Esuv Leaves to Seir
Save
Copy
Add to Collection
Export to Google Docs
Share(ו) וַיִּקַּ֣ח עֵשָׂ֡ו אֶת־נָ֠שָׁ֠יו וְאֶת־בָּנָ֣יו וְאֶת־בְּנֹתָיו֮ וְאֶת־כׇּל־נַפְשׁ֣וֹת בֵּיתוֹ֒ וְאֶת־מִקְנֵ֣הוּ וְאֶת־כׇּל־בְּהֶמְתּ֗וֹ וְאֵת֙ כׇּל־קִנְיָנ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָכַ֖שׁ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אֶל־אֶ֔רֶץ מִפְּנֵ֖י יַעֲקֹ֥ב אָחִֽיו׃ (ז) כִּֽי־הָיָ֧ה רְכוּשָׁ֛ם רָ֖ב מִשֶּׁ֣בֶת יַחְדָּ֑ו וְלֹ֨א יָֽכְלָ֜ה אֶ֤רֶץ מְגֽוּרֵיהֶם֙ לָשֵׂ֣את אֹתָ֔ם מִפְּנֵ֖י מִקְנֵיהֶֽם׃
(6) Esau took his wives, his sons and daughters, and all the members of his household, his cattle and all his livestock, and all the property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to another land because of his brother Jacob. (7) For their possessions were too many for them to dwell together, and the land where they sojourned could not support them because of their livestock.
(א) וילך אל ארץ. לָגוּר בַּאֲשֶׁר יִמְצָא:
(1) i.e. no particular country, but into any country), to stay where-ever he could find room.
(א) ולא יכלה ארץ מגוריהם. לְהַסְפִּיק מִרְעֶה לַבְּהֵמוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם (ב"ר). וּמִ"אַ: מפני יעקב אחיו. מִפְּנֵי שְׁטַר חוֹב שֶׁל גְּזֵרַת "כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ" הַמֻּטָּל עַל זַרְעוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק, אָמַר אֵלֵךְ לִי מִכָּאן, אֵין לִי חֵלֶק לֹא בַּמַּתָּנָה, שֶׁנִּתְּנָה לוֹ הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת, וְלֹא בְּפִרְעוֹן הַשְּׁטָר, וּמִפְּנֵי הַבּוּשָׁה שֶׁמָּכַר בְּכוֹרָתוֹ:
(1) ולא יכלה ארץ מגוריהם AND THE LAND OF THEIR SOJOURNINGS COULD NOT — supply sufficient pasture for the cattle which they had. A Midrashic comment (Genesis Rabbah 82:13) on מפני יעקב אחיו [HE WENT TO A COUNTRY] ON ACCOUNT OF HIS BROTHER JACOB is: on account of the bond of indebtedness involved in the decree, (Genesis 14:13) “thy seed shall be a stranger etc… and they shall afflict them etc.” that was imposed upon Isaac’s descendants. He said, “I shall go hence — I desire no part either in the gift of this land which has been made to him (to my father) nor in the payment of this bond" . Another reason why he went away was on account of the shame he felt at having sold his birthright (cf. Genesis Rabbah 82:13).
Question 1:
If Rashi intends to explain the phrase, “bear them on account of
their livestock” (—“provide sufficient pasture for their animals”),
Rashi should have quoted this phrase from the Torah as his caption,
rather than the phrase “and the land that they inhabited could not.”
If Rashi intends to explain the phrase, “bear them on account of
their livestock” (—“provide sufficient pasture for their animals”),
Rashi should have quoted this phrase from the Torah as his caption,
rather than the phrase “and the land that they inhabited could not.”
(ו) וְלֹא־נָשָׂ֥א אֹתָ֛ם הָאָ֖רֶץ לָשֶׁ֣בֶת יַחְדָּ֑ו כִּֽי־הָיָ֤ה רְכוּשָׁם֙ רָ֔ב וְלֹ֥א יָֽכְל֖וּ לָשֶׁ֥בֶת יַחְדָּֽו׃
(6) so that the land could not support them staying together; for their possessions were so great that they could not remain together.
(א) ולא נשא אתם. לֹא הָיְתָה יְכוֹלָה לְהַסְפִּיק מִרְעֶה לְמִקְנֵיהֶם, וְלָשׁוֹן קָצָר הוּא, וְצָרִיךְ לְהוֹסִיף עָלָיו, כְּמוֹ וְלֹא נָשָׂא אוֹתָם מִרְעֵה הָאָרֶץ, לְפִיכָךְ כָּתַב וְלֹא נָשָׂא בִּלְשׁוֹן זָכָר:
(1) ולא נשא אתם AND THE LAND WAS NOT ABLE TO BEAR THEM — It could not provide sufficient pasture for their cattle. The phrase is elliptical and a word must be supplied, for instance: the pasturage (מרעה) of the land was not able to bear them — for this reason the word נשא (masculine) is used (to agree in gender with מרעה; the suggestion is that נשא cannot have הארץ as subject since that noun is feminine).
Question 2: What ambiguity does Rashi intend to clarify by his remarks? Obvoiusly it can't be understood literally as heavy, Especially since we have the explanation above already brought in lech Lecha?
Question 3:
Why does Rashi depart from the Torah’s terminology, “(because of)
their livestock {mikneihem},” writing instead, “for their animals
{behemtam}”?
Why does Rashi depart from the Torah’s terminology, “(because of)
their livestock {mikneihem},” writing instead, “for their animals
{behemtam}”?
Quesrtion 4:
What difficulty in Rashi’s first explanation, “to provide sufficient
pasture,” necessitates Rashi to offer a second explanation? Especially since the second explanation is from the midrash, why does Rashi not find the simple answer as enough like he did in the above quote from lech lecha.
What difficulty in Rashi’s first explanation, “to provide sufficient
pasture,” necessitates Rashi to offer a second explanation? Especially since the second explanation is from the midrash, why does Rashi not find the simple answer as enough like he did in the above quote from lech lecha.
Questions on the explanation from the Midrash:
1. Usually Rashi doesn't bring a midrash unless it is needed to help understand the simple meaning of the verse, but here the midrash seems to contradict the first simple answer.
2. Why does he bring two different Midrashic answers together as one, that he didn't want to repay the debt and because of shame.
Why does Rashi choose that he didn't want to repay the debt as the primary reason?
3. Rashi introduces the second answer saying, The Midrash Aggadah (Gen. Rabbah 82:13), however, explains “because of
his brother Jacob,” [as follows:], and then goes on to bring the answer of the debt which is connected to his brother Jacob but rather to being from the seed of Isaac. So why does Rashi repeat the words, "because of
his brother Jacob,” from the verse?
1. Usually Rashi doesn't bring a midrash unless it is needed to help understand the simple meaning of the verse, but here the midrash seems to contradict the first simple answer.
2. Why does he bring two different Midrashic answers together as one, that he didn't want to repay the debt and because of shame.
Why does Rashi choose that he didn't want to repay the debt as the primary reason?
3. Rashi introduces the second answer saying, The Midrash Aggadah (Gen. Rabbah 82:13), however, explains “because of
his brother Jacob,” [as follows:], and then goes on to bring the answer of the debt which is connected to his brother Jacob but rather to being from the seed of Isaac. So why does Rashi repeat the words, "because of
his brother Jacob,” from the verse?
If Esuv left because of the debt, why did he wait for Yaakov to arrive?
(א) מקנה קנינו. מַה שֶּׁקָּנָה מִצֹּאנוֹ, עֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחוֹת וּגְמַלִּים וַחֲמוֹרִים:
(1) מקנה קנינו means — what he had purchased by means of קנינו his own property i.e. his sheep, viz., menservants, maidservants, camels and asses (Genesis Rabbah 74:5; cf. Rashi on Genesis 30:43).
(מג) וַיִּפְרֹ֥ץ הָאִ֖ישׁ מְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד וַֽיְהִי־לוֹ֙ צֹ֣אן רַבּ֔וֹת וּשְׁפָחוֹת֙ וַעֲבָדִ֔ים וּגְמַלִּ֖ים וַחֲמֹרִֽים׃
(43) So the man grew exceedingly prosperous, and came to own large flocks, maidservants and menservants, camels and asses.
(א) צאן רבות. פָּרוֹת וְרָבוֹת מִשְּׁאָר צֹאן:
(1) צאן רבות MANY SHEEP — sheep that multiplied and were fruitful more than other sheep (Genesis Rabbah 73:11).
(כז) וַֽיִּגְדְּלוּ֙ הַנְּעָרִ֔ים וַיְהִ֣י עֵשָׂ֗ו אִ֛ישׁ יֹדֵ֥עַ צַ֖יִד אִ֣ישׁ שָׂדֶ֑ה וְיַעֲקֹב֙ אִ֣ישׁ תָּ֔ם יֹשֵׁ֖ב אֹהָלִֽים׃
(27) When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the outdoors; but Jacob was a mild man who stayed in camp.
(ח) וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב עֵשָׂו֙ בְּהַ֣ר שֵׂעִ֔יר עֵשָׂ֖ו ה֥וּא אֱדֽוֹם׃
(8) So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir—Esau being Edom.