If you are in Israel - don't miss it! Join the several thousand people already registered (click here for mandatory pre-registration<\/a>).<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":102954,"alt":"","title":"-622dfce51ef2e--622dfce51ef2f929_Veidat 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you in Israel?","tile_main_caption":"The First Tanach Conference ","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Binyanei Ha'uma, Jerusalem, 30.3.22","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":102954,"alt":"","title":"-622dfce51ef2e--622dfce51ef2f929_Veidat 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Generations Of Esau-Edom ","post_title":"The Generations Of Esau-Edom","slug":"the-generations-of-esau-edom","old_id":"103332","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33877,"post_title":"Marc Bregman","slug":"marc-bregman","old_id":"33877","first_name":"Marc","last_name":"Bregman","description":"Marc Bregman received his Ph.D. from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1991. He taught at the Hebrew Union College (Jerusalem), The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Schechter Institute for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem, and at the Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheba, Israel. During 1993 he was Visiting Associate Professor at Yale University, and during 1996 he was the Stroum Professor of Jewish Studies and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle. During 2005, Bregman served as the Harry Starr Fellow in Judaica at Harvard University and was awarded a Teaching Fellowship at the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He also has served as Forchheimer Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Humanities at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is the author of The Tanhuma-Yelammedenu Literature: Studies in the Evolution of the Versions (Gorgias Press, 2003). In 2006, Bregman was appointed the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, where he also headed the program in Jewish Studies, until 2013. Bregman retired from UNCG as of July 31, 2017. He has now returned to Jerusalem where he is continuing his research and teaching activities.","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Marc Bregman is the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies emeritus, at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro.","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33878,"alt":"Marc Bregman","title":"Marc Bregman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","width":361,"height":488,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-222x300.jpg","medium-width":222,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","medium_large-width":361,"medium_large-height":488,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","large-width":361,"large-height":488,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","1536x1536-width":361,"1536x1536-height":488,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","2048x2048-width":361,"2048x2048-height":488,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","post_full_size-width":361,"post_full_size-height":488,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-311x420.jpg","home_baner-width":311,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"36","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Including two little orphan descendants of his, Romulus and Remus\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":" Our<\/span> chapter<\/span><\/a>\u2019s discussion of the \u201c<\/span>generations of Esau, who is Edom<\/span><\/a>\u201d marks the end of the pentateuchal story of Esau and his descendants. However, Esau\/Edom continues to be mentioned in prophetic literature (see<\/span> Obadiah<\/span><\/a> and<\/span> Malachi 1:2-4<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\r\n The Rabbinic Sages and modern Biblical scholars, who are<\/span> concerned<\/span><\/a> with identifying \u201cEsau who is Edom\u201d, had what to work with in the Biblical text. At his<\/span> birth<\/span><\/a>, Esau is said to have emerged first: \u201cred, like a hairy mantle all over; so they named him Esau\u201d. \u201cRed \u2013 <\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/i>Admoni<\/span><\/em>\u201d relates to the name <\/span>Edom <\/span><\/em>(<\/span><\/i>\u201cred\u201d) (see<\/span> Tanhuma Buber Vayishlach 4<\/span><\/a>), while \u201chairy mantle \u2013 \u2018<\/span>aderet<\/span> se\u2019ar<\/span><\/em>\u201d relates to<\/span> Seir, where Esau later made his home \"in the field of Edom\"<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Esau\/Edom is identified with the Roman oppressors in Talmudic times. For example,<\/span> Midrash Esther Rabbah<\/span><\/a> states that two orphans who remained from Esau, that is Remus and Romulus, You [O God] allowed the she-wolf to nurse them, and ultimately, they arose and constructed two great towers in Rome.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Perhaps even more significantly, Rome is identified by the Rabbis with the pig.<\/span> Midrash Leviticus Rabbah<\/span><\/a> interprets \u201cpig\u201d in<\/span> Leviticus 11:7<\/span><\/a> as referring to Edom (i.e. Rome): \u201cAnd the swine\u2014although it has true hoofs, with the hoofs cleft through, it does not chew the cud: it is impure for you\u201d. [Edom\/Rome] is compared to a pig to tell you that just as the pig when reclining puts forth its hooves as if to say: See, I am clean! So too does the Evil Empire of Edom [Rome] boast that it is clean, while it commits violence and robbery, under the guise of establishing justice.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Ronald Brown<\/span><\/a> has surveyed the various views of how the identification of Rome with the pig came about. The older view was that the Roman legion stationed in Talmudic Palestine had a boar emblazoned on its standard. However, Brown suggests that the identification of Esau\/Edom\/Rome with the pig was the result of an oral play on the name Esau in Greek (the lingua franca of the Roman Empire). Hebrew <\/span>Esav<\/span><\/em>, Greek <\/span>Hesaus<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>was related to the Greek word for \u201cpig \u2013 [<\/span>He<\/span>]<\/span>sus<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>from which we get our English word \u201csow\u201d (see<\/span> Midrash Genesis Rabbah 23:8 on Genesis 25:25<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\r\n On a more positive note,\u00a0 <\/span>Midrash Leviticus Rabbah<\/span><\/a> states that Esau\/Edom\/Rome is identified with the <\/span>hazir<\/span><\/em> \u2013 \u201cpig\u201d, because in the End of Days it will \u201crestore the crown to its [rightful] owner [Israel] \u2013 <\/span>mahazzeret \u2018atarah li-ba\u2019alehah<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>as it<\/span> says<\/span><\/a>: \u201cFor liberators shall march up on Mount Zion to wreak judgment on Mount Esau; and dominion shall be the Lord\u2019s.\u201d<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":103333,"alt":"","title":"-623c50ea4a2e1--623c50ea4a2e2gen36-romulus remus wolf 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Curious Case Of The Edomite Kings ","post_title":"The Curious Case Of The Edomite Kings","slug":"the-curious-case-of-the-edomite-kings","old_id":"103336","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":"36","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Who ruled when exactly? A theological quandary for the commentators\u2026\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":" Following the death of Abraham, the Torah lists the descendants of Ishmael and the tribal leaders that came from him in chapter 25. Following the death of Isaac, in chapter 36, the Torah lists the descendants of Esau and the leaders that come from him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n Esau\u2019s list is a lot more extensive and repetitive. In the middle of this is a strange verse \u201cThese are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites\u201d (verse 31). The first Israelite king, Saul, would not reign for a thousand years, well after this took place and well after Moses died.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n Ibn Ezra explains that some commentators believe that this section was written by Moses as a prophecy. He then quotes another commentator named Yitzhaki who wrote that this section was actually added during the reign of King Jehoshaphat, the eighth king to reign after Saul. As the 8<\/span>th<\/span> king, Jehoshaphat matched the 8 Edomite kings listed here. During his reign, Edom no longer had a king. Ibn Ezra is quick to kick this theory down and even goes so far as to say that the book that contains this theory should be burned. He then explains that the 8 kings are the 8 kings from this time until Moses \u201cwho was king over Israel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n Chizkuni bolsters this defense by pointing out that it would be impossible to say that only 8 kings ruled Edom from this time period until Saul as that was at least twelve generations. Rashbam adds that Josephus lists 40 kings during this time period. Nonetheless, it is notable that Ibn Ezra even mentions an opinion that suggests that Moses did not write this section of the Torah, even if he says that opinion is incorrect. This must have meant that this mysterious Yitzchaki\u2019s opinion was prevalent at the time, and Ibn Ezra felt the need to name it directly in order to argue against it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":74657,"alt":"","title":"ez28-king","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king.png","width":838,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king-196x300.png","medium-width":196,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king-670x1024.png","medium_large-width":670,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king-670x1024.png","large-width":670,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king.png","1536x1536-width":838,"1536x1536-height":1280,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king.png","2048x2048-width":838,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king-786x1200.png","post_full_size-width":786,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king-275x420.png","home_baner-width":275,"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 Curious Case Of The Edomite Kings","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Who ruled when exactly? A theological quandary for the commentators\u2026","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":74657,"alt":"","title":"ez28-king","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king.png","width":838,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king-196x300.png","medium-width":196,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king-670x1024.png","medium_large-width":670,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king-670x1024.png","large-width":670,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king.png","1536x1536-width":838,"1536x1536-height":1280,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king.png","2048x2048-width":838,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king-786x1200.png","post_full_size-width":786,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez28-king-275x420.png","home_baner-width":275,"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":"36","chapter_main_number":"36","date":"20251019","wall_id":"36"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"366","name":"Commentators","old_id":"766"},{"term_id":"397","name":"Moses","old_id":"797"},{"term_id":"410","name":"Torah","old_id":"810"},{"term_id":"486","name":"Esau","old_id":"886"}]},{"order":5,"id":"39036","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Esau the Peacemaker? ","post_title":"Esau the Peacemaker?","slug":"esau-the-peacemaker","old_id":"39036","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33992,"post_title":"Bradley Shavit Artson","slug":"rabbi-dr-bradley-shavit-artson","old_id":"33992","first_name":"Bradley Shavit ","last_name":"Artson","description":"Rabbi Dr Bradley Shavit Artson holds the Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Dean's Chair of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and is Vice President of American Jewish University in Los Angeles, and is professor of philosophy there. Artson is married to Elana Shavit Artson, and they are the parents of twins, Shira and Jacob.\r\n","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"short_description":"Rabbi Dr Bradley Shavit Artson is the Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and is Vice President of American Jewish University in Los Angeles.","link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33993,"alt":"","title":"Rabbi Dr Bradley Shavit Artson","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","width":204,"height":199,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-256x300.png","medium-width":256,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","medium_large-width":204,"medium_large-height":199,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","large-width":204,"large-height":199,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","1536x1536-width":204,"1536x1536-height":199,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","2048x2048-width":204,"2048x2048-height":199,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","post_full_size-width":204,"post_full_size-height":199,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","home_baner-width":204,"home_baner-height":199}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"36","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"He walks away from conflict, teaching us a valuable lesson","post_main_content_content":" Of all the characters of the book of Genesis, Esau is the one with the worst reputation. He seems violent. He seems overly emotional and overbearing. He hunts (which in the Jewish world is not a great thing), and although favored by his father, he is certainly not the cherished one of his mother. Esau famously cries: \u201cFather, don't you have a blessing for me!?\u201d So what are we to make of this chapter\u2019s little tidbit about Esau and what looks like restraint and greatness of character?<\/span><\/p>\r\n We are told (v. 6) the land isn't big enough for Esau and for his brother, Jacob \u201cfor their possessions were too many for them to dwell together in the land where they sojourned could not support them because of the livestock.\u201d At the end of that observation, without any real fanfare, the Torah just lets out (v. 8) that \u201cEsau settled in the hill country of Seir.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n What's going on here? Why would he make this unusual choice for a man who is supposedly a bully and a warrior? Maybe his life experiences taught him something? \u00a0Maybe he realized that it takes real strength to walk away from conflict, that the measure of a person's character is not their bluster or their aggression, but is to be found in their ability to remain in self-control and to look out for those they love. Esau, with a large family, multiple wives, a horde of children, is that rare biblical figure: there is not a single word of conflict between any of his wives or children. <\/span><\/p>\r\n Apparently, Esau and his clan have figured out a path to living together peacefully. So he is the one who, without even a conversation about not getting along, realizes that he and his brother\u2019s clan would do better if they lived next to each other rather than in constant friction. Yet again, the Biblical insight emerges from the person you would least expect it to. Yet again, the Torah slips in its elevation of peace as the highest ideal. <\/span><\/p>\r\n There's a lesson there for us today, isn't there?<\/span><\/p>\r\n image: by Gabriel Wolff, courtesy of the artist<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":82443,"alt":"","title":"ps34-GabrielWolff_SeekPeace","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps34-GabrielWolff_SeekPeace.jpg","width":1010,"height":1080,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps34-GabrielWolff_SeekPeace-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps34-GabrielWolff_SeekPeace-281x300.jpg","medium-width":281,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps34-GabrielWolff_SeekPeace-768x821.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":821,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps34-GabrielWolff_SeekPeace-958x1024.jpg","large-width":958,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps34-GabrielWolff_SeekPeace.jpg","1536x1536-width":1010,"1536x1536-height":1080,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps34-GabrielWolff_SeekPeace.jpg","2048x2048-width":1010,"2048x2048-height":1080,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps34-GabrielWolff_SeekPeace.jpg","post_full_size-width":1010,"post_full_size-height":1080,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps34-GabrielWolff_SeekPeace-393x420.jpg","home_baner-width":393,"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":"Esau the Peacemaker?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"He walks away from conflict, teaching us a valuable 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Jewish Need to Self-Critique Is Nothing New ","post_title":"The Jewish Need to Self-Critique Is Nothing New","slug":"the-jewish-need-to-self-critique-is-nothing-new","old_id":"39033","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":"36","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":" An oft-lamented tendency of Jews is to be self-critical. Isn't it enough that everyone else is against us? Do we really need to point out our own faults with greater zeal than our enemies do?<\/span><\/p>\r\n When the rabbis mined the barren landscape of chapter 36 for meaning, there are many things they could have focused on. You wouldn't think that self-criticism is one of them. It's a chapter with only one incidental reference to Israel. All the rest discusses Esau's family, his kings and his neighbors, and a careful reading of Esau's convoluted family tree suggests rampant incest. If any criticism is hinted at here, it should be of <\/span>them<\/b>, not <\/span>us<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Certainly, when Amalek, the Jewish people's arch-enemy, makes his first appearance, we would expect some words of condemnation from the rabbis. And indeed we find them. But remarkably, their accusing finger is squarely pointed inward, at the fathers of the Jewish nation. This takes a fair amount of ingenuity and creativity, so hang on and listen closely for a wild exegetical ride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n The rabbinic midrash (<\/span>Sanhedrin 99b<\/span><\/i>) notes that Amalek's mother Timna, a concubine of Elifaz, appears a few verses later as the sister of Lotan, a prince of Se'ir. In and of itself, this is not a resounding condemnation of the Jewish people. If anything, we'd expect the rabbis to highlight the genesis of the evil of Amalek as the result of intermarriage. Instead, they imagine Timna as a sincere would-be convert who is rejected by Abraham's family. Undeterred, Timna's great determination to attach herself even distantly to this godly family leads her to sacrifice her lofty stature as a princess to be a mere concubine of Elifaz. Amalek, the Midrash continues, is the embodiment of the bitterness born of this rejection and this sacrifice. The eternal thorn in the Jewish people's side, then, is a monster of our own making, created by the unwarranted insularity of our founding fathers!<\/span><\/p>\r\n You can call it self-criticism. I call it an unquenchable thirst for assuming responsibility. And I love it.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":103404,"alt":"","title":"-6240a6228efc1--6240a6228efc2gen36-mirror responsibile 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Jewish Need to Self-Critique Is Nothing New","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"It\u2019s not self-flagellation, but the desire to take responsibility","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":103404,"alt":"","title":"-6240a6228efc1--6240a6228efc2gen36-mirror responsibile 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- Babylon - Rome ","post_title":"Edom - Babylon - Rome","slug":"edom-babylon-rome","old_id":"38969","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":36837,"post_title":"Ben Schachter","slug":"ben-schachter","old_id":"36837","first_name":"Ben","last_name":"Schachter","description":"Ben Schachter is Professor of Visual Art at Saint Vincent College. He is an artist, critic, writer, and teacher. His book Image, Action, and Idea in Contemporary Jewish Art was published with Pennsylvania State University Press. He lives in Pittsburgh with his wife and four children. ","short_description":"Ben Schachter is Professor of Visual Art at Saint Vincent College. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36838,"alt":"","title":"ben schachter","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ben-schachter-e1533449166446.jpg","width":1648,"height":1876,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ben-schachter-e1533449166446-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ben-schachter-e1533449166446-264x300.jpg","medium-width":264,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ben-schachter-e1533449166446-768x874.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":874,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ben-schachter-e1533449166446-900x1024.jpg","large-width":900,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ben-schachter-e1533449166446.jpg","1536x1536-width":1349,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ben-schachter-e1533449166446.jpg","2048x2048-width":1648,"2048x2048-height":1876,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ben-schachter-e1533449166446-1054x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1054,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ben-schachter-e1533449166446-369x420.jpg","home_baner-width":369,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"36","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Edom was later identified with the empires of Babylon and Rome","post_main_content_content":" \"These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites\" (36:31)<\/span><\/p>\r\n Who are these kings, with the strange names, who reigned in Edom, which the Bible takes the trouble to list, even adding the names of the cities they came from? And who is that Israelite king who reigned after them, replacing them? Is this a simple genealogical list that got inserted into the Tanakh in a moment of confusion by one of the editors? Or is there hidden within this impenetrable list hidden messages, which tell of something else entirely, something for which there aren't yet even words, an ancient secret which needs to be encoded and hidden in the least likely place \u2013 at the heart of one of the most boring passages of the Tanakh?<\/span><\/p>\r\n Generations of commentators and scholars have been stumped in their attempt to understand the origin and meaning of this chapter. But there are other Biblical passages about which I came to the conclusion a long time ago that the only way to derive meaning from them for our own lives is via Jewish mysticism. In the case of the kings of Edom, we have no choice but to pursue this method, because this is not a case of another midrash or interpretation, but of the foundation of all of Jewish mysticism since the Book of the Zohar.<\/span><\/p>\r\n In the most significant part of the Zohar, known as the Idra Raba, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai uses these verses which describe the kings of Edom who reigned \"before the king of the Israelites\" in order to describe the most ancient version of the story of Creation, that version which is not told in the revealed Torah familiar to all of us. The kings of Edom are not kings (<\/span>melachim)<\/span><\/i>, but rather \"vessels\" (<\/span>mechalim)<\/span><\/i>, which contain the fundamental definitions with which the infinite Creator created the finite universe.<\/span><\/p>\r\n The story of these vessels is the story of the origin of evil in our world, because the transition from the infinitude of the Creator to the Creation wasn't nearly as smooth and elegant as appears from the Creation stories at the beginning of the Book of Genesis. \"Let there be light!\" was not proclaimed accompanied by delicate celestial music. \"Let there be light!\" was a cataclysm which hid other creation attempts, which had failed and left their traumatic imprint on the whole of Creation.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Before God said \"Let there be light!,\" He tried to create other universes, whose central defining characteristic was that they were created with a single quality, they lacked \"male and female,\" that is, the intermingling of different and opposing forces. They were built sternly on <\/span>midat hadin,<\/span><\/i> \"the principle of strict justice.\" These kings are worlds and dimensions according to this principle, vessels which contain the quality of Edom, the color red (<\/span>adom<\/span><\/i>) \u2013 the color of strict justice, of evil, the stern and difficult side of existence, the color of the sharp distinctions between truth and falsehood, permitted and forbidden.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Why use the vessels of strict justice? Apparently, because this is what is necessary to form something clear, well-defined, tangible, from out of the primeval chaos and disorder.<\/span><\/p>\r\n But the attempts of the Creator to create a world from the unitary quality of strict justice failed: the worlds of justice could not exist over time. Their fragments and ruins spread out in the universe with no ability to coalesce into something that could foster life.<\/span><\/p>\r\n It was only in the later attempt of the Creator to create a world that had in it \"male and female,\" justice and mercy \u2013 it was only this approach that succeeded, that created the world we know, and in which we live. It is, however, the case that that we still occasionally wallow in the red and angry remnants of the kinds of Edom, but how good it is that finally there arose a king named Hadar (\"glory\") who is no longer a male king who rules alone, but he is balanced out by a woman: \"Hadar succeeded him as king\u2026 and his wife\u2019s name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred daughter of Me-zahab\" (36:39).<\/span><\/p>\r\n With this myth, the Zohar makes the cosmic tale of creation, and the remnants of previous universes dependent on one fundamental, irreplaceable thing: the balance and the relationship of male and female.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":101678,"alt":"","title":"-6201106594ad6--6201106594ad7gen3-male female 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Creation Myth in Disguise","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"A kabbalistic reading of the Kings of Edom","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":101678,"alt":"","title":"-6201106594ad6--6201106594ad7gen3-male female 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All the Names? ","post_title":"Why All the Names?","slug":"why-all-the-names","old_id":"39040","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33942,"post_title":"Hagit Bartuv","slug":"hagit-bartuv","old_id":"33942","first_name":"Hagit","last_name":"Bartuv","description":"Hagit Bartuv is the project and content leader of the Srigim initiative on Israeli moshavim whose goal is to enrich moshavim with more Jewish-Israeli culture. In 2013, as a modern Orthodox woman, she challenged the conversion court in Israel after she refused to accept their demand that she send her adopted child to an ultra-Orthodox pre-school. In the end, the court ruled in her favor and agreed to convert the child even though he would be educated in a secular preschool.\r\n","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"short_description":"Hagit Bartuv is the project and content leader of the Srigim initiative on Israeli moshavim","link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33944,"alt":"","title":"\u05d7\u05d2\u05d9\u05ea \u05d1\u05e8\u05d8\u05d5\u05d1","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05d7\u05d2\u05d9\u05ea-\u05d1\u05e8\u05d8\u05d5\u05d1.jpg","width":335,"height":335,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05d7\u05d2\u05d9\u05ea-\u05d1\u05e8\u05d8\u05d5\u05d1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05d7\u05d2\u05d9\u05ea-\u05d1\u05e8\u05d8\u05d5\u05d1-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05d7\u05d2\u05d9\u05ea-\u05d1\u05e8\u05d8\u05d5\u05d1.jpg","medium_large-width":335,"medium_large-height":335,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05d7\u05d2\u05d9\u05ea-\u05d1\u05e8\u05d8\u05d5\u05d1.jpg","large-width":335,"large-height":335,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05d7\u05d2\u05d9\u05ea-\u05d1\u05e8\u05d8\u05d5\u05d1.jpg","1536x1536-width":335,"1536x1536-height":335,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05d7\u05d2\u05d9\u05ea-\u05d1\u05e8\u05d8\u05d5\u05d1.jpg","2048x2048-width":335,"2048x2048-height":335,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05d7\u05d2\u05d9\u05ea-\u05d1\u05e8\u05d8\u05d5\u05d1.jpg","post_full_size-width":335,"post_full_size-height":335,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/\u05d7\u05d2\u05d9\u05ea-\u05d1\u05e8\u05d8\u05d5\u05d1.jpg","home_baner-width":335,"home_baner-height":335}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"36","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Behind every nation, there are real people, and each of them can choose to be different \u00a0","post_main_content_content":" For what purpose, for God\u2019s sake, was this chapter written? The names are those of Esau\u2019s sons whose ancestry is given in terms of their mothers. \u00a0The names include Esau\u2019s grandchildren and the leaders of the clans associated with Esau. These large families, the people of Seir, Esau\u2019s territory, and their kings, and again their families: what\u2019s it all about? There seems to be no rhyme or reason behind the detailed history of Esau.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Perhaps this is the Torah's way of telling us that Edom (Esau\u2019s territory) - despite all that we think about this people which will be explained shortly - is made up of people with names and mothers and sisters. Perhaps no one there in Edom has done anything important that is worthy of recording except Anah (the second one) \u201cwho discovered the hot springs in the wilderness while pasturing the asses of his father Zibeon\u201d (Genesis 36:24). Perhaps the Torah is not interested in telling us the line of Esau in detail, so it tells us the main thing, i.e. the names of the people and the families.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Get your tongue twisted around some of those names --Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz, Jeush, Jalam, Korah--says the Torah, one name after another, each forming a family, together making up Edom. For, behind every nation, there are a lot of people, with a mother and father and a brother and a concubine and a sister and two sons and a daughter. \u00a0Behind every nation, there are a lot of people with names.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Yes, it may be that when all is said and done, this nation as a group, a society, a culture, develops \u00a0problematic norms. Perhaps it will be only towards us, but behind every large group that looks upon first or second glance like one uniform nation, there are many individuals with names and mothers. Each of them can choose to be different. Perhaps the one that will choose to be different will be a woman.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":74937,"alt":"","title":"ez33-difference","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference.jpg","width":1920,"height":1298,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference-300x203.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":203,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference-768x519.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":519,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference-1024x692.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":692,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1038,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1298,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference-1200x811.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":811,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference-621x420.jpg","home_baner-width":621,"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 All the Names?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Behind every nation, there are real people, and each of them can choose to be different \u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":74937,"alt":"","title":"ez33-difference","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference.jpg","width":1920,"height":1298,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference-300x203.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":203,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference-768x519.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":519,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference-1024x692.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":692,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1038,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1298,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference-1200x811.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":811,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez33-difference-621x420.jpg","home_baner-width":621,"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":"36","chapter_main_number":"36","date":"20251019","wall_id":"36"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"474","name":"Difference","old_id":"874"},{"term_id":"551","name":"Names","old_id":"951"}]},{"order":10,"id":"39043","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"2","name":"The Edomite Clan Leaders\u2019 Super-Power ","post_title":"The Edomite Clan Leaders\u2019 Super-Power","slug":"the-edomite-clan-leaders-super-power","old_id":"39043","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":38554,"post_title":"Hayuta Deutsch","slug":"hayuta-deutsch","old_id":"38554","first_name":"Hayuta ","last_name":"Deutsch ","description":"Hayuta Deutsch is a writer for Makor Rishon newspaper. She is one of the organizers of Koleich, a religious feminist organization whose purpose is to bring about a change in awareness and status of women in the Israeli religious community. She also served as an editor of the journal Akdamut.","short_description":"Hayuta Deutsch is a writer for Makor Rishon newspaper. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":2918,"alt":"","title":"","caption":"","description":"\u05e6\u05d9\u05dc\u05d5\u05dd: \u05d3\u05d1\u05d9 \u05e7\u05d5\u05e4\u05e8","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/218-1.jpg","width":450,"height":494,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/218-1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/218-1-273x300.jpg","medium-width":273,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/218-1.jpg","medium_large-width":450,"medium_large-height":494,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/218-1.jpg","large-width":450,"large-height":494,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/218-1.jpg","1536x1536-width":450,"1536x1536-height":494,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/218-1.jpg","2048x2048-width":450,"2048x2048-height":494,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/218-1.jpg","post_full_size-width":450,"post_full_size-height":494,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/218-1.jpg","home_baner-width":383,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"36","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Names that then reverberate throughout the ages","post_main_content_content":" Names, along with dates of birth and death, used to be inscribed on the inner cover of prayer books. It is a fascinating document that is important to the family, and quite boring for everyone else. The list of Esau\u2019s descendants and that of the clan leaders belongs to the latter type: it is not our family genealogy, and therefore, from the start, it is tiresome.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Of course this is a mistake. Behind each list is a story, even if requires a little imagination to reconstruct it or invent it. \u00a0Do the copper mines in southern Israel (in Timna, see Genesis 36:22) immortalize a concubine? Was Ada, the wife of Esau, named after one of Lamech's two wives? What perfume did Basemath (<\/span>bosem<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>\u201cperfume\u201d) use?<\/span><\/p>\r\n The super-power of the Edomite clan leaders lies in the decision to include their long and strange list within our sacred canon. From that moment on, history and memory and literature began to play with these characters. \u00a0Due to this playful literary creativity, a pointless list has become a collection of stations in a timeless road map: Oholibamah (Genesis 36:2) Esau's wife winks at us in a poem by Rabbi Judah Halevi (entitled \u201cYoung Dove, You Carried Her\u201d) where the name Oholibamah appears three times but creatively divided to yield new meaning. \u00a0Halevi writes: \u201cV\u2019Oholi-Bamah L\u2019O, V\u2019Oholiva Ma\u2026\u201d whose English translation does not capture or convey the play on words: \u201cMy tent is the place of celebration, therein shrills the litany of words! I ask where is my refuge in this world! Is He still with me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n Likewise, in the title book of Uri Zvi Greenberg's poems we meet an anonymous clan leader named Saul of Rehoboth-on-the-river (Genesis 36:37). Utz (Genesis 36:28) gave his short name to the land of Oz (in Hebrew, Utz), somewhere over the rainbow. Jobab (Genesis 36:34) is the name of the cat in the Hebrew version of the Adventures of Pinocchio. Who does not know Husham (Genesis 36:34) which in modern Hebrew means \u201ca fool?\u201d However, Mehitabel daughter of Matred daughter of Me-zahab (Genesis 36:39) has not yet found her place in literature, but her name calls out for it. Someone should step in and popularize her name.<\/span><\/p>\r\n (Editor\u2019s note: The Israeli author is of course not aware of the famous duo Archy and Mehitabel, or more accurately <\/span>archy and mehitabel<\/span><\/i>, a cockroach and an alley cat, created by Don Marquis in 1916, stars of his newspaper column for several decades, and at least three subsequent books). <\/span><\/p>\r\n Cover art<\/em>: A gilt covered Mehitabel (and under her, Archy) atop the 50-foot high bronze entryway of the Brooklyn Public Library\u2019s Central Library at Grand Army Plaza. <\/span> 1: This is <\/span>toldot<\/em> <\/span>the line of Esau\u2014that is, Edom\u2026. 4, 5:<\/span>Vateled<\/em> <\/span>Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz; Basemath <\/span>yaldah<\/em> <\/span>bore Reuel; and Oholibamah <\/span>yaldah<\/em> <\/span>bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. Those were the sons of Esau, who <\/span>yuldu <\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/em>were born to him in the land of Canaan\u2026.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Today\u2019s chapter is taken up with the lineage of Esau - his <\/span>toldot<\/span><\/em>. <\/span><\/i>Here that word is translated as \u201cthe line of,\u201d whereas in chapter 25 - the beginning of the <\/span>parashah<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>the weekly portion called Toldot, it is translated thus: \u201cThis is <\/span>toldot<\/em> <\/span>the story <\/span>of Isaac, son of Abraham. Abraham <\/span>holid <\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/em>begot Isaac\u201d (25:19). <\/span><\/p>\r\n Either way, the word is from the root <\/span>y-l-d<\/span><\/em>,<\/em> which is gives us words relating to the birthing process. <\/span><\/p>\r\n Believe it or not, there are four verb forms alone related to birth: <\/span><\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Genesis36-Edom-e1535548562964-155x300.jpg\")
<\/p>","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":"","tile_main_caption":"","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Edom was later identified with the empires of Babylon and Rome","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":38970,"alt":"","title":"Genesis36-Edom","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Genesis36-Edom-e1535548562964.jpg","width":1177,"height":2273,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Genesis36-Edom-e1535548562964-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Genesis36-Edom-e1535548562964-155x300.jpg","medium-width":155,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Genesis36-Edom-e1535548562964-530x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":530,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Genesis36-Edom-e1535548562964-530x1024.jpg","large-width":530,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Genesis36-Edom-e1535548562964.jpg","1536x1536-width":795,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Genesis36-Edom-e1535548562964.jpg","2048x2048-width":1060,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Genesis36-Edom-e1535548562964-621x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":621,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Genesis36-Edom-e1535548562964-217x420.jpg","home_baner-width":217,"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":"36","chapter_main_number":"36","date":"20251019","wall_id":"36"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"369","name":"Visual Arts","old_id":"769"},{"term_id":"486","name":"Esau","old_id":"886"},{"term_id":"556","name":"Rome","old_id":"956"}]},{"order":8,"id":"39038","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"A Creation Myth in Disguise ","post_title":"A Creation Myth in Disguise","slug":"a-creation-myth-in-disguise","old_id":"39038","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":38968,"post_title":"Dov Elboim","slug":"dov-elboim","old_id":"38968","first_name":"Dov","last_name":"Elboim","description":"Dov Elboim is an Israeli writer, and a student and teacher of Jewish culture.","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":1483,"alt":"","title":"","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/72-1.jpg","width":381,"height":452,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/72-1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/72-1-253x300.jpg","medium-width":253,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/72-1.jpg","medium_large-width":381,"medium_large-height":452,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/72-1.jpg","large-width":381,"large-height":452,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/72-1.jpg","1536x1536-width":381,"1536x1536-height":452,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/72-1.jpg","2048x2048-width":381,"2048x2048-height":452,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/72-1.jpg","post_full_size-width":381,"post_full_size-height":452,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/72-1.jpg","home_baner-width":354,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"36","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"A kabbalistic reading of the Kings of Edom","post_main_content_content":"
\r\n<\/span>From: http:\/\/donmarquis.com\/archy\u2019s-dream-realized-a-tribute-in-gold\/<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":39044,"alt":"","title":"archy and mehitabel","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel.jpg","width":323,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel-300x279.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":279,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel.jpg","medium_large-width":323,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel.jpg","large-width":323,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel.jpg","1536x1536-width":323,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel.jpg","2048x2048-width":323,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel.jpg","post_full_size-width":323,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel.jpg","home_baner-width":323,"home_baner-height":300}},"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 Edomite Clan Leaders\u2019 Super-Power","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Names that then reverberate throughout the ages","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":39044,"alt":"","title":"archy and mehitabel","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel.jpg","width":323,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel-300x279.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":279,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel.jpg","medium_large-width":323,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel.jpg","large-width":323,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel.jpg","1536x1536-width":323,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel.jpg","2048x2048-width":323,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel.jpg","post_full_size-width":323,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/archy-and-mehitabel.jpg","home_baner-width":323,"home_baner-height":300}},"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":"36","chapter_main_number":"36","date":"20251019","wall_id":"36"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"373","name":"Literature","old_id":"773"},{"term_id":"551","name":"Names","old_id":"951"}]},{"order":11,"id":"39052","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"MiliMiliM - The Hebrew Corner - Gen 36 ","post_title":"MiliMiliM - The Hebrew Corner - Gen 36","slug":"milimilim-the-hebrew-corner-gen-36","old_id":"39052","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. 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