Chasidut su Esodo 12:40
וּמוֹשַׁב֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשְׁב֖וּ בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃
La dimora ch’i figli d’Israel fecero in Egitto, fu di quattrocento e trenta anni.
Kedushat Levi
Yet another approach to the above verse. In this verse the Torah speaks of the performance of righteousness preceding the performance of justice, i.e. לעשות צדקה ומשפט, whereas elsewhere we find the reverse order of עושה משפט וצדקה. [Actually, in connection with G’d we do not find that order anywhere, we only find the sequence of עושה חסד, משפט וצדקה,“performing deeds of loving kindness, justice and righteousness,” in that order. David, on the other hand is described as :ויהי דוד עושה משפט וצדקה, “David used to mete out justice and righteousness.” Ed.] It is a rule that G’d always dispenses His largesse to the Jewish people, this being His only pleasure. The fact that the Jewish people are the recipients of His goodness gives Him satisfaction. Our sages in Pessachim 112 phrased it thus: “the mother cow is more desirous of suckling her calf than the calf is anxious to drink her milk.” [I am omitting the balance of this paragraph, as I have not understood it. Ed.]
We know that Yitzchok personified the characteristic/virtue of גבורה, steadfast bravery in face of overwhelming odds. We also know that G’d in His love for the Jewish people, arranged for the “cure” before the onset of the disease. (Megillah 13) (Compare Rashi who describes the period of the Jews’ exile and bondage as having commenced with the birth of Yitzchok. Exodus 12,40) The Torah’s describing the birth of Moav and Ammon, even before the birth of Yitzchok, is another example of the redemption being prepared by G’d even before the onset of exile, seeing that the messiah will be a descendant of Moav, Ruth in David’s maternal ancestry.
We know that Yitzchok personified the characteristic/virtue of גבורה, steadfast bravery in face of overwhelming odds. We also know that G’d in His love for the Jewish people, arranged for the “cure” before the onset of the disease. (Megillah 13) (Compare Rashi who describes the period of the Jews’ exile and bondage as having commenced with the birth of Yitzchok. Exodus 12,40) The Torah’s describing the birth of Moav and Ammon, even before the birth of Yitzchok, is another example of the redemption being prepared by G’d even before the onset of exile, seeing that the messiah will be a descendant of Moav, Ruth in David’s maternal ancestry.
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Kedushat Levi
We know that Yitzchok personified the characteristic/virtue of גבורה, steadfast bravery in face of overwhelming odds. We also know that G’d in His love for the Jewish people, arranged for the “cure” before the onset of the disease. (Megillah 13) (Compare Rashi who describes the period of the Jews’ exile and bondage as having commenced with the birth of Yitzchok. Exodus 12,40) The Torah’s describing the birth of Moav and Ammon, even before the birth of Yitzchok, is another example of the redemption being prepared by G’d even before the onset of exile, seeing that the messiah will be a descendant of Moav, Ruth in David’s maternal ancestry.
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Kedushat Levi
According to what we have said the query posed by Nachmanides is easily answered. At the beginning of the portion where G’d had told Avram to leave Charan for his own good, He had not promised him anything specific, such as children, or that he and his children would inherit the land of Canaan, for instance, even though G’d assured him of a great future in general terms, i.e. “I will make you great and your name great.” He had basically assured him only that he would not be losing anything by undertaking this journey. By now, however, G’d had added specific promises in addition. These promises concerned matters that are of importance to people who feel rooted in the terrestrial life on earth. In recognition of these promises Avram built an altar, i.e. he reciprocated the good that G’d had done for him with an act that would bring him closer to G’d. He did so to show G’d that he did not view His promises as intended for himself as such, but as a means of enabling him to continue to intensify the manner in which he had been serving G’d.
[I feel constrained to add at this point that according to all our traditional sources the revelation discussed in chapter 15 of Genesis occurred 5 years before Avram was commanded to leave Charan to a destination G’d did not immediately reveal. This interpretation is based on the fact that otherwise the verse in Exodus 12,40 that the Israelites had dwelled in Egypt for 430 years is impossible to reconcile, as traditionally, the 400 years of which G’d spoke in chapter 15,13 began with the birth of Yitzchok. Ed.]
Avram rejoiced that as a result of G’d’s promise his children too would be able to serve their Creator in due course. We had pointed out that the significance of offering G’d animal sacrifices on an altar was to demonstrate one’s desire to tighten one’s bond with the Creator. The word אליו, to him in 15,7 is not really necessary, as there had been no interruption between this verse and the one preceding it, so that it was necessary to insert this word to prevent any misunderstanding about whom G’d was addressing. The word אליו appears to hint that in this instance G’d addressed Avram primarily in his capacity as a member of the world of the יש, the part of the universe in which it is possible to sublimate the secular to a level of holiness, to elevate it to the level of metaphysical dimensions. Our author concludes by repeating the words of the verse that is not part of our chapter at all, i.e. ויבן שם אברהם מזבח לה' הנראה אליו.
[I feel constrained to add at this point that according to all our traditional sources the revelation discussed in chapter 15 of Genesis occurred 5 years before Avram was commanded to leave Charan to a destination G’d did not immediately reveal. This interpretation is based on the fact that otherwise the verse in Exodus 12,40 that the Israelites had dwelled in Egypt for 430 years is impossible to reconcile, as traditionally, the 400 years of which G’d spoke in chapter 15,13 began with the birth of Yitzchok. Ed.]
Avram rejoiced that as a result of G’d’s promise his children too would be able to serve their Creator in due course. We had pointed out that the significance of offering G’d animal sacrifices on an altar was to demonstrate one’s desire to tighten one’s bond with the Creator. The word אליו, to him in 15,7 is not really necessary, as there had been no interruption between this verse and the one preceding it, so that it was necessary to insert this word to prevent any misunderstanding about whom G’d was addressing. The word אליו appears to hint that in this instance G’d addressed Avram primarily in his capacity as a member of the world of the יש, the part of the universe in which it is possible to sublimate the secular to a level of holiness, to elevate it to the level of metaphysical dimensions. Our author concludes by repeating the words of the verse that is not part of our chapter at all, i.e. ויבן שם אברהם מזבח לה' הנראה אליו.
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