Parshas Lech Lecho 5776

Moreh and Mamre

The Torah writes (Genesis 12:6):

And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto the terebinth of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land

The Radak (ibid) explains that this belonged to Moreh:

מורה, according to Onkelos this is the name of an individual, just as כנעני. אלון is the name of a plain, this plain bearing the name of a man known as מורה.

The Ibn Ezra (ibid) writes that this could have been Mamre:

Some says that this is Mamre, a member of the covenant of Abraham. However, it would be more logical that this was a name of place

The problem bothering Ibn Ezra is clear from what the Torah writes (Genesis 13:18), placing Mamre in Hebron (see also Ramban and Shadal on Genesis 12:16):

And Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt by the terebinths of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.

The Ramban (Genesis 12:6) disagrees:

And you should know that all places where it says "Elonei Mamre", the name "Mamre" refers to an Emorite who owned this place ... all "Alon Moreh" and "Elonei Moreh" are a place called after the name of a man named Moreh

(see also Shadal ibid)

Nimrod and Amraphel

The Torah writes (Genesis 14:1):

And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,

Rashi (ibid) explains:

Amraphel - that is Nimrod who told Abraham to fall into a fiery oven ("אמר פל")

(see also Targum Pseudo-Jonathan ibid)

Rashi's source is the Talmud (Erubin 53a):

Rav and Shmuel disagree. One is of opinion that Nimrod was his real name, and he was called Amraphel because he told Abraham our father to fall into a fiery oven. The other is of the opinion that Amraphel was his real name, and he was called Nimrod because he caused the entire world to rebel [against G-d] through his kingdom

The Mizrachi (ibid) cites another proof connecting Amraphel and Nimrod:

For it says "the beginning of his kingdom was Babel in the land of Shinar" and here it says "and it was in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar"

The Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 41:4) writes that he had three names:

He had three names: Cush, Numrod and Amraphel

He was killed by Abraham (Genesis 14:17):

And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, at the vale of Shaveh—the same is the King’s Vale.

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (24) disagrees and writes that Esau killed him:

Rabbi said: Esau the brother of Jacob saw the garments that G-d made for Adam and Eve while Nimrod was wearing them, and he wanted them in his heart. He killed Nimrod and took them from him.

(see our earlier post citing opinions that Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, was actually the son of Nimrod; or that he was the servant of Nimrod and also Og)

(see also Sefer Mayim Rabim, pp. 94 for a more extensive discussion on Nimrod)

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