Comentários de Citação sobre Gênesis 26:2

לאלוקי אביו יצחק. The reason why Yitzchok is mentioned here is because he too was about to escape from a famine by traveling to Egypt, whereas in his case, G’d stopped him from going there. (26,2) Yaakov, as opposed to his father, offered meat offerings at Beer Sheva. This town was at the border of the land of Canaan, and he wanted to enquire from G’d if he had His approval in his undertaking to leave the Holy Land a second time in his life. The sacrifices he offered were intended to restore the Holy Spirit to him which had departed when Joseph had departed from him.

אנכי הא-ל אלו-הי אביך ,”I am the Lord G’d of your father.” G’d meant: “I am the same G’d who prevented your father from leaving the Holy Land by telling him “do not go down to Egypt (Genesis 26,2). If I tell you now to proceed to Egypt, I do not want you to be afraid of this trip.” We have a similar assurance phrased by a warning not to be afraid in Isaiah 41,14 “do not be afraid, O worm Jacob.” A third example of G’d offering reassurance by phrasing it in a similar manner is found in Isaiah 41,10 “fear not for I am with you, be not frightened for I am your G’d.”

He went down to Egypt: Compelled by the Divine Word: Rabbi Moshe Alshich⁸⁵Rabbi Moshe Alshich, a well known Kabbalist and commentator, lived from 1508 - 1593 explained that our forefather Isaac wished to go to Egypt in order to begin the four hundred years of slavery as foreigners in a strange land which had been predicted to Abraham, but God would not allow him to do so. He said: “Don’t go down to Egypt; dwell in this land and I will be with you.”⁸⁶Genesis 26:2 Even though Isaac dwelt for some time in the land of the Philistines, this was actually part of the land that was promised to his descendents. Isaac knew that the promise made to Abraham could not be fulfilled until one of Abraham’s descendents went down to Egypt. That is why the verse says My father (Jacob) was a wandering Aramean and he went down to Egypt to dwell there – he went down to become the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. Isaac was compelled by God’s commandment not to go down but Jacob was compelled by God’s commandment to go down to Egypt!

בארץ ההוא IN THAT LAND although it (Gerar) had not the sacred importance of Erez Yisroel proper — i. e., as the territory of the seven nations, and is therefore not as fertile as the Holy Land (cf. Ketubot 112a).

בשנה ההיא IN THAT YEAR although it was not a normal year, being a year of famine.