Thursday, August 27, 2020
Part II of III Isaac and His Importance to Our Story With Jacob
Nadene Goldfoot
Isaac is the 2nd of our 3 patriarchs; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. His parents, Abram and Sarai, were told of his expectancy by angels, the Torah tells us, which must have been a shock as they both were advanced in years. He was circumcised when 8 days old, setting the standard ritual for all forthcoming Jewish baby boys. Isaac born born and died in Canaan.
When Abraham was being obedient to G-d by preparing Isaac for sacrifice of his son that was such a gift in his late age, he was saved by Divine intervention on Mt. Moriah from almost becoming the sacrifice. This astounding event is dubbed the AKEDAH.
At the age of 40 Isaac married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel. Bethuel, in the Hebrew Bible, was an Aramean man, the youngest son of Nahor and Milcah, the nephew of Abraham, and the father of Laban and Rebekah; Arameans were a group of Semitic tribes who invaded the Fertile Crescent during the 2nd half of the 2nd millennium BCE and roamed between the Persian Gulf and the Amanus Mountains. Aram and Israel had a common ancestry and the Israelite patriarchs were of Aramaic origin and maintained ties of marriage with the tribes of Aram. We learn this also from Akkadian sources of the 12th century BCE. Bethuel was also a town in the territory of the tribe of Simeon, west of the Dead Sea.
The question has come up as to Rebekah's age at marriage, and RASHI, a biblical commentator, said: age 3.
Genesis 17:15-22 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? WILL SARAH BEAR A CHILD AT THE AGE OF NINETY?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only
Ishmael might live under your blessing!”
19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.[d] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom SARAH WILL BEAR TO YOU BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.” 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.” – Genesis 17:15-22 (NIV)
This proves that Rebecca was born when Isaac was in his late 30s (37), just before the death of Sarah. Five verses down after Abraham and Isaac’s incident of sacrifice, we are told Rebecca was born:
“20 Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.” 23 BETHUEL BECAME THE FATHER OF REBEKAH. Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.” – Genesis 22:20-24 (NIV)
Rebekah is one of our 4 matriarchs of the Jewish people. She is the ideal type of Jewish womanhood according to our legend. That's because her kindness attracted the attention of Abraham's envoy who had been dispatched to Aram Naharaim to find a wife for Isaac. She later supported Jacob in his struggle with his brother, Esau.
and at age 60 became a father to twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Esau was born first and was red, entirely like a hairy mantle. Jacob was born with his hand on the heel of Esau. They were not identical twins, but very different in looks and acts. The two are representatives of two different grades of social order, Jacob being a pastoralist and Esau a nomadic hunter.
The brothers had a serious fight over the birthright that Esau had being the oldest son. The oldest brother is supposed to inherit this special right of the tribal politics, but Jacob, knowing this, and knowing what Esau's personality was like, tricked his brother into selling that birthright to himself, showing the readers what his personality was also like. In defense of Jacob, he knew that his brother was not the type to address the good of the tribe, but preferred to spend his time hunting.
Jacob had bought Esau's birthright from him for a mess of pottage, for Esau was so hungry when he came in their home from hunting that he gladly sold it in order for immediate satisfaction. Jacob had stayed home, studied and cooked. Then Jacob had help from his mother to get Isaac's blessing that was intended for Esau.
This story of twins symbolizes the relationship between the 2 nations, developing to the point of hostility. In the Talmud, Esau implies a coarse materialist. It's a synonym for an oppressive government, especially Rome, and in the Middle Ages, was applied to Christian Europe.
By doing this, the twins became enemies and Esau sought to kill Jacob. Jacob fled for his life and headed to Haran, their old city and stayed there for 20 years. During that time he married Leah and had to work 7 more years to marry Rachel, his true love. During his journey to return home to his mother, he struggled with a heavenly emissary and overcame him, then was given the name, "Israel." (Origin. Word/name. Hebrew. Meaning. 'God Contended', 'Wrestles with God', 'Triumphant with God". This brings up questions as to why did he wrestle with a heavenly angel and win and why?
The Confrontation“A man wrestled with him: our sages explained that this was the ministering angel of Esau.”5 A commonplace of Talmudic and midrashic literature is that every nation has its own angelic “minister” who represents its interests before G‑d. It is Esau’s angel, then, who attempts to frustrate Jacob’s mission.Thus begins the clash of the titans.
Along his journey Jacob received a special revelation from God; God promised Jacob lands and numerous offspring that would prove to be the blessing of the entire Earth. Jacob named the place where he received his vision Bethel (“House of God”) He returned with gifts, finding Esau receiving him affectionately now.
The story goes on with Esau being identified with Edom.(Idumea) Edom is a country in SE Eretz Yisrael, also called Mt. Seir. It lies south of the Dead Sea and bordered on the Red Sea at Elath and Ezion Geber. The Edomites were of Semitic origin, traditionally descendants of Esau, and lived by hunting. They had dispossessed the Horites of Seir and lived as a tribe with a chieftain called a allooph, later having a king. The Edomites were traditional enemies of the Israelites; they fought King Saul and were defeated by David who partly annexed their land. They had independence during the reign of king Jehoram, but wars between the 2 states were frequent.
In the 8th century BCE, they became vassals of Assyria. At the time of the destruction of the 1st Temple, they plundered and looted along with the Babylonians, and were driven out from Seir by the Nabateans, so occupied southern Judah during or after their period of Exile. The Edomites were conquered by John Hyrcannus for forcibly converted them to Judaism, and from then on they were a part of the Jewish people. Herod was one of their descendants. During Titus' siege of Jerusalem, they marched in to reinforce the extreme elements, killing all they suspected of peace tendencies.
Famine came to the family, so Isaac moved everyone from the Negev to the Philistine country, but he did not leave Eretz Yisrael.
In his old age, his sight failed, and this allowed Jacob instead of Esau to obtain his blessing. This happens to most seniors, but one can remember that Leah, his mother, had weak eyes as a young adult.
According to tradition, he introduced the afternoon prayer that is called the mihah service.
Descendants of Terah and 6 generations:
1 Terah b: in 1883 BCE-Ur of Chaldees, Sumeria, Mesopotamia Iraq d: 2083 in Haran in the year 2083 BCE Age at death: ?
. 2 [5] Abram-Abraham b: 1948 in Ur of the Chalees in 2nd millennium d: in Hebron
..... +[13] Sarai-Sarah b: in Ur of Chaldees d: in Kiriath-arba Hebron, Canaan m: in Haran m: in Haran
..... 3 [9] Isaac ben Abraham b: 2048 in Negev
......... +[8] Rebekah bat Bethuel b: in Aram
......... 4 [4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147
............. +[6] Leah b: in Aram m: in Haran
............. 5 [14] Reuben
............. 5 [15] Simeon
............. 5 [16] Levi
................. +[17] Milkah
................. 6 Jochebed
..................... +Amram
................. 6 Gershon
................. 6 Kohath
................. 6 Merari
............. 5 [2] Judah
................. +[18] Daughter of Shua
................. 6 kinsman of Naomi Boaz b: in Bethlehem
..................... +RUTH of Royalty b: in Moab d: in Bethlehem
................. 6 Hur
................. 6 Er d: in Evil, died young
..................... +[1] Tamar b: in didn't get pregnant, till by Judah, her father in law
................. 6 Onan d: in did evil, would not get brother's wife pregnant
..................... +[1] Tamar b: in didn't get pregnant, till by Judah, her father in law
................. 6 Shelah b: in Chezib
............. *2nd Wife of [2] Judah:
................. +[19] Canaanite Woman
................. 6 Er
..................... +[3] Tamar
................. 6 Onan
..................... +[3] Tamar
................. 6 Shelah b: in Chezib
............. *3rd Wife of [2] Judah:
................. +[3] Tamar
................. 6 Perez
................. 6 Zerah
............. 5 [20] Issachar
............. 5 [21] Zebulun
................. 6 Helon
............. 5 [22] Dinah
......... *2nd Wife of [4] Jacob-Israel:
............. +[7] Rachel m: in Haran m: in Haran
............. 5 [23] Joseph b: in Canaan, 18th-16th centuries BCE? Hyksos period (2500-1587 BCE) d: in age 110
................. +[24] Asenath b: in Egypt
................. 6 Manasseh
................. 6 Ephraim
............. 5 [25] Benjamin
................. 6 Bela-Abiel
................. 6 Becher
................. 6 Ashbel
................. 6 Gera
................. 6 Naaman
................. 6 Ehi
................. 6 Rosh
................. 6 Muppim
................. 6 Huppim
................. 6 Ard
................. 6 Gideoni
......... *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
............. +[10] Bilhah
............. 5 [26] Dan
................. 6 Ahisamach b: in Tribe of Dan
................. 6 Ammishaddai
............. 5 [27] Naphtali
......... *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
............. +[11] Zilpah
............. 5 [28] Gad
............. 5 [29] Asher
................. 6 Serah
......... 4 [12] Esau
............. 5 [30] Mahalath
. *2nd Wife of [5] Abram-Abraham:
..... +Hagar
..... 3 Ishmael d: in Near Egypt towards Assyria
......... 4 Basemath
............. 5 Reuel
................. 6 Nahath
......... 4 Kedar
......... +1st wife
......... 4 Nehaioth Ishmael
......... 4 Kedar Ishmael
......... 4 Adbeel Ishmael
......... 4 Mibsam Ishmael
......... 4 Mishma Ishmael
......... 4 Dumah Ishmael
......... 4 Massa Ishmael
......... 4 Hadad Ishmael
......... 4 Terna Ishmael
......... 4 Jetur Ishmael
......... 4 Naphish Ishmael
......... 4 Kedem Ishmael
. *3rd Wife of [5] Abram-Abraham:
..... +Keturah
..... 3 Zimran ben Abram-Abraham
..... 3 Jokshan ben Abram-Abraham
..... 3 Medan ben Abram-Abraham
..... 3 Midian ben Abram-Abraham
..... 3 Ishbak ben Abram-Abraham
..... 3 Shuah ben Abram-Abraham
. 2 Haran b: in Ur of Chaldees d: Bef. 2083 in Ur of Chaldees Age at death: ?
..... 3 Lot
......... 4 Ammon
......... 4 Moab
......... 4 Daughter 1
......... 4 Daughter 2
..... 3 Iskah
..... 3 [32] Milcah b: in Ur of Chaldees d: in Haran
......... +[31] NAHOR II b: in Ur of Chaldees d: in Haran
......... 4 [33] Uz
......... 4 [34] Buz
......... 4 [35] Kemuel
............. 5 [36] Aram ben Kemuel
......... 4 [37] Chesed
......... 4 [38] Hazo
......... 4 [39] Pildash
......... 4 [40] Jidlaph
......... 4 [41] Bethuel Citizenship: Syrian
............. 5 [42] Laban
................. +[43] Adinahand
................. 6 [6] Leah b: in Aram
..................... +[4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147 m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. 6 [7] Rachel
..................... +[4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147 m: in Haran m: in Haran
............. 5 [8] Rebekah bat Bethuel b: in Aram
................. +[9] Isaac ben Abraham b: 2048 in Negev
................. 6 [4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147
..................... +[6] Leah b: in Aram m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. *2nd Wife of [4] Jacob-Israel:
..................... +[7] Rachel m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
..................... +[10] Bilhah
................. *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
..................... +[11] Zilpah
................. 6 [12] Esau
..... 3 [13] Sarai-Sarah b: in Ur of Chaldees d: in Kiriath-arba Hebron, Canaan
......... +[5] Abram-Abraham b: 1948 in Ur of the Chalees in 2nd millennium d: in Hebron m: in Haran m: in Haran
......... 4 [9] Isaac ben Abraham b: 2048 in Negev
............. +[8] Rebekah bat Bethuel b: in Aram
............. 5 [4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147
................. +[6] Leah b: in Aram m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. 6 [14] Reuben
................. 6 [15] Simeon
................. 6 [16] Levi
..................... +[17] Milkah
................. 6 [2] Judah
..................... +[18] Daughter of Shua
................. *2nd Wife of [2] Judah:
..................... +[19] Canaanite Woman
................. *3rd Wife of [2] Judah:
..................... +[3] Tamar
................. 6 [20] Issachar
................. 6 [21] Zebulun
................. 6 [22] Dinah
............. *2nd Wife of [4] Jacob-Israel:
................. +[7] Rachel m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. 6 [23] Joseph b: in Canaan, 18th-16th centuries BCE? Hyksos period (2500-1587 BCE) d: in age 110
..................... +[24] Asenath b: in Egypt
................. 6 [25] Benjamin
............. *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
................. +[10] Bilhah
................. 6 [26] Dan
................. 6 [27] Naphtali
............. *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
................. +[11] Zilpah
................. 6 [28] Gad
................. 6 [29] Asher
............. 5 [12] Esau
................. 6 [30] Mahalath
. 2 [31] NAHOR II b: in Ur of Chaldees d: in Haran
..... +[32] Milcah b: in Ur of Chaldees d: in Haran
..... 3 [33] Uz
..... 3 [34] Buz
..... 3 [35] Kemuel
......... 4 [36] Aram ben Kemuel
..... 3 [37] Chesed
..... 3 [38] Hazo
..... 3 [39] Pildash
..... 3 [40] Jidlaph
..... 3 [41] Bethuel Citizenship: Syrian
......... 4 [42] Laban
............. +[43] Adinahand
............. 5 [6] Leah b: in Aram
................. +[4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147 m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. 6 [14] Reuben
................. 6 [15] Simeon
................. 6 [16] Levi
..................... +[17] Milkah
................. 6 [2] Judah
..................... +[18] Daughter of Shua
................. *2nd Wife of [2] Judah:
..................... +[19] Canaanite Woman
................. *3rd Wife of [2] Judah:
..................... +[3] Tamar
................. 6 [20] Issachar
................. 6 [21] Zebulun
................. 6 [22] Dinah
............. 5 [7] Rachel
................. +[4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147 m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. 6 [23] Joseph b: in Canaan, 18th-16th centuries BCE? Hyksos period (2500-1587 BCE) d: in age 110
..................... +[24] Asenath b: in Egypt
................. 6 [25] Benjamin
......... 4 [8] Rebekah bat Bethuel b: in Aram
............. +[9] Isaac ben Abraham b: 2048 in Negev
............. 5 [4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147
................. +[6] Leah b: in Aram m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. 6 [14] Reuben
................. 6 [15] Simeon
................. 6 [16] Levi
..................... +[17] Milkah
................. 6 [2] Judah
..................... +[18] Daughter of Shua
................. *2nd Wife of [2] Judah:
..................... +[19] Canaanite Woman
................. *3rd Wife of [2] Judah:
..................... +[3] Tamar
................. 6 [20] Issachar
................. 6 [21] Zebulun
................. 6 [22] Dinah
............. *2nd Wife of [4] Jacob-Israel:
................. +[7] Rachel m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. 6 [23] Joseph b: in Canaan, 18th-16th centuries BCE? Hyksos period (2500-1587 BCE) d: in age 110
..................... +[24] Asenath b: in Egypt
................. 6 [25] Benjamin
............. *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
................. +[10] Bilhah
................. 6 [26] Dan
................. 6 [27] Naphtali
............. *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
................. +[11] Zilpah
................. 6 [28] Gad
................. 6 [29] Asher
............. 5 [12] Esau
................. 6 [30] Mahalath
. *Friend of [31] NAHOR II:
..... +Reumah the Concubine
..... 3 Tebah ben NAHOR II
..... 3 Gaham ben NAHOR II
..... 3 Tahash ben NAHOR II
..... 3 Maacah ben NAHOR II
Resource: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacob-Hebrew-patriarch
Tanakh, The Stone Edition
My genealogy tree research from Tanakh
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
https://unitedwithisrael.org/mercenaries-arrowheads-reveal-holy-land-invasion-during-1st-temple-era-say-israeli-researchers/ from Victor Sharpe
When Abraham was being obedient to G-d by preparing Isaac for sacrifice of his son that was such a gift in his late age, he was saved by Divine intervention on Mt. Moriah from almost becoming the sacrifice. This astounding event is dubbed the AKEDAH.
At the age of 40 Isaac married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel. Bethuel, in the Hebrew Bible, was an Aramean man, the youngest son of Nahor and Milcah, the nephew of Abraham, and the father of Laban and Rebekah; Arameans were a group of Semitic tribes who invaded the Fertile Crescent during the 2nd half of the 2nd millennium BCE and roamed between the Persian Gulf and the Amanus Mountains. Aram and Israel had a common ancestry and the Israelite patriarchs were of Aramaic origin and maintained ties of marriage with the tribes of Aram. We learn this also from Akkadian sources of the 12th century BCE. Bethuel was also a town in the territory of the tribe of Simeon, west of the Dead Sea.
The question has come up as to Rebekah's age at marriage, and RASHI, a biblical commentator, said: age 3.
Genesis 17:15-22 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? WILL SARAH BEAR A CHILD AT THE AGE OF NINETY?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only
Ishmael might live under your blessing!”
19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.[d] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom SARAH WILL BEAR TO YOU BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.” 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.” – Genesis 17:15-22 (NIV)
This proves that Rebecca was born when Isaac was in his late 30s (37), just before the death of Sarah. Five verses down after Abraham and Isaac’s incident of sacrifice, we are told Rebecca was born:
“20 Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.” 23 BETHUEL BECAME THE FATHER OF REBEKAH. Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.” – Genesis 22:20-24 (NIV)
Rebekah is one of our 4 matriarchs of the Jewish people. She is the ideal type of Jewish womanhood according to our legend. That's because her kindness attracted the attention of Abraham's envoy who had been dispatched to Aram Naharaim to find a wife for Isaac. She later supported Jacob in his struggle with his brother, Esau.
and at age 60 became a father to twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Esau was born first and was red, entirely like a hairy mantle. Jacob was born with his hand on the heel of Esau. They were not identical twins, but very different in looks and acts. The two are representatives of two different grades of social order, Jacob being a pastoralist and Esau a nomadic hunter.
The brothers had a serious fight over the birthright that Esau had being the oldest son. The oldest brother is supposed to inherit this special right of the tribal politics, but Jacob, knowing this, and knowing what Esau's personality was like, tricked his brother into selling that birthright to himself, showing the readers what his personality was also like. In defense of Jacob, he knew that his brother was not the type to address the good of the tribe, but preferred to spend his time hunting.
Jacob had bought Esau's birthright from him for a mess of pottage, for Esau was so hungry when he came in their home from hunting that he gladly sold it in order for immediate satisfaction. Jacob had stayed home, studied and cooked. Then Jacob had help from his mother to get Isaac's blessing that was intended for Esau.
This story of twins symbolizes the relationship between the 2 nations, developing to the point of hostility. In the Talmud, Esau implies a coarse materialist. It's a synonym for an oppressive government, especially Rome, and in the Middle Ages, was applied to Christian Europe.
- Why did Jacob want the birthright? Originally, the firstborn were intended to serve G‑d in the Tabernacle and later in the Holy Temple,5 so Jacob wanted to gain that privilege, feeling that Esau’s wickedness made him unworthy of performing this service.
Rabbi Avraham ibn Ezra offers another explanation: since by Torah law the firstborn inherits a double portion of his father’s estate,6 Jacob wished to purchase his brother’s rights and thereby eventually receive that greater portion. - “Here I am going to die, so why do I need the birthright?” What makes Esau think that he’s about to die?
The two answers to the previous question address this one as well. If Jacob wanted the birthright because of the attendant privilege of serving in the Temple, then Esau was observing that failure to perform this service properly is punishable by immediate death,7 and that therefore he’d prefer to forgo it. According to Ibn Ezra’s approach, Esau was the type of person who expected to “live fast and die young,” since he was constantly exposing himself to danger in his hunting activities. Therefore he assumed his father’s estate was no concern of his. - How much did Jacob pay for the birthright? The plain text seems to indicate that all Jacob gave Esau was bread and lentil stew. But Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir (Rashbam) states that Jacob paid for the birthright in full, and that afterwards they shared a meal celebrating the completion of the deal. Other commentaries explain that the birthright was actually not worth much in monetary terms, so that bread and lentil stew was a fair exchange for it.
- “He got up and left, and Esau mocked the birthright.” With this phrase the Torah disabuses us of any notion that poor Esau had been forced into selling a prized possession for some food to still his hunger. We see that that he entered into the deal wholeheartedly, and that he treated his birthright with contempt. In keeping with the explanation above that the birthright meant the right to serve G‑d in the Holy Temple, this mockery amounted to rejection of the Creator and disdain for serving Him.
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| Jacob fell in love with his cousin, Rachel |
By doing this, the twins became enemies and Esau sought to kill Jacob. Jacob fled for his life and headed to Haran, their old city and stayed there for 20 years. During that time he married Leah and had to work 7 more years to marry Rachel, his true love. During his journey to return home to his mother, he struggled with a heavenly emissary and overcame him, then was given the name, "Israel." (Origin. Word/name. Hebrew. Meaning. 'God Contended', 'Wrestles with God', 'Triumphant with God". This brings up questions as to why did he wrestle with a heavenly angel and win and why?
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| Rembrandt - Jacob Wrestling with the Angel - Google Art Project |
“A man wrestled with him until dawn broke.” The contest lasts for hours on end. They grapple with each other,6 casting up dust7 all the way up to the divine throne.8 The angel realizes that he cannot overpower Jacob, so he “touches [Jacob’s] thigh” and dislocates it.
As dawn breaks, Esau’s angel must join his colleagues to sing to their Creator. The angel tries to disentangle himself from Jacob but cannot do so. He is forced to beg Jacob to let him go,9 to which Jacob agrees, but only on one condition: The angel must bless him and admit that the blessings Jacob received from Isaac indeed are rightfully his and not Esau’s.
The angel agrees, blesses Jacob, and even bestows upon him a new name, Israel. Among its meanings is that Jacob has received the blessings in a noble manner, rather than by fraud.10In commemoration of this episode, the Jewish people are forbidden to eat the gid ha-nasheh11 of an animal, which corresponds anatomically to Jacob’s injured nerve.12
The Epic Struggle
The commentaries13 point out that the fight described in this Parshah is the opening act of a battle that continues to this day between the Jewish people (represented by Jacob) and the enemy nations that seek its destruction (G‑d forbid). Indeed, throughout history many regimes have tried but failed to eradicate the Jewish people physically or spiritually; they may indeed be successful in “dislocating the hip joint,” damaging parts of Jewry, but the “body” as a whole remains intact. This struggle will finally come to an end with the “break of dawn,” the era of the final Redemption, when Jacob’s victory will be complete and definitive. “Jacob,” as the Torah goes on to describe, “arrived whole in Shechem,” and so will it be with his descendants: despite all of the humiliation, pain and torture, the Jewish people lives on eternally and will arrive “whole” at its, and the world’s, ultimate destination.
On a Personal Level
The Zohar14 describes Jacob’s battle with the angel as symbolic of man’s struggle with his darker side. As morning was approaching, the angel knew that he had to act fast, for soon the night—the time when he has power—would be gone, and he would be powerless. He therefore struck Jacob’s thigh, the place where the evil inclination rests. And there he was able to wound him. The Zohar teaches us that in every struggle, we are powerful and can overcome our evil urges if we so desire. There is only one place where the lust is so strong that even great men are powerless—the gid ha-nasheh. Its very name means “to forget,”15 because once it has been aroused, all rational thinking and religious scruples are left far behind. The only way to win that war is to stay far away in the first place, for once one is tempted, there is no knowing where things can lead. For this reason, the gid is not eaten at all, but utterly avoided.16 It's why we don't eat a steak, unless it has had the artery taken out, for this is how we remember this lesson, part of the law of kashrut (kosher law) and this is because of the biblical prohibition of eating blood, all blood must be promptly removed from the carcass. All large arteries and veins are removed, as well as any bruised meat or coagulated blood.. Gid Hanasheh (Hebrew: גִּיד הַנָּשֶׁה), often translated as "displaced tendon," is the term for sciatic nerve in Judaism. It may not be eaten by Jews according to Halacha (Jewish Law). The laws regarding the prohibition of gid hanasheh are found in Tractate Chullin, chapter 7.
Along his journey Jacob received a special revelation from God; God promised Jacob lands and numerous offspring that would prove to be the blessing of the entire Earth. Jacob named the place where he received his vision Bethel (“House of God”) He returned with gifts, finding Esau receiving him affectionately now.
The story goes on with Esau being identified with Edom.(Idumea) Edom is a country in SE Eretz Yisrael, also called Mt. Seir. It lies south of the Dead Sea and bordered on the Red Sea at Elath and Ezion Geber. The Edomites were of Semitic origin, traditionally descendants of Esau, and lived by hunting. They had dispossessed the Horites of Seir and lived as a tribe with a chieftain called a allooph, later having a king. The Edomites were traditional enemies of the Israelites; they fought King Saul and were defeated by David who partly annexed their land. They had independence during the reign of king Jehoram, but wars between the 2 states were frequent.
In the 8th century BCE, they became vassals of Assyria. At the time of the destruction of the 1st Temple, they plundered and looted along with the Babylonians, and were driven out from Seir by the Nabateans, so occupied southern Judah during or after their period of Exile. The Edomites were conquered by John Hyrcannus for forcibly converted them to Judaism, and from then on they were a part of the Jewish people. Herod was one of their descendants. During Titus' siege of Jerusalem, they marched in to reinforce the extreme elements, killing all they suspected of peace tendencies.
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| Isaac the peacemaker |
In his old age, his sight failed, and this allowed Jacob instead of Esau to obtain his blessing. This happens to most seniors, but one can remember that Leah, his mother, had weak eyes as a young adult.
According to tradition, he introduced the afternoon prayer that is called the mihah service.
Descendants of Terah and 6 generations:
1 Terah b: in 1883 BCE-Ur of Chaldees, Sumeria, Mesopotamia Iraq d: 2083 in Haran in the year 2083 BCE Age at death: ?
. 2 [5] Abram-Abraham b: 1948 in Ur of the Chalees in 2nd millennium d: in Hebron
..... +[13] Sarai-Sarah b: in Ur of Chaldees d: in Kiriath-arba Hebron, Canaan m: in Haran m: in Haran
..... 3 [9] Isaac ben Abraham b: 2048 in Negev
......... +[8] Rebekah bat Bethuel b: in Aram
......... 4 [4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147
............. +[6] Leah b: in Aram m: in Haran
............. 5 [14] Reuben
............. 5 [15] Simeon
............. 5 [16] Levi
................. +[17] Milkah
................. 6 Jochebed
..................... +Amram
................. 6 Gershon
................. 6 Kohath
................. 6 Merari
............. 5 [2] Judah
................. +[18] Daughter of Shua
................. 6 kinsman of Naomi Boaz b: in Bethlehem
..................... +RUTH of Royalty b: in Moab d: in Bethlehem
................. 6 Hur
................. 6 Er d: in Evil, died young
..................... +[1] Tamar b: in didn't get pregnant, till by Judah, her father in law
................. 6 Onan d: in did evil, would not get brother's wife pregnant
..................... +[1] Tamar b: in didn't get pregnant, till by Judah, her father in law
................. 6 Shelah b: in Chezib
............. *2nd Wife of [2] Judah:
................. +[19] Canaanite Woman
................. 6 Er
..................... +[3] Tamar
................. 6 Onan
..................... +[3] Tamar
................. 6 Shelah b: in Chezib
............. *3rd Wife of [2] Judah:
................. +[3] Tamar
................. 6 Perez
................. 6 Zerah
............. 5 [20] Issachar
............. 5 [21] Zebulun
................. 6 Helon
............. 5 [22] Dinah
......... *2nd Wife of [4] Jacob-Israel:
............. +[7] Rachel m: in Haran m: in Haran
............. 5 [23] Joseph b: in Canaan, 18th-16th centuries BCE? Hyksos period (2500-1587 BCE) d: in age 110
................. +[24] Asenath b: in Egypt
................. 6 Manasseh
................. 6 Ephraim
............. 5 [25] Benjamin
................. 6 Bela-Abiel
................. 6 Becher
................. 6 Ashbel
................. 6 Gera
................. 6 Naaman
................. 6 Ehi
................. 6 Rosh
................. 6 Muppim
................. 6 Huppim
................. 6 Ard
................. 6 Gideoni
......... *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
............. +[10] Bilhah
............. 5 [26] Dan
................. 6 Ahisamach b: in Tribe of Dan
................. 6 Ammishaddai
............. 5 [27] Naphtali
......... *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
............. +[11] Zilpah
............. 5 [28] Gad
............. 5 [29] Asher
................. 6 Serah
......... 4 [12] Esau
............. 5 [30] Mahalath
. *2nd Wife of [5] Abram-Abraham:
..... +Hagar
..... 3 Ishmael d: in Near Egypt towards Assyria
......... 4 Basemath
............. 5 Reuel
................. 6 Nahath
......... 4 Kedar
......... +1st wife
......... 4 Nehaioth Ishmael
......... 4 Kedar Ishmael
......... 4 Adbeel Ishmael
......... 4 Mibsam Ishmael
......... 4 Mishma Ishmael
......... 4 Dumah Ishmael
......... 4 Massa Ishmael
......... 4 Hadad Ishmael
......... 4 Terna Ishmael
......... 4 Jetur Ishmael
......... 4 Naphish Ishmael
......... 4 Kedem Ishmael
. *3rd Wife of [5] Abram-Abraham:
..... +Keturah
..... 3 Zimran ben Abram-Abraham
..... 3 Jokshan ben Abram-Abraham
..... 3 Medan ben Abram-Abraham
..... 3 Midian ben Abram-Abraham
..... 3 Ishbak ben Abram-Abraham
..... 3 Shuah ben Abram-Abraham
. 2 Haran b: in Ur of Chaldees d: Bef. 2083 in Ur of Chaldees Age at death: ?
..... 3 Lot
......... 4 Ammon
......... 4 Moab
......... 4 Daughter 1
......... 4 Daughter 2
..... 3 Iskah
..... 3 [32] Milcah b: in Ur of Chaldees d: in Haran
......... +[31] NAHOR II b: in Ur of Chaldees d: in Haran
......... 4 [33] Uz
......... 4 [34] Buz
......... 4 [35] Kemuel
............. 5 [36] Aram ben Kemuel
......... 4 [37] Chesed
......... 4 [38] Hazo
......... 4 [39] Pildash
......... 4 [40] Jidlaph
......... 4 [41] Bethuel Citizenship: Syrian
............. 5 [42] Laban
................. +[43] Adinahand
................. 6 [6] Leah b: in Aram
..................... +[4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147 m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. 6 [7] Rachel
..................... +[4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147 m: in Haran m: in Haran
............. 5 [8] Rebekah bat Bethuel b: in Aram
................. +[9] Isaac ben Abraham b: 2048 in Negev
................. 6 [4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147
..................... +[6] Leah b: in Aram m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. *2nd Wife of [4] Jacob-Israel:
..................... +[7] Rachel m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
..................... +[10] Bilhah
................. *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
..................... +[11] Zilpah
................. 6 [12] Esau
..... 3 [13] Sarai-Sarah b: in Ur of Chaldees d: in Kiriath-arba Hebron, Canaan
......... +[5] Abram-Abraham b: 1948 in Ur of the Chalees in 2nd millennium d: in Hebron m: in Haran m: in Haran
......... 4 [9] Isaac ben Abraham b: 2048 in Negev
............. +[8] Rebekah bat Bethuel b: in Aram
............. 5 [4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147
................. +[6] Leah b: in Aram m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. 6 [14] Reuben
................. 6 [15] Simeon
................. 6 [16] Levi
..................... +[17] Milkah
................. 6 [2] Judah
..................... +[18] Daughter of Shua
................. *2nd Wife of [2] Judah:
..................... +[19] Canaanite Woman
................. *3rd Wife of [2] Judah:
..................... +[3] Tamar
................. 6 [20] Issachar
................. 6 [21] Zebulun
................. 6 [22] Dinah
............. *2nd Wife of [4] Jacob-Israel:
................. +[7] Rachel m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. 6 [23] Joseph b: in Canaan, 18th-16th centuries BCE? Hyksos period (2500-1587 BCE) d: in age 110
..................... +[24] Asenath b: in Egypt
................. 6 [25] Benjamin
............. *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
................. +[10] Bilhah
................. 6 [26] Dan
................. 6 [27] Naphtali
............. *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
................. +[11] Zilpah
................. 6 [28] Gad
................. 6 [29] Asher
............. 5 [12] Esau
................. 6 [30] Mahalath
. 2 [31] NAHOR II b: in Ur of Chaldees d: in Haran
..... +[32] Milcah b: in Ur of Chaldees d: in Haran
..... 3 [33] Uz
..... 3 [34] Buz
..... 3 [35] Kemuel
......... 4 [36] Aram ben Kemuel
..... 3 [37] Chesed
..... 3 [38] Hazo
..... 3 [39] Pildash
..... 3 [40] Jidlaph
..... 3 [41] Bethuel Citizenship: Syrian
......... 4 [42] Laban
............. +[43] Adinahand
............. 5 [6] Leah b: in Aram
................. +[4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147 m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. 6 [14] Reuben
................. 6 [15] Simeon
................. 6 [16] Levi
..................... +[17] Milkah
................. 6 [2] Judah
..................... +[18] Daughter of Shua
................. *2nd Wife of [2] Judah:
..................... +[19] Canaanite Woman
................. *3rd Wife of [2] Judah:
..................... +[3] Tamar
................. 6 [20] Issachar
................. 6 [21] Zebulun
................. 6 [22] Dinah
............. 5 [7] Rachel
................. +[4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147 m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. 6 [23] Joseph b: in Canaan, 18th-16th centuries BCE? Hyksos period (2500-1587 BCE) d: in age 110
..................... +[24] Asenath b: in Egypt
................. 6 [25] Benjamin
......... 4 [8] Rebekah bat Bethuel b: in Aram
............. +[9] Isaac ben Abraham b: 2048 in Negev
............. 5 [4] Jacob-Israel d: in Goshen, E. Egypt age 147
................. +[6] Leah b: in Aram m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. 6 [14] Reuben
................. 6 [15] Simeon
................. 6 [16] Levi
..................... +[17] Milkah
................. 6 [2] Judah
..................... +[18] Daughter of Shua
................. *2nd Wife of [2] Judah:
..................... +[19] Canaanite Woman
................. *3rd Wife of [2] Judah:
..................... +[3] Tamar
................. 6 [20] Issachar
................. 6 [21] Zebulun
................. 6 [22] Dinah
............. *2nd Wife of [4] Jacob-Israel:
................. +[7] Rachel m: in Haran m: in Haran
................. 6 [23] Joseph b: in Canaan, 18th-16th centuries BCE? Hyksos period (2500-1587 BCE) d: in age 110
..................... +[24] Asenath b: in Egypt
................. 6 [25] Benjamin
............. *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
................. +[10] Bilhah
................. 6 [26] Dan
................. 6 [27] Naphtali
............. *Friend of [4] Jacob-Israel:
................. +[11] Zilpah
................. 6 [28] Gad
................. 6 [29] Asher
............. 5 [12] Esau
................. 6 [30] Mahalath
. *Friend of [31] NAHOR II:
..... +Reumah the Concubine
..... 3 Tebah ben NAHOR II
..... 3 Gaham ben NAHOR II
..... 3 Tahash ben NAHOR II
..... 3 Maacah ben NAHOR II
Resource: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacob-Hebrew-patriarch
Tanakh, The Stone Edition
My genealogy tree research from Tanakh
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
https://unitedwithisrael.org/mercenaries-arrowheads-reveal-holy-land-invasion-during-1st-temple-era-say-israeli-researchers/ from Victor Sharpe
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2389625/jewish/Jacob-Wrestles-With-the-Angel.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gid_hanasheh
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gid_hanasheh
Labels: Abraham, Akedah;, Aramean, Edom, Esau, Isaac, Israel, Jacob, Rachel, Rebekah
