Torah Study - Chol Ha'Moed Pesach 2022/5782

(1) גר ותושב אנכי עמכם I AM A STRANGER AND A SETTLER WITH YOU — A stranger having come from another land, but I have settled down amongst you...

(1) גר ותושב אנכי עמכם, “I am a stranger as well as a resident amongst you.” Avraham meant that on the one hand he was a stranger seeing that he had not been born in the land of the Canaanites. On the other hand, he had been like a resident amongst the people of Kiryat Arba. Rashi suggests that Avraham also implied that if he were to be denied his request he would insist on his legal rights in the matter by simply becoming a permanent resident...

(1) I am a foreigner (or “sojourner”) and a resident. A sojourner does not usually purchase a family burial plot because he does not intend on remaining. Conversely, a resident does not need to buy one because he possesses his own land. Avraham, however, has been a sojourner until now but would like to become a resident. That is why he is seeking to purchase a plot.

(17) You shall not subvert the rights of the stranger or the parent-less; you shall not take a widow’s garment in pawn. (18) Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and that your God ה' redeemed you from there; therefore do I enjoin you to observe this commandment.

(1) THEREFORE THE ETERNAL THY G-D COMMANDED THEE TO KEEP THE SABBATH-DAY. The meaning thereof is that He commanded you to do so [give rest to the servant] on the Sabbath-day. So did Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explain it. But it is not correct, for we say in the Kiddush [i.e., the proclamation of the sanctity] of the Sabbath, “For this day is the first of the hallowed gatherings recalling our going forth from Egypt” just as we say that it “recalls the work of Creation!” And the Rabbi [Moshe ben Maimon] stated in the Moreh Nebuchim that “the ‘first statement’ [i.e., citing the Creation, as given in the Book of Exodus] expresses the honor and distinction of the day, just as He said, therefore the Eternal hath blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it, and hence He mentioned the reason for in six days etc. But here he warned us to observe the Sabbath because of our having been slaves, working all day against our will and never having rest, and he commanded us now to abstain from work and rest in order that we remember the kindnesses of G-d towards us in bringing us forth from slavery to rest. Thus the Sabbath in general has two reasons: that we believe in the creation of the world [i.e., that the world was created at some point in time out of absolute nought rather than being of infinite age], that the world has a G-d Who is the Creator, and that we remember further the great kindness that He did with us, that we are His servants, since He acquired us for Himself as servants.” This [statement of Rambam] is also not clear to me, for when we are resting and not doing work on the seventh day we are not provided with a remembrance of the exodus from Egypt, nor does anyone who sees us being idle from work have any knowledge of this [reason]. Rather, the Sabbath is like all the other commandments, but it contains a reminder of the Creation because of the fact that we rest on the day that G-d ceased from work thereon and rested. And it is more fitting to say that because the exodus from Egypt is evidence of the existence of an Eternal G-d, Who caused everything to come into existence through His will and Who has supreme power, as I have explained in the first commandment — therefore he stated here: “If there ever arises a doubt in your heart concerning the Sabbath that evidences the creation of the world by the will and power of G-d, you should remember what your eyes saw at the exodus from Egypt which is, to you, the evidence [of His infinite power] and the remembrance [of His deeds].” Thus the Sabbath is a remembrance of the exodus from Egypt, and the exodus is a remembrance of the Sabbath, for on it [the Sabbath] they remember and say that it is G-d Who makes new signs and wonders in everything and does with everything according to His will since it is He Who created everything at the beginning of creation. This, then, is the sense of the expression, therefore the Eternal thy G-d commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day. Now, he did not explain here that the reason for the rest [on the Sabbath] is that in six days the Eternal made heaven etc., — since this has already been mentioned many times in the Torah. Instead, he said here briefly, and the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Eternal thy G-d, meaning that He, blessed be, ceased from work thereon and rested and he explained to them that from the exodus from Egypt they will know that it was He Who spoke and the world came into existence, and He ceased from work thereon...

(2) לא תתעב מצרי THOU SHALT NOT ABHOR AN EGYPTIAN all in all (utterly), although they cast your male children into the river. And what is the reason that you should not abhor him utterly? Because they were your hosts in time of need (during Joseph’s reign when the neighbouring countries suffered from famine); therefore although they sinned against you do not utterly abhor him...