창세기 25:23의 인용 해설

And the Lamed [prefix] of le'umim (לְאֻמִּ֗ים - peoples): [This Lamed is part of the] root [of the word], as the singular form is le'om (people/nation). As in (Genesis 25:23): "and one people (u-le'om) shall be stronger than the other people (mi-le'om)."

And there they became a ‘great’ nation - This teaches us that Israel became distinctive there: Like its English counterpart, the word “Gadol” ‘great,’ has two meanings; it can mean “large” in a physical sense or it can also mean “great” in a qualitative and spiritual sense. In this verse it is not clear in which sense “Gadol’ is being used. Did Israel become physically great by increasing in number or did they become a great nation by vitrue of the character and integrity? The Maggid understands ‘great’ in the second sense of the word but it is not clear how he arrives at this conclusion. Rabbi Epstein explains that the Maggid arrives at this interpretation based on the use of the word “Am” instead of the word “Goy” for nation. Although these two words mean nation they have different connotations. The word “Am” implies a large nation and is often used in a disparaging way in the Bible. (See Rashi, Numbers 11:1.) When Israel is referred to as a “Goy,” it is usually used in a more complimentary way, such as Samuel 11, 7:23, “Israel is a unique nation on earth,” and Genesis 25:23, “There are two nations in your womb,” implying that the two sons to which Rebecca would give birth would each be the father of a great nation. The fact that the verse calls Israel a “Goy Gadol” implies that they are a great nation and not just a large nation....

וישלח יעקב...כה תאמרון לאדוני לעשו, Yaakov sent......thus you shall say to my lord, to Esau: Yaakov was punished for referring to Esau as “my lord.” G–d said to him: “I have said to your mother that the older of her sons will serve the younger” (Genesis 25,23) and you have taken it upon yourself to address your elder brother as “my lord” eight times? This is why in this portion we will read that eight kings ruled over the kingdom of Esau (Edom) before the first king ruled over Israel. This is why this very point has been recorded in this portion at the end of this portion (Genesis 36,31-43)

May a creditor search out all he has Heb. ינקש. A person who toils and searches, and longs passionately to do something is described by the expression מִתְנַקֵשׁ, i.e., shaken and going from place to place, like (Dan. 5:6): “and his knees knocked (נקשן) against each other.”