Tafsiran Kejadian 25:5: Rashi, Da'at Zekenim, Kli Yakar & Tur HaArokh

AND ויתן אברהם וגו AND ABRAHAM GAVE etc. — R. Nehemiah said, he gave him the blessing as a legacy (literally, will, testament). The Holy One, blessed be He, had said to Abraham (12:2) “Be thou a blessing” which means “the blessing are entrusted to you that you may bless whomsoever you please”, and Abraham transferred them to Isaac (cf. Genesis Rabbah 61:6).

ויתן אברהם את כל אשר לו ליצחק, “Avraham gave all that was his to Yitzchok.” How could he have done so, seeing that the Talmud in tractate Baba batra folio 133 denies a father the right to transfer his estate even from a unworthy son to a worthy son, the reason being that the son from whom his potential inheritance is taken away may have a worthy son himself, whereas the son to whom it has been transferred may have an unworthy son. (Compare Talmud tractate Pessachim 49) We read in Job 27,17 concerning the definition of a righteous person that יכין וצדיק ילבש וכסף נקי יחלק, “the just will put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.” [The problem is how could Avraham disinherit his firstborn son Yishmael legally? Ed.] It is especially puzzling since according to the Talmud in tractate Yuma folio 28, credits him with even having observed Rabbinic ordinances, such as certain procedures for preparing food when a festival day is followed by the Sabbath when preparing food is forbidden. We have to conclude that both Avraham and Yishmael were actually converts, neither having been born as Jews. Converts do not legally inherit their fellow converts, neither by Biblical law nor by Rabbinic decree. (Talmud tractate Kidushin folio 17). Rabbeinu Chananel bar Sh’muel suggests that Avraham gave all he had to Yitzchok before the sons of Keturah had been born, This is indicated by this having been reported already in Genesis 24,36: where he is reported immediately after Sarah having given birth to him as receiving all of his father’s estate. [Seeing that Yishmael, as Hagar’s son was the son of a slave woman, he could not legally own anything that had been Avraham’s or Sarah’s as slaves do not own their master’s or their mistress’ property. So where was the problem? Ed.]

And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. He transferred inheritance from all his sons because this is what Sarah wanted when she said the son of the handmaid shall not inherit, etc., and the Holy One, Blessed be He, agreed with her and said Whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her voice, for through Isaac your seed will be called. And the reason it specifically says all that he had refers to everything that Abraham had worked for through his effort and labor, that which came to him through his sweat and the work of his hands — this thing that was specifically his own, for who would eat and who would feel [the effort] except for him — all of this he gave to Isaac. However, to the sons of the concubines, meaning the sons of Hagar [for pilagshim (concubines) is written without the letter ‘vav’ (indicating it refers to one concubine)], he gave those gifts that he had received from the Egyptians through Sarah when he said she is my sister. At that time they gave him gifts, and those gifts he gave to the sons of Hagar the Egyptian, for it is proper that they return to the place from where they came, returning to their planting.