{"id":37218,"date":"2018-07-09T18:49:53","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T15:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wall\/wall-20\/"},"modified":"2022-03-02T22:47:43","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T20:47:43","slug":"wall-20","status":"publish","type":"wall","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wall\/wall-20\/","title":{"rendered":"chapter-Torah-Genesis-20"},"parent":0,"template":"","acf":{"type":"chapter","wall_id":"20","date":"20250925","book":"Genesis","chapter":"20","chapter_main_number":"20","books_group":"Torah","hide_acf":true,"home_image":false,"home_posts":false,"posts":[{"order":1,"id":"39803","color":"#faeed8","size":"1","name":"Genesis 20 - Judy Hammond ","post_title":"Genesis 20 - Judy Hammond","slug":"genesis-20-judy-hammond","old_id":"39803","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34686,"post_title":"Soundcloud","slug":"soundcloud","old_id":"34686","first_name":"","last_name":"","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34656,"alt":"","title":"491","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","width":300,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium_large-width":300,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","large-width":300,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","1536x1536-width":300,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","2048x2048-width":300,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","post_full_size-width":300,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","home_baner-width":300,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"20","type_929":"4","show_author_image":true,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"The Audio Bible","tile_main_caption":"Genesis 20","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"read by Judy Hammond","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":"","tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/929-bible\/genesis-chapter-20-read-by-judy-hammond","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"20","chapter_main_number":"20","date":"20250925","wall_id":"20"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":2,"id":"102539","color":"#f7e9e9","size":"1","name":"The Realpolitik of Lying ","post_title":"The Realpolitik of Lying","slug":"the-realpolitik-of-lying","old_id":"102539","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":62571,"post_title":"Yaakov Bieler","slug":"yaakov-bieler","old_id":"62571","first_name":"Yaakov ","last_name":"Bieler ","description":"Rabbi Yaakov Bieler has been involved in Jewish education and the synagogue Rabbinate in New York, NY and Silver Spring, MD since being ordained by Yeshiva University in 1974. He has lectured and written extensively on Modern Orthodoxy, and blogs daily at https:\/\/yaakovbieler.wordpress.com ","short_description":"Rabbi Yaakov Bieler has been involved in Jewish education and the synagogue Rabbinate in New York, NY and Silver Spring, MD since being ordained by Yeshiva University. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":62572,"alt":"","title":"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","width":141,"height":180,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler-141x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":141,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","medium-width":141,"medium-height":180,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","medium_large-width":141,"medium_large-height":180,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","large-width":141,"large-height":180,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","1536x1536-width":141,"1536x1536-height":180,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","2048x2048-width":141,"2048x2048-height":180,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","post_full_size-width":141,"post_full_size-height":180,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/yaakov-bieler.jpg","home_baner-width":141,"home_baner-height":180}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"20","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Abraham sacrificed the truth, rather than himself or his wife\u00a0\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

In Genesis 20, upon being asked by the king of Gerar why he and Sarah had stated that they were brother and sister rather than husband and wife, Abraham pointedly replied: \u201cI thought,\u201d said Abraham, \u201csurely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife\u201d (verse 11).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Apparently, Abraham expected to encounter \u201cfear of God\u201d even among the Philistines, even though he had made it his task to inform people of God\u2019s existence in the first place! (see 12:8 and 13:4).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Similar questions can be posed regarding: 1) Joseph\u2019s claim while still in the guise of an Egyptian administrator: \u201cDo this and you shall live, for I am a God-fearing man\u201d (Gen. 2:18); and 2) the Egyptian midwives, Shifrah and Puah, described objectively in the bible: \u201cAnd because the midwives feared God\u201d (Ex. 1:21).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

One must conclude that there is a fundamental difference between <\/span>fearing<\/span><\/em> God, and <\/span>believing<\/span><\/em> in God. The former is a reference to universal basic morality, as opposed to a specific particularistic theological stance, represented by the latter. Therefore, it was unremarkable for Egyptian leaders and midwives to express publicly or have expressed on their behalf, that they are loath to engage in vicarious incarceration leading to the death of an elder, let alone murder. Abraham similarly had an expectation that the treatment he would receive at the hands of the general populace of Gerar would be fair and respectful. However, once he was given indications, albeit subtle, that this particular society was severely lacking in moral sensitivity, he sought to protect himself.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Rashi on Genesis 20:11 explains that when Abraham and Sarah arrived in Gerar, the fact that inquiries were immediately made regarding Sarah\u2019s status, rather than how the couple would be provided with hospitality, gave Abraham significant pause.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The first time that Abraham and Sarah fabricated a falsehood concerning their relationship (Gen. 12:11 ff.) was based upon the anticipation of a racial divide between the inhabitants of Egypt, descendants of Ham, and Abraham\u2019s family, descendants of Shem. While it was still reasonable for Abraham and Sarah to expect proper treatment even in Egypt, Egyptian society as a whole had a particularly lascivious reputation (see Lev.18:3 ff.), and therefore they agreed to misrepresent their true connection even before coming to Egypt.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Immanuel Kant made much of <\/span>never<\/em> <\/span>telling a falsehood, regardless of what was at stake, writing: \u201cBut a lie is a lie, and in itself intrinsically evil, whether it be told with good or bad intents\u201d (<\/span>Lectures on Ethics<\/span><\/em>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Judaism, however, takes a position much more dependent upon \u201crealpolitik,\u201d making the acceptability or heinousness of not telling the truth, as in the cases of the forefathers and foremothers, Abraham and Sarah, and Isaac and Rebecca (Genesis 26:7) functions of what might be at stake. Saving a life certainly qualifies as a context where truth can or even should be sacrificed.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":52333,"alt":"","title":"dt32-truth","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth.jpg","width":1920,"height":603,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth-300x94.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":94,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth-768x241.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":241,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth-1024x322.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":322,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":482,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":603,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth-1200x377.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":377,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth-1337x420.jpg","home_baner-width":1337,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"The Realpolitik of Lying","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Abraham sacrificed the truth, rather than himself or his wife\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":52333,"alt":"","title":"dt32-truth","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth.jpg","width":1920,"height":603,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth-300x94.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":94,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth-768x241.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":241,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth-1024x322.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":322,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":482,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":603,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth-1200x377.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":377,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-truth-1337x420.jpg","home_baner-width":1337,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"20","chapter_main_number":"20","date":"20250925","wall_id":"20"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"418","name":"Abraham","old_id":"818"},{"term_id":"463","name":"Truth","old_id":"863"}]},{"order":3,"id":"102541","color":"#f7e9e9","size":"1","name":"Sister Act II ","post_title":"Sister Act II","slug":"sister-act-ii","old_id":"102541","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":78133,"post_title":"Josh Blechner","slug":"josh-blechner","old_id":"78133","first_name":"Josh ","last_name":"Blechner ","description":"Josh first finished the Tanach during Yeshiva in Mevaseret Zion. He and his daughter studied the Tanach again for her bat mitzvah. Josh has taught many classes on Tanach throughout the years and currently in the New Rochelle 929 group. When not studying for 929, Josh works as an in-house lawyer in New Jersey.","short_description":"Josh has taught many classes on Tanach throughout the years and currently in the New Rochelle 929 group, and is an in-house attorney in New Jersey. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":78134,"alt":"","title":"josh blechner","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","width":276,"height":351,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner-236x300.jpg","medium-width":236,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","medium_large-width":276,"medium_large-height":351,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","large-width":276,"large-height":351,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","1536x1536-width":276,"1536x1536-height":351,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","2048x2048-width":276,"2048x2048-height":351,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","post_full_size-width":276,"post_full_size-height":351,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","home_baner-width":276,"home_baner-height":351}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"20","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Abraham does it again: It\u2019s the same story, only different\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Once again, as in chapter 12, Abraham hides the fact that Sarah is his wife. This time, he tells Abimelech, a king of a southern city-state of Gerar, that Sarah is his sister. There are several differences between the two stories. The major difference, however, is that God has a much more active role in this chapter. Whereas Pharaoh has no direct contact, God appears to Abimelech in a dream. God plays a more active role in this story because it takes place in the land of Canaan- \u201cthe land that I will show you.\u201d When Abraham left for Egypt, God withdrew to the shadows. In Canaan, God takes center stage to protect Abraham.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

There is also a bit of clever word play connecting the two chapters. In chapter 12, we are told that the servants of Pharaoh were enchanted by Sarah\u2019s beauty and brought her to the King: \u201cWhen Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw (\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05a4\u05d5\u05bc- v<\/em><\/span>ayir\u2019u<\/span><\/em>) that she was very (\u05de\u05b0\u05d0\u05b9\u05bd\u05d3- <\/span>me\u2019od<\/span><\/em>) beautiful\u201d (12:14).\u00a0 In this chapter, after Abimelech\u2019s dream, the servants are terrified. \u201cEarly next morning, Abimelech called his servants and told them all that had happened; and they were greatly frightened\u201d (\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b4\u05bd\u05d9\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05a5\u05d5\u05bc \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b2\u05e0\u05b8\u05e9\u05c1\u05b4\u0596\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05b0\u05d0\u05b9\u05bd\u05d3- v<\/em><\/span>ayyir\u2019u me\u2019od<\/span><\/em>). The text uses the homophones of \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05a4\u05d5\u05bc- v<\/em><\/span>ayir\u2019u<\/span><\/em>- \u201cthey saw\u201d and \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b4\u05bd\u05d9\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05a5\u05d5\u05bc- <\/span>v\u2019ayyir\u2019u<\/span><\/em>- \u201cthey were afraid\u201d combined with <\/span>me\u2019od<\/em> <\/span>to link the actions of the two sets of servants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Perhaps it was the righteous reaction of the servants of Abimelech as opposed to those of Pharaoh that saved their people from pain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

image:\u00a0Abimelech, King of Gerar, Restores Sarah to Abraham by Isaac Isaacsz, 1640 \/ useum<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":102542,"alt":"","title":"-621df03bda407--621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg.jpg","width":2500,"height":1857,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg-300x223.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":223,"medium_large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg-768x570.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":570,"large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg-1024x761.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":761,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1141,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1521,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg-1200x891.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":891,"home_baner":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg-565x420.jpg","home_baner-width":565,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Sister Act II","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Abraham does it again: It\u2019s the same story, only different","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":102542,"alt":"","title":"-621df03bda407--621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg.jpg","width":2500,"height":1857,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg-300x223.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":223,"medium_large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg-768x570.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":570,"large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg-1024x761.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":761,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1141,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1521,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg-1200x891.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":891,"home_baner":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/03\/621df03bda407-621df03bda408gen20-abimelech-king-of-gerar-restores-sarah-to-abraham-isaac-isaacsz-.jpg-565x420.jpg","home_baner-width":565,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"20","chapter_main_number":"20","date":"20250925","wall_id":"20"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"418","name":"Abraham","old_id":"818"},{"term_id":"463","name":"Truth","old_id":"863"}]},{"order":4,"id":"102536","color":"#f7e9e9","size":"1","name":"The 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\"And Abraham said, 'Because I thought that surely there is no fear of God in this place \u2026.\"<\/em>
\r\n(Genesis 20:11)
\r\n
\r\nIf the fear of God is water in a flood,
\r\nWith tidal waves in seas which swell and surge,
\r\nThen wash away my soul's sediments and mud,
\r\nWhile overflowing rivers cleanse and purge \u2014
\r\n
\r\nIf the fear of God is fire that burns away
\r\nThe dry and feeble straw inside my soul;
\r\nA flame that scorches whims which let me stray
\r\nOn parched and arid hills where jackals stroll \u2014
\r\n
\r\nIf the fear of God is wind in tempest-storms
\r\nWhich sweeps away those fallen autumn leaves
\r\nThat cover barren soil, and then transforms
\r\nMy barren soul to a field with many sheaves \u2014<\/p>\r\n

Let wind and water come, let fire shine;
\r\nThey bring God's goblet filled with Sabbath wine.<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":102537,"alt":"","title":"-621dec91e49f9--621dec91e49fbgen20-field burn 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\u201cI thought: There is no fear of God in this place at all.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>(Genesis 20:11)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n

As we sift through the news of the day, we put people, neighborhoods, and even entire countries into categories \u2013 good guys, bad guys. \u00a0It\u2019s probably a survival mechanism.<\/span> Over millennia, the Jewish People has developed a heightened ability to recognize cruelty-on-the-rise. \u00a0We are said to be the canary in the coalmine, the conscience for humanity, a \u201cfence for the world.\u201d When we sense something is wrong, it often is. \u00a0But not always. Not every fear is fact. Abraham learns this the hard way. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

When Abraham and Sarah approach the border to Gerar, a \u201cstrange\u201d territory, where they feel themselves to be \u201cstrangers,\u201d as they had been in Egypt, Abraham presumes he is entering into another Godless place. \u00a0He falls back on the \u201cshe\u2019s-my-sister\u201d gambit, which saved him from Pharaoh. But here he misjudges Abimelech and his entire kingdom. Abraham\u2019s sixth sense was in overdrive. His cynicism got the best of him and did more harm than good.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

When Abimelech confronts Abraham, asking: \u201cWhy did you do this?\u201d Abraham answers: \u201cI thought: There is no fear of God in this place at all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But Abimelech\u2019s very name means \u201cMy Father\/God is Ruler.\u201d \u00a0Verses 3, 6 and 7 reveal he is indeed God-fearing and deserving of God\u2019s attention.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

It is a dangerous world. \u00a0There is corruption, callousness, and crime. \u00a0Yet most people are good. Most people, even under duress, are God-fearing. \u00a0We ought to be on guard, but never cynical.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

God is training Abraham in the ways of justice. \u00a0Chapter 20 concludes with Abraham praying for Abimelech. \u00a0He recognizes that he alone is responsible for bringing \u201cgreat guilt\u201d upon Abimelech and his kingdom. \u00a0By the time he reaches Sodom, our patriarch is ready to defend its inhabitants, to reinforce the righteous among them. \u00a0Taken together, these chapters come to teach that God is the True Judge, while our task is to defend the best of humanity, to trust there is always good to be found. \u00a0To believe otherwise, it seems, is an affront to God, <\/span>Yotzer HaAdam<\/span><\/em>,<\/span><\/i> Sculptor of Humankind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

image: Wenceslas Hollar - Abimelech rebuking Abraham, c. 1650 \/ 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Birth of Jewish Continuity ","post_title":"The Birth of Jewish Continuity","slug":"the-birth-of-jewish-continuity","old_id":"37234","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33859,"post_title":"Avidan Freedman","slug":"avidan-freedman","old_id":"33859","first_name":"Avidan","last_name":"Freedman","description":"Rabbi Avidan Freedman is the Rabbi of Hevruta, the Shalom Hartman Institute's post high school program for Israelis and North Americans, and an educator in the institute's high school. He is an activist advocating for moral limits on Israeli arms exports, and on behalf of African refugees, and a proud husband and father of 5. He received his rabbinical ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in New York, and from the Israeli chief rabbinate.","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Rabbi Avidan Freedman is the Rabbi of Hevruta, the Shalom Hartman Institute's post high school program for Israelis and North Americans, and an educator in the institute's high school. ","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33860,"alt":"Avidan Freedman","title":"Avidan Freedman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365.jpg","width":856,"height":1024,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-251x300.jpg","medium-width":251,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-768x919.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":919,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-856x1024.jpg","large-width":856,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365.jpg","1536x1536-width":856,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365.jpg","2048x2048-width":856,"2048x2048-height":1024,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-800x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Avidan-Freedman-e1532029306365-351x420.jpg","home_baner-width":351,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"20","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Jewish continuity can also be ensured by turning outwards and beyond ourselves","post_main_content_content":"

A mundane story of misunderstandings seems to hold the key to Jewish continuity. God promised Abraham the child who will continue his mission a full five chapters ago. So what's the hold up? <\/span><\/p>\r\n

The rabbis have a fascinating insight. The birth of Isaac is immediately preceded by chapter 20's story of the encounter with Abimelech, reminiscent of the story with Pharaoh in chapter 12, but with some significant differences. Most striking, perhaps, is that in chapter 12, people speak to each other, but there is no real conversation. Abraham speaks to Sarah, Pharaoh to Abraham, but we never hear any response. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

In Chapter 20, on the other hand, there is real dialogue. God warns Abimelech, Abimelech responds with his own criticism, and God explains Himself. Abimelech criticizes Abraham, but also questions him, and Abraham responds. The dialogue begins harshly, but gradually softens, culminating with Abraham turning in prayer to God on behalf of Abimelech and his family. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

The midrash teaches suggests that it was this prayer, this ability to empathize with the suffering of an Other, and even one who caused great anguish, is what opens the door for Abraham and Sarah's own prayers for a child to be answered. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

We often feel that the key to Jewish continuity needs to be a turn inwards, and even a certain closing off from the outside, and certainly there is truth and wisdom in this stance. But Abraham teaches us that, paradoxically, Jewish continuity can also be ensured by the confidence and faith that it takes to transcend our own needs and to turn outwards and beyond ourselves in prayer and action. <\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":52336,"alt":"","title":"dt32-chain","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain.jpg","width":1920,"height":1002,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain-300x157.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":157,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain-768x401.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":401,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain-1024x534.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":534,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":802,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1002,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain-1200x626.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":626,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain-805x420.jpg","home_baner-width":805,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"

Isaac Isaacsz, Pharaoh Returns Sarah to Abraham (Abimelech, King of Gerar, Restores Sarah to Abraham), 1640. Oil on canvas, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Accessed at: https:\/\/www.bibleodyssey.org\/en\/tools\/image-gallery\/a\/abraham-sarah-pharaoh<\/p>","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"The Birth of Jewish Continuity","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Jewish continuity can also be ensured by turning outwards and beyond ourselves","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":52336,"alt":"","title":"dt32-chain","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain.jpg","width":1920,"height":1002,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain-300x157.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":157,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain-768x401.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":401,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain-1024x534.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":534,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":802,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1002,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain-1200x626.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":626,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt32-chain-805x420.jpg","home_baner-width":805,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"Isaac Isaacsz, Pharaoh Returns Sarah to Abraham (Abimelech, King of Gerar, Restores Sarah to Abraham), 1640. 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","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":35832,"alt":"","title":"Ruth Fogelman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman-.jpg","width":969,"height":973,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman--150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman--300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman--768x771.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":771,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman-.jpg","large-width":969,"large-height":973,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman-.jpg","1536x1536-width":969,"1536x1536-height":973,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman-.jpg","2048x2048-width":969,"2048x2048-height":973,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman-.jpg","post_full_size-width":969,"post_full_size-height":973,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ruth-Fogelman--418x420.jpg","home_baner-width":418,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"20","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Will my husband Abraham, Who vanquished five kings, Save me from this king?","post_main_content_content":"

Shall I tell Avimelech<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I am old enough<\/span><\/p>\r\n

To be his grandmother?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Is a woman never too old<\/span><\/p>\r\n

To be seized for a king\u2019s bed?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Awake, my stomach churns;<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Will my husband, Abraham,<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Who vanquished five kings<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Save me from this king?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The royal officers captured me<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And brought me to their king.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cThis is my sister,\u201d Abraham told the officers,<\/span><\/p>\r\n

As he had said at Egypt\u2019s gates.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

(How I hate that line!)<\/span><\/p>\r\n

If we\u2019re still playing the game<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cShe\u2019s My Sister,\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Why did he bother<\/span><\/p>\r\n

To change my name?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Avimelech groans, tosses in his sleep<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And turns away,<\/span><\/p>\r\n

His breath no longer on my neck.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I lie awake<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And through the window watch<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The flat land melt<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Into the moonless night.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

from Ruth Fogelman <\/span><\/i>Cradled in God's Arms<\/span><\/p>\r\n

image:\u00a0Sara by Matteus Stom, 1630 (detail) \/ wikipedia<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":102550,"alt":"","title":"-621dfae58e721--621dfae58e722gen20-Sara and Hagar - Matteus_Stom_1630.JPG","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/621dfae58e721-621dfae58e722gen20-Sara-and-Hagar-Matteus_Stom_1630.JPG.jpg","width":537,"height":650,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/621dfae58e721-621dfae58e722gen20-Sara-and-Hagar-Matteus_Stom_1630.JPG-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/621dfae58e721-621dfae58e722gen20-Sara-and-Hagar-Matteus_Stom_1630.JPG-248x300.jpg","medium-width":248,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/621dfae58e721-621dfae58e722gen20-Sara-and-Hagar-Matteus_Stom_1630.JPG.jpg","medium_large-width":537,"medium_large-height":650,"large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/621dfae58e721-621dfae58e722gen20-Sara-and-Hagar-Matteus_Stom_1630.JPG.jpg","large-width":537,"large-height":650,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/621dfae58e721-621dfae58e722gen20-Sara-and-Hagar-Matteus_Stom_1630.JPG.jpg","1536x1536-width":537,"1536x1536-height":650,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/621dfae58e721-621dfae58e722gen20-Sara-and-Hagar-Matteus_Stom_1630.JPG.jpg","2048x2048-width":537,"2048x2048-height":650,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/621dfae58e721-621dfae58e722gen20-Sara-and-Hagar-Matteus_Stom_1630.JPG.jpg","post_full_size-width":537,"post_full_size-height":650,"home_baner":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/621dfae58e721-621dfae58e722gen20-Sara-and-Hagar-Matteus_Stom_1630.JPG-347x420.jpg","home_baner-width":347,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"929 Poetry Corner","tile_main_caption":"Sarah in Gerar","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Will my husband Abraham, Who vanquished five kings, Save me from this king?","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":102550,"alt":"","title":"-621dfae58e721--621dfae58e722gen20-Sara and Hagar - 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","post_title":"What Was I Supposed To Do?","slug":"what-was-i-supposed-to-do","old_id":"37246","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34235,"post_title":"Marc Gitler","slug":"marc-gitler","old_id":"34235","first_name":"Marc","last_name":"Gitler","description":"Rabbi Marc Gitler, a recipient of the Wexner Fellowship, was ordained at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, and earned an MPA from NYU . The founder of Fast for Feast, he lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife Sarah and their four children. He used to work for 929 North America.\r\n","short_description":"Rabbi Marc Gitler, founder of Fast for Feast, lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife Sarah and their four children. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34236,"alt":"","title":"Marc Gitler","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Gitler.jpg","width":407,"height":407,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Gitler-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Gitler-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Gitler.jpg","medium_large-width":407,"medium_large-height":407,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Gitler.jpg","large-width":407,"large-height":407,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Gitler.jpg","1536x1536-width":407,"1536x1536-height":407,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Gitler.jpg","2048x2048-width":407,"2048x2048-height":407,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Gitler.jpg","post_full_size-width":407,"post_full_size-height":407,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Gitler.jpg","home_baner-width":407,"home_baner-height":407}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"20","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"When you are homeless and stateless, you can\u2019t and don\u2019t trust the rules","post_main_content_content":"

What was I supposed to tell him?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

That I live in the liminal space. That I was, as the opening verbose verse of the chapter reveals, \u201c<\/span>between<\/b> Kadesh and <\/span>between<\/b> Shur,\u201d not home in either, not even simply between Kadesh and Shur. That I live in between God\u2019s promise of \u201cthe entire land that you see will be yours,\u201d and the reality of my continued wandering. That I reside between the struggle of two women, my beloved wife and the mother of my child Ishmael. That I am stuck between the hope that my beloved Ishmael will succeed me in this covenant with God, and between God\u2019s word that Sarah will birth Isaac, and that the covenant will remain only with him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

What was I supposed to say? What was I supposed to do?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

When you are in that liminal space that you do what you must to stay alive. When you are a wanderer, homeless and stateless, that you can\u2019t and don\u2019t trust the rules. You can\u2019t believe the government officials who come and question you. \u00a0You bend the truth, concocting the best story that you can to keep everyone alive, and then hope and pray that your family will be reunited. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Why wouldn\u2019t <\/span>we<\/b> say that we are siblings?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And to you dear reader, who is questioning my chivalry, wondering why I repeated this error, asking how I put my beloved Sarah in danger again, just remember that old habits die hard. That when we are threatened, we revert, and repeat our mistakes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Feel free to judge me harshly. Employ F. Scott Fitzgerald\u2019s words \u201cshow me a hero and I will write you a tragedy,\u201d but my family is back together. The tension remains, doubts still exist, but we are living safely and securely, a little closer to realizing God\u2019s promises. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":102329,"alt":"","title":"-6214ed79eac79--6214ed79eac7agen14-genesis-abraham-intercedes-for-sodom.jpeg","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/6214ed79eac79-6214ed79eac7agen14-genesis-abraham-intercedes-for-sodom.jpeg.jpeg","width":442,"height":351,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/6214ed79eac79-6214ed79eac7agen14-genesis-abraham-intercedes-for-sodom.jpeg-150x150.jpeg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/6214ed79eac79-6214ed79eac7agen14-genesis-abraham-intercedes-for-sodom.jpeg-300x238.jpeg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":238,"medium_large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/6214ed79eac79-6214ed79eac7agen14-genesis-abraham-intercedes-for-sodom.jpeg.jpeg","medium_large-width":442,"medium_large-height":351,"large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/6214ed79eac79-6214ed79eac7agen14-genesis-abraham-intercedes-for-sodom.jpeg.jpeg","large-width":442,"large-height":351,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/6214ed79eac79-6214ed79eac7agen14-genesis-abraham-intercedes-for-sodom.jpeg.jpeg","1536x1536-width":442,"1536x1536-height":351,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/6214ed79eac79-6214ed79eac7agen14-genesis-abraham-intercedes-for-sodom.jpeg.jpeg","2048x2048-width":442,"2048x2048-height":351,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/6214ed79eac79-6214ed79eac7agen14-genesis-abraham-intercedes-for-sodom.jpeg.jpeg","post_full_size-width":442,"post_full_size-height":351,"home_baner":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2018\/08\/6214ed79eac79-6214ed79eac7agen14-genesis-abraham-intercedes-for-sodom.jpeg.jpeg","home_baner-width":442,"home_baner-height":351}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"What 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He was a community rabbi for 10 years in Boulder, CO, and now serves as the Senior Jewish Educator at MIT Hillel. In his scarce free time, he has been developing the Alternadox platform as a clearinghouse for important and inspired ideas for the Jewish future. Hit him up at heyrabbi@gmail.com","short_description":"Gavriel Goldfeder serves as the Senior Jewish Educator at MIT Hillel. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":37135,"alt":"","title":"gavriel goldfeder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gavriel-goldfeder-e1533663038412.jpg","width":220,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gavriel-goldfeder-e1533663038412-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gavriel-goldfeder-e1533663038412-220x300.jpg","medium-width":220,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gavriel-goldfeder-e1533663038412.jpg","medium_large-width":220,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gavriel-goldfeder-e1533663038412.jpg","large-width":220,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gavriel-goldfeder-e1533663038412.jpg","1536x1536-width":220,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gavriel-goldfeder-e1533663038412.jpg","2048x2048-width":220,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gavriel-goldfeder-e1533663038412.jpg","post_full_size-width":220,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/gavriel-goldfeder-280x420.jpg","home_baner-width":280,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"20","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Nobody wants a whimsical God","post_main_content_content":"

Abraham uses the old \u201cSarah is my sister\u201d trick again. Why not? It worked, more or less, the first time. Apparently, Abraham didn\u2019t think Sarah being taken into Pharaoh\u2019s harem and almost raped represented a glitch in his plan. Apparently, she wasn\u2019t too concerned either.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And, once again, God steps in and saves Sarah\u2019s virtue - this time, in the form of a dream. Whereas Pharaoh got plagues, Abimelech gets a full-on prophetic conversation with God! Seeing the opportunity presented in this conversation, Abimelech advocates for himself: \u201cAbimelech had not touched her, and he said, \u2018God! Will you also kill a just nation?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This should sound familiar. Abraham himself used a similar argument with God when advocating for Sodom: \u201cWill you destroy the just along with the wicked?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The justness of God was clearly on people\u2019s minds at that time. Maybe that was a direct offshoot of Noah\u2019s Flood, when God seemed to kill indiscriminately. (After all, it couldn\u2019t be that Noah and family were literally the only just people, right!?)<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The justness of the One God is a major concern. If we are to accept that there is One God, but that God acts arbitrarily, or chooses favorites, or does not keep Her word - this would put us in the midst of a tyranny, subject to the whims of a whimsical God. No one wants that. Atheism would be a better choice.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Instead, the Jewish tradition insists on, and emphasizes and re-emphasizes that God is a just God. We affirm this in many places in our liturgy - perhaps most glaringly at funerals, at times when we feel it least, we remind ourselves that \u201cGod is the true judge.\u201d<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":78205,"alt":"","title":"mic3-judge","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge.jpg","width":1920,"height":1329,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge-300x208.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":208,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge-768x532.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":532,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge-1024x709.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":709,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1063,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1329,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge-1200x831.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":831,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge-607x420.jpg","home_baner-width":607,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"The True Judge","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Nobody wants a whimsical God","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":78205,"alt":"","title":"mic3-judge","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge.jpg","width":1920,"height":1329,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge-300x208.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":208,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge-768x532.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":532,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge-1024x709.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":709,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1063,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1329,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge-1200x831.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":831,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/mic3-judge-607x420.jpg","home_baner-width":607,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"20","chapter_main_number":"20","date":"20250925","wall_id":"20"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"384","name":"God","old_id":"784"},{"term_id":"391","name":"In\/Justice","old_id":"791"}]},{"order":10,"id":"37225","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Why Did He Do That? ","post_title":"Why Did He Do That?","slug":"why-did-he-do-that","old_id":"37225","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":36873,"post_title":"Haggai Misgav","slug":"haggai-misgav","old_id":"36873","first_name":"Haggai ","last_name":"Misgav ","description":"Dr. Haggai Misgav is a lecturer in Bible and Land of Israel Studies at Hebrew University, the Herzog College, and Givat Washington Academic College. He is an expert in ancient inscriptions and decoded and published what is considered to be the oldest ancient piece of pottery used as a writing surface with an inscription in Hebrew.\r\n","short_description":"Dr. Haggai Misgav is a lecturer in Bible and Land of Israel Studies at Hebrew University, the Herzog College, and Givat Washington Academic College.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36875,"alt":"","title":"haggai misgav","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/haggai-misgav.jpg","width":120,"height":150,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/haggai-misgav-120x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":120,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/haggai-misgav.jpg","medium-width":120,"medium-height":150,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/haggai-misgav.jpg","medium_large-width":120,"medium_large-height":150,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/haggai-misgav.jpg","large-width":120,"large-height":150,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/haggai-misgav.jpg","1536x1536-width":120,"1536x1536-height":150,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/haggai-misgav.jpg","2048x2048-width":120,"2048x2048-height":150,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/haggai-misgav.jpg","post_full_size-width":120,"post_full_size-height":150,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/haggai-misgav.jpg","home_baner-width":120,"home_baner-height":150}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"20","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Abimelech\u2019s behavior is much clearer than Abraham\u2019s inexplicable choices","post_main_content_content":"

The story of Abimelech and Sarah is a re-run of a similar story, from Genesis Chapter 12, about Pharaoh and Sarah. However, the difference between the two stories is no less important than the similarity.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Unlike in the case of Pharaoh in Chapter 12, the text in Chapter 20 indicates that Abimelech did not touch Sarah. Abimelech himself declares his innocence - \"when I did this, my heart was blameless and my hands were clean\" (20:5). And after the situation becomes clear to him, he compensates Abraham and Sarah generously and invites him to remain with him. The opposite was the case with Pharaoh: the gifts he gives to Abraham as he took Sarah as a wife were a form of dowry that is given to an older brother. There is no information about what happened between them, and once it becomes clear to him that his new wife is, in fact, a married woman, he is offended and even banishes the couple from his country.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The story of Abimelech is consistent with the practice of Assyrian laws of that time: \"If a man who is neither her father, brother, nor son causes a man's wife to go away with him without knowing that she is a man's wife, he shall swear to that and pay two talents of tin to the woman's husband\" (the Ancient Laws of Assyria, A 22). Abimelech indeed swore as to his innocence and indeed compensates the husband.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Pharaoh, as stated, did not do the same. To this day, even after two hundred years of excavations, we have no trace of a book of laws from ancient Egypt, unlike Mesopotamia, that \u00a0rewrote its laws over and over again from the beginning in every generation. Law certainly existed; and justice, honesty, and order were considered central values in the ancient Egyptian culture. However, we have no way of knowing what legal principles Pharaoh was following in this narrative, and whether he himself was not the standard for what was considered legal. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Abimelech, on the other hand, apparently saw himself as subject to some existing and well-known law. The differences between these two cases attest to the fact that these are different events, with different backgrounds, and perhaps Abraham's fear of the recurrence of the Pharaoh's case is what caused him to apologize: \"I thought surely there is no fear of God in this place'\" (20:11). The Egyptian custom apparently stood in opposition to what Abraham himself knew from his birthplace, Mesopotamia.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Why Abraham himself behaved as he did is a mystery that to this day readers find difficult. What did he fear? Was he just trying to save his own life or reap some financial gain? Did he hope to delay certain things from happening and manipulate them as he saw fit, all of which were unsuccessful? And what does the Torah itself think about what Abraham did - does it judge him positively or negatively? In contrast to the incident with Pharaoh, where Abraham says what he fears, here there is no explanation for his actions. It seems that in this matter we stand in the same place we stood two thousand years ago. Perhaps one day new evidence will emerge from the ground that will illuminate Abraham's action in the light of some obscure ancient law. Or maybe not.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":37229,"alt":"","title":"shutterstock_568236664","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664.jpg","width":4200,"height":2654,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664-300x190.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":190,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664-768x485.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":485,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664-1024x647.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":647,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":971,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1294,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664-1200x758.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":758,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664-665x420.jpg","home_baner-width":665,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Why Did He Do That?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Abimelech\u2019s behavior is much clearer than Abraham\u2019s inexplicable choices","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":37229,"alt":"","title":"shutterstock_568236664","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664.jpg","width":4200,"height":2654,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664-300x190.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":190,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664-768x485.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":485,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664-1024x647.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":647,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":971,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1294,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664-1200x758.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":758,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_568236664-665x420.jpg","home_baner-width":665,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"20","chapter_main_number":"20","date":"20250925","wall_id":"20"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"418","name":"Abraham","old_id":"818"},{"term_id":"467","name":"Ancient Law","old_id":"867"}]},{"order":11,"id":"37241","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Faithfulness and Fidelity in Our Relationships ","post_title":"Faithfulness and Fidelity in Our Relationships","slug":"faithfulness-and-fidelity-in-our-relationships","old_id":"37241","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33923,"post_title":"Jonathan Sacks","slug":"rabbi-lord-jonathan-sacks","old_id":"33923","first_name":"Jonathan ","last_name":"Sacks","description":"An international religious leader, philosopher, and award-winning author of over 35 books, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks served as the International President of 929.\r\nRabbi Sacks served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth years between 1991 and 2013, and was knighted by Her Majesty The Queen in 2005 and made a Life Peer. Rabbi Sacks passed away on 7th November 2020, aged 72. He was one of the greatest Jewish thinkers of the 20th century, who bridged the religious and secular world through his ground-breaking canon of work.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"short_description":"Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z\"k (1948-2020) was the former Chief Rabbi of the Commonwealth, and the International 929 president.","link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36222,"alt":"","title":"JSacks","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-e1532858712594.jpg","width":437,"height":548,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-e1532858712594-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-e1532858712594-239x300.jpg","medium-width":239,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-768x448.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":448,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-1024x597.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":597,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-e1532858712594.jpg","1536x1536-width":437,"1536x1536-height":548,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-e1532858712594.jpg","2048x2048-width":437,"2048x2048-height":548,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-e1532858712594.jpg","post_full_size-width":437,"post_full_size-height":548,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JSacks-e1532858712594-335x420.jpg","home_baner-width":335,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"20","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Unchecked sexual desire, the absence of moral self-restraint, and the worship of power, lead to violence and abuse","post_main_content_content":"

In Genesis, whenever a member of the covenantal family leaves his or her own space and enters the wider world of their contemporaries, they encounter a world of sexual free-for-all. One example is when Abraham goes to Gerar to escape famine. He fears he will be killed so that Abimelech can take his wife into his harem. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Emunah<\/span><\/i>, the Hebrew word normally translated as faith, does not mean what it is taken to mean in English: a body of dogma, a set of principles, or a cluster of beliefs often held on non-rational grounds. <\/span>Emunah <\/span><\/i>means faithfulness, loyalty, fidelity, honoring your commitments, doing what you said you would do and acting in such a way as to inspire trust. It has to do with relationships, first and foremost with marriage. Genesis\u2019 argument against idolatry \u2013 all the more impressive for being told obliquely, through a series of stories and vignettes \u2013 is that it leads to a world in which the combination of unchecked sexual desire, the absence of a code of moral self-restraint, and the worship of power, leads eventually to violence and abuse. That domestic violence and abuse still exist today, even among religious Jews, is a disgrace and source of shame. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Against this stands the testimony of Genesis that faithfulness to God means and demands faithfulness to our marriage partners. Faith \u2013 whether between us and God or between us and our fellow humans \u2013 means love, loyalty and the circumcision of desire.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":55735,"alt":"","title":"jud11-barbie","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie-1200x800.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Faithfulness and Fidelity in Our Relationships","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Unchecked sexual desire, the absence of moral self-restraint, and the worship of power, lead to violence and abuse","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":55735,"alt":"","title":"jud11-barbie","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie-1200x800.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/jud11-barbie-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"20","chapter_main_number":"20","date":"20250925","wall_id":"20"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"354","name":"Rabbi Sacks","old_id":"754"},{"term_id":"468","name":"Relationships","old_id":"868"}]},{"order":12,"id":"37244","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Beware of Love: It Kills ","post_title":"Beware of Love: It Kills","slug":"beware-of-love-it-kills","old_id":"37244","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":36868,"post_title":"Ruvik Rosenthal","slug":"ruvik-rosenthal","old_id":"36868","first_name":"Ruvik ","last_name":"Rosenthal ","description":" He has written a weekly column for the Israeli newspaper \u201cMaariv\u201d which deals with Hebrew language and linguistics. Among the many books he has authored is the Comprehensive Dictionary of Hebrew Slang.\r\n \r\n","short_description":"Dr. Ruvik Rosenthal is an Israeli linguist, journalist, and author.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36869,"alt":"","title":"ruvik r","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ruvik-r.png","width":150,"height":150,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ruvik-r.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ruvik-r.png","medium-width":150,"medium-height":150,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ruvik-r.png","medium_large-width":150,"medium_large-height":150,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ruvik-r.png","large-width":150,"large-height":150,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ruvik-r.png","1536x1536-width":150,"1536x1536-height":150,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ruvik-r.png","2048x2048-width":150,"2048x2048-height":150,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ruvik-r.png","post_full_size-width":150,"post_full_size-height":150,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ruvik-r.png","home_baner-width":150,"home_baner-height":150}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"20","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Morality, history and language in the strange story of Abimelech","post_main_content_content":"

Three brief insights emerge from the story of the triangle Abraham-Sarah-Abimelech. The first is in the gray area between criminal law and morality. The story is ostensibly intended to present God as a Being who sets up order in a chaotic world. However, it raises a key question in the realm of morality and law: Abimelech, like Pharaoh before him in Chapter 12, did not know that he was about to sin, nor did he intend to sin. He acted in good faith based on incorrect and misleading information he received. Should a person be punished for acts he did with the clear knowledge that he was not doing something wrong? And if he commits that act, is the person who misled him, in this case Abraham, not also criminally responsible?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The second insight is a historical one. Abraham deliberately chooses to spread misleading information to save his skin and in doing so leads others to sin. The fact that he did not technically lie since Sarah is indeed his half-sister (incidentally, why have we not heard about this before, nor afterwards?) does not make matters better or worse: Abraham spread a rumor so that the whole world will think that Sarah is not his wife. The act touches upon the roots of Jewish existence: the man who is the founder of a new nation makes his way, personally and historically, in a foreign world that threatens him. He detects danger and chooses to protect himself in a bold and original way, even if it does not meet the proper standards of conduct in a normal society. The survival instincts that Jews throughout the generations have demonstrated are highlighted in this defining moment in this chapter.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The third insight is linguistic. \u00a0God says to Abimelech: \"You are to die because of the woman you have taken\u201d (Genesis 20:3). The plain sense of the text is: If you realize your love for Sarah, you will die. A modern Israeli reading that takes into account slang (specifically \u201cto die because of someone\u201d) yields the following meaning: You love Sarah very, very much. The distance between the two readings is not so great. The connection between death and love, which also appears in the verse \u201clove is fierce as death\u201d (Song of Songs 8:6), accompanies human existence and lives in literature and language, and not by accident. The lover experiences a perilous experience: He is on fire, transparent, destroyed, dead, and since the time of the Book of the Song of Songs until the present, he has been love sick. \u00a0Beware of love. It kills.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":93557,"alt":"","title":"job2-love fear","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear.jpg","width":475,"height":630,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear-226x300.jpg","medium-width":226,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear.jpg","medium_large-width":475,"medium_large-height":630,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear.jpg","large-width":475,"large-height":630,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear.jpg","1536x1536-width":475,"1536x1536-height":630,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear.jpg","2048x2048-width":475,"2048x2048-height":630,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear.jpg","post_full_size-width":475,"post_full_size-height":630,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear-317x420.jpg","home_baner-width":317,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Beware of Love: It Kills","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Morality, history and language in the strange story of Abimelech","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":93557,"alt":"","title":"job2-love fear","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear.jpg","width":475,"height":630,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear-226x300.jpg","medium-width":226,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear.jpg","medium_large-width":475,"medium_large-height":630,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear.jpg","large-width":475,"large-height":630,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear.jpg","1536x1536-width":475,"1536x1536-height":630,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear.jpg","2048x2048-width":475,"2048x2048-height":630,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear.jpg","post_full_size-width":475,"post_full_size-height":630,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/job2-love-fear-317x420.jpg","home_baner-width":317,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"20","chapter_main_number":"20","date":"20250925","wall_id":"20"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"381","name":"love","old_id":"781"},{"term_id":"463","name":"Truth","old_id":"863"}]},{"order":13,"id":"37261","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"MiliMiliM - The Hebrew Corner - Gen 20 ","post_title":"MiliMiliM - The Hebrew Corner - Gen 20","slug":"milimilim-the-hebrew-corner-gen20","old_id":"37261","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34011,"post_title":"Jeremy Benstein","slug":"dr-jeremy-benstein","old_id":"34011","first_name":"Jeremy","last_name":"Benstein","description":"Dr. Jeremy Benstein is the managing editor of 929-English. He is one of the founders of the Heschel Center for Sustainability. He writes the MiliMiliM - Hebrew Corner on the site, and is the author of a book about the Hebrew language, \"Hebrew Roots, Jewish Routes: A Tribal Language in a Global World\" (Behrman House, 2019). ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"short_description":"Dr. Jeremy Benstein is the managing editor of 929-English, and is the author of a book about the Hebrew language, \"Hebrew Roots, Jewish Routes: A Tribal Language in a Global World\" (Behrman House, 2019). ","link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34232,"alt":"","title":"Jeremy Benstein","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1-300x169.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1-768x432.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1-1024x576.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":576,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1.jpg","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":720,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1.jpg","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":720,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1-1200x675.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":675,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Presentation1-747x420.jpg","home_baner-width":747,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"20","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"\u05d1\u05e2\u05dc - Ba\u2019al - Storm God, Master, Owner - Husband?","post_main_content_content":"

Gen 20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, \u201cYou are to die because of the woman that you have taken, for she is \u05d1\u05e2\u05d5\u05dc\u05ea \u05d1\u05e2\u05dc, <\/span>be\u2019ulat ba\u2019al<\/span><\/em>,<\/span><\/i> a married woman.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

You'd think that linguistic vestiges of pagan gods would have been eradicated in monotheistic Judaism, and in its tribal language Hebrew, long ago. But Ba\u2019al, the ancient Canaanite sky god (<\/span>see eg I Kings 18, for the duel at high noon between Elijah and the prophets of Ba\u2019al<\/span>), actually crops up in a number of surprising contexts.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For instance, given that the land of \u00a0Canaan\/Israel has no Nile or Tigris or Euphrates to depend on for water, Ba'al was a pretty significant god, a sort of Zeus-like head cheese of the Near Eastern pantheon. To this day in Israel, non-irrigated or rain-fed crops are called <\/span>chaklaut ba'al<\/span><\/em> \u2013 \"baal agriculture.\" So much for the eradication of paganism!<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The word <\/span>ba'al<\/span><\/em> sometimes was used in combination, as in the demonic Beelzebub, from <\/span>ba'al zevuv<\/span><\/em> (see 2 Kings 1), meaning literally \"Lord of the Flies,\" which inspired the William Golding novel of that name.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

What do gods do? They fight, conquer, take possession, and rule. And when the sky god is male (as most are), and the personification of earth is female (just think Mother Earth), it's no coincidence that this image was taken for the title and role of the traditional husband, and more generally, an owner or master of anyone, or anything.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The act of \u05d1\u05e2\u05d9\u05dc\u05d4 <\/span>be\u2019ilah<\/em> <\/span>means \"to have carnal relations with,\u201d and it can have both positive connotations of love and devotion, or negative ones, of conquest. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

For instance, in the following, <\/span>be\u2019ilah<\/em> <\/span>means redemption: \u201cNevermore shall you be called \u2018Forsaken,\u2019 Nor shall your land be called \u2018Desolate\u2019; But you shall be called <\/span>cheftzi-bah<\/em> <\/span>\u2018I delight in her,\u2019 And your land <\/span>be'ulah<\/em> <\/span>\u2018Espoused.\u2019 For the LORD takes delight in you, And your land shall be espoused\u201d (Isaiah 62:4). This verse gives us the English given name Beulah.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

On the other hand, while \u201cespousal\u201d is nice (certainly better than \u201cforsaken\u201d and \u201cdesolate\u201d), the word <\/span>ba\u2019al<\/em> <\/span>is left both with its pagan connotations, and the idea of ownership. \u05d1\u05e2\u05dc \u05d4\u05d1\u05d9\u05ea, <\/span>ba\u2019al habayit<\/span><\/em>, is \u201cowner of the house,\u201d the lord of the manor, as it were. <\/span>In Yiddish, pronounced <\/span>balabus<\/span><\/em>, this acquires the additional connotation of middle-class, bourgeois gentry. The woman of the house is the <\/span>balabuste<\/span><\/em>, \"<\/span>hausfrau<\/span><\/em>,\" a strong, competent, often dominant, woman (only coincidentally sounding remarkably like \"ball-buster\").<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Those looking for non-patriarchal terminology need go no further than the prophet Hosea. His version of redemption goes like this: \u201c\u2018And in that day,\u2019 declares the LORD: \u2018You will call [Me] Ishi <\/em>(i.e., \u201cmy man,\u201d) And no more will you call Me Ba\u2019ali <\/em>(my lord). For I will remove the names of the Ba\u2019alim from her mouth, And they shall nevermore be mentioned by name\u2019\u201d (Hosea 2: 18-19). This has been a great prooftext for reformers of contemporary Hebrew to use less sexist terminology.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Ba'al<\/em> <\/span>can also refer to possessing different qualities or attributes. For instance, a newly-religious Jew is known as a <\/span>ba'al teshuvah<\/span><\/em>,<\/em> a \"master of repentance,\" or \"BT\" for short. The founder of the 18th century movement of Hasidism was the Ba'al Shem Tov, \"master of the Good Name,\" probably meaning that he knew how to magically use God's name in working miracles. But Mrs. Ba'al Shem Tov might have married him just to have \"a husband with a good name.\"<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":102544,"alt":"","title":"-621df2a91d1ca--621df2a91d1ccgen20-milimi 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on the Daily Chapter - Gen 20","tile_main_caption":"Short talks by Adam Mintz and by David Silber","tile_main_caption_size":"2","tile_sub_caption":"Rabbi Silber's teachings are dedicated in memory of Joan Silverstein Meyers and Ellen Goodstein Koplow. ","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":"","tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/929-bible\/sets\/genesis-chapter-20","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"2","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"20","chapter_main_number":"20","date":"20250925","wall_id":"20"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":15,"id":"37222","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Chapter Summary - Genesis 20 ","post_title":"Chapter Summary - Genesis 20","slug":"chapter-summary-genesis-20","old_id":"37222","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":false,"related_cahpter":"20","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Chapter 20: Abraham\u2019s truth\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

In Gerar we get an expanded version of what happened to Abram and Sarai in Egypt (Chapter 12). Abraham hides Sarah's true status as his wife and claims that she is his sister. Sarah is taken to the house of King Abimelech and only through Divine intervention does Sarah evade harm. The episode ends with gifts to Abraham as a form of compensation.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

What is new in this version of the story (that was not in Egypt with Pharaoh)?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  1. God Himself explains to Abimelech that there is a problem and even conducts a conversation with him on this. \u00a0(verses 3-8).<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Abraham explains that \"she is my sister\" which is not exactly a lie. (Curious to know how? See verse 12).<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Abraham prays to end the crisis and to heal the royal family from the barrenness that plagued them because of Sarah's kidnapping.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    Points to ponder:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

      \r\n\t
    1. \u00a0<\/span> Verse 3: \"You are to die because of the woman that you have taken\" (20:3). Does this sound like familiar phrase? Only for Abimelech it was close to what was literally happening.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
    2. \u00a0<\/span> When Abraham explains the strategy he used, he justifies himself and says: \"I thought surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife\u201d (verse 11). \u00a0Here the text equates fear of God with ethical behavior, not necessarily by faith in God.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","post_main_content_image":{"id":86314,"alt":"","title":"Points to ponder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"The Daily Summary","tile_main_caption":"Points to Ponder: Genesis 20","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Insights and questions for personal reflection and group discussion","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":86314,"alt":"","title":"Points to ponder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","tile_link_for_pay":"0","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Torah","book":"Genesis","chapter":"20","chapter_main_number":"20","date":"20250925","wall_id":"20"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false}],"home_posts_title":"","posts_home":[],"static_cube_title":"","static_cube_brief":"","static_cube_color":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall\/37218"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wall"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}