Author: jovial_cynic

A Spitting Image

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This is the line of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave, bore to Abraham.
Genesis 25:12 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)

This is the story of Isaac, son of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac.
Genesis 25:19 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)

Genesis 25:12 reinforced Ishmael’s mother’s identity. It is Hagar.

But Genesis 25:19 repeats Abraham’s role, rather than identity Sarah.

Why?

According to a teaching in the Midrash, it’s because nobody disputed Ishmael’s parents: it was Abraham and Hagar. But there were questions about whether or not Isaac was really the son of… Abimelech.

We, the readers, know the answer, but the people in the story needed to be convinced.

The sages say that a clue is in the word הוֹלִיד (holid) which we translate “sired” or “begot.” The numerical value is identical to דּוֹמֶה (domeh), which means “look alike.”

So the teaching is that when people saw Isaac, they all noted that he looked exactly like Abraham. There was no question: Abraham begot Isaac.

Corruption of the Twin

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וַיִּמְלְא֥וּ יָמֶ֖יהָ לָלֶ֑דֶת וְהִנֵּ֥ה תוֹמִ֖ם בְּבִטְנָֽהּ׃

When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb.
Genesis 25:24 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)

There’s a spelling “corruption” in Genesis 25 in the word “twin.”

The normal way to spell it is תְּאוֹמִים, te’omin. But in Genesis 25:24, it’s spelled תוֹמִ֖ם, tomin.

The rabbis say this “corruption” teaches us that only one twin will be righteous.

Two Nations

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וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה לָ֗הּ שְׁנֵ֤י (גיים) [גוֹיִם֙] בְּבִטְנֵ֔ךְ וּשְׁנֵ֣י לְאֻמִּ֔ים מִמֵּעַ֖יִךְ יִפָּרֵ֑דוּ וּלְאֹם֙ מִלְאֹ֣ם יֶֽאֱמָ֔ץ וְרַ֖ב יַעֲבֹ֥ד צָעִֽיר׃

And יהוה answered her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
Two separate peoples shall issue from your body;
One people shall be mightier than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.”
Genesis 25:23 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)

Genesis 25 mentions two “nations,” but the word is written in a strange way. Notice the Hebrew spelling in the highlighted section of the image.

It’s [גוֹיִם֙] and (גיים). גוֹיִם֙ is the normal spelling.

The rabbis say the normal spelling (גוֹיִם֙) means “nation.” When you spell it with no vav, two yods, and a final mem, it means “noble or powerful individuals.” It’s very different.

In paleo-Hebrew (pictograph form), the “vav” is a nail or hook, and it symbolizes binding together. The “yod” is a hand, denoting action or power. The final version of “mem” means final and established.

Symbolically, if you remove the “vav,” you’ve removed the binding-together element. It’s not people – it’s two distinct elements. Add a second “yod” and we’re talking about greater power and influence. Change the “mem” and we have something concrete and established.

I believe Rebekah is being told about the struggle of good and evil, spirit and flesh, within her. In all of us – all of humanity. This is our existential battle that’s rooted in our hearts; our actions give birth to both.

But the older (flesh) will one day serve the younger (spirit)

Inquiring of the Lord

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But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why am I in this condition?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.
Genesis 25:22 (NASB)

Genesis 25:22 says that Rebekah “went to inquire of the Lord.”

The text says “she went.” Where did she go, exactly?!

If God is everywhere, why didn’t it just say “she prayed to the Lord,” like it did for Isaac in the previous verse?

This phrase “went to inquire of the Lord” is most commonly associated with going to see a prophet or a priest, so the rabbis wondered who Rebekah went to see.

Some suggested that Shem, son of Noah, was still around, providing guidance and wisdom for those who seek the Lord.

Rebekah’s Distress

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But the children struggled in her womb, and she said, “If so, why do I exist?” She went to inquire of יהוה,
Genesis 25:23 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS, 2006)

The Hebrew word used to express Rebekah’s distress in Genesis 25:22 is of uncertain meaning. It’s אָנֹכִי (anokhi), and it carries a sense of “why me?” and “it shouldn’t be this way,” but it also carries a meaning of existential crisis: “Why do I exist?”

At this point in the story, she doesn’t know that she’s having twins. She’ll learn about this in the next verse, where she’s told about the two nations that will emerge from her: one that God will love, and one that God will hate.

There are layers to the meaning.

If you believe God loves Jacob and hates Esau, the individuals, you’ll describe a God whose dedication to you is arbitrary: Maybe God will love you, and maybe not.

If Jacob and Esau are viewed as nations, the text describes a God who sees race and bloodlines. This is also abitrary and… racist? Does God love some nations and hate others, regardless of their actions?

But there’s another view.

Jacob/Esau are an echo:

Consider –

Abel/Cain
Isaac/Ishmael
(Perhaps Abraham/Nahor, the idolator?)

These are stories about brothers, one of which walks by the Spirit and trusts God, vs the other who walks by the Flesh and trusts works. But we’ve already learned that the flesh is cursed to die. Works will not work.

This is not merely a story about the people. These are parables.

This parable is about Rebekah’s internal and existential crisis: Why do I exist? Why me? Why is this happening?

This is the struggle in all of us: to walk by the Spirit or to walk by the Flesh. How will it end? Which “child” inside of us wins?

“The older will serve the younger.”

This is our hope.

Always Pray

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Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children; and the Lord answered him, and his wife Rebekah conceived.
Genesis 25:21 (NASB)

The rabbis note that the first part of Genesis 25:21 is written backwards. Normally, it would note the ailment (the barrenness), and then follow it with prayer.

But here, Isaac prays for Rebekah, and then the text lists the ailment. The teaching: prayer is primary. Always pray.

Praying with Rebekah

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Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children; and the Lord answered him, and his wife Rebekah conceived.
Genesis 25:21 (NASB)

A notable contrast between Isaac and Abraham, as it relates to their barren wives, is that Isaac prays for Rebekah. We never saw Abraham pray for Sarah.

But even more, “on behalf of his wife” is literally “in front of his wife.”

Isaac prayed for Rebekah. Who knows? The text may be telling us that he prayed with her.

Living with Tricksters

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…and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.
Genesis 25:20 (NASB)

Some translations say “Syrian” instead of “Aramean” in Genesis 25:20, but the Hebrew scholars say that “Aramean” is intended for a very tricky reason.

For starters, we’re going to discover that Rebekah will have twins – Jacob and Esau.

If you know the story, you’ll draw parallels between the worldly Esau and Laben, the one who later tricks Jacob. But then, Rebekah herself is a trickster, and brings Jacob into deception as well.

So the first thing the rabbis note is that Rebekah is being clearly linked to both Bethuel and Laben, so that Esau’s wickedness has a source: he will be like his uncle and his grandfather.

Perhaps this is a teaching about the deep-rooted nature of familial wickedness.

But another clue is in the word “Aramean.”

In Hebrew, it is Arami (אֲרַמִּי):
– Aleph-Resh-Mem-Yod.

This word is a jumble of Ramai (רַמַּאי):
– Resh-Mem-Aleph-Yod

Ramai means… trickster; a cheat.

When we stare at the verse, it becomes clear what the message is: “Look! Rebekah is from a family of tricksters; she’s from a town of tricksters.”

This is going to be a story of God’s people interacting with tricksters. We’ll see it play out in the twins in an ironic way.

Repairing the Harm

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After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac settled near Beer-lahai-roi. This is the line of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave, bore to Abraham.
Genesis 25:11-12 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)

After Abraham dies, Isaac moves to the place that is sacred due to Hagar, Ishmael’s mother.

It’s fascinating that Torah immediately goes into Ishmael’s genealogy here, as though it wants to remind us that Ishmael is blessed by God. God sees him, so we should see him.

When Sarah demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be kicked out of Abraham’s house, Isaac was only a child, barely weened. He couldn’t be rightly accused of harboring ill-will against his half-brother, or for being directly responsible for his exile.

Isaac isn’t to blame, but Hagar and Ishmael were kicked out because of Isaac.

When Isaac makes his home near the Sacred Well, I wonder if this teaches us how we are meant to make amends, even for harms we did not cause, but were caused because of us.

“Am I my brother’s keeper?”

It’s an odd question; Isaac isn’t the oldest. But Isaac is living out the special blessing, so it’s like he is the older brother, imbued with carrying the Messiah forward.

When you carry the torch, you are meant to light the way for others.

The rabbis say that Ishmael’s presence at Abraham’s funeral points to Ishmael’s repentance, as though he had done something wrong.

I think Isaac is the one who bridges the gap in this story. I think it tells us to bridge that gap as well, even for harms we didn’t cause.

Abraham’s Years

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These are all the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, 175 years.
Genesis 25:7 (NASB)

In Hebrew, Abraham’s years are listed this way: 100 years, and 70 years, and 5 years.

There are only a few people in Scripture who are listed this way. Up to now, the only people written out this way are Adam, Sarah, and Abraham. Every other time, it would have said: five and 70 years, and 100 years.

The sages say that Abraham’s life showed continued refinement and blessings.