Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Parshas Vayechi 5776

Who is the Emorite that Jacob Conquered?

The Torah writes (Genesis 48:22):
Moreover I have given to thee one aportion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.’
Rashi (ibid) explains:
From Esau who behaved like an Emorite or who entrapped Issac with the sayings of his mouth
Sefer leMakesei Atik cites an opinion that this was Shechem son of Hamor

Radak (ibid) explains this referring to the future:
as if the Torah had written this in the future tense, i.e. “which I am going to take from the Emorite.” It is quite common for the past tense to be employed instead of the future tense. When reporting prophecies, Scripture very frequently resorts to describing something in the future as if it had already taken place.
Ramban (ibid) explains more specifically:
For the Jews will take the land first from the Emorites for Sihon and Og, the two kings, were Emorites and the first great war when conquering the land was the sons of Joseph with the Emorites

When did Esau Die?

The Torah (Genesis 50:13) writes:
For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field, for a possession of a burying-place, of Ephron the Hittite, in front of Mamre.
The Talmud (Sotah 13a) writes that Esau was killed by Chushim son of Dan, on the day of Jacob's burial

Midrash Shocher Tov (18:132) says that Esau died on the day of Isaac's burial and was killed by Judah:
Judah followed Esau [into the cave by Isaac's funeral] in order to protect his father [Jacob] let Esau tries to kill him. He came in and saw Esau attacking his father and he immediately killed him from the back. Why did he not kill him from the front? Because the facial appearance of Esau was similar to Jacob
Sefer Mayim Rabim cites a third opinion, that Esau died during a war against Jacob and his sons the year Leah passed away

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