Comentario citado sobre Génesis 24:40

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.]

FROM MY FATHER’s HOUSE, ‘UMEI’ERETZ MOLAD’TI’ (AND FROM THE LAND OF MY NATIVITY). Rashi comments: “From my father’s house — from Haran. And from the land of my nativity — from Ur of the Chaldees.” If this is so, the expression, Unto my country and to ‘molad’ti’ thou shalt go,⁸⁷Verse 4 here. must also refer to Ur of the Chaldees. But Heaven forbid that the sacred seed should mix with the sons of Ham,⁸⁸The Chaldees and the entire land of Shinar belonged to the sons of Ham. See Ramban, above, 11:28. the sinful one!⁸⁹Above, 9:22-24. Even if one would say that Abraham had some family there from the seed of Shem, the fact is however that the servant went to Haran as his master said! Now perhaps the Rabbi [Rashi] thinks that eretz molad’to⁸⁷Verse 4 here.(the land of his birth) was Ur of the Chaldees, but molad’ti⁸⁷Verse 4 here. means “my family,” and my country⁸⁷Verse 4 here. means the land wherein he lived. But all these are futile words since here, in the verse before us, he said, And thou shalt take a wife for my son from there, [and according to Rashi, who explained ume’eretz molad’ti, mentioned in this verse, as meaning Ur of the Chaldees, it would follow that Abraham commanded Eliezer to go there to get a wife from the children of Ham]! Moreover, Abraham stayed in the land of Canaan for a longer period than he did in Haran, and so why should Haran be called his country simply because he lived there for some time? Instead, the meaning of the expression, unto my country and to ‘molad’ti’,⁸⁷Verse 4 here. is “unto my country in which I was born,” [namely, Haran in Mesopotamia], for there he stayed and from there his ancestors came, as was already explained.⁹⁰See Ramban above, 11:28 and 12:1. In Bereshith Rabbah we find:⁹¹59:13. “From my father’s house — this is the house of his father. And from the land of my birth — this is the environs [of his father’s house].”
It is possible that unto my country and unto ‘molad’ti’ means “Unto my country and unto my family,” for he did not want a wife to be taken for Isaac even from the people of his country but only from his family. Similarly in the verse, And thou shalt take a wife for my son from there, [the word misham (from there)] alludes to the expression, from my father’s house, mentioned at the beginning of the verse. And so did the servant say when quoting Abraham, And thou shalt take a wife for my son of my family, and of my father’s house,⁹²Further, Verse 40. and again he said, quoting his master. Then shalt thou be clear from my oath when thou comest to my family.⁹³Ibid., Verse 41. These words were said by the servant to honor them so that they would listen to him.

את האלהים התהלך נח NOAH WALKED WITH GOD — In the case of Abraham Scripture says, (Genesis 24:40) ‘‘[God] before whom I walked”; Noah needed God’s support to uphold him in righteousness, Abraham drew his moral strength from himself and walked in his righteousness by his own effort (Genesis Rabbah 30:10).