Commentaire de citation sur La Genèse 24:50

KNOW YE LABAN THE SON OF NAHOR? Laban was recognized and known by the name of his father’s father Nahor since Nahor was more important than Laban’s father [Bethuel], and he was the head of their family, as it is written, the G-d of Abraham and the G-d of Nahor.⁶⁶Further, 31:53. [Thus, Laban being the son of Bethuel,⁶⁷Above, 28:5. was nevertheless known by his father’s father’s name, Nahor.]⁶⁸Ibid., 22:22. It is possible that Bethuel was a dishonorable person, and Laban wanted people to ascribe his lineage only to his father’s father, for so we find, And Laban and Bethuel answered.⁶⁹Above, 24:50. [Laban is thus mentioned before his father, which indicates that Bethuel was not regarded as the head of the family.] Perhaps all this is in honor of Abraham for [by virtue of Laban’s being known by Nahor’s name], the whole family traced its lineage to Nahor the brother of Abraham,⁷⁰Ibid., 22:23. [and thus demonstrated its connection with its illustrious relative Abraham].

BLESSED ‘MIBANIM’ BE ASHER. If the letter mem [in the word mibanim] serves to signify greater status [meaning that Asher is singled out from among the tribes for greater blessing] as indicated by the mem in these expressions: blessed ‘minashim’ (from among all other women) shall Jael be;²⁵¹Judges 5:24. In other words, Jael shall be more blessed than other women. they [the ordinances of the Eternal] are to be desired ‘mizahav’ (more than gold), yea ‘umipaz rav’ (even more than much fine gold),²⁵²Psalms 19:11. and other similar expressions — then one may wonder: how could Moses diminish the rest of the tribes by saying that Asher be blessed more than all the sons of Jacob? Moreover [if such was his intent], his blessing was not fulfilled, for it did not come to pass. And Rashi wrote: “I have seen in the Sifre:²³⁹Sifre, Brachah 355. ‘You will find none of the tribes as blessed with children²⁵³“Of children.” In our text of Rashi: “with children.” as Asher.’ But I know not how this was so.” Now, our Rabbis meant to explain blessed ‘mibanim’ that Asher be blessed with the many children that he will beget, similar to the usage of the letter mem in the expression Blessed of the Eternal be his land, ‘mimeged’ (of the precious things) of heaven, ‘mital’ (of the dew).²⁵⁴Verse 13. Therefore, the Rabbis said that Moses blessed all the rest of the tribes with strength or with their inheritance, and Asher alone was blessed with children. And our textual version of the Sifre²³⁹Sifre, Brachah 355. reads: “You will find no one who was as blessed with children as Asher.” But how this blessing was fulfilled has not been explained. Perhaps it relates to what is written in [the Book of] Chronicles, All these were the children of Asher, heads of the fathers’ houses, choice and mighty men of valor, chief of the princes. And the number of them reckoned by genealogy for service in war was twenty and six thousand men.²⁵⁵I Chronicles 7:40. Such praise is not mentioned there about the rest of the tribes.
In line with the simple meaning of Scripture, Blessed ‘mibanim’ be Asher is similar to the blessing let him be the favored of his brethren,²⁵⁶In Verse 24 before us. the verse stating that Asher be blessed by all the sons of Jacob their father and be favored by all his brothers. The reason is that his land is rich and from there will come all royal dainties²⁵⁷Genesis 49:20. for all the tribes, and they will all constantly say, “May G-d bless this land which brings forth such fruits.” The letter mem in the word mibanim will be like the mem in: ‘mei’Hashem’ (‘from’ the Eternal) proceedeth the thing;²⁵⁸Ibid., 24:50. ‘mei’E-il’ (‘from’ the G-d of) thy father²⁵⁹Ibid., 49:25. [so that our verse means: “Blessed will be Asher ‘from’ the sons” of Jacob].
And Onkelos translated: “The blessing of Asher will be from the blessings of the sons” [of Jacob]. It appears that Onkelos meant to say that all of the tribes will come to Asher to buy oil, and Judah, and the Land of Israel, will be his merchants for wheat of Minnith, and balsam, and honey, and oil²⁶⁰Ezekiel 27:17. and all choice fruits of the land²⁶¹Genesis 43:11. all of which they will bring to sell him, and they will buy oil. Thus Asher will be blessed with all the delicacies available to all the tribes, this being the sense of the expression favored of his brethren,²⁵⁶In Verse 24 before us. for they will sell to him and buy from him what they desire. Then I found in Bereshith Rabbah:²⁶²Bereshith Rabbah 71:13. “And Leah said: ‘For my happiness! for daughters will call me happy,’ [and she called his name Asher].²⁶³Genesis 30:13. Rabbi Levi said: In all his days Asher never lodged in an inn.²⁶⁴Rabbi Levi is thus interpreting the word b’oshri as meaning “in my resting place,” i.e., in my home, from the Aramaic root sharah, meaning “resting.” Asher inherited palaces on the heights, [heights great in area] more than the land inherited by Judah. The sons of Asher: Imnah, and Ishvah and Beriah, and Serah their sister. [And the sons of Beriah: Heber, and Malchiel,] who was the father of Birzaith.²⁶⁵I Chronicles 7:30-31. Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Simon said [with reference to the name Birzaith which contains the word zayith — olive] that the daughters of Asher were beautiful, and they were married to priests²⁶⁶In our version of Bereshith Rabbah Rabbi Levi says that they were married to priests; and Rabbi Simon says that they were married to kings, because the name Malchiel contains the word melech — king. Rashi here quotes both: “his daughters were married to High Priests and kings who were anointed with olive oil.” See Exodus 30:33 (Vol. II, pp. 531-533). who were anointed with olive oil etc.”

ויאמר אחיה ואמה, “Her brother and mother said;” Rashi, noticing that Betuel, Rivkah’s father is not quoted as making a response to Eliezer, says that he actually wanted to prevent the marriage so that an angel was dispatched by G–d to kill him in order to prevent him from carrying out his objection. He says so although the Torah had quoted both Lavan and Betuel as agreeing to the match being made in heaven in verses 50-51. An alternate interpretation explaining Betuel’s “silence.” He had meant to poison Eliezer so as to prevent the marriage. An angel switched plates while Eliezer was speaking and when Betuel started eating he died from his own poison.