Comentario citado sobre Deuteronómio 20:16

ויהי אחר הדברים האלה, “it was after these events;” according to Rashi, the “events” refer to the banquet arranged on the occasion of Yitzchok’s being weaned; Satan accused Avraham of not having offered a single sacrifice to G-d on that occasion. G-d replied that he would have been willing to offer even his own son as such an offering if asked. and that year [when Avraham came back from the land of Plishtim and sat in Chevron] was 12 years before the Akeda of Yitzchok. A different interpretation of the words: הדברים האלה, “these words;” Yishmael had boasted to Yitzchok that he had voluntarily undergone circumcision at an age when it was most painful, to which Yitzchok had replied that he, Yishmael, had endured pain only on one organ, whereas he, Yitzchok, would be prepared to undergo such pain on his whole body, i.e. he would even give his life for G-d. The reason why Rashi chose the first interpretation is that the word אחר normally refers to an event that had immediately preceded the subject raised, whereas here the call for the binding of Yitzchok would then have occurred many years earlier. According to a statement by Rav Hunna in Bereshit Rabbah 44,6, the word for “after” that the Torah should have used should then have been “אחרי.”A third interpretation of the words: ויהי אחר הדברים האלה is that they refer to the treaty concluded between Avraham and Avimelech, when Avraham had voluntarily postponed the fulfillment of G-d’s promise to him without having first obtained G-d’s permission to do so. [It is a historical fact that sovereignty over the land of the Philistines was achieved by the Israelites only about 100 years prior to the destruction of the first Temple, (under King Yoshiyahu), over 800 years after Joshua conquered the rest of the Holy Land. This was part of the punishment for the Israelites not having carried out G-d’s command not to allow a single soul of the then residents to remain alive (if they did not emigrate). (Deuteronomy 20,16). [In other words, although Avraham was the first to cause of the fulfillment of G-d’s promise to be delayed, he was not the last Israelite to do so. Ed.] Another interpretation, one which places the emphasis on the words נסה את אברהם, “He tested Avraham.”Avraham was not tested in order for G-d to convince Himself of his willingness to offer up his beloved son, seeing that such matters are known to Him, Who is omniscient; he was tested by the attribute of Justice which had dared question the degree of loyalty he could summon when so tested. Passing this test successfully would convince the people around him of the absolute obedience to any command G-d would issue to him. There was no way the nations of the world could challenge his faith thereafter.

ויהי אחר הדברים האלה, whenever we find the construction אחר הדברים האלה what follows is conceptually immediately following what has been reported immediately before. Examples are found in 15,1 after Avraham had killed the four kings who had taken Lot captive. At that time G’d had told him not to be afraid of any repercussions. We also find such a construction in verse 20 of our chapter where the Avraham was informed of the birth of Rivkah after we heard that Yitzchok had been born. We find a similar construction also in Esther 3,1 where Mordechai told Esther and she told the king about the assassination plot by Bigtan and Teresh. The event occurred around the time when Haman was promoted and wanted to kill Mordechai and the Jewish people. The fact that he had saved the king’s life became the immediate cause of Mordechai’s rise in the king’s esteem. [if I understand the author correctly, he wants to tell us that although sequentially the matters related are not immediate chronologically, the Torah or Scriptures use the formulation to trace them to events which occurred some time back. Yitzchok was at least 37 years old before Avraham heard about the birth of Rivkah. Similarly, if the king had rewarded Mordechai for his part in discovering the plot immediately, history might have taken a different course. Ed.] Here too, the words mean that what follows occurred after Avraham and Avimelech had concluded their covenant according to which until the fourth generation Avraham’s descendants would not register a claim against lands owned by the Philistines at this time. G’d became very angry at this high-handed action by Avraham, seeing that he had given away lands which were part of what G’d had promised to Avraham and his descendants at the “covenant of the pieces” in chapter 15. We know that a condition of that covenant had been not to allow a single soul of the Canaanites to survive in that land, according to both Deuteronomy 20,16 as well as according to Joshua 13,3 and 15,45-47. Clearly lots had been cast concerning the lands owned by the 5 Philistine rulers, and who was to settle in those lands after the conquest. As a result of Avraham’s high-handed action,

A Midrashic approach (based on Tanchuma Shemini 6 or Vayikra Rabbah 13,2). The words זאת החיה אשר תאכלו, “this is the category of creature that you may eat,” reflect Chabakuk 3,6: ”when He stands He makes the earth shake, when He glances, He makes nations tremble.” At the time when G’d was about to give the Torah to the Jewish people, He stood and contended with the earth and gave the Torah to Israel in public, in full view of everyone. At that time He lifted the restrictions against spilling the blood of the seven Canaanite nations inhabiting the land of Israel. We have several verses to that effect, one in Isaiah 60,12 “for the nation that does not serve you shall perish;” a reference to the lives of those seven nations. We have another verse in Deuteronomy 20,16: “you shall not let live anyone;” the repetition of such permission in Isaiah means that also the money, physical possessions of those nations, was permitted to be kept as loot. This is supported also by the words “you shall consume all the (7) (seven) nations” (Deut. 7,16).
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai says that the meaning of the verse in Chabakuk 3,6 is that G’d spied out amongst all those nations, searching for a country which would be suitable as a homeland for the Jewish people, a mountain suitable to give them the Torah, etc., and that He found none other than the land of these seven nations. Rabbi Hunna from Tzippori understood the word וימודד in that verse to mean that G’d (allegorically speaking) loosened their girdles, i.e. much as in Job 12,8 which is the reverse of חגור מתניכם, “tighten your belt ready for war or marching.” Rabbi Tanchum, son Chanilai said that the meaning of those words is that He let loose against them all the forbidden creepers. According to Vayikra Rabbah 13,2 this is a simile comparing the situation to a farmer who came to a threshing ground with a donkey on one side and a dog on the other. He loaded the donkey with five measures of grain and the dog with two. The donkey trotted along contentedly whereas the dog was clearly resentful. So the farmer took one of the measures of grain from the dog and added it to the load the donkey was carrying. Whereas the donkey did not protest the dog was still resentful. The farmer told the dog that it was not much good to him seeing it was unwilling to accept any responsibility (the seven Noachide laws) at all. Similarly the Gentile nations and the Jewish people. Seeing that the former do not even observe the basic seven Noachide laws G’d does not have much use for them and has permitted the Israelites to dispossess them completely. [In the version in the Midrash the restrictive word “seven” is absent. It appears that our author was careful not to offend the Christians in his host country. Ed.]
Another parable illustrating the relationship between G’d and the Jewish people. A physician went to see two of his patients. To the family of the one who was in a life-and death-situation he did not prescribe a specific diet for the patient, permitting him to eat whatever he wanted. To the second patient he gave very precise instructions what not to eat as this was apt to save his life. After a while the patient to whom the doctor had not prescribed a specific diet died whereas the other patient recovered. The families of both patients became aware that the doctor had prescribed only for the one patient and they wanted to know why. The doctor explained that the patient who died had been doomed already. There was therefore no point in denying him what he could enjoy on a short-term basis. The same applies to the Israelites and the seven Gentile nations who are doomed. Seeing that the latter are headed for death anyway, there is not much point in prescribing a restrictive diet. The Israelites, however, may be saved from their sickness if they keep a strict diet. Hence the Torah issued the instructions in this chapter, while allowing the Gentiles to eat whatever they want. This is the mystical dimension of introducing this chapter with the words זאת החיה, this is the life-giving legislation regarding food which may be consumed, etc.” Seeing that the Israelites are attached to eternal life, it is important hat they not consume food which could endanger their hereafter.

and the archers discovered him Come and see that (Prov. 21:30): “... there is neither wisdom nor understanding, etc. against the Lord,” because man’s ways are before the Lord. Benjamin’s enemies would fall before them [when they used] the bow because they were well trained with the bow, as it is written: “[Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite,] a man with a shriveled right hand,” (Judges 3:15). And so it is written, concerning Jonathan (I Samuel 20:20): “And I shall shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a mark.” And it is written below (I Chron. 12:2) concerning Benjamin: “Armed with bows, shooting with the right and left hands, etc.” and concerning Asa in this Book (II 14:7): “... and out of Benjamin, who bore shields and drew bows, etc.” But when the Lord turned away from Saul [who was from the tribe of Benjamin], he fell into the hands of the archers, into something that was his own craft. and he was terrified of the archers וַיָחֶל like (Esther 4:4): “...and the queen was extremely terrified (וַתִּתְחַלְחַל).”