Toldot

iThink
Hillel@York
Parshat Toldot
Thursday November 8st , 2007
Prepared by Nikki Greenspan


(trying a new style of layout... line in Hebrew, line in English.. share your thoughts...)

טו וְכָל-הַבְּאֵרֹת, אֲשֶׁר חָפְרוּ עַבְדֵי אָבִיו, בִּימֵי, אַבְרָהָם אָבִיו--סִתְּמוּם פְּלִשְׁתִּים, וַיְמַלְאוּם עָפָר. 15 Now all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.
טז וַיֹּאמֶר אֲבִימֶלֶךְ, אֶל-יִצְחָק: לֵךְ, מֵעִמָּנוּ, כִּי-עָצַמְתָּ מִמֶּנּוּ, מְאֹד. 16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac: 'Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.'
יז וַיֵּלֶךְ מִשָּׁם, יִצְחָק; וַיִּחַן בְּנַחַל-גְּרָר, וַיֵּשֶׁב שָׁם. 17 And Isaac departed thence, and encamped in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.
יח וַיָּשָׁב יִצְחָק וַיַּחְפֹּר אֶת-בְּאֵרֹת הַמַּיִם, אֲשֶׁר חָפְרוּ בִּימֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיו, וַיְסַתְּמוּם פְּלִשְׁתִּים, אַחֲרֵי מוֹת אַבְרָהָם; וַיִּקְרָא לָהֶן, שֵׁמוֹת, כַּשֵּׁמֹת, אֲשֶׁר-קָרָא לָהֶן אָבִיו. 18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham; and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
יט וַיַּחְפְּרוּ עַבְדֵי-יִצְחָק, בַּנָּחַל; וַיִּמְצְאוּ-שָׁם--בְּאֵר, מַיִם חַיִּים. 19 And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of living water.
כ וַיָּרִיבוּ רֹעֵי גְרָר, עִם-רֹעֵי יִצְחָק לֵאמֹר--לָנוּ הַמָּיִם; וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם-הַבְּאֵר עֵשֶׂק, כִּי הִתְעַשְּׂקוּ עִמּוֹ. 20 And the herdmen of Gerar strove with Isaac's herdmen, saying: 'The water is ours.' And he called the name of the well Esek; because they contended with him.
כא וַיַּחְפְּרוּ בְּאֵר אַחֶרֶת, וַיָּרִיבוּ גַּם-עָלֶיהָ; וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמָהּ, שִׂטְנָה. 21 And they digged another well, and they strove for that also. And he called the name of it Sitnah.
כב וַיַּעְתֵּק מִשָּׁם, וַיַּחְפֹּר בְּאֵר אַחֶרֶת, וְלֹא רָבוּ, עָלֶיהָ; וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמָהּ, רְחֹבוֹת, וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי-עַתָּה הִרְחִיב יְהוָה לָנוּ, וּפָרִינוּ בָאָרֶץ. 22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not. And he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said: 'For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.'
כג וַיַּעַל מִשָּׁם, בְּאֵר שָׁבַע. 23 And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba.
כד וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו יְהוָה, בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא, וַיֹּאמֶר, אָנֹכִי אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ; אַל-תִּירָא, כִּי-אִתְּךָ אָנֹכִי, וּבֵרַכְתִּיךָ וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אֶת-זַרְעֲךָ, בַּעֲבוּר אַבְרָהָם עַבְדִּי. 24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said: 'I am the God of Abraham thy father. Fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for My servant Abraham's sake.'
כה וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ, וַיִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה, וַיֶּט-שָׁם, אָהֳלוֹ; וַיִּכְרוּ-שָׁם עַבְדֵי-יִצְחָק, בְּאֵר. 25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's servants digged a well.
כו וַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ, הָלַךְ אֵלָיו מִגְּרָר; וַאֲחֻזַּת, מֵרֵעֵהוּ, וּפִיכֹל, שַׂר-צְבָאוֹ. 26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his host.
כז וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם יִצְחָק, מַדּוּעַ בָּאתֶם אֵלָי; וְאַתֶּם שְׂנֵאתֶם אֹתִי, וַתְּשַׁלְּחוּנִי מֵאִתְּכֶם. 27 And Isaac said unto them: 'Wherefore are ye come unto me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?'
כח וַיֹּאמְרוּ, רָאוֹ רָאִינוּ כִּי-הָיָה יְהוָה עִמָּךְ, וַנֹּאמֶר תְּהִי נָא אָלָה בֵּינוֹתֵינוּ, בֵּינֵינוּ וּבֵינֶךָ; וְנִכְרְתָה בְרִית, עִמָּךְ. 28 And they said: 'We saw plainly that the LORD was with thee; and we said: Let there now be an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;
כט אִם-תַּעֲשֵׂה עִמָּנוּ רָעָה, כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא נְגַעֲנוּךָ, וְכַאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂינוּ עִמְּךָ רַק-טוֹב, וַנְּשַׁלֵּחֲךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם; אַתָּה עַתָּה, בְּרוּךְ יְהוָה. 29 that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace; thou art now the blessed of the LORD.'
ל וַיַּעַשׂ לָהֶם מִשְׁתֶּה, וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ. 30 And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.
לא וַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ בַבֹּקֶר, וַיִּשָּׁבְעוּ אִישׁ לְאָחִיו; וַיְשַׁלְּחֵם יִצְחָק, וַיֵּלְכוּ מֵאִתּוֹ בְּשָׁלוֹם. 31 And they rose up betimes in the morning, and swore one to another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
לב וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, וַיָּבֹאוּ עַבְדֵי יִצְחָק, וַיַּגִּדוּ לוֹ, עַל-אֹדוֹת הַבְּאֵר אֲשֶׁר חָפָרוּ; וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ, מָצָאנוּ מָיִם. 32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him: 'We have found water.'
לג וַיִּקְרָא אֹתָהּ, שִׁבְעָה; עַל-כֵּן שֵׁם-הָעִיר בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה. {ס} 33 And he called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day.

http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0126.htm
Discussion:

1) Why are the wells told about in such detail?
2) What else does the digging of wells parallel?



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