holiness.

אני הנה בריתי אתך, “As for Me, this is My covenant with you.” Nachmanides writes that the mystical meaning of these words is the same as Kings I 5,58 יהי ה' אלוקינו עמנו, “may the Lord our G’d be with us;” or, it is similar to Genesis 28,15 והנה אנכי עמך “and here I am with you.” We also find a similar expression in Exodus 3, 12 where G’d assures Moses כי אהיה עמך, ”for I am going to be with you.” What G’d meant by His words was that this very covenant would be with Avraham and would enable him to become fruitful and to multiply. Subsequently G’d commanded Avraham to observe this covenant by performing the visible sign of it, the rite of circumcision. The constantly recurring sign of the circumcision is the Sabbath. There the Torah (Exodus 31,13) also writes that the Israelites would observe the Sabbath as a sign of the eternal covenant between G’d and the children of Israel. The similarity of the language of the Torah in both instances makes it clear that both ”signs” (the circumcision and Sabbath observance) refer to the same covenant although the Torah delayed mentioning this until Exodus 31,13.

(4-8) sprechen die eine Seite des Bundes aus: das von Gott zu Erwartende; Raw Hirsch on Genesis 17: 9—14 das dagegen von Abraham und seinen Nachkommen zu Leistende. אני הנה וגו׳ Ich, was mich betrifft, von diesem Augenblick beginnt meine absolute Verheißung mit dir zu sein, und die bewirkt, dass du zu einem "Vater des Gewoges der Völker" werdest. Es ist hier schwerlich an die leibliche Abstammung von Abraham zu denken, von dieser ist erst Raw Hirsch on Genesis 17: 6 die Rede. Der Name Abraham, in welchem diese Verheißung festgehalten werden soll, beweist auch, dass אב hier nicht im leiblichen Sinne zu verstehen sei, es würde sonst אבהם lauten müssen und das ר wäre bedeutungslos und störend. אב המון גוים ist vielmehr gleichbedeutend mit אבר .אבר המון גוים ist aber der Fittich, bildlich: die Schwungkraft, davon אְַבִיר; so heißt Gott, der אביר יעקב ,ישאהו על אברתו. So ist Abraham אביר הגוים, er ist der Hebel, der sie zur geistigen und sittlichen Höhe bringt. Ohne Abrahams Geist ist die Masse der Völker: המון, ein auseinander und durcheinander brausendes Gewoge, sie kommen, man weiß nicht woher, sie gehen, man weiß nicht wohin, ihrer Bewegung fehlt jedes Richtmaß und Ziel. Sie sind kein צבא, keine sich um einen einheitlichen Willen zu einem einheitlichen Ziele gruppirende Menge, sondern המון: eine ungeordnete Masse. Abraham bringt ihnen den einheitlichen Geist, wird dadurch ihr geistiger Vater. Möglich, dass auch darum nicht das gewöhnliche אְַבִי המון גוים, sondern אב המון גוים gebraucht ist.

And you shall be the father of many...

The expression המון means "a multiplicity." In order that this will be remembered for all future times, I change your name by the addition of the letter ה, which by being joined to the letter מsymbolizes the word המון.

Nations: For until this point, Abraham had called out the name of God and converted some people, but this was only those people who converted entirely and entered under the category of servants of God in God's Torah that Abraham had taught them. And this is as it is taught in the Gemara Tractate Sanhedrin (99b) and in Avodat Kochavim (page 9) that the meaning of "the souls that they made in Charan" is that he taught them Torah and this is impossible for the whole world. And from the beginning, the only purpose was to "establish the borders of the nations according to the number of the children of Israel."(Devarim 32:8). But it was the desire and the goal that all of the nations should know God. "And the idols would entirely disappear"(Isaiah 2:18) And it was for this thing that God warned Abraham that his desire should be to the depths of his understanding to be a father of many nations, to make them know God. And In this he was called a father of many nations, like a father who establishes his son with correct ideas and by this the previous statement of God is clarified.

כי אב המון גוים FOR A FATHER OF A MULTIDUDE OF NATIONS — An acrostic on his name [אב (ר) הם]. But the ר which was previously in his name — denoting that he was the father (chieftain) only of אב (א) רם] ארם] which was his native country (cf. Genesis 21:7 with verse Genesis 21:10 of the same chapter), whilst now he became father of the entire world — nevertheless was not taken out of his name. For we find also, that the 'י in Sarai’s name continued to complain to God that it had been removed from her name when this was changed to Sarah, until it was placed as an additional letter into the name יהושע, as it is said, (Numbers 13:16) “And Moses called Hoshea (הושע) the son of Nun, Joshua (יהושע)” (Genesis Rabbah 47:1).

והיה שמך אברהם, "henceforth you name will be Avraham. Immediately."

ולא יקרא שמך עוד אברם, your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham. Bereshit Rabbah 44,10 already stated that when Abram cited that he had seen in his horoscope that he would not father any children, G'd agreed with him and told him that he was correct, that as Abram he would not father children but that as Abraham he would. The same would apply to Sarai as compared to Sarah. This Midrash is very difficult since the Torah reports Abram as siring Ishmael, not Abraham!

ולא יקרא עוד את שמך, the word את after the verb in the passive conjugation "yikarey" is used to make something more clear. (the author dealt with this principle in his introduction to דקדוק המלים) Other examples of such a construction are found in Numbers 26,55 וכן יחלק את הארץ, as well as in Deuteronomy 20,8 ולא ימס את אחיו. Our sages say that when a person's name is changed this results in the cancellation of evil decrees that had been issued against such a person. (Rosh Hashanah 16) They point to Avraham and Sarah as proof. Both Avraham and Sarah after having had their names changes had become able to jointly produce Yitzchok.

והיה שמך אברהם, “and your name will be Avraham.” The additional letter ה is from the last letter ה of the Ineffable Name י-ה-ו-ה. This gave Avraham the physical strength to produce offspring. We find that the letterי which had been a part of Sarai’s name, i.e. שרי was divided between Avraham and his wife [they both now had a letter 5=ה instead of Sarai having a letter י =10]. By dividing this letter between them (each receiving the equivalent of 5), Avraham became the carrier of the מרכבה, the terrestrial carriage supporting G’d’s Presence together with Yitzchak and Yaakov who would not have been born without this change of name of both Avram and Sarai.

For even the י of Sarai’s name complained to the Divine Presence ... Rashi is answering the question: ]According to this,] he should have been called אבהם, replacing the ר with a ה. Why was the ר not removed? Rashi answers: So the ר will not complain to Hashem, as did theי of Sarai. And perhaps the reason theי of Sarai was removed was because it was destined to be placed in Yehoshua’s name. Furthermore, the י [which equals 10] remained also with Sarai, as it was divided: half [ה = 5] was given to Sarah, and half to Avraham. But the ר could not have remained in their names [in this way].

ולא יקרא עוד את שמך אברם, “henceforth your name will no longer be called Avram;” anyone still referring to Avraham as Avram will be violating a positive commandment. (Talmud, B’rachot 13)[The underlying reason for this may be that by depriving him of his full name, the caller implies that he was still partially a gentile. This is loosely translated by me for the words לפי שנתלוה עמו גיות, used by the author. Ed.] Nechemyah 9,7 where reference to this name change is made, is no contradiction to what is stated in the Talmud, as it also records what has been written here. The Talmud refers to the difference from Yaakov who was given the additional name Israel, without the name Yaakov having been erased. Seeing that he had been a descendant of Avraham and Yitzchok, the name Yaakov never had a connotation of something connected to paganism which had to be erased. Already Yitzchok’s name never required to be changed.

כי אב המון גויים נתתיך, for the significance of this name change will commence as of this day. The word נתתיך in the past tense means that this process has already commenced. This is why לא יקרא עוד שמך אברם, your name from now on will now longer be Avram, ever. This was a different name change from when Yaakov was accorded the name ישראל. That name was an additional name which did not replace his original name Yaakov. The matter will be explained in due course.

ולא יקרא, people of subsequent generations will never refer to the original names of Avram and Sarai when referring to them, but will refer to them only as Sarah and Avraham. You are to tell all the people you meet that G'd has changed both your names, so that these people will tell others and soon everyone will know about this. As a result, the miracle that I have worked with you both will become public knowledge when you and Sarah will have a baby-son.

Besides, why did the Midrash mention that Sarai did not bear children when Abraham had never even raised the problem of Sarai not having children?

והיה שמך אברהם, “henceforth your name will always be: Avraham.” It is an ancient custom to change someone’s name as a sign that he had received a promotion. We find this with Sarah, Yaakov, Joshua, as well as with Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah. (Daniel 1,7)

We must conclude therefore that Abraham already knew at that time or at least surmised that any meaningful seed of his could only be conceived through Sarah because (presumably) whatever he had foreseen in his horoscope applied to himself in conjunction with his wife. G'd confirmed this when He told him that his seed would be known through Isaac. This is why the Midrash included the name Sarah when describing a prophecy primarily directed at Abraham. Abraham realised that the need for Ishmael to be his son was to rid his sperm of any residual contamination of the original serpent. Fathering Ishmael then was not fathering in the true sense of the word.

ונתתיך לגוים AND I WILL MAKE NATIONS OF THEE — Israel and Edom only are intended here for Ishmael was already born to him and He could not, therefore, have been making any announcement concerning him.

AND I WILL MAKE NATIONS OF THEE. The language of Rashi: “Israel and Edom are referred to here, for Ishmael was already born to him, and He could not therefore have been making any announcement concerning him.”
But in my opinion it is not correct that He should inform him of Esau at the time of the covenant of circumcision since Esau does not observe circumcision and has not been commanded thereon, as the Sages expounded in Tractate Sanhedrin:⁴⁰²59b. “For in Isaac shall seed be called to thee,⁴⁰³Further, 21:12. but not all of Isaac.”⁴⁰⁴Not all of the children of Isaac, namely Jacob and Esau, but only “in” Isaac, meaning only one, Jacob. Instead, [the proper interpretation is that] Israel alone is called “nations” and “peoples,” as in the verses: Yea, He loveth the peoples;⁴⁰⁵Deuteronomy 33:3. They shall call peoples unto the mountains;⁴⁰⁶Ibid., Verse 19. After thee, Benjamin, among the peoples.⁴⁰⁷Judges 5:14. Even after the birth of all the tribes, He said: A nation and a company of nations shall be of thee;⁴⁰⁸Further, 35:11. And I will make of thee a company of peoples.⁴⁰⁹Ibid., 48:4.

והפרתי אותך במאד מאד ונתתיך לגוים, as we already explained, this refers to Yitzchok, Ishmael and the sons of Keturah. Alternatively, it refers only to Yitzchok's offspring Yaakov, and his offspring alone. The meaning of the word גוים then would be "tribes" as suggested by Onkelos. [in a different manuscript from that copied in our Chumashim. Ed.]

ונתתיך לגויים, “I shall make you into nations;” Rashi believes that the plural “nations” refers to the Jewish people on the one hand and to Edom (Rome) on the other. Seeing that Yishmael had already been born, Rashi does not consider this promise/prophecy as applying to the Arab nation. Nachmanides considers Rashi’s commentary as flawed, seeing that it is most unlikely that at the time when G’d was preoccupied with the circumcision He should prophesy to Avraham concerning an as yet unborn Esau. After all, Avraham was neither in charge of Esau nor did the duty to circumcise him devolve upon him instead of upon his father Yitzchok (if and when). . According to Nachmanides both Yishmael and Esau’s descendants are called גויים, whereas the Jewish people are referred to as עם. He quotes Deut. 33,3 אף חובב עמים as proof. There are other verses of the same kind. [however, there are numerous occasions when the Jewish people are referred to as גוי, as in Exodus 33,13, Joshua 3,17, Genesis 25,23, Deut. 4,38 and numerous others. Ed.]

Aber für diesen Zweck der Erhebung der Gesamtmenschheit zu ihrer geistig sittlichen Höhe, und außer dieser allgemeinen Bedeutung, sichert dir mein ברית noch ein Besonderes: du selbst wirst Stammvater eines großen Volkes. Dieses Volk, das als Mustervolk der Gesamtvölkermenge voranwandeln soll, wird sich selbst als גוים, als eine Völkermehrheit darstellen. Es wird aus Stämmen bestehen, deren jeder eine besondere Charakternuance der Völkererscheinung zur Anschauung bringen und so tatsächlich bewahrheiten soll, dass der Gottesbund, der göttliche Menschenberuf an keine Berufseigentümlichkeit geknüpft und durch keine gehindert ist. Nicht Löwenmut, nicht Handelsgeist, nicht Studientrieb etc. etc. bedingt oder hindert Abrahams Sendung an die Menschheit. Ein Kriegervolk wie Juda, ein Handelsvolk wie Sebulun, ein Volk der Gelehrsamkeit wie Isachar, des Ackerbaues wie Ascher etc. etc. alle sind berufen, die allgemeine Aufgabe des gemeinschaftlichen Berufes, die das Judentum lehrt, in ihrer besonderen Lebenstätigkeit zu verwirklichen. Keine Kirche, ein Volk, wollte Gott durch Abraham stiften, ein Volk für die ganze Fülle von Völkern, darum sollte dieses Volk selbst aus volkstümlich gesonderten Stämmen, aus גוים bestehen. So wird das verheißene jüdische Volk Jakob gegenüber, bei welchem ja an gar kein anderes Volk zu denken ist, ausdrücklich (1. B. M. 35,11) גוי וקהל גוים genannt, גוי וקהל גוים יהיה ממך, es ist einerseits גי, eine geschlossene Einheit, und besteht andererseits aus קהל גוים.

ומלכים ממך יצאו, this too means the same as Onkelos said, that some of your descendants will become kings over nations.

והקמתי את בריתי AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT — And what is this Covenant? להיות לך לאלהים TO BE A GOD UNTO THEE.

והקימותי את בריתי ... ובין זרעך אחריך, G'd refers to promised made both to Yaakov and to his descendants as spelled out in Leviticus 26,12. The reciprocal relationship between the Jewish people and G'd is spelled out there clearly.

להיות לך לאלוקים ולזרעך אחריך, to accept Me as your exclusive deity, without any intermediary, just as G'd is the sold G'd of all the enduring phenomena in the world (the planets, stars, etc.) Solomon phrased it thus in Kohelet 3,14: כי כל אשר יעשה האלוקים הוא יהיה לעולם. According to our author this verse proves that anything which G'd has created without intermediary is eternal, endures, whereas when we see creatures and other phenomena disintegrate, this is proof that they were brought into existence by intermediaries of G'd, by His agents, not by Himself. Observing the terms of this covenant was concluded with G'd directly, not with an intermediary

והקימתי את בריתי. Die Verwirklichung dieser meiner an deinen Nach kommen zu erfüllenden Bestimmung wird nicht leicht sein, sie wird viele Anfechtungen und Kämpfe zu bestehen haben; allein ich werde sie "aufrechthalten", werde deine Kinder nach dir bilden, leiten, läutern, erziehen, bis sie mir Kinder werden.

לאחזת עולם FOR AN EVERLASTING POSSESSION — and there I will be your God; but whoever resides outside the land is as if he has no God (Ketubot 110b).

ונתתי ... את ארץ מגורך, a reference to the locations in which Avraham had dwelled, not only these but the whole of the land of Canaan.

לאחוזת עולם, "I will be your G'd in order that you may carry out My will, and He gave them the land presently belonging to other nations in order that they keep His statutes." (Psalms 105, 44-45) When they do this they will achieve eternal existence individually, not merely as a species.

But, one who resides outside Eretz Yisrael is like someone who has no God. R. Noson writes: This is because Eretz Yisrael is Hashem’s inheritance. He took it as His portion, as it says in a number of verses; the other lands were apportioned to the archangels. Thus, whoever resides in other lands is considered as though he has removed himself from Hashem’s domain, so to speak. And these are the words of Gur Aryeh.

Dann erst, heißt es, nachdem ich mir aus deinen Nachkommen ein Volk gewonnen, werde ich ihnen das Land geben, in welchem du als Fremdling geweilt und werde mich ihnen dort als leitender, schützender, fürsorgender Gott bewähren.

לאחוזת עולם, even though the Jewish people would be exiled from that country for a period of time, it would remain their eternal heritage. They would return to that land and G'd would be their G'd.

ואתה AND AS FOR THEE — This ו (of ואתה) connects this verse with the preceding matter (v. Gensis 17:4, thus setting ואתה of here in contrast with the ואני of there): “As for Me, behold My covenant is with thee” — “and as for thee, thou shalt be careful to keep it”. And what constitutes the “keeping” of it? THIS IS MY COVENANT WHICH YE SHALL KEEP… EVERY MALE AMONGST YOU [SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED].

‘VE’ATAH’ (AND AS FOR THEE), THOU SHALT KEEP MY COVENANT. Rashi commented, “The vav of ve’atah connects the verse with the preceding matter [in Verse 4]: ‘As for Me behold My covenant is with thee, and as for thee, thou shalt be careful to keep it.’ And what constitutes this ‘keeping’ of it? This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you — this applies to those who were then alive; and thy seed after thee⁴¹⁰Verse 10 here. — this applies to those who are yet to be born.” The Rabbi is correct in his interpretation of the plain meaning of the verse.
Now they⁴¹¹This reason is found in the Commentary of R’dak. See also Moreh Nebuchim (III, 49), where other reasons are given. have said concerning the reason for the commandment of circumcision that He has thereby placed a reminder in the organ of lust, which is the source of much trouble and sin, in order that it should not be used excepting where it is commandatory and permissible.
By way of truth,⁴¹²A reference to the mystic teachings of the Torah. See Seder Bereshith, Note 63. the meaning of the verse, Behold, My covenant is with thee,⁴¹³Verse 4 here. is similar in meaning to the verses: Behold, I am with thee;⁴¹⁴Further, 28:15. And He said, Certainly, I will be with thee;⁴¹⁵Exodus 3:12. The Eternal our G-d be with us.⁴¹⁶I Kings 8:57. He is thus saying that the covenant will be with him, and therefore he will be fruitful and multiply. After that He commanded that Abraham keep this covenant, and the circumcision will be as a sign of the covenant. Thus it is that this “sign” is as “the sign” of the Sabbath,⁴¹⁷Concerning the Sabbath, it is also written: It is a sign forever. (Exodus 31:17.) and therefore circumcision sets aside the Sabbath. Understand this.

ואתה את בריתי תשמר, "just as I keep My part of the covenant, I want you to keep your part of My covenant. Unless the covenant is respected mutually it will be invalid.

You must preserve My covenant. The earlier covenant embodied in the sacrifices (15:7-18) would not have distinguished the Jewish nation in exile as circumcision would.

ויאמר אלוקים אל אברהם, once G'd had changed Avram's name Moses never again spelled in the former way. Our sages have gone so far as to describe anyone referring to Avraham as Avram as having violated a positive as well as a negative commandment. (Bereshit Rabbah 46,8) They base this on the wording "your name shall not be called Avram, but your name shall be Avraham." (verse 5) Many people question this, pointing out that in Nechemya 9,7 we read אתה הוא ה' האלוקים אשר בחרת באברם , "you are the Lord G'd Who has chosen Avram." The answer is that perhaps what Nechemya meant was that G'd had chosen Avraham to be Avraham at a time when he was still known as Avram. According to the plain meaning of the text, the wording of the Torah is only a warning not to call Avraham by this former name, it is not part of the 613 commandments

ואתה ist das Korrelat zu dem vorhergehen אני, Vers4. תשמר Ich, hatte Gott gesagt, werde meinen Bund unter allen Umständen aufrecht halten, selbst wenn Verhältnisse eintreten sollten, die ihn zum Falle bringen könnten; allein אתה את בריתי תשמר du hast meinen ברית zu hüten, dir und deinen Nachkommen liegt es ob, dafür zu sorgen, dass er nicht in diese Gefahr komme. Diese Verpflichtung ruht auf allen Nachkommen Abrahams. Diese Nachkommen verdanken nicht nur ihre geistig sittliche Bestimmung, sondern ihre ganze pyhsische und materielle Existenz eben nur dieser von Abraham übernommenen Verpflichtung. Ihr ganzes Dasein ist aus dieser Verpflichtung hervorgegangen! Ohne sie wäre kein Jizchak geboren worden. Sie sind nur unter dieser Bedingung geworden und atmen nur als Söhne dieses Bundes. Ihr Dasein selbst verpflichtet sie daher zu diesem Bunde.

ואתה את בריתי תשמר, G'd makes plain that the overriding condition upon which this covenant is based is the meticulous observance by Avraham and his descendants of the terms of this covenant. Avraham is to pass on this condition to his offspring as well as to his household.

'ביני וביניכם וגו BETWEEN ME AND YOU — “you” is plural and refers to all those belonging to Abraham who were then alive.

זאת בריתי, just as I keep and observe my end as spelled out in verse 7, so you must keep and observe it. The Torah employs the plural mode when speaking of Avraham and his descendants, i.e. תשמרו, as it had done in verse 9 when spelling the word אחריך, "after you,: with the letter י indicating such a plural. This covenant was to be between G'd (sing.) and the Jewish people (ph.)

As if it were written להמול ... [I.e.,] although it is in the imperative form, it cannot be a command. For the next verse states [the command]: “You shall circumcise...”

In eigentümlicher Weise wird zuerst die Mila selbst ברית genannt, also, dass die Vollziehung derselben selbst als eine Erfüllung des Bundes erscheint, und dann wird sie im folgenden Verse als אות ברית, als Zeichen des Bundes erklärt, somit als ein Symbol, das den ברית vergegenwärtigen soll, dessen Erfüllung somit über den einfachen Akt der Mila hinausreichen muß. Es dürften diese bei dem ersten spezifisch jüdischen und zwar symbolischen Gesetze sich findenden Aussprüche für die richtige Würdigung aller folgenden ähnlichen Gesetze von höchster Bedeutsamkeit hin. Und zwar nach beiden Seiten hin.

ובין זרעך אחריך AND THY SEED AFTER THEE — those who are yet to be born.

ביני וביניכם, a reference to Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov, seeing that Avraham was still alive for 15 years of Yaakov's life.

Bei symbolischen Geboten ist nicht nur die Festhaltung der durch sie zu verewigenden Idee, sondern in allererster Linie die konkrete Vollziehung der angeordneten Handlung unverbrüchliches Gottesgesetz; und nimmer kann die Festhaltung der Idee von der konkreten Vollziehung dispensieren oder dieselbe ersetzen. Die Nichtvollziehung der Handlung kommt der Leugnung der Idee gleich. Wer das Bundeszeichen unterlässt, hat (Raw Hirsch on Genesis 17: 14) den Bund zerstört, und die Vollziehung des Zeichens ist selbst (Raw Hirsch on Genesis 17: 10) Hütung des Bundes, .שמירת הברית

המול is an infinitive equal to לְהִמּוֹל just as you may say עַשׂוֹת in place of לעשות (i.e. the infinitive may be with or without ל prefixed).

ובין זרעך אחריך, a reference to Yaakov's descendants.

Von anderer Seite hat die Vollziehung der Handlung ihre volle Bestimmung nur erst dann erreicht, wenn sie zum אות, zum Symbol geworden, wenn sie als solches be herzigt, und die durch sie ausgedrückte Idee in uns lebendig wird. Die Vollziehung selbst bleibt aber immer die erste Erfüllung des göttlichen Gebotes, es will, dass die Idee von uns durch die Handlung als Gottesausspruch fort und fort ausgesprochen und dadurch als solcher festgehalten, bewahrt, uns und anderen ewig wiederholt und neubelebt werde.

המול לכם כל זכר, every male of you shall be circumcised. By saying לכם, he included that both he and his descendants were meant. After Avraham had heard the words כל זכר, he understood that this circumcision was to be performed on the male member, the reproductive organ. It was to be the area of the body where the difference between the sexes was most notable. Our sages in Kidushin 29 say that the word לכם, meant that if a baby had no father, the commandment to have the circumcision performed devolves on the court in the respective city in which the child lives.

המול, an infinitive in the passive conjugation נפעל, meaning that the subject about whom the Torah speaks, the Jewish nation, is "to have each male circumcised." The root of the verb is נמל, it is parallel to such roots as שקל, הנדף, עשן, (compare Psalms 68,3). According to my opinion the word הנדף in that erse is a noun, as I have explained in my book שער הדקדוק. In accordance with that theory the word המול is also a noun with an additional letter ה, such as we find it when fully spelled out as הנמול, "the circumcised one," parallel to הנדף, "the dispersed one." Alternatively, the root of the verb is מול as in Amos 4,12 הכון, from the root כון.

מקור נפעל ,המול לכם von מול, ebenso ימול entschieden von מול, ebenso ja auch וימל את בשר ערלתם Raw Hirsch on Genesis 17: 23. Wahrscheinlich sind auch die anderen hier vorkommenden Formen von derselben Radix, נִמול Raw Hirsch on Genesis 17: 26, und נִמלו Raw Hirsch on Genesis 17: 27 praeterit. Nifal von מול wie נֵעור Sechaija 2 von עור. Es wäre dann allerdings ונְמַלְתֶם eine ungewöhnliche Form für ונְמולתֶם, wofür jedoch die Hifilform הֵקַמְתִי statt הְַקִימתִי eine Analogie böte. Das את in נמלתם את בשר nach dem Nifal kann nicht dagegen sprechen, da es Raw Hirsch on Genesis 17: 26 entschieden in derselben Verbindung vorkommt בְַהִמ֗לוֹ את בשר ערלתו. Man pflegt noch eine Wurzel נמל in derselben Bedeutung anzunehmen und dann ונְמַלתם als praeterit. Kal, ihr sollt beschneiden das Fleisch eurer Vorhaut, zu übersetzen. dass es eine solche Wurzel in dieser Bedeutung gibt, dafür spricht allerdings das נמוֹל אברהם und נִמלו Raw Hirsch on Genesis 17: 26, 27. Formen, welche, ungeachtet der bereits zitierten Analogie mit נֵעוֹר, doch immerhin mehr für die Abstammung פ"ג sprechen. Allein die Wurzel נמל selbst kommt auch nur intransitiv vor, כציץ יצא וַיִמָל Job 14,. 2(, und hieße ונמלתם וגוי dann immer noch, ihr sollt geknickt, geschwächt, beschnitten werden an dem Fleische eurer Vorhaut.

מול heißt aber durchaus nicht allgemein schneiden, beschneiden, kommt vielmehr in diesem Sinne nur in Beziehung zur Mila vor. מול heißt: gegenüber, הוא יושב ממולי (4. B. M. 25, 57); אְַמִילַם (Ps. 118, 10) entgegentreten, "es ist im Namen Gottes, dass ich ihnen entgegentrete": Somit heißt מול als Verbum: entgegentreten, be- schränken, und wenn es in Verbindung mit ערלה: abschneiden heißt, wofür ja auch das ותכרת את ערלת בנה (zw. B. M. 4, 25) die Bestätigung gibt, so ist das Schneiden nur das Mittel, Zweck und Absicht ist: der ערלה entgegenzutreten, sie zu beschränken; richtiger vielmehr: dem בשר ערלה durch Abschneiden, Entfernen der ערלה entgegenzutreten, es in die gebührende Schranke zurückzuweisen. Die ערלה wird abgeschnitten, das בשר, das sonst בשר ערלה wäre, wird dadurch מול, beschränkt, ihm wird entgegengetreten. —

Vergleichen wir die Ausdrücke: ערלה אזנם ,ערל שפתים (Jerem. 6, 10). גם אתה והערל (Habak. 2, 16). ערל לב, endlich die Bezeichnung ערלה für die Früchte der ersten drei Jahre, so ergibt sich, dass ערל den Zustand bezeichnet, in welchem dem Menschen die Herrschaft über einen Gegenstand versagt ist, der eigentlich seiner Beherrschung bestimmt ist. ערל שפתים ,ערל אזן usw. ist derjenige, der die Herrschaft über Lippe, Ohr usw. verloren hat, der diese Organe nicht gebrauchen kann, dem sie ihre Dienste versagen. ערל לב: der die Herrschaft über die Neigungen und Triebe seines Herzens nicht hat. הֵעָרֵל: der Zustand völliger Betäubung, in welcher die ganze Herrschaft über sich selbst eingebüßt ist. In Beziehung auf die Früchte der ersten drei Jahre sind wir ערלים, sie sind im Zustand der ערלה, unserem Gebrauche entzogen. Als Gegensatz zu ערלה erscheint הכנעה: Beugung, Unterordnung: או אז יכנע לבבם הערל (3. B. M. 26, 41), und hier: מילה, wörtlich: Entgegentreten, in die Schranken zurückweisen.

ערל בשר ist derjenige, der die Herrschaft über seinen Leib nicht hat. Dieser Leib soll nicht Herr, soll vielmehr מְבַשֵר ,בשר, Diener und Herold des Geistes sein; ordnet er aber sich nicht dem sittlich freien Geiste unter, so ist er im Zustand der ערלה, ist בשר ערלה und der Akt, der das Entgegentreten, die sittlich freie Energie gegen den ungefügigen Leib ausdrücken soll, heißt מילת בשר ערלה. Es heißt nicht: .ימול את ערלת בשרו ,ונמלתם את ערלת בשרכם sondern umgekehrt: בשר ערלתו ,בשר ערלתכם. Der unbeschnittene Leib trägt nicht das Zeichen der Unterordnung. Mit dem Wegschneiden der Vorhaut wird dem ganzen Leibe die Unterordnung unter den das göttliche Sittengesetz vollbringenden Geist aufgeprägt, und auf diese Unterordnung des Leibes, nicht auf die des Geistes, hat Gott in erster Linie seinen Bund gegründet. Der jüdische Gottesbund kennt keine Zerklüftung des Menschenwesens, dass etwa der Geist sich spekulativ zum Göttlichen emporschwingen solle, während der Leib im Pfuhl der Sinnlichkeit schwelgen dürfe. Er fordert vielmehr als allererste Bedingung die sittliche Unterordnung der ganzen Leiblichkeit und lässt nur aus einer reinen Sinnlichkeit ein wahrhaft göttliches Geistesleben erblühen.

מילה ist somit in Wahrheit nichts anderes, als symbolischer Ausdruck der Verpflichtung: להתהלך לפני א׳ ש׳ ולהיות תמים, mit freier sittlicher Energie sich vor dem Angesichte des überall das די setzenden Gottes zu führen, und positiv und negativ sich in Wahrung der Schranken seines Gesetzes zu vollenden. מילה ist das די des שדי für unseren Leib. —

המול לכם כל זכר diese Verewigung der Grundbedingung des abrahamitischen Gottesbundes ist am Leibe des Geschlechtes zu vollziehen, das als זכר (s. oben K. 1, 27) überhaupt zum Träger der geistigen Traditionen der Menschheit, somit auch zum Träger der speziell abrahamitischen Tradition bestimmt ist. Nicht wie im Deutschen ist in unserer Sprache das "Männliche" als das Kräftige, sondern als das "Gedenkende" charakterisiert, es daher auch zunächst zur ת"ת verpflichtet, während dem Weiblichen die große Aufgabe zugefallen, diesem Geiste nun den irdischen Raum zu gestalten, in welchem das Göttlichgeistige, mit allem Irdischen vermählt, seine irdische Blüte und Entfaltung hinauslebt.

ונמלתם AND YE SHALL CIRCUMCISE — This word, in spite of the נ in it, is not Niphal but the same as ומלתם and the נ in it is an addition to the root, which only sometimes appears in it, as, for example, the נ of נושך and of ונמלתם ;(נושא is Kal like ונשאתם “and ye shall carry” (Genesis 45:19), but יִמּוֹל (Genesis 17:12 and Genesis 17:13) is a Niphal form — “shall be circumcised” — like יֵעָשֶׂה “it shall be done”, and יֵאָכֵל “it shall be eaten”.

לאות ברית, as a constant reminder to walk in His paths. The sign of the circumcision is to be like the stamp on the skin of a slave identifying him as belonging to a certain master.

ונמלתם, this is the positive commandment to the father to circumcise his male child, or to the son to perform circumcision on himself when he reaches the age of manhood if it has not been performed on him before then by the court.

As ומלתם ... I.e., although it is not in the imperative form, it is a command.

Es ist hier geschieden zwischen dem, was der Akt der Mila an sich ist und was die vollzogene Mila an unserem Leibe bedeutet. In dem Augenblick, in welchem die Gesamtheit oder, als deren nächster Vertreter seinem Kinde gegenüber, der Vater dem Kinde mit dem scharfen Messer das: די! aufdrückt, in diesem Augenblicke zeichnet er sein Kind als Träger der Bestimmung, dem ׳א׳ ש zu gehorchen; dies ist שמירת הברית, die Forttradierung der Bundesverpflichtung. Dieser Akt wird an uns ohne unser Bewusstsein vollzogen. Dadurch aber, ׳ונמלתם וג, werden wir alle die Mila an uns tragen, והיה לאות ברית und sie wird uns zum Zeichen, zur steten Erinnerung an unsere Verbindung mit Gott und unsere Verpflichtung gegen Gott, nie ערל בשר zu werden, nie zügellos, ausschweifend zu werden, sondern mit unserer ganzen leiblichen Sinnlichkeit und selbst mit dem heftigsten Triebe den Wandel vor dem Angesichte des allem Maß und Ziel setzenden Gottes zu führen. Nicht כריתה, Vernichtung, מילה "Beschränkung" ist der Grundbegriff des Gottesbundes. Zölibat und Kastrierung sind dem jüdischen Gottesbunde ebenso fluchwürdige Auswüchse, als Wollust und Ausschweifung. Das Sinnlichste, sittlich umschränkt, Gott heilig machen, heißt: Jude sein.

"And it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you". A symbol and a sign that I am the Master and you are my servants, and the sign is sealed in a private place that will not be seen. The reason for this is so that the (non-Jewish) nations of the world won't say that the Jews are blemished ("ba'alei mumin"). And since the Holy One, Blessed be He, commanded men and not women, we learn that the place of manhod ("makom zachrut") was where God commanded to seal the covenant. And the blood of niddah that women guard, and tell their openings to their husbands, this is to them the blood of the covenant ("dam brit").

ונמלתם, “you shall circumcise yourselves;” all those who had not been circumcised on the eighth day after birth.

לאות ברית, as a mark of the covenant; although there are other symbolic acts which are signs of the covenant and the obligation to keep the laws of the Torah, such as the phylacteries, the fringes, the Sabbath, etc., this symbol is by far the most potent one, the only one to be performed on one's body. The other "signs" are only a reminder. This is the only such "sign" to be performed on one's body. Seeing that this is so, The Torah chose to select the reproductive organ of the male, seeing that most of the sins one commits are somehow related to this organ and involve misuse of that organ. It is the organ, which, unless handled with care, is apt to allow the bestial party of the human being to come to the surface, thereby weakening the aspect of our nature which wishes to cling to godliness. When looking at that part of one's body one reminds oneself automatically that G'd has forbidden Jews to engage in recreational sexual activities, in mating with partners which the Torah has forbidden in the interest of purity, etc. Sexual emissions are to be used only for the purpose of impregnating one's wife or when prescribed for medical reason by a physician.

והיה לאות ברית, “it will be the enduring symbol of the covenant.” The act of circumcision will make you known as my servants.

As in יעשה יאכל. The words יעשה יאכל are vocalized with a צירי under the י.

יליד בית HE THAT IS BORN IN THE HOUSE — one to whom a handmaid gave birth in the house.

ובן שמונת ימים ימול, he is to be circumcised when 8 days old; a passive mode of the root מול. Accordingly, we must understand that the primary duty of performing the circumcision is that of the baby's father.

(12-13) Wir haben im 4. und 5. Jahrgang des Jeschurun eine ausführliche Entwicklung der Milainstitution und ihrer Bedeutung versucht, und verweisen hierauf insbesondere noch hinsichtlich der Bestimmung, die Beschneidung am achten Tage, — (in besonderen Fällen auch sofort am ersten) — vorzunehmen.

מקנת כסף HE THAT IS BOUGHT WITH THY MONEY — one whom a person bought after his birth.

כל זכר לדורותיכם, this refers to the Israelites.

יליד בית, any member of the family born in the house.

ומקנת כסף אשר לא מזרעך הוא, or a slave purchased by money who is not of your seed. Both those who were born to other slaves owned by you, or even slaves purchased from the outside before eight days old must be circumcised when they reach that age. If such a slave was purchased by a Jew after he was already more than eight days old, you do not wait with performing this commandment. This is also why all of the male members of Avraham's household were circumcised by him at the same time he performed the operation on himself. He did not have any male members of his household who were less than 8 days old. This, at any rate, is the plain meaning of our text. Our sages, (Shabbat 135) reacting to the repetition of the words המול ימול, use this to reason that the Torah spoke of two different dates as being appropriate for the circumcision of gentile slaves. 1) There are some who have to be circumcised immediately; 2) there are others who must be circumcised on the eighth day. If one had purchased a female slave who was pregnant, he son when born must be circumcised forthwith. If the female slave had undergone ritual immersion prior to giving birth to her son he will be circumcised when eight days old like any other Jewish ale baby. If one had purchased a gentile slave (female) who had become pregnant while in the household of her Jewish master, the baby will be circumcised on the eighth day. If one had purchased a female slave with a view of keeping only her baby when born, i.e. not needing to convert his mother, or one had purchased the mother with the express proviso not to convert her by subjecting her to a ritual immersion, the baby born by her is also one that needs immediate circumcision, seeing it is not a Jewish baby as yet.

המול ימול יליד ביתך HE THAT IS BORN IN THY HOUSE MUST NEEDS BE CIRCUMCISED — Here the statement that one born in the house must be circumcised is repeated but it does not say “after eight days” as in 5:12, thus teaching you that there are some cases of those “born in the house” who have to be circumcised on the first day of birth, as is explained in Treatise Sabbath (Shabbat 135b).

בבשרכם; the word בשר is a euphemism for the reproductive organ of the male, as for instance in Ezekiel 16,26 גדלי בשר, "with outsized male member." Or, Leviticus 5, 2-3 זב מבשר, "an uncontrolled seminal emission from his male organ." There are more examples of the word בשר having that same meaning. Seeing that the organ on which the covenant with G'd is marked is the organ instrumental in ensuring a man's continuity beyond death through the genes of his offspring, it is appropriate that the covenant which represents the eternal intimate and reciprocal relationship of G'd and the Jewish people should be symbolized in this manner.

המול ימול, this refers to Avraham ensuring that all the male members of his household be circumcised now with him. The Torah had already issued instructions in the previous verse that Avraham's male descendants were to be circumcised, as well as any gentile bodily owned members of their households. Just as they were to study G'd's laws, i.e. "His ways," they would have to carry out this commandment as it is inconceivable for more than one religion to be observed within the same household. Neither were there to be members of two different nations within the same household, one of whom circumcised and the other uncircumcised.

Here is repeated ... Above (v. 12) it is also written, “Every male throughout your generations he that is a house-born slave...” and it specified: “At the age of eight days.” Here it repeats “house-born slaves” but does not specify [the age].

המול ימול, “the first word refers to the removal of the foreskin, the second to the removal of the thin membrane covering the head of the penis below it, known as פריעה

בבשרכם, seeing that slaves are owned bodily by their Jewish master, it is quite in order to describe their flesh as בשרכם, "your flesh."

After eight days ... This case is: One person bought a pregnant maidservant. If she gave birth on Shabbos, the circumcision does not override Shabbos [i.e., the circumcision does not take place on the eighth day].

וערל זכר AND THE UNCIRCUMCISED MALE — This phrase teaches that circumcision must be at that place where the distinction between male and female is evident (Genesis Rabbah 46:13).

AND THE UNCIRCUMCISED MALE. Here Scripture teaches you that this circumcision must be at the location where the distinction between male and female is evident. Thus the words of Rashi. Our Rabbis have likewise mentioned other reasons.⁴¹⁸Shabbath 108a.
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said:⁴¹⁹In his commentary to Leviticus 12:3. “his foreskin,⁴²⁰Leviticus 12:3. which is known, for it is in the genital organ. But not so are the expressions: uncircumcised in the heart;⁴²¹Jeremiah 9:25. uncircumcised lips;⁴²²Exodus 6:12. their ear is uncircumcised.⁴²³Jeremiah 6:10. All of these latter are in a construct state.⁴²⁴But when the word orlah is not used in the construct state (as in Leviticus 12:3) it refers to the genital organ.
In my opinion the matter is clearly explained in Scripture. It does not say, “And ye shall circumcise your foreskin,” thus leaving the meaning in doubt, nor does it say, “the foreskin of your flesh,” just as it says the foreskin of your heart,⁴²⁵Deuteronomy 10:16. and “the foreskin of your lips.”⁴²⁶I did not find this exact quote. Perhaps reference is to Exodus 6:12, mentioned above. But instead it says, And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin,⁴²⁷Verse 11 here. meaning that you are to cut off the flesh which is your foreskin, namely, your flesh which obstructs, and there is no flesh in the body which obstructs and covers a limb [as is the case with the genital organ], where one can cut the flesh and remain without the foreskin, other than the “flesh that covers the corona,” which the Sages mentioned.⁴²⁸Shabbath 137a. In our text of the Mishnah there: “flesh that covers ‘the greater part’ of the corona.” Ramban’s version is similar to that of the Talmud Munich Ms. (See Dikduke Sofrim, ibid.) The word “flesh” in the expression, uncircumcised in flesh,⁴²⁹Ezekiel 44:9. is a euphemism for the genital organ, just as in the verses great of flesh,⁴³⁰Ibid., 16:26. and an issue of his flesh.⁴³¹Leviticus 14:2. The word “flesh” in these two verses refers to the genital organ.

וערל זכר, and an uncircumcised male' the verse speaks of a Jew. The commandment as well as the penalty for non-observance applies only to Jews. The members of Avraham's household whom G'd had commanded Avraham to circumcise, do not in turn have to circumcise their own children - even if they obtained their freedom and were no longer member of his household. The only reason a Jewish household must consist of males who have been circumcised is to preserve the uniform nature of such a household. In the event such a slave in a Jewish household does not want to submit to circumcision, his Jewish master must sell him. The owner is given 12 months to persuade such a slave to undergo circumcision. (Yevamot 48)

וערל זכר, and an uncircumcised male, etc.” according to Rashi this choice of words was chosen to teach us on which organ the act of circumcision has to be performed. According to Ibn Ezra, the part of the body on which circumcision would be performed had been well known, What was not known was the concept of ערלת הלב an uncircumcised heart and lip, as well as the uncircumcised ear. When such terms occur, the word ערלה always is in the construct mode, i.e. ערלת, “the uncircumcised state of, etc.” There was therefore no room for misunderstanding where this circumcision was to be performed. Nachmanides writes that here the Torah explains that the spot where the circumcision is to be performed is on the organ which separates man from woman. According to his view, the word בשר in the expression בשר ערלתכם, clearly relates to “flesh used as a cover,” as distinct from an organ, i.e. an appendage of a fleshy nature covering the organ itself. As there is no other such in the human being, the meaning is clear. You are circumcised when this cover has been removed from the organ in question.

Teaches that circumcision is where there is a distinction ... The Re’m writes: Otherwise, why does it say זכר? But it seems to me that Rashi’s proof is as follows: It should have said וזכר ערל, but did not, because that would imply the command is directed to males, not to females — even though the command could be relevant to females as well. In that case, the verse would not come to teach the place of circumcision. But since it is written וערל זכר, it implies that the verse is indeed teaching the place of circumcision, and telling us that the ערלה is in the place that distinguishes between male and female. (Nachalas Yaakov)

Wer durch Unterlassung der Mila sich von seiner Vergangenheit trennt, hat sich eben damit auch um seine Zukunft gebracht. Wer seine Existenz, wie sie faktisch nur aus dem Abrahamsbunde hervorgegangen, aus ihm hervorgegangen anerkennt, in ihm fortzuführen sich verpflichtet fühlt und dieser Erkenntnis und Anerkenntnis in Dahingebung seines ganzen leiblichen Daseins an diese Bestimmung durch Mila den sanktionierten Ausdruck leiht, dem winkt hieniedige und jenseitige Zukunft, sein Leben hienieden auszuleben, in Kindern hienieden fortzuleben und dereinst nach vollendeter irdischer Wallfahrt להאסף אל עמיו, in die wahre, ewige Heimat zu den vorangegangenen Seelen- und Bestimmungsgenossen aufgenommen zu werden. Wer aber mit Höhnung der Mila die Wurzel seiner Vergangenheit, die Bestimmung seiner Gegenwart verleugnet, der bringt sich selbst um solche Zukunft, ונכרתה הנפש ההיא מעמיה, er hat — so weit an ihm liegt . — את בריתי הפר den Gottesbund, nicht zerstört, vernichtet, das vermag alles Bemühen der Menschen nicht, das heißt auch הפר nicht, wohl aber: für sich unwirk- sam gemacht, hat ihn seinerseits nicht zur Ausführung gebracht, hat ihn in sich nicht fortgeführt.

אשר לא ימול HE WHO DOES NOT CIRCUMCISE HIMSELF) as soon as he reaches the age when he is legally liable to punishment, ונכרתה THEN HE SHALL BE CUT OFF — his father, however, who did not have him circumcised is not punished on his account with כרת (excision, “being cut off from his people”), but is merely transgressing an עשה “a positive commandment” (for which the punishment is flagellation).

שלא ימול את בשר ערלתו ונכרתה הנפש ההיא, the penalty for non-performance of this commandment becomes applicable only once the male in question has reached the age of performing mitzvot, i.e. is over the age of 13. His father - usually the one who has been responsible for such neglect - is not subject to the penalty of karet, but is treated as having neglected to perform an ordinary positive commandment.

One who has reached the age of punishment and then he shall be excised ... For if he is still a minor and not liable for punishment, why should he be excised?

ונכרתה הנפש THAT SOUL SHALL BE CUT OFF — i. e. he shall depart hence childless and shall suffer an untimely death.

ימול; the root is נמל, conjugation kal, as in ונמלתם. The penalty is premature death of the guilty party.

הפר; My covenant which I established with Avraham. This covenant applied also to the person who failed to observe this commandment even if he lived a thousand years after Avraham.

לא תקרא את שמה שרי THOU SHALT NOT CALL HER NAME SARAI which means “my princess”— a princess to me and not to others — BUT SARAH, in a more general sense, SHALL BE HER NAME: she shall be princess over all (Berakhot 13a).

ויאמר ... לא תקרא, a man calls his wife by her name, not vice versa. She addresses him deferentially as her superior. It is not good manners to address someone of a higher station in life as if he were one's equal. This is also why it is forbidden to address one's father by his name but he must be addressed in a fashion which reflects his superior stats vis-à-vis his son. One may preface speaking to one's father by saying first: "my father," "my master," "my teacher," etc. Jerobam was accused of re belling against King Solomon because he spoke of him by name instead of first mentioning his title. (Kings I 11,27) [The author quotes from his own commentary on the Book of Kings. The words שלמה בנה את המלוא are understood as a quotation of something Jerobam said, when he should have said "King Solomon built, etc." Ed.] In the same vein our sages (Sanhedrin 100) have said that if someone were to address or refer to his father by his name, he would cause the Divine presence to depart from the Jewish people. When Sarah spoke to the angel about her husband, (Genesis 18,12) she referred to him as ואדוני זקן, "my master is old." Also in Genesis 3,15 G'd had already made this point to Chavah, saying that her husband Adam would have authority over her. In Judges 19,16 the text in merely telling us a story, the parties involved in which had long been dead when the book was written, refers to פתח בית האיש אשר אדוניה שם, "at the entrance of the house in which her master was at the time,: instead of writing "at the entrance of the house of her husband." The prophet writing the book was careful to accord to people the title or stature that they possessed when alive. This is therefore the reason why on the one hand G'd told Avraham not to call his wife Sarai but Sarah, whereas there is no parallel line for Sarah not to call Avraham Avram, seeing she had never been allowed to call him merely "Avram." When speaking about Avram's name change G'd speaks only about how other people are going to refer to him or not refer to him, saying ולא יקרא "it will not be called," as He spoke about Avraham's equals referring to him by name instead of by some title. Only Avraham needed to be warned not to call Sarai by her former name, seeing that no one else had ever been permitted to address her in such familiar terms. If someone were to call Sarah Sarai, he would not be violating a negative commandment and a positive commandment (Berachot 13) seeing G'd had only commanded Avraham not to call her Sarai anymore.

Bis hierher war der Bund gleichsam nur mit Abraham geschlossen, und es wird darin nur des männlichen Geschlechtes als Faktor dieses Bundes gedacht. In völlig gleicher Würdigkeit und Wichtigkeit wird hier Sara als der zweite, nicht minder wesentliche Faktor dieser ganzen Bundesverheißung besprochen, und wie Abrams Bedeutung in diesem Bunde durch Umwandlung seines Namens in Abraham festgehalten wird, so hier nun ferner die gleich wesentliche Bedeutung der Sarai durch Umwandlung in Sarah.

שרי, כי שרה שמה, Sarai, (“my princess) for Sarah, “princess,” of many nations, is her name. Rabbi Yoshua ben Korach, commenting on the name changes of both Avraham and Sarah, points out that there was no change in the total numerical value of the letters in their combined names, seeing that G-d had reduced the value of the letter 10=י, by substituting the letter 5=ה, in Sarah’s name, but had added the letter 5=ה to Avraham’s name.

כי שרה שמה, her name will henceforth be Sarah, just as in the parallel verse G'd had said to Avraham "your name will be Avraham. Once you will be heard calling her "Sarah," others overhearing you will follow suit. The significance of the name change from Sarai to Sarah had the same connotation as that of Avram being changed to Avraham. Our sages phrase this as "originally she was a princess only for her own people, now she was a princess for all nations." (Berachot 13).

שרה - שרי. Man erklärt gewöhnlich den Unterschied dieser beiden Namen dahin, dass Sarai "meine Fürstin", also nur für Abraham, ihren Gatten, Sarah aber allgemein "Fürstin"; somit für das allgemeine bedeute. Man hat jedoch übersehen, dass, wenn die Endung: י —, die Pronominalendung wäre, es dann nicht meine Fürstin, sondern meine Fürsten, oder höchstens als Plur. majest. mein Fürst bedeuten würde, und sich somit als maskul. unmöglich zur Bezeichnung einer Frau eignen würde, die vielmehr שָׂרָתִי oder שָרוֹתַי heißen müßte. Vielmehr erscheint die Endung in Jud in שָרַי nicht als Pronominal-, sondern als Nominalendung von Radix שרה, wie דוי von יעלון שדי ,דוה von שדה, und שָרַי und שָרָה differieren nur darin, dass שרי von שָרַה gebildet ist, שָׂרָה jedoch das Weibliche von שָר rad. שוֹר ist.

Für den Begriff des Herrschens, Fürstseins, haben wir drei Wurzeln: שׂור, wovon שָׂר, der gewöhnliche Ausdruck für Fürst; שָׂרָה, wovon המִשׂרָה,שָׂרִיתָ ; und שרר, wovon תִשְתָרר עלינו. Alle drei bilden den Begriff: Fürst; jede jedoch fasst ihn von einer andern Seite auf. שרר: verwandt mit זרר und צרר die beide ein Zusammendrücken, ersteres in schwächerem, letzteres in stärkstem Grade bedeuten. Zwischen beiden steht שרר, welches die Herrschermacht somit als Druck und Gewalt begreift, daher auch nur in dem Vorwurf (4. B. M. 16, 13) und im להיוה כל איש שרר בביהו (Esther 1, 22). vorkommt, wo es immerhin die unumschränkte Gewalt bedeutet.

שרה, verwandt mit סרח: länger sein, סרח העודף, ebenso השהרע ,שרע: sich verlängern, sich ausstrecken, auch זרע: hinausstreuen, Wirkung in die Ferne, und זְר֗עַ: der sich streckende Arm der Macht. שרר und שרה sind somit Begriffe, die beide mehr die Größe, die Macht, mitunter die Gewalt bedeuten, und שָרַי, Sarai, von שרה hieße: das Überragende, das Größere.

שור hingegen, wovon das gewöhnliche שָׂר, kommt sonst nur noch in der Bedeutung מְשׂורָה, Maß, vor. Verwandt mit זור: fremd werden, סור: weichen, also der Begriff des Entfernens, des Abscheidens, daher z. B. ביה הסהר ,סהר: der Kerker, der den Gefangenen absondert, umschließt und abschließt, סַהַר: der Kreis, diejenige Linie, die sich in jedem Punkte ihrer Bildung von der Tangente entfernt, also von allem sie Berührenden sich fern hält, sich nur von ihrem eigenen Mittelpunkte leiten lässt und so in sich zurückkehrt. צור: ebenfalls, nur verstärkt: einschließen, internieren, belagern. — Ebenso erscheint nun dieser Begriff in שור, der Wurzel von מְשורָה: Maß, und zwar nicht Längenmaß, sondern Umfangsmaß. Es ist wiederum: das Zusammennehmen alles zusammen Gehörigen und Ausschließen alles nicht dazu Gehörigen. Von diesem Begriffe שר gebildet, lässt den Fürsten als den Maßhaltenden, Maß- gebenden, alles auf das gehörige Maß zurückführenden begreifen. שר ist ja nie der höchste, sondern immer ein dem Höchsten untergeordneter hoher Beamte, der einen bestimmten Kreis von Verhältnissen zu bewachen hat, dass diese sich in dem Maße einer gegebenen, oder sich aus der Natur der Verhältnisse selbst ergebenden Vorschrift verhalten und entwickeln. So ja שר הטבחים ,שר המשקה ,שר האופה usw. —

Näher betrachtet ergiebt sich aus den Worten der Weisen der Aufschluss, dass משורה vorzugsweise ein kleinstes Maß — 1/36 לוג — somit das feinste, genaueste Maß für sehr wertvolle Dinge bezeichnet; denn nur für so wertvolle Dinge gebraucht man so kleine Maße. In diesem Sinne wird auch für die genaue, feine Prüfung der kleinsten und feinsten Messerscharten, wozu es der feinsten הרגשה bedarf, der Ausdruck סר סכינא gebraucht, welches ebenfalls nichts als die Wurzel שור ist. — Somit wären — diese Begriffe sozial angewendet — die reinen שָרים der wahrhaftige Adel im Volke, der Maß- und Ton-angebend für alles Schickliche, Edle, sittlich Anständige, von bedeutsamstem moralischen Einfluss im Volke ist, wenn er nicht מדה, nicht Maß für das Materielle, sondern משורה, feinstes Maß für das geistig Sittliche sein will, für welches der gröbere Sinn kein Maß mehr hat. Der wahre שר wird שר nicht durch Geburt, Geld usw., sondern durch die geistig sittliche Selbstvollendung, durch die sittliche "Feinheit" der Gesinnung und Empfindung, verbunden mit der Macht, dieses messende und maßhaltende Gefühl durch sein Ansehen im Leben zur Geltung zu bringen.

Auf den Namenswechsel unserer Ältermutter angewandt, sagte uns dies: sie soll nicht mehr Sarai — hervorragend, überragend — genannt werden; denn sie ist Sarah, eine Maßgebende, sie ist das, was das Weib eines Abraham sein soll, was das jüdische Weib, wenn sie Saras würdige Tochter ist, überall ist. Oben bei Abraham heißt es: du sollst nicht mehr Abram genannt werden, denn Abraham יהי׳ שמך soll dein Name sein; ich habe dich von nun an zum "Abraham" bestimmt, es ist dies eine Bestimmung, die du noch nicht erreicht hast, die du erreichen sollst. Hier aber heißt es: du sollst deine Frau nicht mehr Sarai nennen, כי שרה שמה, denn Sarah ist ihr Name, sie ist Sarah, ist die Maßhaltende, Maßgebende, die in ihrem Herzen die feinste הרגשה, das feinste Maß für alles, was recht und was gut und was schön und was löblich und heilig ist, trägt, die diesen feinen Maßstab des Rechts und der Sitte, des "Anstandes" des wahrhaft göttlichen Anstandes, dessen, was dem wahrhaft reinen Menschen zu aller Zeit und in allen Verhältnissen "ansteht" selbst in allem beobachtet, und mit feinster Beurteilung an alles legt; und das braucht sie nicht erst zu werden, das ist sie bereits.

Das reine weibliche Geschlecht, wenn es von Sara stammt, bedarf nicht des äußeren Erinnerungszeichens des Bundes mit שדי, mit Gott, dem Maßsetzenden; es trägt von selbst diese Mahnung in sich in dem feinen Richtmaß des צניעות, das ein reines jüdisches weibliches Gemüt erfüllt. Es trägt eine Neigung in sich, sich dem Reinen und Göttlichen unterzuordnen, und verlangt diese Unterordnung von jedem, der und das in ihre Nähe tritt. Wo eine reine "Sara" als Frau und Mutter waltet, da wagt es die "Gemeinheit" nicht, sich zu zeigen; sie ist der Genius des Göttlichen, der Reinheit und der Sitte. Und es ist dies so bedeutsam, dass eben alles Folgende ganz eigentlich zeigt, wie es nicht genügt, Sohn Abrahams zu sein, wenn man nicht eine Sara zur Mutter hat. Das Geistige gibt der Vater, aber das fein fühlende, mit dem Richtmaß der Gebühr und der sittlichen Anständigkeit messende Gemüt vererbt das reine, wahre Weib. אשת חיל wie Sara, sprechen die Weisen, ist eine Krone des Mannes, הוא נתעטר בה, er wird durch sie verherrlicht, aber nicht sie hat den Ruhmeskranz erst von ihm zu empfangen.

וברבתי אותה AND I WILL BLESS HER — And in what did the blessing consist? In that she resumed her youthfulness, as it is said, (Genesis 18:12) “shall I have the pleasure of youth again?” (Genesis Rabbah 47:2)

וברכתיה, both during her pregnancy, the act of giving birth, and in the raising of the son, all of these being painless. This is the exact reverse of the curse G'd decreed on Chavah and women in general, when He said בעצב תלדי בנים, "you will give birth to children in pain and sorrow." (Genesis 3,16) Sarah was promised to be spared that curse which other women are afflicted with. This may be the meaning of Isaiah 29,22 אשר פדה את אברהם, "who has redeemed Avraham i.e. from the painful experience associated with raising children. (Sanhedrin 19)

וברכתי, I will restore her youthfulness so that she will begin having her periods again. Another, even greater miracle, will be the fact that she will give birth. This is meant by the additional words וגם נתתי ממנה לך בן, "and I will also give you a son from her." The word נתתי is similarly used in Genesis 23,13 נתתי כסף השדה "I have given the money for the field," where also the transaction had not taken place yet, but Avraham made plain that he had already made all the arrangement s from his side. When G'd promised it is as if it had happened already.

וברכתי אותה “and I have blessed her.” The blessing consisted in Sarah regaining her youthfulness and her experiencing her menstrual cycle as is mentioned in 18,12 where the Torah speaks of her saying אחרי בלותי היתה לי עדנה which Rashi interprets as: “after I had become wilted I again experience a menstrual cycle.” G-d also blessed her by providing her with an ample supply of mother’s milk as the Torah testifies when Sarah said (21,7) היניקה בנים שרה, “Sarah nursed a number of children at her breast.”
The meaning of the words מלכי עמים, “kings of nations,” is a reference to both Yaakov and Esau.

What is this blessing? She reverted to her youthfulness ... Otherwise, why does it say, “I will bless her,” and only then, “And I will also give you a son through her”? Perforce, “I will bless her” refers to the blessing that comes before [having children]: which is youthfulness.

Wie ich dich gesegnet habe, dass du dich in deinen Nachkommen wiederholen und in ihnen fortleben sollst, so segne ich auch Sara. Um sich ein Volk zu pflanzen, nahm Gott nicht nur einen Mann, der sich in den Söhnen, sondern auch ein Weib, das sich in den Töchtern wiederholen soll. Um ein Gottesvolk zu pflanzen, müssen die rechten Väter und Mütter gewonnen werden, müssen Abrahame Saras finden und sich nicht mit Hagar verbinden müssen. Es wird daher hier mit Sara speziell derselbe Bund wiederholt, der oben bereits Abraham ausgesprochen war. וגם, ja sogar, wird hinzugefügt, ich habe dir bereits von ihr einen Sohn zugesagt. In dem Bündnis, das ich mit dir geschlossen, habe ich auch schon auf Sara gerechnet. Die dir verheißenen Nachkommen konnten dir nur von Sara verheißen werden. Ohne sie hätte ich mein Bündnis auch mit dir nicht schließen können. Hinsichtlich der Töchter wird Sara besonders gesegnet, hinsichtlich der Söhne war sie bereits in dem Abraham erteilten Segen inbegriffen. Sie soll zu Völkern werden, ihr Charakter in den Stämmen des verheißenen Volkes fortleben. מלכי עמים, mit großer Feinheit heißt es hier nicht מלכי גוים, sondern מלכי עמים sollen von ihr werden, nicht die Führer der Völker nach außen, sondern die Führer der Völker nach deren inneren, sozialen, menschengesellschaftlichen Beziehungen. Sie wird לגוים und der עמים Führer werden von ihr. Auch in dem Erscheinen der Stämme als גוים nach außen verkündet sich Saras Einfluss. Dass des Volkes Söhne gesund, tapfer, kräftig, ist wohl nicht zu geringem Teil eine Erbschaft der Mütter. Und wenn auch unsere Frauen nicht selbst Königinnen werden, nicht direkt im öffentlichen Leben auftreten, so macht sich doch ihr geistiger und sittlicher Einfluß auch auf das öffentliche Leben bedeutsam geltend. נודע בשערים בעלה an der Milde, der Umsicht und maßvollen Einsicht. Dass es in Israel שרים und נשיאים gegeben, die Maß hielten und maßgebend wurden, nicht bloß nach außen als Verteidiger und Retter dastanden, sondern mit ihrem Beispiel im innern vorangingen, dies ist eine Erbschaft nicht bloß von Abraham, sondern nicht minder von Sara.

וברכתיה AND I WILL BLESS HER with teeming breasts. And this happened when she really needed this on the day of Isaac’s feast. For people were speaking spitefully about them, that they had adopted a foundling from the street saying, “This is our son.” Every one, therefore, brought her child with her, but did not bring the wet-nurse and she (Sarah) suckled all of them. To this refers that which is said (Genesis 21:7) “Sarah has given suck to children”. In Genesis Rabbah 47:2 this is alluded to in part.

וברכתיה, with numerous seed which will emerge from her son. This is the meaning of the words והיתה לגוים, "she will develop into nations." The reference is to her grandchildren Esau and Yaakov, each of whom became founding fathers of large nations. Possible, G'd referred only to the descendants of Yaakov as per Onkelos. This too is meant by the words מלכי עמים, "kings of nations." Compare verse 6 above.

The ability to breastfeed ... Otherwise, why after [mentioning] the birth of her son does it say further: “I will bless her”? Every woman after birth is able to nurse her child, and so too Sarah, since she reverted to her youthfulness. Therefore Rashi explains, “When she needed this ability...”

Zeigte uns so die erste Hälfte des Kapitels die זכרים als die זוכרים und מזכירים, als die geistigen Träger und Fortträger des geistigen Erbes, so erscheint uns hier das weibliche Geschlecht, das allerdings nicht berufen ist, die "großen" Dinge zu entscheiden, in dem großen Berufe, allen jenen "kleinen", und doch so tief und bedeutsam eingreifenden Verhältnissen der Völker den humanen Stempel aufzudrücken.

ויפל אברהם על פניו ויצחק AND ABRAHAM FELL UPON HIS FACE AND LAUGHED — This word ויצחק Onkelos translates by וחדי which signifies joy (“and he rejoiced’’) but the similar verb in the case of Sarah (ותצחק Genesis 18:12) he translates as meaning laughter. From this you may understand that Abraham had faith and rejoiced, and that Sarah had no faith and sneered, and that is why God was angry with Sarah (when she laughed) but was not angry with Abraham.

‘VAYITZCHAK’ (AND HE LAUGHED). Onkelos translated: “and he rejoiced.” This is correct since the word tzachak can be used intermittently for sporting or rejoicing, just as in the verses: ‘Mesacheketh’ (Sporting) in His habitable earth,⁴³²Proverbs 8:31. ‘mesachkim’ (rejoiced) before the Eternal.⁴³³II Samuel 6:5.
In my opinion the intent of this expression is to convey the thought that whoever sees a favorable unusual event in one’s life rejoices to the point where “his mouth is filled with laughter.”⁴³⁴Psalms 126:2. It is this thought which Sarah expressed: G-d hath made laughter for me; everyone that heareth will laugh on account of me,⁴³⁵Further, 21:6. just as in the verse, Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing.⁴³⁴Psalms 126:2. And this is what Abraham did. When this good tiding was related to him, he rejoiced and his mouth was filled with laughter, and he said in his heart that this is an occasion for rejoicing as it is a very wonderful matter. Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And will this matter not give cause for rejoicing and happiness? Only, Scripture speaks summarily of his wonderment, as it is connected with the word vayitzchak. A similar case is the expression, Have I even here seen,⁴³⁶Above, 16:13. which is connected with the beginning of the verse: for she [Hagar] said, “Have I even here seen G-d, revealing to me that He saw in my affliction, and shall I not call Him E-il-ro’i [the G-d who seeth me]?” Another such example is the expression, Did I reveal Myself unto the house of thy father,⁴³⁷I Samuel 2:27. which is connected with the following verse, Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at Mine offering,⁴³⁸Ibid., Verse 29. thus stating, “Have I chosen you so that you kick at My sacrifice and Mine offering? Why then do you do so?”
It may be that the question, Shall a child be born to him that is a hundred years old? is an expression of amazement, not one of impossibility, just as in the verse, Wilt thou judge the bloody city,⁴³⁹Ezekiel 22:2. which means, “Do you want to judge her and cause her to know all her abominations?” A similar case is the verse, Wilt thou set thine eyes upon it? it is gone.⁴⁴⁰Proverbs 23:5. Likewise is the verse, Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?⁴⁴¹Above, 3:11. That is to say, “Has the thought occurred to you to eat of the tree?” This verse likewise is saying, “Has the thought occurred to anyone that a child be born to him that is a hundred years old, and that Sarah, who is ninety years, shall bear?” After that Abraham said to Him that he wishes this miracle be with the life of Ishmael.⁴⁴²Verse 18 here.

?הלבן מאה שנה יולד; He meant that although it is possible for a woman to become pregnant after her prime, when this occurs it is only when she sleeps with a younger man. It has not been known to occur when her partner is also an old man.

ויפל, as we explained already on verse 3. This was his way of gratefully acknowledging what G'd had told him concerning Sarah.

ויצחק, “he rejoiced, laughed internally.” Onkelos renders this word as וחדי, “he rejoiced.” He reacted like someone who has been told of an unexpected fortuitous event, something that qualifies for his shouting for joy.

There are expressions of astonishment that affirm ... I.e., they do not deny the matter. Avraham meant: “Hashem can do anything, even against the laws of nature, but not everyone merits that Hashem should bestow upon him such kindness!” [You might ask:] Rashi later writes: וכך אמר בלבו הנעשה חסד זה לאחר מה שהקב"ה עושה לי. Is this not an expression of astonishment that denies? The answer is: Avraham was not denying the matter, claiming it could not be. Rather, he was praising Hashem for bestowing upon him more kindness than He does anyone else. So it seems to me; this explanation is preferable to the Re’m’s.

Man hat hier ויצחק als Ausdruck der Freude nehmen zu müssen geglaubt; allein die durchgängige Bedeutung von צחק in תנ"ך lässt diese Auffassung durchaus nicht zu. Selbst שחק ist nicht eigentlich ein Ausdruck der Freude, sondern lachen, und zwar überwiegend, ein höhnendes, geringschätzendes Lachen, oder: Scherz, Spiel, nicht eben eigentlich: Freude. צחק ist aber ausnahmslos ein ironisches Lachen, ein Lachen, das eine gewisse Negierung, Verurteilung des das Lachen hervorrufenden Gegenstandes in sich trägt. Wie hier von Abraham, heißt es ja im folgenden Kapitel in ganz gleicher Weise von Sara: ותצחק שרה, und dies war doch sicherlich nicht Ausdruck einer Freude, sie hätte es sonst nicht geleugnet und es hätte sie kein Vorwurf getroffen.

ויאמר בלבו, “He said to himself:” the expression ויאמר בלבו, as in Genesis 27,41 about Esau, or in Esther 6,6 where it is used about Haman, is typical for wicked people; on the other hand, when a similar expression is used in connection with righteous people the formulation is: ויאמר על לבו, as in Samuel I 27,1 in connection with David, or in Daniel 1,8 in connection with Daniel. The reason for this change in formulation is that the righteous are allowed to carry out their plans, i.e. what is in their hearts, as they are in charge of their hearts, whereas the wicked only think that they will be able to carry out their plans. The reason that in connection with Avraham the former formulation is used, is because the reader of these words is apt to think that even Avraham doubted G-d’s promise.

הלבן SHALL A CHILD BE BORN TO ONE WHO IS A HUNDRED YEARS OLD? — There are some questions expressing astonishment which do not imply a doubt but rather affirm the certainty that the circumstance referred to has happened or will happen, as (1 Samuel 2:2) “Did I reveal myself [unto thy father’s house?]” (Of course, I did) and (Ezekiel 8:6) “Seest thou what they do?” (You, of course, have seen it). This question, too, affirms the certainty that it is possible for God to cause Abraham, at the age of hundred, to beget a son and this is in effect what he said to himself: Would there be done to another man one hundred years old this favour that the Holy One, blessed be He, is doing to me”? (Rashi means that the words must be translated, “would a child be born to any other person who is a hundred years old?”).

הבת תשעים שנהת לד, when she sleeps with any man whether young or old. (based on Abarbanel)

ויצחק, he rejoiced in his heart, as per Onkelos. This was not a laughter which was derisive.

הלבן מאה שנה ייולד, “will a child be born to a hundred year old father?” Avraham expressed amazement, but not at the fact that a hundred year old man could sire children. He himself had at least 6 children when much older, and other males fathered children at such an age. His amazement concerned the fact that he would sire a child from a woman with whom he had lived as man and wife for so many decades without having succeeded to impregnate her with his semen. His amazement was reinforced further since he knew that Sarah at 90 had long ago ceased to menstruate.

In the days of Avraham, life was already shorter ... [Rashi is answering the question:] Why was Avraham surprised that Sarah should give birth at 90?] The Re’m writes: I do not understand Rashi’s answer. Although life was shorter in Avraham’s days, the question stands: Avraham’s age of 100 when compared to his lifespan of 175 is about the same as an age of 500 when compared to Noach’s lifespan of 950. Thus, Avraham should not have been surprised. The Re’m elaborated on this difficulty. But it seems to me that Avraham’s surprise was because they both were old. An elderly man can beget children if his wife is young, whereas if they both are elderly it is surprising. This resolves the Re’m’s difficulty. The Re’m also asks: Why did Rashi base his question on Noach? Noach [was different, because] Hashem decreed that he should not be able to beget children, so that his [oldest] son would not reach punishable age before the Flood. The answer is: Hashem decreed only that he should not beget [until then]. But the fact that he was able to beget at 500 was natural.

SHALL A CHILD BE BORN TO HIM THAT IS A HUNDRED YEARS OLD? There is no wonder that a person who is a hundred years old should beget children, for men beget as long as they have vigor even if they be ninety years old or a hundred years old, even in these generations. All the more in the days of Abraham, who had not yet lived two thirds of his life.⁴⁴³Since Abraham lived 175 years (25:7) and was now only 100, he had not yet passed two-thirds of his life-span. So it is no wonder that he was yet in his vigor. Moreover, forty years after this, he begot many children from Keturah.⁴⁴⁴Further 25:1-2. “Forty years later.” Isaac was wed at the age of forty (25:20), and Abraham married Keturah after Isaac’s marriage (25:1). There was thus an interval of at least forty years between the time Abraham begot Isaac and when he begot children from Keturah. But Abraham’s saying, Shall a child be born to him that is a hundred years old, expressed this thought: Since he did not beget a child from this woman while he was young, how could he beget from her after he was a hundred and she ninety? He knew that her womanly periods had ceased. Therefore Abraham did not say so originally when he was told, And I will make nations of thee,⁴⁴⁵Above, Verse 6. but only when he was told that he would beget a child from Sarah.
Now He commanded him, And thou shalt call his name Isaac,⁴⁴⁶Verse 19 here. on account of the rejoicing done by Abraham, which is proof that it was out of faith and joy [that Abraham said, Shall a child be born, etc.]⁴⁴⁷As explained above. Had it been said out of a sense of derision, G-d would not have told him to call his son by a name which would commemorate his lack of faith. (Bachya.) And after Abraham called him so, as G-d had commanded him, Sarah said, “Is he not rightly named Isaac? For G-d hath made laughter for me.”⁴⁴⁸Further, 21:6.

שאג ,זעק ,צעק ,שחק ,צחק, sind offenbar lautverwandte Wurzeln, und gleichwohl bedeuten sie scheinbar Entgegengesetztes; die mit mittelbuchstabigem ע und א: Schreien, mit ח: Lachen. Worin liegt der gemeinschaftliche Grundbegriff dieser scheinbar völlig verschiedenen Erscheinungen? Beide werden durch wahrgenommene oder empfundene Kontraste, das heißt ungehörig gepaarte Gegensätze, hervorgerufen; objektiv erzeugt dies Lachen, subjektiv: Schreien; Wahrnehmung eines solchen Kontrastes an einem uns fremden, oder doch für den Moment fremden Gegenstand, macht uns lachen; ein uns selbst, oder eine durch Teilnahme mit uns selbst identifizierte Persönlichkeit treffender Kontrast bringt uns zum Schreien. Ein kleines Kind mit einer Allongenperücke, ein Greis als Wickelkind etc. erzeugt Gelächter. Ebenso die völlige Disproportion, das völlige Missverhältnis einer Erwartung, eines Unternehmens oder einer Ausführung zu den Milteln, oder einer Ausführung zu der Erwartung. Das Meer mit Nußschalen ausschöpfen wollen, oder umgekehrt das Stolpern eines Erwachsenen, wenn uns die Teilnahme an seinem Schaden, seiner Scham etc. nicht mit ihm identifiziert, in welchem Falle wir schreien würden etc. etc. (Selbst שחק das heitere Lachen wird nur hervorgerufen durch das Innewerden eines überwundenen Kontrastes, eines über Erwarten geschehenen Gelingens etc. etc. Selbst שחק, das von Wettkämpfen, gymnastischen Übungen und Musik vorkommt, scheint in der Freude über die gelungene Überwindung von entgegenstehenden Schwierigkeiten zu wurzeln, und so eine schlagende Ähnlichkeit mit dem andern gewöhnlichen Ausdruck für musikalische Virtuosität: נַצֵח zu bieten).

ואם שרה הבת תשעים שנה OR SHALL SARAH, WHO IS NINETY YEARS OLD be worthy to bear a son? Although the previous generations used to beget at the age of five hundred years, yet in Abraham’s days the length of life had already become shorter and a diminution of strength had come upon people. Go and learn this from the ten generations from Noah to Abraham who begot their children at the then early age of sixty or seventy.

?הלבן מאה שנה יולד Avraham spoke of being 100 years old, seeing that by the time his son would be born he would be 100 years old. This would be so even if his wife were to conceive immediately. He had been 99 years old and Sarah had been 89 years old for some time. The amazement Avraham expressed was not due to his lack of belief, seeing that the Torah had already told us in chapter 15,6 that Avraham did believe in G'd's promise and was even credited with a merit on account of his belief in this astounding prophecy. Avraham simply voiced his amazement of the fact that G'd would go to such lengths to change natural law. He added words about Sarah, seeing that when she would give birth this would be an even greater miracle, seeing that Sarah - as opposed to her husband - had not given birth at all, whereas Avraham had sired Ishmael. Her basic barrenness had been proven beyond doubt.

Who gave birth at the early age of 60-70. Meaning: Previously, people could not have children until age 100, for in those days a 100-year-old was still a youth, like today’s 13-year-old. Then their lifespan shortened and they began to have children at 30. The fact that Avraham begat at 100 does not raise any question. The astonishment is mainly over the fact that an elderly man who had become weak and an elderly woman would beget children. This answers all the Re’m’s questions. I found the Maharshal cited in a similar vein.

Jedenfalls wird צחק nur durch die Wahrnehmung von etwas Lächerlichem hervorgerufen. Wo gibt es aber wohl in aller Welt einen größeren, lächerlichen Kontrast als die Erwartung, dass ein hundertjähriger Mann und eine neunzigjährige Frau, die in ihrer langjährigen Ehe nie ein Kind zusammen erzeugt, nun, fast am Ende ihres Lebens, einen Sohn erhalten sollen! Und auf diesen gar nicht mehr zu erwartenden, jedenfalls vereinzelten und selbst von den Eltern früh — wie zu erwarten stand — verwaisten Spätling nun gar die Aussicht eines großen weltüberwindenden künftigen Volkes, die Hoffnung der ganzen Menschheit gegründet! Das ist — nur die natürlichen Verhältnisse der Dinge in Anschlag gebracht — eine bare Lächerlichkeit, das Knüpfen des Allergrößten an den winzigsten, fast nichtigsten Anfang. Dieser Kontrast war so groß, dass selbst ein Abraham bei allem seinem — durch das Fallen auf sein Angesicht sich kund gebenden — Vertrauen unwillkürlich lachen musste, und dieses Lachen war und ist so bedeutsam, dass es bei Sara wiederholt hervorgehoben wird und in dem Namen des verheißenen Kindes für alle Folgegeschlechter Verewigung finden sollte.

Der ganze Anfang des jüdischen Volkes ist lächerlich, seine Geschichte, seine Erwartungen, seine Hoffnungen, sein von diesen Hoffnungen getragenes, ganzes Leben erscheint dem nur die gewöhnlichen, natürlichen Kausalitätsverhältnisse berechnenden Ver- stande als die ungeheuerlichste, lächerlichste Prätension. Sie wird nur vernünftig, ja, sie gewinnt den allerhöchsten berechtigtsten Ernst, wenn sie die erste und höchste Kausalität aller Kausalitäten, wenn sie das tief eingreifende, frei allmächtige Wollen und frei allmächtige Vollbringen eines frei all- mächtigen Gottes zur Basis der Beurteilung nimmt. Das sollte von vornherein unseren Stammeltern zum Bewusstsein kommen, das sollte allen ihren Nachkommen im Bewusstsein bleiben. Darum wartete Gott mit der Keimlegung dieses Volkes bis zu diesem "lächerlichen" Alter seiner Stammeltern, darum begann er erst die Realisierung seiner Verheißung zu pflanzen, nachdem alle menschliche Hoffnung zu Ende gekommen; denn es galt ja ein Volk zu schaffen, das von Anfang zu Ende seines Lebens und Strebens mit seinem ganzen Dasein im Gegensatz zu allen in die Erscheinung tretenden welthistorischen Potenzen ein ׳אצבע אלקי, ein Fingerzeig Gottes in Mitte der Menschen werden sollte, und daher bis auf den heutigen Tag jeder Gott leugnenden Beschränktheit als die lächer- lichste Lächerlichkeit erscheinen muss. Das dem Juden in seinem Wege durch die Geschichte nachschallende Gelächter ist die vollgültigste Wardeiung der Göttlichkeit dieses Weges; es berührt ihn nicht, weil er von vornherein auf dieses Gelächter vorbereitet ward.

לו ישמעאל יחיה means O THAT ISHMAEL MIGHT LIVE: I am unworthy to receive such a reward!

‘LU’ (O) THAT ISHMAEL MIGHT LIVE BEFORE THEE. The meaning of this word lu everywhere is as the word im (if), and it is also found combined in the word lulei, which means “if not.” [The Hebrew word lulei, ordinarily written with a yud at the end] is sometimes written with an aleph at the end.⁴⁴⁹See Hebrew text of Scripture, ibid., 43:10. It is also combined into the form of ilu, as in the verses: ‘Ve’ilu’ (But if) we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen;⁴⁵⁰Esther 7:4. ‘Ve’ilu’ (And if) a thousand years twice told.⁴⁵¹Ecclesiastes 6:6. The purport of this word ilu is “even if,” and its meaning is as if it said, “if if,” the double use of the word being for the purpose of emphasis, as in the expressions: Is it only through Moses alone;⁴⁵²Numbers 12:2. The words “only” and “alone” (harak; ach) are redundant and used for emphasis. Was it because there were no graves;⁴⁵³Exodus 14:11. The Hebrew words hamibli ein are both negatives. Again the redundancy is for special emphasis. and other similar cases. Abraham thus said: “If Ishmael live before Thee, I will be pleased with this blessing with which Thou hast blessed me, namely, with seed from Sarah.” For since He promised him at first, One born of your own body is to be your heir,⁴⁵⁴Above, 15:4. and the heir was to be one person, he [Abraham] had thought that this referred to Ishmael. But now that he was told that he will beget a child from Sarah and he understood that this child was to be the heir, he feared lest Ishmael die. Therefore, he said this: [O that Ishmael might live before Thee].
Live before Thee. Rashi explained: “Live in reverence of Thee, similar in meaning to Walk before Me,⁴⁵⁵Verse 1 here. which Onkelos renders, ‘Worship Me.’” But this is not correct, since He said, And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee.⁴⁵⁶Verse 20 here. If the sense of Abraham’s prayer is, as Rashi explained, that Ishmael live in reverence of G-d, how could G-d assure him of that, since, as the Sages express it, “Everything is by hand of Heaven except the fear of Heaven,” (Berachoth 33 b) which is in the hands of man to be determined by his free choice. (Mizrachi.) Instead, its meaning is that he live and his seed will always exist.

ויאמר אברהם…לו ישמעאל יחיה לפניך. Abraham said…. "if only Ishmael will live (a righteous life) before You." Abraham prayed that Ishmael should enjoy divine assistance to live as a righteous person. The term "to live before You" is the source for the righteous being called "alive" in our rabbinic literature. Abraham "borrowed" a phrase from Deut. 4,11 where the Torah describes the fact that the Jewish people were "alive" at that time as due to their having cleaved to G'd. Abraham saw the need to pray for this as he had observed negative character tendencies in Ishmael (who was still a minor). Had Ishmael been truly wicked at that time, Abraham, though prejudiced as his father, would have been aware of such wickedness, just as any other righteous person could perceive such things. We have explained in connection with 15,2-3 that Abraham had worried about a son of his not being worthy because G'd described his seeds as comparable to dust. At this point Abraham prayed that Ishmael would turn out to be worthy.

ויאמר ... לו ישמעאל, he meant to say that he would be content if Ishmael whom G'd had granted him, a gift he considered an extremem act of loving kindness on the part of g'd, would live a meritorious life, abiding by G'd's wishes. יחיה, a life in the full sense of word, that he would have children, would multiply and generally be an asset and a credit to his father. If Ishmael were to develop in this manner, G'd could keep his promise to Avraham to give the land of Canaan to his descendants. (compare 12,7) That prophecy would then be fulfilled by means of Ishmael.

לו ישמעאל יחיה לפניך, “if only Ishmael would live in awe of You.” According to Nachmanides what Avraham meant was that if Ishmael would live and not die prematurely. He had been under the impression up until now that seeing G’d had promised him זרע, seed, in the singular, that he would only have one child. Now that G’d promised him a son by Sarah, he was afraid that this might imply that Ishmael would die. He therefore said to G’d that he wished to accept a blessing of a son by Sarah only if it did not mean that Ishmael would die. Rashi views the word לפניך as “in awe of G’d.” Avraham prayed that Ishmael would be a G’d-fearing individual. This interpretation is not tenable, as history shows that contrary to G’d’s promise “I have accepted your prayer concerning Ishmael,” the latter did not live the life of a G’d fearing individual. The meaning of Avraham’s prayer concerning Ishmael must therefore be that his future would be ongoing, that the nation he would found would not die out.

I am unworthy to receive such a reward. I.e., the verse does not mean that Avraham was displeased by the promise of Yitzchok’s birth.

Das erste Gefühl war ein heiteres, der zweite Gedanke ein schmerzlicher. Wie wenig muss doch das bereits vorhandene Kind tauglich sein, dass es zur Begründung der verheißenen Zukunft, die ja auch nur von einem Kinde getragen werden soll, einer solchen Überwältigung und Umwandlung der natürlichen Verhältnisse bedarf! Daher die Äußerung: לו ישמעאל יחיה לפניך, möchte doch Ismael vor deinem Angesichte leben können! Möchte er doch die Verheißung forttragen, deiner Anforderung, להתהלך לפניך, genügen, wenigstens zum Teil genügen, an der Verheißung Anteil haben, wenn auch nicht wandeln vor deinem Angesichte, doch wenigstens leben vor deinem Angesichte! — לו (von לוה, ientlehnen): Ausdruck für das Erbitten eines Gegenstandes, oder eines Zugeständnisses, eigentlich "Gewähre mir!" oder "Gib mir zu!" also entweder Wunsch wie hier, oder ein Heischesatz, so viel als: angenommen, dass —, einmal angenommen, es würde usw. wie לו ישטמנו יוסף u.f.

יחיה לפניך LIVE BEFORE THEE — live in reverence of thee; similar in sense is Genesis 17:1, התהלך לפני, which Onkelos renders by “worship Me”.

That he live in fear of You ... You might ask: How could Avraham pray for fear of Heaven? It is stated in Megillah 25a, “Everything is in the hands of Heaven except for fear of Heaven”! The answer is: Avraham prayed only that Yishmael should live. Whereas “Before You” conveys that it is good for Yishmael to live in fear of You. [But Re’m explains that it is indeed] two requests: First, that Yishmael should live, and second, to have fear of Him. For otherwise, why does it say לפניך? But the Nachalas Yaakov says: It seems to me that “In fear of You” means: if Yishmael will be righteous [then I pray he should live]. But if he will be wicked, I do not intervene on behalf of the wicked, and have no request.

אבל VERILY — This word implies confirmation of a statement, just as (Genesis 42:21) “Verily (אבל) we are guilty”, and (2 Kings 4:14) “Verily (אבל) she has no son”.

‘AVAL’ SARAH THY WIFE. This is like the verse, “Aval” she has no son,⁴⁵⁷II Kings 4:14. the word aval meaning “only.” He thus said: “Only the son of whom I informed you, your wife Sarah will give birth to, and with him will I establish My covenant forever and with his seed after him; and Ishmael I will bless by making his children numerous, but this will not be because of My covenant with him.”

Sarah will bear you a son. In verse 16 God did not mention that Sarah would actually bear a son, so Avraham thought that perhaps she would adopt one.

ויאמר אלוקים אבל שדה אשתך יולדת לך בן. G'd said: "But your wife Sarah will bear a son for you." Why did G'd add the word "but?"

ויאמר ... אבל שרה אשתך, Ishmael will not remain your only son, but also Sarah will bear a son for you and you are to call his name Yitzchok, as a reminder that you laughed happily when you heard Me inform you of this.

אבל שרה אשתך, “but your wife Sarah, etc.” The word אבל in this instance means the same as the word everywhere else, i.e. We find a parallel for this in Kings II 4,14 אבל בן אי לו, “only (except) she has no son.”

וקראת את שמו יצחק, “and you will name him ‘Yitzchak.’” Yitzchak was given this name by G-d. This is why we never find that he was given another name such as his father or his son Yaakov who was given the additional name Yisrael. Both Avram’s name and Yaakov’s name had been given them by their respective fathers and not by G-d Himself. I have found a remark confirming this in the Jerusalem Talmud at the end of the first chapter of Berachot. The rhetorical question posed there is: “Why was Yitzchak’s name never amended whereas the names of Avraham and Yaakov were amended?” Answer: ‘’because the latter’s name was G-d-given, whereas the names of the former were given to them by their respective fathers.” The Talmud quotes our verse here as the source for claiming that G-d commanded Avraham to call the name of his son Yitzchak. You might retort that we also encounter Yitzchak’s name spelled with the letter ש instead of the letter צ in Psalms 108,9, and that this is as much of a change as spelling אברהם without the letter ה. Actually, the word ישחק is not a new name at all. The prophet wanted to draw attention to the element fire which was one of the basic elements in Yitzchak’s character as we know from the ספר יצירה where the author writes (edition of Gaon from Vilna chapter 6 Mishnah 2) “there are three אמות which are known as אמ'ש “which are air, water and fire.” Whereas the מ is silent, static, the א is constantly in motion so that the letter ש is an allusion to the great fire, a characteristic of Yitzchak. [Fire is perceived as vanquishing water, rising even during the process of water “extinguishing” fire and remaining behind on the ground. (abbreviated quote from the comment of the Gaon from Vilna). Ed.]
Another reason why Avram’s name had to be changed whereas Yitzchak’s name did not need to be changed: G-d had given Avraham an additional destiny, i.e. to become a founder of many nations. This had to be reflected in his name being changed. Similarly Yaakov. His additional name Yisrael was in recognition of his having successfully contended with opposing celestial forces as attested to by the angel who struggled with him (Genesis 32,29). Yitzchak had not had similar experiences so that these did not require any changes or additions to his name. He had remained throughout his life on holy soil in the Holy Land.

Based on the laughter. Some say, based on the ten trials. Both explanations are needed. For if he was so named because of laughter [alone], his name should be צחוק. Why is there a י? Perforce, it is because of the ten trials. And this entails saying that ח is for circumcision performed on the 8th day, and צ and ק are for Sarah’s 90 years and Avraham’s 100. But this explanation alone is insufficient, for it says clearly (21:6): “God has given me laughter,” indicating he was so named because of laughter. (Gur Aryeh)

אבל ,אבל: trauern, אפל: dunkel, אול, wovon אולַי, zweifeln, alle drei drücken einen getrübten, verdunkelten Zustand aus, אפל physisch, אבל im Gemüte, -tlähreV nerhi dnu negniD ned nov red ליִוְֶא hcua tmmok לוא nov .etsieG mi לוא nissen nur eine unklare, schwankende Vorstellung hat. צְַבָל tritt überall einer im Ge- müte des Hörenden vorhandenen Gedankenreihe entgegen, sie beschränkend: aber, jedoch, doch! (Vergl. S. 80). So auch hier, in der Ausdehnung, wie Abraham die Zukunft Ismaels wünschte, wird sie sich nicht realisieren.

והקימותי את בריתי אתו, “I will maintain My covenant (the promise contained therein) with him.” G-d means that Yitzchok will be the first person to be circumcised on the eighth day of his life.

וקראת את שמו יצחק AND THOU SHALL CALL HIS NAME ISAAC — with reference to his laughter. Some say the name has reference to the ten (י) trials, the ninety (צ) years of Sarah’s age, the eight (ח) days of the circumcision and the hundred (ק) years of Abraham’s age (Genesis Rabbah 53:7).

לברית עולם לזרעו אחריו, the covenant I made with you will be perpetuated through Yitzchok's seed.

G'd may have wanted to explain to Abraham that if the gift of a son was something intended only for Abraham, it would suffice to grant his prayer and assist Ishmael to become worthy. However, there was another person to be considered, his wife Sarah. Inasmuch as Sarah was destined to bear a son, he, Abraham, had no right to waive the gift of a son by Sarah in order for Ishmael to grow up worthy of his father. The Torah was very particular using the word לך, "for you," in connection with the son Sarah would bear. She would bear this son in answer to her prayer.

והקמתי את בריתי AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH HIM — Why is this stated? Is it not already written (Genesis 17:9) “as for thee, thou shalt keep My Covenant, thou and thy seed etc.”? But since is said, (Genesis 17:7) and I will establish My Covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations”, it might be inferred that the children of Ishmael and the children of Keturah (who are all descendants of Abraham) are included in this promise of the establishment of the Covenant, therefore it states here (Genesis 17:19) “And I will establish My Covenant with him (Isaac), not with the others” (cf. Sanhedrin 59b). If so, why is there a repetition of the statement that the covenant will be established with Isaac in the words (Genesis 17:21) ואת בריתי אקים את יצחק “but My Covenant will I establish with Isaac”? But it is repeated in order to add the words אשר תלד so as to teach that he was holy from his birth (Shabbat 137b). Another explanation of why 5:21 is repeated is: R. Aba said, “from here Scripture draws a logical conclusion regarding the son of the Mistress (Sarah) from what is said regarding the son of the handmaid (Hagar): It is written (Genesis 17:20) “Behold I have blessed him and will make him fruitful”, and this refers to Ishmael: Surely then, it follows logically that “I must establish my covenant (of blessing) with Isaac also!” (Genesis Rabbah 47:5).

It is also possible that the Torah here hinted at G'd's displeasure that Abraham was satisfied with Ishmael, someone who contained residual poisonous material from the original serpent. Had it not been for Abraham's prayer regarding the future of Ishmael, his son Isaac might not have originated in what kabbalists know as the סטרא דנוקבא, an emanation on the left and female side of the emanations. Had Isaac originated in the other side of the emanations he might never have fathered an Esau. This matter had ramifications at the time of the עקדה, when Isaac received the soul who would bear children for him, i.e. the moment at which Rebeccah his life-partner was born.

את בריתי [I WILL ESTABLISH] MY COVENANT — The Covenant of circumcision shall be transmitted only to the descendants of Isaac.

שנים עשר נשיאים TWELVE PRINCES — like clouds shall they vanish, the word נשיאים being explained here as the same word in (Proverbs 25:14) נשיאים ורוח “Clouds and wind”

ולישמעאל שמעתיך, "Concerning (your prayer for) Ishmael, I have listened to you, etc." Inasmuch as the only reason Abraham had prayed for Ishmael was because he was at that time his only son, and he had not prayed for him again after Sarah had born Isaac, G'd listened to his prayer. We can understand this according to the principle postulated in Makkot 11 that even the conditional curse of a Torah scholar comes true. We have another principle that a blessing is much stronger than a curse, i.e. has far wider ramifications. G'd told Abraham that Ishmael would eventually become a בעל תשובה since Abraham had prayed for Ishmael to develop into a G'd-fearing person. This is the meaning of G'd's words: "Here I have blessed him." G'd used the past tense to hint that when He promised that Abraham would die in a ripe old age, He had already made provisions for Ishmael's conduct not to cloud Abraham's departure from this earth.

ולישמעאל שמעתיך, to bless him, to make him fruitful so that he will multiply and to grant him international prominence.
שנים עשר נשיאים, "will be descended from Ishmael, just as from Yitzchok. In fact I have already ברכתי אותו, blessed him by means of the angel who appeared to Hagar, and I took personally, will bless Ishmael. But this covenant which I have entered into with you I will maintain with Yitzchok.

ולישמעאל שמעתיך, “and concerning Ishmael, I have heard (your prayer).” G-d meant that He would bless Ishmael because Avraham had offered a prayer on his behalf but not on account of G-d’s covenant with Avraham which included only Yitzchak.

They will dissipate like clouds ... Otherwise, why are they not called שבטים as are Yaakov’s sons, connoting might, or why are they not called ministers and chiefs? Perforce, נשיאים [hints that they will dissipate like clouds]. (Kitzur Mizrachi)

ולישמעאל שמעתיך ... ונתתיו לגוי גדולת. We see from our historical records that this prophecy came true after a delay of 2333 years. [Avraham was circumcised in the year 2047 according to Seder hadorot and the Mohammedan faith originated in the year 4384, exactly 2333 years later.] This delay was not due to sins of the original Ishmaelites. They had been looking forward to the fulfillment of this prophecy for all these years. We lost our independence due to our sins, however. G'd set a time of 1305 years (according to Daniel) until our redeemer would come. We must certainly continue to look forward to our glorious destiny and not despair if the Ishmaelites had not despaired after over 2000 years (Rabbeinu Bachya).

ברכתי אותו ,שמעתיך. Bereits in Jischmaels Namen liegt die Bürgschaft dafür. Ich werde dies auch ferner tun. Allein jenen ברית, jene absolute Verheißung, die ich zum Angelpunkt der Gesamtmenschheitentwicklung gesetzt habe, werde ich nur durch den von Sara geborenen "Jizchak" und dessen Nachkommen in Erfüllung bringen.

ולישמעאל שמעתיך, “and concerning Yishmael, I have heard your request, etc.” I am going to bless him, but I will not include him in My covenant with you which I will maintain with Yitzchok, the covenant that I concluded with you between the “pieces” as detailed in chapter 15. In the interpretation of the [covenant of] circumcision, the covenant is mentioned 13 times to teach you it symbolizes a man who is 13 years old and had not had circumcision in his youth, and he intentionally does not circumcises himself - he is liable for extirpation.

נשיאים: der jüdische Nationalbegriff gipfelt nicht in שרים, sondern in נשיאים, die, Wolken gleich, nur gehoben und mit Säften und Kräften der Nation getränkt ,נשיאים werden, um sie ganz der Nation, über welche und von welcher sie erhoben worden, alle Schichten hindurch befruchtend und aufrichtend, wieder zu Gute kommen zu lassen. Sie sind getragene Träger. Verwandt mit נסה und נסס, wovon נס, welches auch etwas mit der Bestimmung Gehobenes bedeutet, diejenigen, über welche es gehoben worden, zu sich zu erheben und zu leiten.

למועד הזה "at this time." (anniversary). We do not know precisely on what date G'd had granted Avraham this prophetic vision.

ואת בריתי אקים את יצחק, “and My covenant I will establish with Yitzchok;” the word אקים is to be understood as an acrostic from the phrase: אשר קידש ידיד מבטן, a phrase recited after every circumcision, meaning: “who is well beloved already when he emerges from the womb.”

למועד הזו לשנה האחרת "at this season next year;" Rav Huna said in the name of Rav Idi: that year was a leap year [in which an additional month of Adar was added before Nisan], meaning "מועד" and "מועד" was one year apart from each other, and he calls it "next year" because of the additional month it has in it.

בשנה האחרת. G'd informs Avraham that a year will elapse between the time he received this message and its realization. It is as if the Torah had written that Sarah would give birth at this time in the following year. He did not tell him when she would become pregnant, nor the length of time of her pregnancy. Our sages in Rosh Hashanah 10 assume that the birth occurred on Passover (the date on which Passover would occur in the future) seeing that Sarah became pregnant on Rosh Hashanah.

מעל אברהם [GOD WENT UP] FROM ABRAHAM — This is a more fitting expression to use of God, and we learn from it that the righteous are the Chariot of the Omnipresent God (Genesis Rabbah 47:6).

AND G-D WENT UP FROM ABRAHAM. This is an expression of respect towards G-d,⁴⁵⁸Since the Shechinah was standing beside Abraham, why then is it written, And He went up, suggesting that G-d had been above him? It is out of respect to G-d that this is so written. (Gur Aryeh.) and we learn from it that the righteous are the Chariot of the Holy One, blessed be He. Thus the language of Rashi. But the saying of the Sages in the Bereshith Rabbah⁴⁵⁹47:8. is: “It is the patriarchs⁴⁶⁰But not the other righteous. that constitute the Chariot.” This is an allusion to that which is written: Thou wilt give truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham;⁴⁶¹Micah 7:20. And the Fear of Isaac had been on my side.⁴⁶²Further, 31:42. The student learned [in the mysteries of the Torah] will understand.

ויעל אלוקים מעל אברהם, this formulation is juxtaposed with that when G'd terminated his conversation with Kayin where the latter is described as "walking away from G'd." (Genesis 4,16)

ויכל לדבר אתו, Up until now G'd had always finished His conversation with Avraham on the same day. The conclusion of this vision is mentioned specifically as it was unusually long.

ויעל אלוקים מעל אברהם, “G-d ascended from above Avraham.” The patriarchs on earth are considered as occupying positions parallel to that of the cherubs in the celestial regions. This is why the Torah describes G-d’s departure as “from above Avraham.” We find a parallel expression in Ezekiel 9,3 וכבוד ישראל נעלה מעל הכרוב, “The Presence of the G-d of Israel rose from above the cherub.” Our sages in Bereshit Rabbah 47,6 are even more explicit when they stated: “the patriarchs are the real carriers of G-d’s entourage (מרכבה), i.e. “they are the real cherubs.

ויעל אלוקים מעל אברהם, a euphemism for the disappearance of G'd's presence. This teaches that G'd had appeared and had now withdrawn wrapped in a cloud. Our sages, as quoted by Rashi, conclude from here that the patriarchs acted as the merkavah for G'd's glory, i.e. as carriers of His chariot. This is a beautiful explanation for all those who understand it. [clearly, the key to this is the word מעל instead of simply מאברהם. The word מעל, "from above," conjures up in our mind a physical contact which preceded this separation. Ed.]

בעצם היום IN THE SELFSAME DAY — on the very day when he received the command of circumcision: by day and not by night — he was afraid neither of the heathens nor of the cynics. And he did it in broad daylight in order that his enemies and other people should not say, “If we had seen him we would never have allowed him to practise circumcision and carry out the commandment of the Omnipresent (Genesis Rabbah 47:9).

בעצם היום הזה, without any delay.

ויקח אברהם את ישמעאל בנו. Abraham took his son Ishmael, etc. Inasmuch as Ishmael had attained maturity, (he was 13 years of age) Abraham had "to take him," i.e. convince him, not merely order him to submit. The same applied to all the other members of his household who were no longer minors. Abraham was anxious that G'd's commandment to become circumcised would be accepted willingly.

ויקח, as soon as G'd had withdrawn Avraham proceeded to make all the preparations necessary to perform the circumcision on all the members of his household who qualified for this, followed by his circumcising himself. He waited with circumcising himself, realizing that if he would circumcise himself first, he would be too weak to perform this operation on all the male member of his household immediately afterwards.

וימל את בשר ערלתם, “he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” Avraham first engaged in circumcising the male members of his household before circumcising himself. We are told immediately afterwards: “on that very day Avraham circumcised himself.” Had he circumcised himself first he would have been sick and it would have been dangerous for him to proceed to circumcise the other members of his household.

This is the ויפעל form. [Rashi is explaining that] even though the yud has a dagesh, it is not the intensified form [called pi’el], but the simple form [called pa’al]. It means he circumcised others.

בעצם, an demselben Tage, es bedurfte bei ihm keiner Überlegung, und wie er voranging, so schlossen sich ihm בעצם היום הזה auch alle seine Hausgenossen an. Nach Auffassung der Weisen heißt בעצם היום הזה überall: in der Macht des Tages, d. h. an hellem Tage. Es wäre dann hier hervorgehoben, wie Abraham diesen Akt, mit welchem er völlig in schneidenden Gegensatz zur ganzen übrigen Menschheit trat, nicht heimlich, sondern offen und offenkundig vollzog. Ohnehin darf ja Mila nicht Nachts vollzogen werden, sondern gehört in den hellen Tag des menschlich wachen Lebens. Sie ist ja nicht eine etwa den dunkelwaltenden Naturmächten der Nachtseite des Lebens weihende "blutige" Opferung, gehört überhaupt nicht hinein in den dunkelgebundenen Kreis der physischen Beziehungen des Menschen. Dem אל שדי, dem über diese von Ihm geschaffenen dunkeln Mächte "frei Waltenden und Gebietenden" weiht sie den Menschen, ruft ihn selbst mit seinen dunkelsten Trieben zu sich hinauf in die lichtige Höhe des bewussten, freien, sittlichen Wollens, ist nicht eine Ergänzung der physischen Geburt, sondern die Oktave derselben, der zweite, höhere Geburtstag, der Eintritt des Menschen in die göttliche Höhe des durch und durch freien, sittlichen Vollbringens. Die physische Geburt gehört der Nacht an — מלאך הממונה על הריון לילה שמו — die jüdische Geburt der Mila dem Tage.

בעצם היום הזה, “on this very day;” According to Rabbi Gamliel, Avraham sent a messenger to Shem, son of Noach, and invited him to circumcise him and his son Ishmael. Not only that, but the date was the tenth of Tishrey, i.e. Yom Kippur which during that year occurred on a Sabbath. He derived this from the use of the expression בעצם היום in Leviticus 23,29. [Presumably Avraham knew that performance of this commandment on the eighth day of a newborn child overrides the prohibitions of the Sabbath and even Yom Kippur. Ed.] This is why every year on the recurrence of that date, G–d reminds Himself of Avraham’s having performed this commandment and it is a factor contributing to atoning for all of our sins on that Day. In B’reshit Rabbah, there is a version describing that after Avraham had already had the knife and his foreskin in his hand to perform the circumcision on himself, he became afraid that he might tremble due to his advanced age. G–d thereupon assisted him and guided his hand; this is why we say in our daily prayers in the morning when relating to this event: וכרות עמו הברית, “He cut the covenant with him (Avraham).” The quotation is based on Nechemyah 9,8. The usual translation of the word, inaccurate is: ”He concluded” Ed.]

וימל AND HE CURCUMCISED — This is a Kal form (active).

כל זכר באנשי בית אברהם, both adults and minors.

כאשר דבר אתו אלוקים, as G'd had told him to. We need to know why the Torah added these last few words. After all, anyone who reads the passage is aware that this is exactly what Abraham did. Perhaps the Torah wanted to tell us that the efforts Abraham made to have all the people concerned be circumcised willingly was what G'd had told him to do.

וימול בשר ערלתם, both the removal of the foreskin and the removal of the membrane underneath it. (פריעה). Some of our sages (Yevamot 71) claim that Avraham had not been commanded to perform פריעה also. The majority opinion is that he had been commanded concerning both these stages of circumcision. This is also the opinion expressed in Bereshit Rabbah (compare Torah Shleymah 157)

Possibly, the Torah testified to the fact that Abraham complied with G'd's instructions immediately, without any delay. The Torah credited Abraham with the manner in which he related to any of G'd's demands upon him.

בעצם היום הזה, on the very day G'd had issued these instructions.

Avodah Zarah 27 understands the repetition of המול ימול in 17,13 to mean that he who circumcises others must himself first have been circumcised. Perhaps this is what is meant by the words: "as He commanded him to do," i.e. Abraham circumcised himself first before he circumcised anyone else. If we accept this explanation we do no longer have to search for a reason why the Torah did not specifically mention that Abraham circumcised himself. There were two reasons why it is assumed that Abraham was the first to circumcise himself. 1) It was his nature to comply with any commandment of G'd immediately. Besides, how could he have persuaded others to do something he himself appeared to be afraid of doing? 2) In order for his circumcision of the members of his household to be halachically valid, he himself had to be circumcised first.

When the Torah told us in verse 24 that Abraham was circumcised, this concerned only the time element. The Torah wanted us to know that just as Ishmael allowed imself to be circumcised at 13 years of age, so Abraham was 99 years of age. [The letter ו in the word ואברהם in that verse was necessary because it interrupts the story of Ishmael's circumcision. The Torah wanted to mention Abraham's circumcision before that of Ishmael; this is why it had to insert verse 24. Ed.]

בהמלו WHEN HE WAS CIRCUMCISED — a Niphal form (passive), like (Genesis 2:4) בהבראם “when they were created”.

ואברהם בן תשעים ותשע שנה, when he received the most recent prophetic vision he was 99 years old as already mentioned in verse 1. This had been at the end of 99 years after his birth, so that when he was circumcised he was still 99 years of age, and had not entered the 100th years. The Torah writes this in order to reinforce the report that he carried out the circumcision with dispatch, and did not wait until he had turned 100 years old.

In the בהפעלו form, the same as בהבראם. This is the passive form, meaning he was circumcised, just as בהבראם (2:4) means they were created, which is also in the passive form.

בהמלו בשר ערלתו, if we were to say that the word בהמלו is in a passive mode. We would have to ask how it could conclude with the pronoun ו which introduces an action by him on the flesh of his foreskin. We never find that a passive mode is followed immediately by an active mode. If, on the other hand, we are to understand the word בהמלו as standing on its own, without direct relationship to the words בשר ערלתו, or if the Torah had written בהמול בשר ערלתו without the pronoun ו, we would not have a problem with the text as it is before us. One could perhaps resolve the problem of the text that we have by saying that the expression בהמלו describes a condition Avraham experienced as a result of his foreskin having been circumcised. We encounter a similar construction in Isaiah 1,30 where the word נובלת describes the condition of leaves of the tree described, i.e. they are shriveled or have wilted. The word is an intransitive verb, and the terebinth referred to as the trunk to which these leaves belonged is certainly not subject to wilting or shriveling. One could argue similarly, that Avraham was now considered נמול, (verse 26) circumcised, seeing that the flesh of his foreskin had been removed. In a similar manner we can also understand the words קרועי בגדים in Samuel II 13,31. The clothes of the men (David's servants) were torn, not the men themselves. The same is true of Samuel II 15,32 where the word קרוע does not refer to Chushai but to his tunic which was torn. Jeremiah 41,5 has a similar construction, מגולחי describes the condition of these men after their beards had been shaved off.

בהמולו את בשר ערלתו WHEN HE HAD THE FLESH OF HIS FORESKIN CIRCUMCISED — With Avraham, [the word], et is not stated [as it is here with Yishmael], because the only thing he was missing was the cutting of the flesh, as [his foreskin] was already flattened through sexual relations. But Yishmael - who was only a child - was required to cut his foreskin and open [and push back] the circumcision. Hence about him, et is stated. (Genesis Rabbah 47:8)

וישמעאל בנו בן שלש עשרה שנה, seeing the Torah had mentioned Avraham's age at the time of his circumcision, Ishmael's age was also mentioned as a mark of honour for him. After all, we know how old Ishmael was at the time, the Torah having told us that Avraham his father was 86 years old when he was born (Genesis 15,16). Perhaps the Torah underlines the fact that Avraham circumcised his son Ishmael, as if he had not been circumcised by that age, he himself is obligated to either circumcise himself or to arrange for him circumcision. Ishmael was just young enough for this obligation still to be that of this father.

Therefore, concerning him את is said. The words את and גם always come to add something. Although it is stated in Yevamos 71b that Avraham was not commanded to do פריעה, he did it on his own just as he kept the whole Torah on his own. But regarding מילה he waited since he knew he was destined to be commanded, and then he could do it in fulfillment of a command, [which is more praiseworthy]. (Kitzur Mizrachi)

'וישמעאל בנו בן שלש עשרה שנה וגו , “and Ishmael his son who was 13 years old at the time, etc;” the details provided in this verse are meant to teach us that Avraham as well as his son were circumcised on the same day. We derive this from the expression: בעצם היום הזה, as elsewhere the Torah had told us that Avraham had been ninety nine and the Torah records that Avraham was eighty six years old on the day when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, and that he was ninety nine years old when he circumcised himself. The only possible reason why the Torah had to be so precise about both data was to teach us that just as Avraham had not delayed with carrying out G-d’s commandment, so also Ishmael submitted to the same commandment without delay.

בהמלו את בשר ערלתו, seeing that the Torah added the word את here, a word which had not appeared when Avraham's circumcision is reported, the meaning of this verse is clearer than the previous verse. The word את, here, means the same as if the Torah had written מן, "from," i.e. "when his foreskin was removed from his male member." The word את is used as meaning "from" also in Genesis 44,4 הם יצאו את העיר, "when they had left the city, etc." Also in Kings I 15,23 the word את means "from," I.e. that the line חלה את רגליו, means that Asa's "ailment started from his feet." There is an allegorical explanation for our verse, mentioned by Rashi, according to which Avraham, whose flesh had become elastic, soft, due to his having engaged in sexual intercourse during many years of his life, did not need to have the membrane we referred to as פריעה removed, whereas his son who had not yet experienced the use of his male organ in a sexual function did need this membrane to be removed. According to this distinction, the word את in our verse would refer to something additional, as is customary with the word את. In this case the additional element was the removal of Ishmael's פריעה at the same time as the removal of his foreskin. The author of this explanation disagrees with the previously mentioned view of the sages who believe that at that time the command to perform פריעה had not been issued at all. I believe it is far more likely that the instruction to perform פריעה was given to Avraham at this time. Seeing that our sages state that anyone who has performed circumcision but has omitted to perform פריעה is viewed as if he had not performed any part of the commandment, (Shabbat 137) it is hard to accept that the first person performing this commandment should not have performed it in all its details, i.e. perfectly.

את בשר ערלתו, the flesh of his foreskin; according to Rashi, Ishmael, although still a child, had to proceed and perform the circumcision on himself. He adds that this was more painful for him than for his father, whose member had become softened through frequent use in sleeping with his wife. The additional word את, used by the Torah when describing Ishmael’s circumcision, is supposed to draw our attention to this distinction. According to the Talmud in Yevamot 72, even though the additional commandment for Jews to also remove the membrane mentioned earlier had not yet been given, Avraham understood that it would be given in the future, and he performed the circumcision precisely as we do nowadays. According to our sages in Yuma 28, Avraham even performed the rites known as eyruv tavshilim, preparing some food for the Sabbath following a festival when the festival occurred on the Friday, so that cooking on the festival would not look as if one had used the festival as merely a day to prepare for the Sabbath.

בעצם היום הזה ON THE SELFSAME DAY when Abraham completed his ninety-ninth year and Ishmael his thirteenth year נמול אברהם וישמעאל בנו WAS ABRAHAM CIRCUMCISED AND ISHMAEL HIS SON.

IN THE SELFSAME DAY WAS ABRAHAM CIRCUMCISED. Rashi wrote: “In the selfsame day when Abraham completed his ninety-ninth year and Ishmael his thirteenth, they were circumcised.”
But what reason is there to mention this? Moreover, there is already general agreement with the words of Rabbi Eliezer⁴⁶³Rosh Hashanah 12 a; also ibid., 27a. See also Seder Noach, Note 148, for fuller discussion of this point. who said that in the month of Tishri the world was created, and in Tishri the patriarchs were born, with the exception of Isaac who was born on Passover. Now Scripture says that the birth of Isaac will be at this time in the next year,⁴⁶⁴Verse 21 here. and Rashi himself wrote further on in Seder Vayeira⁴⁶⁵Further, 18:10. that the tidings were given on Passover. Consequently, Isaac was born on the next Passover!⁴⁶⁶How then could Rashi say that on this selfsame day Abraham completed his ninety-ninth year, thus making Passover his birthday, when the consensus of opinion is, as Rabbi Eliezer says, that the patriarchs were born in Tishri?
Instead, the expression, In the selfsame day, means that on the very day he was charged with this commandment, he and the men of his house — three hundred and eighteen⁴⁶⁷Above, 14:14. — and all those purchased with his money were circumcised. Scripture thus tells of Abraham’s distinction with respect to the fear of G-d, as well as that of all the men of his house, i.e., that they were all zealous, fulfilling their religious duty as promptly as possible.
Now the meaning of the phrase, was Abraham circumcised and Ishmael his son, is not that Abraham was circumcised first. Instead, it was Ishmael who was circumcised first, and then all the men of Abraham’s house, for it is so written: And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house,⁴⁶⁸Verse 23 here. and after that it says, And Abraham was ninety years and nine when he was circumcised.⁴⁶⁹Verse 24 here. The reason for this was that Abraham was zealous concerning the commandment to circumcise them first, either doing it himself or perhaps inviting many circumcisers whom he supervised, and then he circumcised himself. Had he performed his circumcision first, he would have been sick or in danger on account of his advanced age, and he would then not have been in a position to concern himself with their circumcision.
Vayeira

בעצם היום הזה; we (the Torah) have already stated that Avraham circumcised all the members of his household on the very day G'd issued the command to him (verse 23). The Torah had not mentioned that he also circumcised himself and his son on that day. This is why this is added here, to tell us that he brooked no delay in performing the commandment both on his son and on himself. The meaning of the word נימול is that he performed the operation on himself and did not delegate anyone to do it as his agent. The use of a passive mode to describe that someone did something himself is not unique. We find it also in Samuel II 20,10 וכן עמשא לא נשמר, "and so Amassa did not protect himself."

בעצם היום הזה, “on this very day.” According to Rashi the meaning of בעצם היום הזה is: “on the day Avraham completed his 99th year He circumcised himself.” Nachmanides already queried this commentary, saying that seeing we accept the view of Rabbi Eliezer according to which the patriarchs were all born in the month of Tishrey, and this circumcision took place on Passover (the future date of Passover). In that case, Rash’is explanation would mean that the circumcision took place on what was going to be Passover. Therefore, Nachmanides understands the wordsבעצם היום הזה to mean that Avraham carried out the command on the same day it was issued. All male members of Avraham’s household were circumcised on that day, including his son Ishmael. The Torah tells us this in detail in order to compliment Avraham on the prompt execution of G’d’s command. Avraham circumcised himself last, as otherwise he would not have had the strength to circumcise his entire household which numbered probably more than a hundred, a considerable portion of whom were grown men. According to tradition Avraham observed all the commandments of the Torah, having divined G’d’s intent through his intellect. The question therefore is why he did not observe the rite of circumcision already many years ago, seeing that he knew that this would please the Lord? Some sages answer that this tradition that attributes to Avraham the knowledge of all the commandments which would be featured in the Torah, came to him only after he had circumcised himself. He advanced spiritually by giant steps as a result of having circumcised himself. This answer does not appear as likely, as if Avraham was intellectually mature enough at the age of three to recognize that there was a Creator who had created the entire universe, surely he had developed further intellectually in the 96 years intervening between then and the time when he circumcised himself. The more likely reason is that he wanted to wait until he was commanded to do so, as we have a rule that if one performs a commandment because it had been commanded by G’d, this is morally/ethically a higher ranking deed than doing the same thing without having been commanded. In the case of all other commandments Avraham knew that he would be able to perform the same commandment also after he would be commanded to do so. Removal of one’s foreskin is something irreversible, and will not be possible to be repeated again. Hence in this case Avraham waited until G’d issued His command.

That Avraham turned ninety-nine. You might ask: In v. 23 it is already written, “On that very day,” on which Rashi commented, “On the same day that he was commanded.” And in the next verse it is written, “Avraham was 99 years old.” [Why then is his age repeated here?] The answer is: Otherwise we might have thought that Avraham was over 98 but not yet 99, although it is written “Avraham was 99 years old,” because part of a year is considered as a whole year. Thus it is repeated “On that very day” to teach that [they were circumcised] on the day Avraham turned 99, and Yishmael turned 13.

בעצם היום הזה, “on this very day;” According to Rabbi Gamliel, Avraham sent a messenger to Shem, son of Noach, and invited him to circumcise him and his son Ishmael. Not only that, but the date was the tenth of Tishrey, i.e. Yom Kippur which during that year occurred on a Sabbath. He derived this from the use of the expression בעצם היום in Leviticus 23,29. [Presumably Avraham knew that performance of this commandment on the eighth day of a newborn child overrides the prohibitions of the Sabbath and even Yom Kippur. Ed.] This is why every year on the recurrence of that date, G–d reminds Himself of Avraham’s having performed this commandment and it is a factor contributing to atoning for all of our sins on that Day. In B’reshit Rabbah, there is a version describing that after Avraham had already had the knife and his foreskin in his hand to perform the circumcision on himself, he became afraid that he might tremble due to his advanced age. G–d thereupon assisted him and guided his hand; this is why we say in our daily prayers in the morning when relating to this event: וכרות עמו הברית, “He cut the covenant with him (Avraham).” The quotation is based on Nechemyah 9,8. The usual translation of the word, inaccurate is: ”He concluded” Ed.]

בעצם היום הזה, on the very same daywhen G-d had issued the command;

נמול אברהם, the day which later on would correspond in our calendar to the Day of Atonement was the day when Avraham performed the circumcision on himself. (Compare Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer chapter 29). If Avraham had divinedthe laws of the Torah through use of his intelligence, why had he not performed such an important commandment much earlier? It may have been in order not to discourage potential proselytes in the future. If people contemplating conversion to Judaism would have thought that the very first step in such a conversion was to be the painful rite of circumcision, they might have developed second thoughts. As to the question of why G-d had delayed the commandment until after He had concluded the covenant between the pieces with him, the reason was so that when he would sire Yitzchok, this son would have been the son of a fully fledged Jew already before developing in Sarah’s womb.

נמולו אתו, by Avraham. The root of both נמול and נמולו is the verb נמל.

וכל אנשי ביתו, “and all the males of his household;” where the previous verse had spoken only of Avraham, this one speaks of all the members of his household. This included slaves purchased by him, not born to members of his household, as well as anyone belonging to Yishmael.

נמולו אתו, it does not say: מלו אתו, which would have implied that they were circumcised against their will, but they were all willing participants in this procedure.