Chapter 37 (37:1-5)Ya'ahqov settles in the land of his father's sojourning, in the land of C'na'ahn. These are the generations of Ya'ahqov. Yoseyf, seventeen years old was a herder of the flock with his brothers, he was a youth with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, wife of his father, and Yoseyf brought bad words to their father. And Yisrael loved Yoseyf, from all his sons, for he was to him the son of his old age; and (he) made for him a billowing tunic. And his brothers saw that it was him whom their father loved from all his sons, and they hated him, and they were not able to speak to him peaceably. Yoseyf dreams a dream, and tells it to his brothers; and they added more to their hatred of him. (37:6-7) He conveys to them, 'Listen now, this dream which I dreamed. and here, we sheafed sheaves within the field, and here, my sheaf arose, and it also was stationed. And here, your sheaves came around and bowed down to my sheaf.' (37:8) They convey, his brothers, to him, 'Reign, you will reign over us?! If domineer will dominate in-us?!' They gather more hatred of him, upon his dreams, and upon his words. (37:9) Dreams more, another dream, recounts him(it) to his brothers, conveys, 'Here! I dreamed another dream, and here! the sun and the moon and eleven stars are bowing to me!' (37:10) Gathers to his father and to his brothers; his father scolds in him, conveys to him, 'What is this dream which you-dreamed? Come, will I and your mother come, and your brothers, to bow down to you to the ground?!' (37:11) His brothers, they were jealous of him; and his father kept the word in mind. (37:12) His brothers, they went to shepherd the flock of their father in Shechem. (37:13-14) Yisrael conveys to Yoseyf, 'Are not your brothers sheperding in Shechem? Go and I will send you to them.' Conveys to him, 'Here I am!' Conveys to him, 'Go now, see to the peace of your brothers and to the peace of the flock, and return to me a word.' (37:15-17) A man finds him, and here! stumbling in the field. The man asks him, to convey, 'What is it (you) seek?' Conveys, 'I am seeking my brothers. Tell me now, where are they shepherding?' The man conveys, 'They set out from there, for I heard it conveyed they are going toward Dothan.' Yoseyf goes after his brothers, finding them in Dothan. (37:18-20) They see him from afar, and before coming towards them, they conclude among themselves to cause his death. They convey, (each) man to his brother, 'Here! Master of these dreams is coming! And now, let's go and kill him, and send him in one of the pits, and we will convey 'a bad animal consumed him,' and we'll see what will be of his dreams!' (37:21-22) Reuveyn hears, shelters him from their hands, conveys, 'We won't cut the soul.' Reuveyn conveys to them, 'Don't spill blood! Fling him to this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not send a hand in him!' in order to shelter him from their hand, to return him to his father. (37:23-25) And it was as which Yoseyf came to his brothers, they stripped Yoseyf of his tunic, the billowing tunic which (was) upon him. They took and they flung him toward the pit, and the pit was empty, there wasn't water in it. They return to eat bread, they lift their eyes, they see and here! a caravan (length) of Yish'm'eylites came from Gil'ad. And their camels, carriers of gum, resin and lot (labdanum resin), going to descend towards Egypt. (37:26-28) Yehudah conveys to his brothers, what profit (is there) in killing our brother and covering up his blood? Let us go and sell him to the Yish'm'eyliym, and our hand won't be in him, for he is our brother, our flesh.' His brothers listen to him. Midianite tradesmen pass by, they draw and elevate Yoseyf from the pit; they sell Yoseyf to the Yish'm'eyliym for twenty silver (pieces), and they bring Yoseyf towards Egypt. (37:29-30) Reuveyn returns to the pit and here! Yoseyf isn't in the pit! Rips his clothing. Returns to his brothers and conveys, 'The child is no longer! and I, where (do) I come? (37:31-35) They take the tunic of Yoseyf, they slaughter a he-goat, they dip the tunic in blood. They send the billowing tunic, they bring (it) to their father. They convey, 'We found this. Recognize now, (is it) the tunic of your son or no?' Recognizes and conveys, 'My son's tunic! A bad creature consumed him! Torn! Torn is Yoseyf!' Ya'ahqov tears his clothing, places sackcloth on his loins, mourning upon his son a multitude of days. They arise, all his sons and all his daughters, to comfort him, (but he is) unable to be comforted. Conveys, 'For I will descend to my son, mourning towards She'ol.' He weeps for him. (37:36) And the Midyaniym sold him to Egypt, to Potifar, officer of Pharaoh, supervisor of the butchers. Chapter 38 In the last chapter, when Yoseyf's brothers conspired to kill him out of jealousy and hatred, only Reuveyn and Yehudah had enough conscience to suggest something other than murder. Reuveyn tells them to throw him into a pit, so that he could come back and rescue him later; Yehudah, once they had thrown him into the pit, tells them to sell him to Ishmaelite merchants rather than leave him in the pit to die. In this chapter, Yehudah seems to stumble away from the murderous scene, into an almost random marital liaison. Much later, we find out that his progeny is none other than David, whom God chooses as the second king if the Israelites. (38:1-5) It is in that time, Yehudah descends from his brothers, turns up to a man, and his name is חִירָה Chirah (root: חר, kindle [anger]). Yehudah sees there a daughter of a Canaanite man whose name is שׁוּעַ Shuah ('gaze upon'); takes her, comes to her. Conceives, births a son; calls his name עֵר Er ('exposed,' 'naked'). Conceives more, births a son, calls his name אוֹנָן Onan (root: אוֹנ, sexual potency). Gathers more, births a son, calls his name שֵׁלָה Sheylah ('of-her'). And he was in a falsehood when she bore him. (38:6-10) Yehudah takes a wife to Er his firstborn, and her name is תָּמָר Tamar ('she will embitter' or 'date-tree'). It comes to pass, Er, Yehudah's firstborn, (was) bad in YHVH's eyes; YHVH caused his death. Yehudah conveys to Onan, 'Come to the wife of your brother, enter into her and raise up seed to your brother.' Onan knows that the seed won't be his; and it was when he came to the wife of his brother he spoiled it on the ground, so as not to give seed to his brother. It was bad in the eyes of YHVH, that which he did; death happened to him also. (38:11) Yehudah conveys to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, 'Return in widowhood to the house of your father, until Shelah my son will grow.' For he thinks, 'lest he also will die like his brothers.' Tamar goes, returns to the house of her father. (38:12) After many days the daughter of Shuah, wife of Yehudah, dies. Yehudah is comforted, he goes up to shear his flock with חִירָה Chirah his shepherd, the Ahdulamite, toward Timnah. (38:13-14) It is told to Tamar to convey, 'Here! your father-in-law went up toward Timna to shear his flock!' Removes the garments of ther widowhood from upon her, covers in a veil and wraps herself; sits in the entrance of Wells which is on the way toward Timnah, for she saw that Shelah had grown (but) she wasn't given to him to wife. (38:15-19) Yehudah sees her, knows her to be a prostitute, for her face was covered. Turns to her, to the direction and conveys, 'Come now, I will come to you.' For (he) did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. Conveys, 'What will you give to me to come to me?' Conveys, 'I, I will send a kid of the goats from the flock.' She conveys, 'If you give a guarantee until you send.' Conveys, 'What is the guarantee which I will give you?' Conveys, 'Your signet and your chord and your staff which is in your hand.' Gives to her, comes to her, conceives to him. Arises, goes, removes her veil from upon her; clothes in the garments of her widowhood. (38:20-21) Yehudah sends the kid of the goats in the hand of his shepherd the Adulamite, to take the signet from the hand of the woman; and (he) did not find her. Asks the people of her place to convey, 'Where is הַקְּדֵשָׁה ('the sanctified one')? She (was) in Wells upon the way.' They convey, 'There was no sanctified one in this (place).' (38:22) Returns to Yehudah, conveys, 'I did not find her; and also the people of the place they conveyed, 'There was no sanctified one in this (place).' (38:23) Yehudah conveys, 'Let her take, lest we be despoiled. Here, I sent this goat and you did not find her.' (38:24) It is that three months, it is told to Yehudah to convey, 'She whored, Tamar, your daughter-in-law, and also, here she is pregnant to her whorings.' Yehuda conveys, 'Bring her forth, incinerate her.' (38:25) She was found, and she sent to her father-in-law to convey, 'To the man which these are to him, I am pregnant.' Conveys, 'Investigate now, to whom are these, the signet, the cords, and the staff?' (38:26) Yehudah investigates, conveys, 'She is upright from me, for therefore, I did not give her to Sheylah, my son.' And did not gather more, to know her. (38:27) It is, in time to give birth, and here, twins in her belly. (38:28) It is in her giving birth, gives hand; the midwife takes, binds upon his hand a scarlet(thread) to convey, 'This will come forth first.' (38:29) It is, as returning of his hand, and here will come forth his brother, conveys, 'What breaching upon you, breacher;' calls his name Peretz/'Breacher.' (38:30) And after will come forth his brother, which is upon his hand the scarlet(thread); calls his name Zerach/'Rise-and-Shine.' Chapter 39 The Torah returns now to Yoseyf. (39:1) And Yoseyf descends towards Egypt; he is acquired (by) Potifar, officer of pharaoh, supervisor of the butchers, an Egyptian man, from the hand of the Yishmaeliym, which brought him down there. (39:2) It is (that) YHVH is with Yoseyf, is a successful man; it is in the house of his master the Egyptian. (39:3) His master sees, that YHVH is with him. And all which he did, YHVH made successful in his hand. (39:4) Yoseyf finds grace in his eyes, of him; counts him upon his house, and all that is to him, gave in his hand. (39:5) It is since then, including him in his house, and upon all who are there is to him, YHVH blesses this house of the Egyptian, in rolling-with Yoseyf; It is a blessing-of YHVH in all which there is to him, in house and in field. (39:6) (He) leaves all which is to him, in the hand of Yoseyf, and with him he knew not anything, except for the bread which he ate. (39:7) It is, after these things, the wife of his master lifts her eyes to Yoseyf, conveys, 'Lie with me!' (39:8) Refuses, conveys to the wife of his master, 'Here, my master, with me, does not know what is in the house, and all that is his, he has given into my hand.' (39:9) 'There is nothing greater in this house than me. And nothing obscured from me, except for you, because you are his wife. And how (could) I do this great bad and I sin against God?' (39:10) It is, as she spoke to Yoseyf day (by) day, and (he) did not listen to her to lie next to her, to be with her. (39:11-14) It is, as this day he comes to the home to do his chores, and there is no man from the people (of) the house, there in the house. She catches him in his garment to convey, 'Lie with me!' He leaves his garment in her hand, escapes, goes forth outside. It is, that she saw, that he left his garment in her hand, escapes outside, she calls to the people of her house, conveys to them to convey, 'You saw, a Hebrew man was brought to us, to play with us, 'come to me to lie with me!' And I called in a large voice!' (39:15-16) 'It is, as he heard that I raised my voice and I called, he left his garment next to me, escapes, goes forth outside.' (She) rests his garment next to her, until his master came to his house. (39:17-18) She speaks to him as these things to convey, 'The Hebrew worker came to me, who was brought to us to play with me. It is, as I raised my voice and I called out, he left his garment next to me, escapes outside.' (39:19) It is, as his master heard the things of his wife, which she spoke to him to convey, as these things, 'Your worker did to me,' his nose burned/flared. (39:20) The master of Yoseyf takes him, gives him to the house of the jailer, a place where the king emprisons prisoners. It is there, in the house of the jailer. (39:21-22) It is, YHVH (was with) Yoseyf, extends to him loving-kindness; gives His grace in the eyes of the supervisor of the house of the jailer. The supervisor of the house of the jailer gives the prisoners in the hand of Yoseyf. And all which they did there, it was he who did it. (39:23) The supervisor of the prison house looked at nothing in (Yoseyf's) hand, because YHVH is with him; and that which he did, YHVH made successful. Chapter 40 (40:1) It is after these things, he sinned, the drink-steward of the king of Egypt, and the baker, (to) their master, to the king of Egypt. (40:2) Pharaoh was exasperated, upon his two officers, upon the supervisor of the drink-stewards and upon the supervisor of the bakers. (40:3) Gives them in guardianship of the house of the supervisor of the butchers, to the house of the jailer; the place (in) which Yoseyf is imprisoned there. (40:4) The supervisor of the butchers includes Yoseyf with them, supervising them. They were days of guarding. (40:5) Dreamed a dream, the two of them, each man, they dreamt in one night; a man, as the interpretation of his dream; the drink-steward and the baker, who are prisoners to the king of Egypt, in the house of the prison. (40:6) Yoseyf comes to them in the evening; sees them, and behold! they were agitated! (40:7) He inquired of the officers of Pharaoh, who were with him in guardianship, in the house of his master, to convey, 'Why (are) your faces bad today?' (40:8) They conveyed to him, 'A dream, we dreamed, and there was no interpretation to it!' And Yoseyf conveyed to them, 'Is it not to God interpretations? Recount now to me.' (40:9-11) The supervisor of the drink-stewards recounted his dream to Yoseyf, and conveyed to him, 'In my dream, and here, a vineyard (was) before me. And in the vineyard three tendrils, and as it was budding, its blossoms went forth, and the clusters brought forth ripe grapes. And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand and I took the ripe grapes and I squeezed them to the cup of Pharaoh, and I gave the cup upon the palm of Pharaoh.' (40:12-13) Yoseyf conveyed to him, 'This is its interpretation: the three tendrils -- they (are) three days. In three more days Pharaoh will lift your head, and return upon you your title, and you will give Pharaoh's cup in his hand, as the original decree, when you were his drink-steward.' (40:14-15) 'For if you have with you a memory of me, as which the goodness to you, and you do now with me loving-kindness, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and I will be brought forth from this house. For stolen, I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and also here I did not do anything, for they put me in a pit.' (40:16-17) The supervisor of the bakers sees that the interpretation was good, and conveys to Yoseyf, 'Well! I, in my dreaming, and here! three baskets of toast upon my head. And in the basket that was upon me, from all foods of Pharaoh, makings of a baker, and the fowl ate them from the basket, from upon my head.' (40:18-19) Yoseyf answers, conveys, 'This is its interpretation: the three baskets, they are three days. In three more days Pharaoh will lift your head from upon you, and hang you upon a tree, and the fowl (will) consume your flesh from upon you.' (40:20) It is in the third day, the birthday of Pharaoh, made a drink-feast to all his workers; lifted the head of the supervisor of the drink-stewards, and the head of the supervisor of the bakers among his workers. Returned the supervisor of the drink-stewards upon his stewardship; he gave the cup upon the palm of Pharaoh. And the supervisor of the bakers he hanged, as Yoseyf interpreted to them. And the supervisor of the drink-stewards did not remember Yoseyf, forgot him.

Chapter 28 After going forth from Be'er Sheva, Ya'ahqov set out towards Charan in southern Turkey, a distance of 570 miles. On the way, in a place called Luz (Beitin in present day West Bank), Ya'ahqov sets a stone under his head to sleep, and then dreams: Here! a ladder is stationed earthward, and its head is touching heavenward, and here! messengers of God are ascending and descending in it. And here! YHVH is stationed above him, and He conveys, 'I am YHVH, God of Avraham your father, and God of Yitzchaq. The land upon which you are lying I will give to you and to your seed. And your seed will be like dust of the land, and will spread out towards the sea, and towards the east, and towards the north and towards the south. And in you and in your seed will all families of the land be blessed. And here, I am with you, and will protect you wherever you go, and will return you to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done that which I spoke of to you.' When Ya'ahqov finished his sleep he conveyed, 'Surely YHVH is in this place, and I, I did not know.' And he was in awe, and conveyed, 'How awesome this place is. This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!' He then took the stone that he had put under his head, set it up as a pillar, and anointed it with oil. He called the place בֵּית-אֵל , house of God. Ya'ahqov then vowed a vow to convey, 'If God will stand with me, and protect me in this way which I go, and give to me bread to eat, and garment to clothe, and I return in peace to the house of my father. And YHVH will be to me my God. And this stone which I placed as pillar will be the house of God, and all which will be given to me, I will tithe to You.' Chapter 29 This chapter portrays the culture of the Middle East at the time of the Patriarchs. Ya'ahqov is forty years old, or at least he was when he fled his home, beloved of his strong and God-based mother. He now enters the world of his distant brethren, also strong and God-based. This interchange gives us the complex picture of the household of Ya'ahqov, our forefather, who will eventually be called by YHVH, Israel, 'struggle with God'. וַיִּשָּׂא יַעֲקֹב, רַגְלָיו; וַיֵּלֶךְ, אַרְצָה בְנֵי-קֶדֶם (29:1) and-lifted Ya'ahqov his-feet, and-went toward-land sons-of (the)East. In this chapter, after walking 570 miles, Ya'ahqov arrives at a well. Here he encounters the local men, and the local culture. He sees a well in the field with three arrays of flocks crouching next to the well. In order to keep the well water to themselves, the locals kept a large stone rolled over it. Then, when all the arrays of flocks gather, they roll the large stone from the mouth and water the flocks, then roll the stone back on the mouth of the well. (29:4-35) Ya'ahqov conveys to them, 'My brethren, from where are you?' They convey, 'We are from Charan.' He conveys to them, 'Do you know Lavan, son of Nachor?' They convey, 'We know.' He conveys to them, '' הֲשָׁלוֹם לוֹ , To him is peace?' They convey, 'Peace. And here, Rachel his daughter comes with the flock.' He conveys, 'Here, there is a lot more to the day, it is not time to gather the livestock. Water the flock and go shepherd!' They convey, 'It is not possible until all the array are gathered, and they roll the stone from upon the mouth of the well, and we water the flock.' While he was still speaking to them Rachel came with the flock which was her father's, for she was a shepherdess. And it was as which Ya'ahqov saw Rachel daughter of Lavan brother of his mother, and flock of Lavan brother of his mother, Ya'ahqov approaches and rolls the stone from upon the mouth of the well, and waters the flock of Lavan brother of his mother. Ya'ahqov kisses Rachel, lifts his voice and weeps. Ya'ahqov tells to Rachel that he is the brethren of her father, and he is the son of Rivqah. She runs and tells this to her father. And it is as Lavan listens and hears, Ya'ahqov son of his sister, runs to call to him, embraces him and kisses him, and brings him to his home. He recounts to Lavan all these things. Lavan conveys to him, 'Surely you are my bone and my flesh!' And he settled with him a month of days. Lavan conveys to Ya'ahqov, 'Just because you are my brethren should you work for me for free? Tell me what are your wages? And to Lavan there were two daughters. The name of the large was Leah and the name of the small was Rachel. And the eyes of Leah were weak; and Rachel was pretty of form and pretty to look at. And Ya'ahqov loves Rachel, and conveys, 'I will work for you seven years (for) Rachel your little daughter.' Lavan conveys, 'It is good I give her to you, (rather) than I give her to another man. Settle, stay with me.' Ya'ahqov works (for) Rachel seven years. They were in his eyes like a few days. Ya'ahqov conveys to Lavan, 'Let me come to my wife, for my days are fulfilled.' Lavan gathers all the people of the place and makes a drinking feast. It is in the evening (that) he takes Leah his daughter and brings her to him. And he comes to her. Lavan gives to her Zilpa his slave-woman, to Leah his daughter, a slave-woman. And it is, at dawn, and here! she is Leah! He conveys to Lavan, 'What is this you did to me? Was it not for Rachel I worked with you? And why did you cheat me?' Lavan conveys, 'Such is not done in our place, to give the insignificant before the firstborn. Fulfill the week for this (one), and we will give to you also this, on account of the work which you will serve me more another seven years.' Ya'ahqov does thus, fulfills seven (for) this. Gives to him Rachel his daughter to him to wife. Lavan gives to Rachel his daughter Bil'hah his slave-woman, to her to a slave-woman. He comes also to Rachel, he loves Rachel (more than) Leah. And worked with him more another seven years. And YHVH sees that Leah is hated, opens her womb; and Rachel was barren. Leah conceives, births a son, calls his name רְאוּבֵן R'uveyn (He saw a son), for she conveys, 'For YHVH saw in my affliction, for now my husband will love me'. Conceives more, births a son, conveys, 'For YHVH listened, for I am hated, and gives to me also this'. Calls his name שִׁמְעוֹן Shim'ohn (Hearing) Conceives more, births a son, conveys, 'Now is the time will bind my husband to me, for I birthed to him three sons'; therefore called his name לֵוִי Levi (my bond). Conceives more, births a son, conveys, 'This time I am thankful to YHVH', therefore called his name יְהוּדָה Yehudah (will be thankful). (She) stands from giving birth. Chapter 30 This chapter should be titled 'The Struggles of Ya'ahqov'. And Ya'ahqov, ('Follow-on-the-Heels-Of') should be renamed יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel, 'He Who Struggles.' Which is exactly what he is renamed, in the next parasha. (30:1-21) Right after the previous waves of births, Rachel sees that she is not bearing; she envies Leah, and conveys to Ya'ahqov, 'Give me children, or else I die!!' To which Ya'ahqov responds, 'Am I instead of God, who has withheld from you fruit of the womb!?? To which Rachel responds by giving Ya'ahqov her maid/slave-woman Bilhah as a wife, in order to build herself up with those children. Ya'ahqov does his duty, Bilhah births, and Rachel names: דָּן Dan ('Judge') and נַפְתָּלִי Nafthali ('Twisted' or 'Intertwined'). Leah prompltly sees that she's stopped bearing. So she give her slave-woman Zilpah to Ya'ahqov as a wife. Ya'ahqov does his duty, Zilpah births, and Leah names: גָּד Gad ('Tell' or 'Fortune') and אָשֵׁר Asher ('Happy'). After this, Leah's son R'uveyn brings some דוּדָאִים , mandrake roots, home to his mother. Mandrake roots look like little homunculi, or man-beings, with leg-like split roots, and a bushy head-like top. They were thought to be a source of fertility. Because of this, Rachel asks Leah for her son's mandrakes in order to conceive through the root's perceived magic. Leah shames Rachel, saying, 'Is it a small matter, taking my husband, and taking now my son's mandrakes?' Rachel bargains and says, 'Therefore he will lie with you tonight, in exchange for your son's mandrakes.' Leah confronts Ya'ahqov when he comes in from the field that evening saying, 'You must come in to me, for hired, I hired you with my son's mandrakes'. Ya'ahqov lays with Leah that night and God listens to her. She conceives and births a fifth son to Ya'ahqov. She names him יִשָּׂשכָר ('There is a Wage'), for 'God gave me my wage, because I gave my slave-woman to my husband'. Leah conceives again and bears a sixth son to Ya'ahqov. She conveys, 'God endowed me a good endowment (dowry); this time my husband יִזְבְּלֵנִי , will-put-me-on-a-pedestal, because I bore him six sons'. And she calls his name זְבֻלוּן Zevulun ('The-One-On-a-Pedestal'). And afterwards she births a daughter, and calls her name דִּינָה , Dinah ('Judge'). (30:22-24) And God remembers Rachel, and God listens to her, and opens her womb. And she conceives and births a son, and says, 'God gathered my blame'. And she calls his name יוֹסֵף , Yoseyf ('Will-be-Gathered') to convey, 'YHVH will gather to me another son'. The rest of this chapter reveals the separation of Ya'ahqov from his father-in-law Lavan, the consolidation of his family as the new patriarch, and their escape to Canaan. We will see how a real patriarchal society operates, where the Patriarch, in this case Lavan, has real power, even over life and death. (30:25-) It is when Rachel births Yoseyf, Ya'ahqov conveys to Lavan, 'Send me away, and I will go to my place, and to my land. Give my wives, and my progeny for whom I have served you, and I will go. For you know my service for which I served you'. Lavan conveys to him, 'If now I have found grace in your eyes, I have divined (literally 'snaked') that YHVH blesses me by revolving around you. Pinpoint your wages upon me, and I will give them'. Lavan is open about Ya'ahqov's value to him, and to YHVH. But Ya'ahqov wants out. Instead of wages, which we find later that Lavan changes on a whim, Ya'ahqov asks for more complex wages in the form of speckled and spotted goats, and dark sheep. Lavan agrees, but the very next day he removes all the speckled and spotted goats and dark sheep, gives them to his sons, and sends them far away on a three day journey. Ya'ahqov then goes back to tending Lavan's flocks, but then cleverly manipulates their progeny with poplar rods and expert animal husbandry. As a result: (30:43) The man spread forth very very much; and he had a very large flock, and female-slaves and men-servants, and camels and he-donkeys. Chapter 31 (31:1-2) He hears the words of Lavan's sons, conveying, 'Ya'ahqov took all that was our father's, and of that which was our father's he got all this wealth.' Ya'ahqov sees Lavan's face, and here, it is not toward him like yesterday. (31:3) YHVH conveys to Ya'ahqov, 'Return to the land of your fathers, and to your kindred. And I will be with you.' While in the field with his flock, Ya'ahqov sends for Rachel and Leah. He conveys how their father's face is not toward him like yesterday. He relates how powerfully he served their father, but 'Your father mocked me ('made a mound of me'), changed my wages ten times, but God did not give him leave to do bad to me.' Ya'ahqov then relates to them how a mesenger of God came to him in a dream, to show him how to husband the flock for his own gain. 'For I saw all that Lavan did to you.' God goes on to say, 'I am the God of Beyth-el, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to Me. Now arise, go forth from this land, and return to the land of your birth.' Rachel and Leah become indignant: 'Is there moreover any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? Are we not thought of as strangers to him, for he has sold us, and also consumed our silver? For all the riches which God rescued from our father, is ours and our children's. And now, all that God conveyed to you, do.' With Rachel and Leah in agreement, Ya'ahqov lifts his sons and his wives upon the camels and drives all his possessions, to come to Yitzchaq his father in the land of Canaan. Luckily for Ya'ahqov, Lavan was away shearing his flock. Unluckily for Rachel, she stole her father's teraphim (idols). (31:21) So he fled with all that he had, passed over the River (Euphrates), and set off towards the mountain of Gilead (Mt Gilboa in northern Israel), a distance of 456 miles. After three days, Lavan was told that Yah'ahqov had fled; so he took his brethren with him and pursued after him, a seven day's journey, and latched onto him at the mountain of Gilead. And God conveys to Lavan the Aramean in a dream of the night, 'Guard yourself lest you will speak with Ya'ahqov, from good to bad.' As we will see, Lavan can be a dangerous patriarch, making up things as he goes along in order to maintain his power and save face. Now we know why God conveyed what He did to Lavan. Lavan overtakes Ya'ahqov and confronts him: 'What have you done, stealing my heart, and driving my daughters like captives of the sword? Why did you flee secretly, to steal what is mine? And why did you not tell to me, and I would have sent you with joy and song, with timbrel and harp? and didn't give me leave to kiss my sons and my daughters? now you've done foolishly! It is in my hand to do bad with you all. But the God of your father spoke last night with me to convey, "Guard to yourself what you speak with Ya'ahqov, from good to bad."' And now that you have gone, for you long for the house of your father, why did you steal my gods? Ya'ahqov admits that he fled because he was afraid that Lavan would take his daughters from him by force. But he has no idea that Rachel took her father's gods, and tragically seals her fate when he says that whoever has Lavan's gods will not live. Lavan rummages throughout the entire camp looking for his gods without finding them. When he arrives at Rachel's tent she pretends to be unable to get up off the saddle she's sitting on, where she has hidden the gods, because 'the way of women is to me.' When Lavan does not find his gods, Ya'ahqov lets out his pent-up frustration, ultimately saying that if it were not for the God of his father Avraham, Lavan would have sent him away empty. (31:42) 'For God saw my affliction and the labor of my hand, last night being the proof.' Lavan ultimately loves his daughters, but saves face nonetheless, 'The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. (But) to my daughters, what can I do to them today, or to their children whom they have birthed?' He cuts a covenant with Ya'ahqov. They heap up stones as a witness between the two of them. He tells Ya'ahqov, 'Let YHVH watch between me and between you, for when we are hidden a man from his fellow; if you will afflict my daughters, and if you take wives over my daughters, no man being with us, see, God is witness between me and between you. And you will not pass over this heap, and I will not pass over this heap, for bad. The God of Avraham and the God of Nachor, the God of their father, judge between us.' Chapter 32 (32:1-3) Lavan arises in the morning, kisses his sons and his daughters, blesses them, and returns to his place. And Ya'ahqov goes his way. Messengers of God strike him (bodily). Ya'ahqov conveys when he sees them, 'This is a camp of God.' He calls the name of the place 'Camps.' שָׁלוֹם Shalom (Peace!) and להתראות L' hithraoth (see you again!) Mona Balogh

Chapter 25 We now hear about the generations, תּוֹלְדֹת , of Abraham's son Yitzchaq. We're told that Yitzchaq is forty years old when he marries Rivqah. But Rivqah is barren, so Yitzchaq entreats YHVH to give strength to Rivqah. YHVH allows Himself to be entreated, and Rivqah conceives. During her pregnancy the children רֹצָצ , crash around, inside her. Any woman who has carried an active baby knows they can literally bruise you from the inside. So Rivqah says, "if so, why am I like this!!?' and she inquires of YHVH, Who conveys to her: שְׁנֵי גֹיִים בְּבִטְנֵךְ, וּשְׁנֵי לְאֻמִּים, מִמֵּעַיִךְ יִפָּרֵדוּ; וּלְאֹם מִלְאֹם יֶאֱמָץ, וְרַב יַעֲבֹד ya'ahvod v-rav ye'ematz mil'om u-l'om yipareydu mi-mey'ahyich l'umiym u-sh'ney b-vit'neych goyiym sh'ney צָעִיר tza'iyhr The literal translation is a description of two people in combat with one another, as siblings frequently are: 25:23 'Two bodies (are) in-your-belly, and-two peoples, from-being-crushed they-will-separate; and-person from-person, will-antagonize, and-the-greater will-work(for) (the)lesser.' Through YHVH, Rivqah now knows the future of the boys' relationship. We find out soon enough that the two continue their antagonism outside the womb. She gives birth to Eysav עֵשָׂו first, whose name means 'they-made,' and then to Ya'ahqov יַעֲקֹב , whose name means 'will-follow-on-the-heel-of,' as he came out grasping Eysav's heel. Eysav is a man who knows the hunt, a man of the field, like our hunter-ancestors. Yitzchaq loves Eysav, because he loves the taste of the hunt. The brother Ya'ahqov, on the other hand, is תָּם , complete, or mature, who dwells in tents. Rivqah loves Ya'ahqov. In the next scene we see that Ya'ahqov has made a stew, most likely in his mom's tent. Meanwhile, Eysav comes in exhausted from the hunt. He asks his brother for some of the red stuff, הָאָדֹם . As a result, they call Eysav אֱדוֹם , Edom, red. In exchange, Ya'ahqov asks Eysav to trade his birthright. It is obvious that his mom told Ya'ahqov about God's prophecy, that 'the greater will work for the lesser'. Eysav responds, 'Here, I'm going to die, and what is this to me, (the)birthright?' Ya'ahqov asks Eysav to swear to him, and that day Eysav trades his birthright to Ya'ahqov. In the last verse we read that 'Eysav despoiled his birthright.' It is important to know just how powerful the birthright was in those days, and in some cultures today, where the firstborn son is dominant. In the animal world, the firstborn is often the strongest, and winds up as the alpha (as opposed to the 'runt'). For humans, the firstborn males are referred to in the Torah as 'the first vigor' of the father. This first vigor is nothing less than the concentration of a man's power: physical, monetary, property, and human, including lesser children, wife/wives and servants. This largesse was matched by the responsibility that went with it. For some like Eysav, to be responsible for so much must have been daunting. Or maybe even unimaginable. So Eysav's response, thoughtless as it seems, may have been based on the sheer terror of inheriting the responsibility for his dad's estate. Chapter 26 The original Oral Law: YHVH speaks, and humans listen. Yitzchaq, along with his family and possessions, now finds himself in the midst of a famine, just like the famine that his father Avraham endured a generation ago. He goes to the same Avimelech that his father encountered, in the land of the Philistines, in Gerar (near Be'ersheva in south-central Israel). In these verses, YHVH speaks directly to Yitzchaq, and Yitzchaq listens. (26:2-6) And YHVH appeared to him and conveyed, 'Do not descend towards Egypt. Dwell in the land which I convey to you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and I will bless you. For to you and to your seed I give all these lands, and I establish the oath which I swore to Avraham your father. And I will multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens, and will give to your seed all of these lands. and by means of your seed will all the nations of the land be blessed. Because Avraham listened to My voice, and guarded My charge, My commandments, My assignments, and My Torah'. And Yitzchaq dwelt in Gerar. So, even without the words of the Torah being written down yet, humans are able to listen to YHVH's voice. I would say that this our conscience that every one of us has. As with his father before him, Yitzchaq is fearful of the local people, the Philistines. So as with Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchaq says Rivqah is his sister, 'lest the men of the place should kill me for Rivqah, because she is fair to look upon'. Yitzchaq's fear is right on: (26: 10-11) And Avimelech conveyed, 'What is this you did to us? It would be a trifle for one of the people to lay with your wife, and you would bring shame upon us'. And Avimelech commanded all the people, to convey, 'Anyone touching in this man and in his wife, die, will die.' Avimelech scolds Yitzchaq for withholding information from them, but admits that his people laying with Rivqah is just a trifle, and if she actually were someone's wife it would bring them shame (although not necessarily guilt). Then Avimelech has to threaten the people with death to avert shame. YHVH keeps His promise: (26: 12-14) And Yitzchaq sowed in this land, and found in this year one hundred measures, and YHVH blessed him. And the man increased, and went on to increase, until he became very great. And he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and a great many servants; And the Philistines were jealous of him. In a series of events which parallels the events of Avraham in chapters 20 and 21, Yitzchaq attemps to coexist with the Phillistines, but with great difficulty: (26: 15-16) And all of the wells which the servants of his father dug, in the days of Avraham his father, the Philistines plugged up and filled with dust. And Avimelech conveyed to Yitzchaq, 'Go from our people, for you are much sturdier than us'. (26:24) And YHVH appeared to him, in that night, and conveyed, 'I am the God of Avraham your father. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. And I bless you and multiply you, your seed, because of Avraham your father.' Yitzchaq built an altar there and called in the Name of YHVH. Avimelech then shows up with his friend Achuzath ('get-a-grip') and the captain of his army, Phichol ('whole-mouth'). As with Avraham, Avimelech acknowledges Yitzchaq's God YHVH, and how Yitzchaq is blessed by YHVH. But Avimelech is afraid of YHVH, and he cuts a covenant, asking Yitzchaq to promise to not harm him or his progeny. Yitzchaq swears an oath. Shortly thereafter Yitzchaq's workers tell him they dug a well, and they found water! Yitzchaq then calls the name of the well שִׁבְעָה , 'oath,' therefore the name of the town is בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע , Be'er-sheva, 'well-of-oath,' to this day. The chapter ends with Eysav, at age forty, taking two Hittite women as wives. But they were a source of 'bitter spirit' to Yitzchaq and to Rivqah. Chapter 27 In this chapter, when Yitzchaq is old and blind, he is ready to pass his blessing on to his oldest son. But Rivqah, as well as Ya'ahqov, know that YHVH had said that 'the older shall serve the younger.' I believe that here is another example of the Oral Law, humans listening directly to the voice of YHVH, and carrying out His will. Yitzchaq calls Eysav to him and tells him to take his quiver and bow and hunt, then make him some savory food that he loves, 'so that my soul will bless you before I die.' Rivqah hears this, and tells all to Ya'ahqov. She then tells Ya'ahqov to listen to her voice, and do that which she commands him: (27:9-10) 'Go now to the flock, and take to me from them two good kids of the goats, and I will make them savory food for your father, such as he loves, and you bring to your father, that he may eat, so that he will bless you before his death.' But Ya'ahqov sees a problem: (27:11-12) 'Here, Eysav my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I will be like a mocker in his eyes. And I will bring upon me a curse and not a blessing.' Rivqah then turns the curse onto herself: (27:13) And his mother conveyed to him, 'Upon me is your curse my son. But listen in my voice, and go, fetch to me.' Ya'ahqov went and fetched, and brought them to his mother, who made the savory food that his father loved. Rivqah then took garments from Eysav her elder son, which were with her in the home, and put them on Ya'ahqov her younger son. And she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands and on the smooth of his neck. And she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Ya'ahqov. Ya'ahqov then went to his father, who inquired who he was. Ya'ahqov answered that he was Eysav, his first-born, and he had done what he asked of him. But Yitzchaq is just a tad surprised that he has found the food so quickly: (27:20) And Yitzchaq said to his son, 'What is this that you have found so quickly my son?' And he answered, 'Because YHVH your God happened before me.' (27:21) And Yitzchaq conveyed to Ya'ahqov, 'Approach now, and I will feel you my son, are you my son Eysav or not?' (27:22) And Ya'ahqov approached to Yitzchaq his father, and he felt him. and conveyed, 'The voice is the voice of Ya'ahqov, and the the hands are the hands of Eysav.' (27:23) And he did not discern him, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Eysav's hands, and he blessed him. (27:24) And conveyed, 'You are my son Eysav?' And conveyed, 'I am.' Yitzchaq proceeded to eat, and drink wine. He then blessed his son Ya'ahqov. (27:29) 'Let peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. Be mighty to your brethren, and let the sons of your mother bow down to you. Cursed be those that curse you, and blessed be those that bless you.' In Genesis 12:3 YHVH tells Avraham that He blesses those that bless him, but אָאֹר , 'I shine a light on' those that curse Avraham. Almost immediately after Ya'ahqov gets up to leave, Eysav now enters Yitzchaq's tent with the game he hunted, and asks his father for his blessing. But alas, Yitzchaq is confused. He trembles. But then he realizes that his son Ya'ahqov deceived him. Eysav than asks his father is he only has one blessing. Perhaps in those days, and in that culture, only one son could be blessed. It sounds ridiculous to us, but that is probably why Rivqah, in order to do God's will, had so much strategizing to do. Yitzchaq does bless Eysav anyway, but comforts him by letting him know after time passes he can remove his brother's yoke off his neck. As a result, Eysav vows in his heart to kill Ya'ahqov once the days of his father's mourning are over. Rivqah, vigilant as always, hears what Eysav is plotting and tells this all to Ya'ahqov. She then tells him to flee to her brother, Laban, until his brother's fury passes. The chapter ends with Rivqah complaining to Yitzchaq about the Hittite women that Eysav married. Chapter 28:1-9 Parasha Tholdoth ends with Yitzchaq blessing Ya'ahqov properly, on his way to Uncle Laban. Yitzchaq then tells him not to marry any one of the local Canaanite women, in response to Rivqah's plea. Ya'ahqov listened to both his father and his mother, and went off to Padan-Aram. Meanwhile, Eysav listened to his father, hearing that he did not like the Canaanite women. So he married Mahalat, the daughter of Ishmael, Avraham's son. Two very different sons! שָׁלוֹם Shalom! (Peace!) and להתראות L' hithraoth! (see you again!) Mona Balogh

Chapter 23 Sarah lived 127 years. To recap: Sarah was born in אוּר כַּשְׂדִּים Ur Chasdiym, in Mesopotamia. She married Avraham when she was 65 (he was 75), and they traveled first to Haran and then to Canaan. She conceived Yitzchaq when she was 89 and gave birth to him when she was 90. In biblical times children were weaned between ages 2 and 4. After the family lived in Be'er Sheva in the land of the Philistines 'a great many days,' Avraham was called by הָאֱלֹהִים to sacrifice his son, his 'only son that he loves.' Avraham loaded the wood for the sacrifice onto Yitzchaq. Yitzchaq carried this load up Mount Moriah, suggesting he was a sturdy man. After the near-sacrifice, Avraham and the young men with him returned to Be'er Sheva. We learn later that Yitzchaq was living in Be'er Lahai Roi, in the Negev desert. Sarah died in Hebron. It's implied that after the near-sacrifice, the whole family split up. Obviously, this family did not believe in human sacrifice. Sarah most likely died alone, without either Avraham or Yitzchaq by her side. But when Sarah died, Avraham came right away to mourn her, and to weep for her. He still loved her. Avraham then entered into a Middle Eastern bargaining match with the local Hittites in Hebron, to purchase the cave of Machpelah in Mamre, along with the field and all its trees. It cost him a hefty 400 silver shekels. He buried Sarah there. All the patriarchs and all the matriarchs, except Rachel, are buried there, in Hebron. Chapter 24 Avraham was now old, many days had come to him, and YHVH had blessed him in all things. Avraham now asks his faithful servant to find a wife for Yitzchaq, with YHVH's help. But not from the local Canaanites. Avraham asks him to go back to 'my country, to my kindred,' to Mesopotamia, to where his brother Nachor and sister-in-law Milcah are. However, Avraham also refuses to let Yitzchaq go back to his country. Yitzchaq has a very specific role to play in Avraham's, and YHVH's plan. We know that Avraham is blessed by, and guided by YHVH. It turns out that YHVH's messenger will be guiding the servant's way. The servant takes ten of Avraham's camels, laden with goods, and sets out for Haran, a distance of about 600 miles. When he arrives outside the city walls, he has the camels kneel down by the well, in the evening, when the women come to draw water. And he said, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲדֹנִי אַבְרָהָם, הַקְרֵה-נָא לְפָנַי הַיּוֹם; וַעֲשֵׂה-חֶסֶד, עִם אֲדֹנִי אַבְרָהָם avraham adonay, ihm chesed, va-ahseyh ha-yom lifney na haq'reyh avraham anonay elohey YHVH (24:12) YHVH, God-of my-lord Avraham, cause-to-meet now before the day; and do kindness with my-lord Avraham. (24:14-15) Here-I-am stationed upon the-well of-water, and (the)daughters of (the)people (of)the-city will-come-forth to-draw water. Let-it-be, the-maiden to-whom I-convey, 'Tip now your-jug and-I-will-drink,' and-she-will convey, 'Drink, and also your-camels I-will-water.' Let her be-strengthened to-Your-servant, to-Yitzchaq, and-in-her I-will-know that kindness was-done with my-lord. And before Avraham's servant finishes speaking, Rivqah comes forth with a jug upon her shoulder. Not only does she give Avraham's servant to drink, but she draws enough water from the well to water all ten camels: one thirsty camel can drink 53 gallons in three minutes. While she's doing this, the servant contemplates whether YHVH has made his trip successful or not. He gives her a gold nose ring and two gold bracelets, and asks whose daughter she is. When she says she is the daughter of Bethuel, son of Avraham's brother Nachor, the servant bows to YHVH. He has been successful indeed! And he said, בְּרוּךְ יְהוָה ' Baruch Hashem!' Rivqah runs to her mother's house and tells her these words. Her brother Lavan welcomes the servant and provides for his whole caravan. The servant relates the whole story from beginning to end, and gives many gifts of jewelry and clothing to Rivqah and to the family. Then, he asks Lavan and Bethuel if he can take Rivqah for his master Avraham's son. They agree. But the final say comes from Rivqah herself. They call her and ask if she will go with the servant. אֵלֵךְ eyleych, 'I-will-go.' With that, Rivqah is sent off with her handmaidens and nurse, blessed by her family. By and by, in Be'er L'chai Ro'i in the Negev, Yitzchaq lifts his eyes and sees camels coming. Rivqah lifts her eyes and sees Yitzchaq. She descends from the camel, and puts her veil on. The servant tells to Yitzchaq all the things that he had done. And Yitzchaq brought-her to-the-tent (of)Sarah his-mother, and took Rivqah, and became to-him to-wife, and-loved-her. And Yitzchaq was comforted after his-mother. Chapter 25 Yitzchaq married Rivqah when he was 40. Avraham was 140. Sometime afterwards, (25:1) And-gathered Avraham and took a-woman/wife, and-her-name(was) קְטוּרָה Q'turah. The root of her name is קטר , which means 'burn incense.' She bore to Avraham six sons, one of whom was Midian, an occasional enemy of the Israelites. Moses' father-in-law Yithro was a Midianite priest, who, after the Exodus, exclaimed how great YHVH is. He also counseled Moses on how to delegate leadership of the Israelites, to leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens, probably singlehandedly saving Moses from an early mental breakdown. But Avraham gave all that he had to Yitzchaq, and to the sons of concubines (presumably including Hagar) he gave gifts and sent them 'to the East.' Avraham then died at the ripe old age of 175, full of years, and was gathered to his people. Yitzchaq and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah. And God blessed Yitzchaq, his son. The last verses of this parasha chronicle the twelve sons of Ishmael, paralleling the twelve sons to be born to Ya'aqov the son of Yitzchaq. And then Ishmael died at age 137 and was gathered to his people. שָׁלוֹם Shalom (peace)! and להתראות L'hithra'oth (see you again)!

Chapter 18 Avraham has now been listening to God, and he has physically entered into God's contract by circumcising himself and those males with him. God now appears to Avraham as an 'ish,' man/person, along with two other אֲנָשִׁים 'anashiym,' people: וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו יְהוָה, בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא; וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח-הָאֹהֶל, כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם ha-yom k-chom ha-ohel petach yosheyv v-hu mam'rey b-eyloney YHVH eylayv va-yeyra (18:1) 'and-appeared to-him (did)-YHVH in oaks-of Mamre, and he sat (at)-entrance (of)-the-tent as-hot (was)-the-day.' (18:2) 'and-lifted his-eyes, and-saw, and-here, three people stationed above-him; and-saw and-ran to-call-out-to-them from-entrance (of)-the-tent, and-bowed earth-ward.' Ever the gracious host, Avraham speaks to the men and suggests that they have a little water, wash their feet, and recline under the tree. He then offers them some refreshment: 'a morsel of bread.' The anashiym respond: כֵּן תַּעֲשֶׂה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ dibar'tha ca-asher tha'ahseh keyn (18:5) 'So (you) will-do as-which you-spoke.' Then Avraham hurries to his tent and tells Sarah to quickly make three measures of fine meal, knead and make cakes. He runs to the herd, takes a tender and good calf, gives it to the youngster to quickly prepare it. He takes curd and milk and the prepared calf and sets it before the people, who then eat while Avraham stands by them. They convey to him: (18:9) 'Where-is Sarah your-wife?' And he said, 'Here, in-the-tent.' (18:10) '(YHVH)-conveyed to-him: 'Return, I-will-return to-you as-the-living-time and-here, (a)-son to-Sarah your-wife.' Behind the scenes the story continues: Sarah was listening at the tent opening which was behind Avraham. Now Avraham and Sarah were old, many days had come to them; to Sarah the manner of women had ceased. And Sarah laughed inside herself to convey, 'After I have been without, I should now have pleasure, and my lord is old?' And YHVH conveyed to Avraham, לָמָּה זֶּה צָחֲקָה שָׂרָה לֵאמֹר, הַאַף אֻמְנָם אֵלֵד--וַאֲנִי זָקַנְתִּי zaqan'thiy va-aniy eyleych um'nam ha-af, ley'mor Sarah tzchaqah zeh lamah (18:13-14) 'Why (is)-this (that)-Sarah-laughed to-convey "indeed, הַאַף (it-causes-one's-nostril-to-flare/it is preposterous) (that)-I-will-give-birth, and-I-am-old!" Is anything too-wondrous from-YHVH? At the set-time I-will-return to-you, as-the-living-time. And-to-Sarah (will-be) a-son.' (18:15)Sarah thought-silently to-convey, 'I-did-not-laugh,' for she-was-fearful. And He-conveyed, 'No, for you-laughed.' After this exchange, the three אֲנָשִׁים rose from there and peered-down upon (the)-face-(of) S'dom; and-Avraham walked with-them (to see) to-their-well-being. (18:17-19) And-YHVH conveyed, 'Should-I cover-up from-Avraham (that)-which I did? And-Avraham is-to-become a-great-nation, and sturdy, and in-him all nations (of)-the earth will-be-blessed. For I-know-him, so-that which (he)-will-command his-children and-his-household after-him, and-they-protect the-path (of)-YHVH, to-do righteousness and-justice, so-that YHVH will-bring upon Avraham that which (was)-spoken upon-him.' After these thoughts, (18:20-21) YHVH conveys, 'The clamor of S'dom and Amorah (Gomorrah) is great, and their failing is very serious. I-will-descend now and-I-will-see (that)-they-do all like-their-clamoring that-comes to-Me. And-if-no, I-will-know.' In verse 23 it becomes clear that these words were heard by Avraham. (18:22) The אֲנָשִׁים faced from there and went toward S'dom. And Avraham moreover stood facing YHVH. Avraham now begins his struggle with YHVH, foreshadowing the conduct of his grandson Israel (Ya'aqov), whose name means 'will struggle with God.' Avraham approaches God, and conveys, using the same word הַאַף that Sarah used when she heard YHVH say she'd give birth to a son. הַאַף תִּסְפֶּה, צַדִּיק עִם-רָשָׁע rashah ihm tzadiyq this'peh ha'af (18:23) הַאַף (it causes one's nostril to flare/it is preposterous) (that) You-will-sweep-away a-righteous-one with a-wicked-one. In spite of Avraham's chutzpah ( חוצפה , Aramaic: gall), God is very patient, and listens and responds with grace as He is grilled, conceding to let the whole of S'dom and Amorah live if even only ten righteous people are found there. Chapter 19 Alas, not even Lot, Avraham's nephew, is honorable, as he offers his two virgin daughters to appease the S'domite mob in exchange for protection of God's angels. But to no avail. The S'domites are rapacious. The two angels urge Lot to gather his family and escape. Lot's two married daughters and their husbands scoff at Lot when he tells them to flee. Lot, his wife and his two virgin daughters need to be pried out of S'dom by the angels, who plead with them to flee for their lives, and not look back. Once Lot and the remnant of his family leave, YHVH causes sulfur and fire to rain down on S'dom and Amorah, the whole plain, all inhabitants of the cities, and the sprouts of the land. But Lot's wife looks back, and is turned into a pillar of salt. A sign just off highway 90 on the southern end of the Dead Sea points to 'Lot's wife,' a rock pillar that looks suspiciously like a robed woman. The next day Avraham gets up early in the morning, to the place where he stood facing YHVH the day before. He peers down at S'dom and Amorah, just as God and the two angels peered down the day before. But now Avraham sees the smoke upon the whole land, going up like smoke of a kiln. God's love for Avraham saved Lot and his daughters. They escaped death, but even though there are neighboring towns to settle in, they hole up in a cave. The older daughter then tells the younger one: 'our-father (is)-old, and there-is-not a-man in-the-earth to-come upon-us, as-the-way-of all the-earth. Come, let's (cause) our-father to-drink wine and-lie with-him, and preserve seed from-our-father.' It's very hard to imagine that Lot was completely oblivious to what the girls were doing with him. Were they really completely isolated from the rest of the world? And where did they get the wine? They are unfortunately the tragic products of an X-rated and xenophobic culture. And the resulting babies, מוֹאָב (mo'av, 'from-father') and בֶּן-עַמִּי (ben-ahmiy, 'son-of-my-peoples'), are the fathers of the Moabites and Ammonites, enemies of the Israelites, 'to this day.' But after all these events, no doubt the whole region of Canaan now knew that someone's God didn't like what the people of S'dom and Amorah did. Chapter 20 Avraham and his entourage travel to Gerar, halfway between Gaza and Be'er Sheva in the Negev desert. In this chapter, Avraham encounters Avimelech ( אֲבִימֶלֶךְ , 'my-father's-king'), the Philistine king of Gerar. Avraham, fearing that Avimelech would kill him to take his beautiful wife if she was married, instructs Sarah again to say that she is his sister (the last time being with Pharaoh in Egypt in chapter 12). Avimelech promptly takes Sarah. But then God comes to Avimelech in a dream at night to tell him that he will die, because Sarah is a man's wife. Still dreaming, Avimelech argues with God: 'My-Lord, will-You-kill even a righteous nation?' (20:6) God conveys in the dream, 'Also I, I-know that in-the-wholeness of-your-heart you-did this, also I, I-withheld you from-your-failure to-Me. Therefore, you-were-not given the-ablity-to-touch her. And-now return the-wife-of the-man, for he-is a-prophet, and-will-pray as-your-witness and-you-will-live. And-if you-do-not return, know that you-will-die, you and-all that is-yours.' God gives Avimelech a chance to listen and decide for himself what to do. The next day, Avimelech rises early, calls all his servants and tells all these things in their ears. All the people were fearful. Avimelech then calls Avraham to scold him for lying, and then asks him why he lied. Avraham says he thought there was no fear of God in the place, and he would be killed for Sarah if it was known he was married to her. He also mentions that he is indeed her brother: they have the same father, though not the same mother. Avimelech returns Sarah to Avraham, along with many gifts, and a thousand silver pieces for Sarah. Avraham prays to God for Avimelech to be healed. God heals Avimelech and his household, and they bear children, (20:18) 'for YHVH had-restrained (at-the)-time all womb(s) of-the-house-of Avimelech because of Sarah, wife-of Avraham.' Chapter 21 YHVH keeps His promises: (21:1-2) And YHVH took-account-of Sarah as-which He said. And YHVH did to-Sarah as-which He-spoke. And-she-conceived and-Sarah bore to-Avraham a-son in-his-old-age, at-the-set-time which God spoke to-him. Avraham keeps his promises to God: (21:3-5) Avraham called the-name-(of) his-son that-was-born to-him, which Sarah bore to-him, Yitzchaq. Avraham circumcised Yitzchaq his-son at age-of eight days, as-which God commanded him. And-Avraham-(was) one-hundred years of-age when Yitzchaq his-son was born to-him. The root word, צחק tzachaq means 'laughter.' So יִצְחָק Yitzchaq means 'will laugh.' Sarah laughs with joy when she births Yitzchaq in her old age (she is 90 and Avraham is 100). But laughter can have a meaner spirit as well: In verse 9, Sarah sees Ishmael, the son of Hagar, מְצַחֵק m'tzahcheyq, 'from-laughter.' It is assumed Ishmael is mocking Yitzchaq, who by this time is out of the newborn period, as he was recently weaned. Various translations of מְצַחֵק are scoff, make-fun-of, poke-fun-at, make-sport-of, taunt, jeer, ridicule, mock, and tease. Now Sarah and Hagar were not on the best of terms. Initially, Sarah had wanted Hagar to be merely a surrogate and bear a child for her. Instead, Avraham took Hagar as אִשָּׁה wife. When Hagar got pregnant right away, Sarah became puny in her eyes. Then when it took 13 more years for Sarah to finally give birth, Hagar was already the mother of Avraham's firstborn son, a position of entitlement and superiority in that culture. But Sarah was the first wife. So when she saw Ishmael מְצַחֵק she demanded that Avraham drive out הָאָמָה the-maidservant, and her son, 'for the son-of this-maidservant will not inherit with my-son, with Yitzchaq.' Now, no one's excusing Sarah's behavior, nor Hagar's nor Ishmael's: it's an explanation, not an excuse. Sarah's demand was 'very bad' in Avraham's eyes. Avraham loved his son, Ishmael. But God saw things differently, and worked things out according to His plan: (21:12-13) God conveyed to Avraham, 'Let-it-not be-bad in-your-eyes because-of the-youth and-because-of your-maidservant; all which Sarah conveys to-you, listen to-her-voice. For in-Yitzchaq will-seed be-called to-you. And-also, I-will-establish the-son-(of) the-maidservant as-a-nation, for he-(is) your-seed.' The next morning Avraham sends Hagar and Ishmael off with a bottle of water and bread. Now Ishmael is at least 14 years old, and presumably able to care for himself. He and his mother wander in the desert of Be'er-sheva. When the water is spent, Hagar despairs and sends Ishmael 'a bowshot away,' so as not to see his death. She lifts her voice and weeps. But then Ishmael, whose name means 'God will listen,' must have called out to God, for an angel of God calls to Hagar out of heaven, and says to her: (21:17-18) 'What-is to-you Hagar? Do-not fear, for God listened to the voice of-the-youth, where he-is. Arise, lift-up the-youth, and-grasp-strongly his-hand, for I-will-establish-him as a-great nation.' (21:19-21) And God opened her eyes, and she-saw a-well-of water; and-she-went and-filled the-bottle with water, and gave the youth to-drink. And God was with the-youth, and-he-grew, and-dwelt in-the-wilderness, and-became a-drawer-of a-bow (archer). And-dwelt in-the-wilderness-(of) Paran. His-mother took for-him a-wife from the-land-of Egypt. After these events Avraham encounters the local Philistine leaders, Avimelech, again, and Phiychol ('whole-mouth') his captain, who recognize that God is with Avraham. Avimelech makes Avraham swear that he won't deal falsely with him or his progeny. Avraham reminds Avimelech that his servants took Avraham's well by force. Avimelech professes ignorance. Avraham gives Avimelech sheep and oxen, and they make a covenant. Avraham stations seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves. Avimelech is mystified. Avraham explains that these seven ewe-lambs are his witnesses that he indeed dug that well. They name the place Be'er-sheva בְּאֵר שָׁבַע (well-of-swearing), for they both swore there. They cut a covenant and return to the land of the Philistines. Avraham plants a tamarisk tree in Be'er-sheva, and calls out in the Name of YHVH, the eternal God. Avraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for a great many days. Chapter 22 This last chapter is known as the Ahqeda, the 'binding,' of Yitzchaq. In the previous chapter we were told that Avraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines 'for a great many days.' The Philistines, and other ancient peoples, were known to have sacrificed animals to soothe their deities, especially when things got rough, like bad weather or earthquakes. Some things got better after the sacrifice, and some things got worse. It's no stretch to imagine that when things got worse, they often sacrificed even more important things, such as humans. Archeology offers plenty of evidence that humans were sacrificed to deities world-wide. Canaan was no exception. We know that Avraham sacrificed animals to YHVH. Everyone else did it, why not Avraham? Today we sacrifice time and energy to the objects of our desire, and money and loyalty to the power structure. Because we need to co-exist where we live, we do as we're told by those wielding power. In a decent environment, we're expected to do good. In an indecent one, we do bad. God vs. 'the-god' A very subtle twist happens in this chapter, having to do with how the word אֱלֹהִים elohiym, is used. Throughout the Tanach, YHVH is referred to as YHVH-Elohiym/God, with all verbs in the singular, showing that YHVH stands alone, as the One God. In Hebrew sentences, nouns agree with their verbs and their adjectives in number (singlular or plural). In the Ten Commandments YHVH tells us we're not to have אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים elohiym acheyriym, 'other gods,' with 'acheyriym' in the plural because here 'elohiym' is used in the plural. In this chapter, we see the term הָאֱלֹהִים , ha-elohiym. הָ ha- means 'the.' The verbs used after הָאֱלֹהִים in this chapter are all in the singular. Is this YHVH-Elohiym, or is it referring to some other god? As with other difficult passages in the Tanach, we have to figure this out ourselves. Based on how YHVH-Elohiym has asked us to behave all along, YHVH hates human sacrifices. He would never demand it from anyone.Therefore הָאֱלֹהִים must refer to some other god. And as we'll see, the conversation with this other god is pretty suspect. (22:1) And-it-was after these things, וְהָאֱלֹהִים and-the-god, (he)-tested Avraham; and-(he)-conveyed to-him, 'Avraham'; and-conveyed, 'Here-I-am.' (22:2) And-conveyed, 'Take now your-son, who-you-are-one-with, who you-love, Yitzchaq, and-go-to-yourself, to-land-(of) הַמֹּרִיָּה ('the-bitterness-of-God,' the Temple Mount); and-cause-him-to-be-elevated there, to-an-elevation(burnt)-offering, upon one(of) the-mountains which I-convey to-you.' Why doesn't Avraham argue with this elohiym as he argued so ardently with YHVH on account of the S'domites and Amorites? Here Avraham just obediently listens to the voice and does as he is told. He takes his donkey, his son, two young men, and wood for the burnt offering. They walk three days and see the place in the distance. (22:5) And Avraham conveys to his young men, 'settle to-yourselves here, with the-donkey, וַאֲנִי וְהַנַּעַר, נֵלְכָה עַד-כֹּה; וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה, וְנָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם. aleychem v-nashuvah v-nish'thachaveh koh ahd neyl'chah v-ha-na'ahr va-aniy and-I and-the-youth, let-us-be-going, up-to thus, and-let-us-be-bowed-down and-let-us-be-returned to-you-all.' The last three verbs are all in the niphal plural form, which means the action is a shared passive command. Avraham implies both he and Yitzchaq will be returned. By whom? He is passively following orders. Yitzchaq is passively going along. I find this newly passive Avraham to be weird. (22:7) Yitzchaq asks his father, 'Here-(is) the-fire and-the-wood, and-where-(is) the lamb of-(the)-elevation-offering?' (22:8) And-conveyed Avraham, ' אֱלֹהִים Elohiym, God, will-see to-him, the-lamb of-(the)-elevation-offering my-son.' And-they-went both-of-them together. (22:9-10) And-they-came to the-place which spoke to-him הָאֱלֹהִים the-god, and Avraham-built there the-sacrificial-altar, and-arranged the-wood. And-bound Yitzchaq his-son, and-placed him upon the-sacrificial-altar upon the-wood. And Avraham sent-forth his-hand and-took the-knife to-slaughter his-son. YHVH now is involved, through מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה , messenger (of)-YHVH. There is no mention here of the mysterious הָאֱלֹהִים. (22:11-12) A-messenger (of)-YHVH called to-him from the-heavens, and-conveyed, 'Avraham, Avraham,' and-conveyed 'Here-I-am.' And-conveyed, 'Do-not send-forth your-hand toward the-youth, and-do-not do anything to-him, for now I-know that you fear אֱלֹהִים and-won't conceal your-son, who-you-are-one-with, from-Me.' (22:13-14) Avraham lifts his eyes and sees behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. He takes the ram and offers him as a burnt-offering in place of his son. Avraham calls the name of that place 'YHVH is-seen,' as it is said to this day, 'in-the-mountain YHVH will-be-seen.' (22:15-18) The messenger (of)-YHVH calls to Avraham a second time from the heavens, and-conveys, 'in-Me I-have-sworn, the-word-of YHVH, for the-intent with-which you-did this-thing, and-you-did-not-conceal your-son, who-you-are-one-with. For in-blessing, I-will-bless-you, and-in-multiplying I-will-multiply your-seed, as-the-stars-of the heavens and-sand which-(is) upon the shore-(of) the-sea. And your-seed will-possess the-gate-(of) your-enemies. And-they-will-blessed (through)-your-seed, all nations-of the-earth, following which you-listened in-My-voice.' Here Avraham listened to YHVH's voice to not slaughter his son Yitzchaq. After the ahqedah, no more mention is made of Yitzchaq in this parasha. It is assumed that he had a falling out with his father after having almost been slaughtered by him. (22:19) Avraham returned to his-youths, they-got-up and-they-went together to Be'er-shevah, and Avraham settled in Be'er-shevah. The parasha ends with good news, when Avraham is told of the children born to his brother, Nachor, including Nachor's granddaughter Rivqah, Yitzchaq's future wife. שָׁלוֹם Shalom! (Peace!) and להתראות L' hithra'oth! (see you again!) Mona Balogh

3. לֶךְ-לְךָ Lech L'cha Genesis Ch 12:1-17:27 To recap: YHVH found and rescued No'ach; then broke up the human-made mosh pit starting in a place called בָּבֶל (Babel: 'in-futility'). We now get the lineage of the next good man, Av'ram: Shem -> Arpachshad -> Shalach -> Eyhver -> Peleg -> R'uh -> S'rug -> Nachor -> Therach-> (triplets) Av'ram + Nachor + Haran At the end of Chapter 11, we learn that Therach takes Av'ram and wife Sarai, and his grandson Lot (from his deceased son Haran), out of Ur of Chaldees in בָּבֶל , to go to ( לָלֶכֶת ) the land of Canaan. But Therach settles first in Charan (in modern-day Turkey) where he dies at the age of 205. Chapter 12 (12:1) After Therach's death, YHVH conveys to Av'ram in Charan, לֶךְ-לְךָ , 'Go to yourself,' 'From your-land and-from-your-birthplace and-from-house (of)your-fathers, to the-land which I-will-show-you.' Av'ram's father, Therach, was somehow driven to leave Babylonia and go to Canaan, the future land of his great-grandson Jacob (Israel). But he only made it as far as Charan. YHVH makes it clear that the full trip was now going to be completed by Therach's son Av'ram. (1:2-3) God says, 'and-I-will-make-you into-a-great-nation, and-I-will-bless-you and-I-will-make-great your-name, and-you, be a-blessing! And-I-will-bless those-that-bless-you, and-those-that-curse-you I-will-expose-to-light. And-will-be-blessed in-you all families-of the-earth.' In verse 7 YHVH appears to Av'ram in Shechem (modern-day Nablus in the upper West Bank) in Canaan, and conveys, 'To-your-seed I-will-give this land.' There Av'ram builds an altar, מִזְבֵּחַ , to God Who appeared to him. Av'ram travels furhter south to a location between Beth-el and Ai (near Beitin in middle West Bank), and builds another altar to God. Here Av'ram calls in the Name of YHVH. There is a famine in Canaan, so Av'ram and his entourage keep going south into Egypt. There he realizes that the men of the land will see his beautiful wife Sarai, take her, and kill him. But they will let him live if he's seen as her brother (he's her half-brother: Av'ram and Sarai share a father but have separate mothers). Sure enough, when Av'ram comes to Egypt the Egyptians see how beautiful Sarai is and take her to Pharaoh. In exchange they give him lots of sheep, cattle, donkeys, manservants, maidservants, and camels. But because God is with Av'ram, He intervenes and afflicts the Egyptians with great bodily afflictions. Pharaoh somehow figures out that this is happening because Sarai is actually Av'ram's wife. He scolds Av'ram for telling him that Sarai is his sister and tells Av'ram to go. Pharaoh even has his men escort Av'ram and his entourage, including the gifts, out. Chapter 13 Av'ram, with Sarai and Lot and all their riches, now go up out of Egypt, back to south Canaan where Av'ram's altar to YHVH is. Av'ram again calls in the Name of YHVH. Av'ram and Lot have so much now that the land can't support them. Their herdsmen clash. Ever the diplomat, Av'ram pleads with Lot not to let there be strife between them, for they are brethren. He tells Lot they need to split up. He lets Lot decide where he'll go. Unfortunately for Lot, his eyes see how green and well-watered the plain of the Jordan is, like the 'Garden of YHVH,' and he heads down to Sodom. Av'ram stays in Canaan. Once Av'ram is split from Lot, YHVH shows Av'ram the land that he and his seed will inherit: north, south, east and west. YHVH again tells Av'ram לְךָ 'go,' through the land, its length and breadth כִּי לְךָ, אֶתְּנֶנָּה 'for to-you I-give-her.' Av'ram listens to YHVH, arises, moves his tents to dwell by the Oaks of Mamre in Hebron, and builds there an altar to YHVH. Chapter 14 This chapter tells the story of Av'ram's escapades in Canaan. It gives us an idea of how hostile the people of Canaan were, and by contrast, how decent Av'ram was. (Some of the place names are of people that did not yet exist, such as the land of Dan, son of Jacob, grandson of Av'ram, and Amalek, grandson of Esau, great-great grandson of Av'ram. This is because these accounts in the Torah were written many centuries later by Moses. The references were understood by Moses and his contemporaries.) The chapter starts by listing four Cannanite kings: Amraphel, Arioch, Chedorlaomer and Tidal. These four kings made war with five other Canaanite kings, including בֶּרַע (b'rah, 'in-badness') king of Sodom and בִּרְשַׁע (bi'rashah, 'in-wickedness') king of Gomorrah. The five kings wound up serving Chedorlaomer, one of the four kings, for twelve years. But in the thirteenth year they balked. Then in the fourteenth year, possibly in response to the five kings balking, Chedorlaomer and the other three kings with him went on a smiting rampage. They smote: the Rephaim, the Zuzim, the Emim, the Horites, the country of the Amalekites, and the Amorites. Finally, possibly worrying that they were next, the five kings, of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela, aligned for war. Sadly, B'rah king of Sodom and Bi'rashah king of Gomorrah fell into some asphalt pits. The others ducked into the local mountains. So Chedorlaomer and company took all the property of Sodom and Gomorrah (including humans), plus all their food, plus Lot, who dwelled in Sodom, and all his property. וַיֵּלֵכוּ va'yeyleychu: 'and they (the attackers) walked away.' Pathetic. Av'ram must have been known in Sodom because a Sodomite who escaped ran to Hebron, where Av'ram, הָעִבְרִי 'the-Hebrew,' was dwelling. Once Av'ram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he mobilized 318 of his men that had been born into his household and pursued Chedorlaomer and Co. up to Dan, in northeastern Canaan. This is a distance of about 120 miles! In Dan Av'ram strategized at night, divided up his servants, and smote the gang of four. He then pursued the remaining men from Dan up to Chobah, near Damascus, another 50 miles away give or take. He then brought back all the property, as well as Lot and his property, and also the women and the peoples. After Av'ram cut down Chedorlaomer and the kings with him, the king of Sodom came forth to call on Av'ram. 'Also Melchizedek, מַלְכִּי-צֶדֶק ('King-of Righteousness') king of Shalem ('peace') came forth, with bread and wine; he was kohen (priest) to God-Most-High. He blessed Av'ram and conveyed: "Blessed is Av'ram of God-Most-High, Possessor of heaven and earth. And blessed is God-Most-High Who delivered your-foes in-your-hand." And he gave to him a-tithe from-all.' And the king of Sodom conveyed to Av'ram, "Give me the souls, and take the property for yourself." And Av'ram conveyed back to the king of Sodom, "I-raise my-hand to YHVH, God-Most-High, Possessor of heaven and earth. I won't take a thread or a shoe lace or anything that is yours, lest you say "I have made Av'ram rich".' It's interesting that people even today are tempted to take bribes from shady people in exchange for power and favors. Those that take these bribes take the easy road, but then spiral down into bad company. Those that refuse to take these bribes take a social and financial risk, but then ultimately strengthen their moral souls. Chapter 15 After Av'ram proves to be solidly non-bribable, the word of YHVH appears to Av'ram in a vision: 'Do not fear Av'ram, I am a shield to you, your reward is very great.' Av'ram, our spiritual ancestor, then converses with YHVH, God of the Universe, as if He was a fellow, although higher, power. In this sense, YHVH makes us feel as if we were truly made in His image. Av'ram reminds God that he is childless. YHVH responds that Av'ram's heir will come from inside him, מִמֵּעֶיךָ mi-mey'eyhcha, literally 'from your maw (insides).' God then takes Av'ram out הַחוּצָה hachutzah, 'in the midst' of the land and asks him to gaze towards the heavens and count the stars if he is able to count them, so will be his seed. Looking back at this moment from today, three and a half millenia later, YHVH surely kept His promise. Av'ram believed in YHVH, and God in saw that Av'ram was upright. YHVH then reminds Av'ram that He is the God Who took him from Ur of the Chaldees, to give to him this land as a possession. Again, YHVH is making good His promise. Av'ram though needs more proof. In verse 8 he conveys, 'Lord YHVH, in-what will-I-know that I-will-inherit?' The next 13 verses are a personal interplay between God and Av'ram involving animal sacrifices, dreams and visions that is meant to convince Av'ram of God's intent and sincerity. We readers are left to figure out Av'ram's response to God. Chapter 16 We are back in the physical realm, with Av'ram's still childless wife Sarai. Sarai admits to Av'ram that YHVH has restrained her from bearing children. So after dwelling in Canaan for ten years, she tells Av'ram to come to her slave-woman הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית (ha-gar ha-mitzriyth, 'the-sojourner the-Egyptian'). Perhaps Sarai will be built up through Hagar? Av'ram complies, takes Hagar to be his wife, and she promptly becomes pregnant. Obviously YHVH has not restrained Hagar. Hagar is understandably snooty, Sarai is squashed, and Av'ram is blamed. Sarai throws God's judgment at Av'ram, who basically tells Sarai to do what she wants. Sarai then throws her judgment at Hagar and torments her. Hagar flees like a bowshot, pregnant and probably nauseous. YHVH's messenger finds Hagar by a fountain of water, in the wilderness of Shur, in the Negev en route to Egypt. YHVH's messenger dialogues with Hagar; Hagar in turn speaks with the messenger freely. She tells him she's fleeing from her mistress, Sarai. The messenger of YHVH tells Hagar to return to her mistress, and be afflicted under her hands. In return, the messenger tells her that YHVH will multiply her greatly, that she is with child, a son, and that she will call his name Ishmael, יִשְׁמָעֵאל yishma'el, 'God-will-listen.' The messenger goes on to say that Ishmael will be a פֶּרֶא אָדָם pere adam, a wild-ass human: his hand in all and the hand of all in him; he will dwell before all his brethren. Hagar calls out the Name of YHVH, the One Who spoke to her: 'You are a God Who sees. Have I seen Him that sees me?' Hagar returns to Sarai, and gives birth to her son. Av'ram calls him Ishmael. Chapter 17 When Av'ram is 99 years old, YHVH appears to him as אֵל שַׁדַּי eyl shaday, God of-plenty. He asks Av'ram to walk before Him and be whole. YHVH is a personal God, and a God with plenty of good to give us. Every one of us is special and created in His image. Therefore each one of us has the same potential for a personal relationship with God. He gives us the physical universe for our physical bodies. He gives us the non-physical universe for our souls, our life, and our instructions. And if we choose, He gives us a chance to walk before Him and be whole. In verse 5 God changes Av'ram's name from אַבְרָם ('exalted father') to Avraham אַבְרָהָם ('their strong pinion (limb)') , by adding a ה (Hebrew letter hey). (17:5-8) Then God says, '...you will be a father of a multitude of nations. I will make you very very fruitful and kings will come forth from you. I will establish My contract between Me and between you, and between your seed after you to their generations as an eternal contract, to be God to you, and to your seed after you. I will give to you and to your seed after you the land of your sojournings, all of the land of Canaan, as an eternal possession. And I will be their God.' (17:9) What does God ask in return? To behave right, and: '...you will safeguard My contract, you and your seed after you to their generations. This is My contract which you will safeguard, between Me and between you-all and between your seed after you:' הִמּוֹל לָכֶם, כָּל-זָכָר zachar kol la-chem himol (17:10) 'Circumcise to yourselves all male(s).' Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin. According to historians, it is the world's oldest elective surgical procedure and has been around for over 15,000 years. Here, beginning with Avraham, circumcision is the physical sign of YHVH's contract between Him and human males (right behavior being the spiritual sign). In fact, it is the one physical sign of the contract between YHVH and the human male: וּנְמַלְתֶּם, אֵת בְּשַׂר עָרְלַתְכֶם; וְהָיָה לְאוֹת בְּרִית, בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם u-veyneychem beyniy b'riyth l-oth v-hayah ahr'lath'chem b'sar eyth u-n'mal'them (17:11) 'And you will be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, to be a sign of the contract between Me and between you all.' Avraham obviously isn't the only human at the time to be circumcised. But what he added was a willingness to listen to YHVH, in addition to right behavior. Before Avraham, Chanoch, a descendant of Seth (third son of Adam and Eve), 'walked with God' (behaved right). Then No'ach, a descendant of Chanoch, was 'whole' (spiritually) and 'walked with God' (behaved right). God established His first contract with No'ach. We're all direct descendants of Chanoch and No'ach. Avraham built on the goodness of these two good men. Right after Avraham agreed to the contract, God changed שָׂרַי Sarai (my struggle) to שָׂרָה Sarah (one who struggles). He blessed her, and promised her a son through her own body. Sarah 'will be a mother of nations, and kings of peoples will be from her.' YHVH then said that His contract will continue with Isaac, Sarah's biological son. Avraham then proceeds to circumcise himself, at age 99, Ishmael at age 13, and all the males in his household, on that very same day. שָׁלוֹם Shalom! (Peace!) and להתראות L' hithraoth! (see you again!) Mona Balogh

The last verse of parasha B'reyshiyth is: וְנֹחַ, מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה YHVH b-eyhney cheyn matza v-no'ach (6:8) And No'ach found grace in (the) eyes of YHVH. Chapter 6:9 The first verse of parasha No'ach tells us why: נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה, בְּדֹרֹתָיו: אֶת-הָאֱלֹהִים, הִתְהַלֶּךְ-נֹחַ no'ach hith'halech ha-elohiym eth b-dorothayv hayah thamiym tzadiyq iysh no'ach (6:9) No'ach, (a) man upright, whole was (he) in-his-generations: (d/o)-with the-gods walked No'ach. Here I pause to clarify: YHVH is God. In Deuteronomy ch 10 v 17 Moses says: כִּי, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם--הוּא אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים, וַאֲדֹנֵי הָאֲדֹנִים ha-adoniym va-adonay ha-elohiym elohey hu eloheychem YHVH kiy (10:17) For YHVH your-God -- He (is) God-of the-gods, and-Lord-of the-lords הָאֱלֹהִים (ha-elohiym), if used in the plural, means 'the-gods'. If used in the singular, it means God. But there are passages where we just don't know which version is meant. Our faith and our connection to God can guide us, but that's doing the best we can with what we have: imperfect human knowledge. That being said: No'ach, a human like the rest of us, walked with 'the-gods'. In many passages, 'the-gods' can mean a separate god, a creation of YHVH, an avatar (an incarnation or extension of a deity) of a created god or of YHVH-God. In order to do this, No'ach, and all of us, are called to stay in YHVH-God's space and stay upright, unbending in our God-given morality, while flexing and adapting our bodies within a given physical environment. Even in his corrupt generation, and even in our corrupt generation, No'ach and we are able to stay upright in YHVH-God's space. The word for ruin is שָּׁחֵת shacheyth. The word for chaos is חָמָס chamas. וַתִּשָּׁחֵת הָאָרֶץ, לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים; וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ, חָמָס chamas ha-aretz va'thimaley ha-elohiym lif'ney ha-aretz va'thishacheyth (6:11) Ruined (is) the-earth, facing the-gods; filled, the-earth (is), (with) chaos. The earth has been ruined and filled with chaos. We humans are to blame. Also to blame are the other creatures on the earth at the time (including nachash, snake, a beast of the field). Also to blame are 'ha-elohiym', the beings that are separate from YHVH but full of spiritual power. Also 'ha-nefiliym,' 'the-fallen-ones.' Also the many generations after Adam and Chava who, like the-gods, are able to see bad and good, but are also able to do bad, and potentially ruin YHVH-God's original creation. וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, וְהִנֵּה נִשְׁחָתָה: כִּי-הִשְׁחִית כָּל-בָּשָׂר אֶת-דַּרְכּוֹ, dar'ko eth basar kol hish'chiyth kiy nish'chathah v-hineyh ha-aretz eth elohiym va'yar' עַל-הָאָרֶץ ha-aretz ahl (6:12) Sees God (d/o) the-earth, and-here (it)-be-ruined: for is-ruinous all flesh, (d/o) his-direction, upon the-earth. God now sees that the earth is ruined by the bad direction that the flesh took, humans as well as animals, to descend into chaos, into a black hole mosh-pit. One can only imagine in one's worst nightmare what this might look like, begun by humans behaving like bad gods taking down creation: humans murdering, slaughtering indiscriminately, having sex indiscriminately (with animals, too), wantonly ripping limbs from screaming humans and animals, destroying life and causing creation to annihilate. The artist Heironymous Bosch had a notion of what this may have looked like (see his 'Garden of Earthly Delights' triptych, especially the right-hand panel). Today's monster creatures and apocalyptic scenes also come to mind. וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים לְנֹחַ, קֵץ כָּל-בָּשָׂר בָּא לְפָנַי--כִּי-מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ חָמָס, chamas ha-aretz mal'ah kiy l'fanay ba basar kol qeytz l'no'ach elohiym va'yomer מִפְּנֵיהֶם; וְהִנְנִי מַשְׁחִיתָם, אֶת-הָאָרֶץ ha-aretz eth mash'chiytham v-hin'niy mi-p'neyhem (6:13) Conveys God to-No'ach, 'End (of) all flesh comes facing-Me - for (is) filled the-earth (with) chaos, from-facing-them; and-here be-their-ruin, (d/o) (with) the-earth.' Only one human, No'ach, is unspoiled, not ruined by the chaos around him. God communicates with No'ach, and tells him that the trajectory of vast and utter ruin, caused by bad beings, is coming to an end. If God did not step in at this moment and stop the accelerating fall, all of His creation would have been swallowed up into a very large black hole/compost heap. God then proceeds to tell No'ach exactly how to make the ark, as well as the animals and the food that will go into it. God makes a covenant with No'ach, and allows him to take his wife, his sons and their wives, with him (for obvious reasons). According to all that God commanded him, No'ach did. Chapter 7 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה לְנֹחַ, בֹּא-אַתָּה וְכָל-בֵּיתְךָ אֶל-הַתֵּבָה: כִּי-אֹתְךָ רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק tzadiyq ra'iythiy oth'cha kiy ha-theyvah el beith'cha v-chol athah bo l-no'ach YHVH va'yomer לְפָנַי, בַּדּוֹר הַזֶּה ha-zeh ba-dor l-fanay (7:1) Conveys YHVH to No'ach, 'Come, you and all your-household, to the-ark: for with-you I-saw uprightness to-My-face in this generation.' YHVH has No'ach put seven of each of the clean animals on board, in addition to 2 each, 1 male and 1 female, of the other beasts and birds and creepers. This must mean that animal sacrifices were part of No'ach's world, so he needed these extra animals to slaughter to God and to feel better. The animal brigade must have taken some time. In verse 4, YHVH then gives the world seven more days before beginning the flood, presumably to allow any other humans to reconsider their bad ways and hop on the ark. Alas, no one else hops in. So on the six-hundredth year of No'ach's life, on the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month (humans at this time must have known calendars) God opens up the floodgates. In verse 16, YHVH shuts the door to the ark. In verse 22, all in which is the breath-of the spirit of life in-his-nostrils, from all which is in the dry land, died. In order to save existence as YHVH imagined it, He had to blot out its auto-destruction caused by destructive beings, humans included. It probably broke God's heart. Chapter 8 וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-נֹחַ, וְאֵת כָּל-הַחַיָּה וְאֶת-כָּל-הַבְּהֵמָה, אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ בַּתֵּבָה; ba-theyvah itho asher ha-b'heymah kol v-eth ha-chayah kol v-eyth no'ach eth elohiym va'yizkor וַיַּעֲבֵר אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ עַל-הָאָרֶץ, וַיָּשֹׁכּוּ הַמָּיִם. ha-mayim va'yashoku ha-aretz ahl ru'ach elohiym vaya'ahveyr (8:1) Remembers God (d/o)-No'ach, and-(d/o) all the-living, and-(d/o) all the-creatures, which (are)-with-them in-the-ark, passes-over (does) God, (a) spirit upon the-earth, assuaged(were) the waters. God remains steadfast to His creation, taking back to heaven the spiritually destroyed (to be repaired, and recycled?), but forging ahead with His creation in the renewed world. וַתָּנַח הַתֵּבָה בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי, בְּשִׁבְעָה-עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ, עַל, הָרֵי אֲרָרָט. ararat harey ahl la-chodesh yom ahsar b-shiv'ah ha-sh'viyiyh ba-chodesh ha-theyvah vathanach (8:4) Rest (did) the-ark in-the-month the-seventh, in-seventeenth day to-the-month, upon mountain-of Ararat. At 16,854 feet (5,137 m), Mount Ararat is the highest peak in the region of the Middle East and Anatolia (including modern day Turkey and Armenia). The ark drifted during the 150 days it was afloat, guided by God. It grounded upon Mount Ararat on the 17th of the seventh month (the mountains were still under water). וְהַמַּיִם, הָיוּ הָלוֹךְ וְחָסוֹר, עַד, הַחֹדֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִי; בָּעֲשִׂירִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ, נִרְאוּ nir'u la-chodesh b-echad ba-ahsiyriy ha-ahsiyriy ha-chodesh ahd v-chasor haloch hayu v-ha-mayim רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים he-hariym rashey (8:5) and-the-waters, they-were (and) went, and-diminished, up-to the-month the-tenth; in-the-tenth, in-first to-the-month, were-seen heads-of the-mountains. On the 1st day of the tenth month, the mountaintops were seen. 40 days later No'ach opened the window of the ark and sent out the raven, who went out and returned, waiting until the earth dried. No'ach also sent out the dove, to see if the waters had evaporated from the face of the ground. But the dove didn't find rest for her foot, so she returned to the ark. No'ach lingered another seven days, and sent the dove out again. This time she returned in the evening with a freshly torn olive leaf in her mouth; No'ach knew that the waters had evaporated from upon the earth. No'ach lingered another seven days, then sent the dove out again; this time she didn't return. It was the 601st year of No'ach's life, the first day of the first month. Unlike our modern calendars, in the Bible the first month is the beginning of springtime, when plants sprout and leaf. And the first day of the month is the new moon, when a sliver of its light is first seen, as it begins to wax and grow. On this first day of the first month, the waters had caused barenness upon the earth. No'ach removed the covering of the ark and saw that here! the face of the ground was bare. On the 27th day of the second month, the earth was dry. God then spoke to No'ach to tell him to go forth from the ark: him, his wife, his sons and their wives, and all the creatures on the ark, and swarm in the earth, and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth. No'ach built a sacrificial altar to YHVH, and offered up on it an elevation offering (burned up on a pyre) from the clean animals and birds. וַיָּרַח יְהוָה, אֶת-רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ, וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-לִבּוֹ לֹא-אֹסִף לְקַלֵּל עוֹד ohd l-qaleyl osif lo libo el YHVH va'yomer ha'niycho'ach rey'ach eth YHVH va'yarach אֶת-הָאֲדָמָה בַּעֲבוּר הָאָדָם, כִּי יֵצֶר לֵב הָאָדָם רַע מִנְּעֻרָיו; וְלֹא-אֹסִף עוֹד ohd osif v-lo mi-n'urayv rah ha-adam leyv yeytzer kiy ha-adam ba-ahvur ha-adama eth לְהַכּוֹת אֶת-כָּל-חַי, כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי ahsiythiy ka-asher chay kol eth l-hakoth YHVH felt-energy, the comforting energy, and YHVH conveyed to His heart, 'I won't again gather to curse the ground, because-of the-human, for will-form the-heart (of) the-human badness from-his-youth; and I won't again gather to-cut all life, as I-did.' עֹד, כָּל-יְמֵי הָאָרֶץ: זֶרַע וְקָצִיר וְקֹר וָחֹם וְקַיִץ וָחֹרֶף, וְיוֹם וָלַיְלָה--לֹא lo va-lay'lah v-yom va-choref v-qayitz va-chom v-qor v-qatziyr zerah ha-aretz y'mey kol ohd יִשְׁבֹּתוּ yish'bothu 'Moreover, all days (of) the-earth, seedtime and-harvest, and-cold and-heat, and-summer and-winter, and-day and-night, (will) not be-returned (to heaven).' Chapter 9 Now that God reset the world back to its good origins (reversing the relentless fall into moral entropy), the earth is ready to repopulate with good people and respectful creatures. In verse 1 God blesses No'ach and his sons (it's inferred that their wives are blessed through their men) and tells them to be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth. In verse 2 God gives all the creatures into their hands, fearful and in dread of humans. But God knows that we humans are, and forevermore will be, at risk of falling into moral entropy again, because of our desire to be like the gods, possessing spiritual power, and knowing the difference between good and evil. In verse 3, God now gives us all creeping life to consume, in addition to all green plants, but with one exeption: אַךְ-בָּשָׂר, בְּנַפְשׁוֹ דָמוֹ לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ thocheylu lo damo b-naf'sho basar ach (9:4) 'but flesh in-his-soul his-blood no will-you-all-consume' You will not consume flesh that has its blood in its soul. Later we'll find out the reason for this: the blood is the life of the soul. You cannot consume the blood, the life of the soul. No overt reason is given for this. But cultures that consume the blood of animals are appeasing a blood thirst that is not good for our souls. (9:5-6) 'And-surely your-blood to-your-souls I-will-seek-out, from-hand (of)all-living I-will-seek-out-of-us, and-from-hand the-human, from-hand (of)man his-brother -- I-will-seek-out, (d/o) soul (of)the-human. Spilling (of)blood the-human, in-human his-blood will-be-spilled; for in-images (of)-God was-made the-human.' Verse 6 stated another way: 'whoever spills a human's blood, by a human shall his blood be spilled. For in the image of God made He human.' God's human is special. God says so right here. Because God made human in His image. If any creature, human or animal, spills the blood of a human, it is as if they have taken part of God's soul. These creatures, be they animals or humans, are ruined. God needs to take them back, to be refurbished or whatever He does with them. But He needs us to give them back. God then tells No'ach and his sons to be fruitful and multiply. He then establishes His בְּרִית (b'riyth) covenant, with them, with their seed after them, and with every living soul with them, from bird to beast to every living creature of the earth, that never again will the waters of the flood cut off all flesh, and never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. In verses 13-15 God sets His rainbow, קֶּשֶׁת (qesheth) as the sign of the covenant between Him and the earth that the waters will no longer become a flood to destroy all flesh. (9:16-17) 'And-it-is the-bow in-(the)cloud, and-when-I-see-her, to-remember (the)everlasting covenant between God and-between all living souls, in-all flesh which-is upon the-earth.' And-conveyed God to No'ach: 'This (is the) sign (of)the-covenant which I-establish between-Me and-between all flesh which(is) upon the-earth.' This is why, when you look up in the clouds and see a rainbow, you will know that God is looking on the bow as well, and remembering His covenant with all flesh of the earth. After disembarking from the ark, No'ach plants a vineyard, makes wine, and drinks to plastered drunkenness in his tent. He finally can 'let it all hang out' after the trauma of the the past half year. But unfortunately, his son Cham has no respect for his father. He sees his dad's nakedness and promptly tattles on him to Shem and Yapheth, who in turn do respect their father and discreetly cover up his nakedness. No'ach wakes up from his drunken stupor, sees what Cham did, and curses him with servitude to his brothers. Chapter 10 No'ach's offspring include: from Yapheth seven grandsons, and Ashkenaz his great-grandson (gave rise to the Germans, and the Ashkenazi/German Jews of Europe). From Cham four grandsons, including Cush (Ethiopia), Mizraim (Egypt, known as Misr, from the same root in Hebrew, by Egyptians), Put (Libya), and Canaan. From Shem five grandsons, and Eber his great-great-grandson, who eventually gave rise to Abram. Chapter 11 (11:1) And-is all the earth, one language and words-one. In other words, shortly after the flood to remove the mass of humans who behaved as one decomposed mosh pit, this new crop of humans now spoke as if they were One. Together they built a tower from human-made stones with its 'head in-the-heavens.' (11:5) And YHVH descended to-see the-city, and(d/o) the-tower which built sons-of the-human. (11:6-7) and-conveyed YHVH, 'Here, one people and one speech to-all-of-them; and-this is-their-shift (that)they-do; and-now, nothing will-be-withheld-from-them in-its-formation, all which they-will plan to-do. Come, let-us-descend and there, let-us-make-futile their-speech (so-that) a-man will-not-hear (the)speech-of his-fellow.' The word for futility is בָּבֶל bavel.This is the same root from which the name Babel, and Babylonia, come from. In order to break up human's desire to be God, all-powerful but certainly not all-good, as they proved just recently, YHVH needed to come down from heaven and put a stop to human's power-grab. Once God took care of that business, the narrative continues to chronicle the generations leading up to Abram, who listened to and argued with God. שָׁלוֹם Shalom! (Peace!) and להתראות L' hithraoth! (see you again!) Mona Balogh