(כ) וַיְהִ֗י אַחֲרֵי֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַיֻּגַּ֥ד לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר הִ֠נֵּה יָלְדָ֨ה מִלְכָּ֥ה גַם־הִ֛וא בָּנִ֖ים לְנָח֥וֹר אָחִֽיךָ׃ (כא) אֶת־ע֥וּץ בְּכֹר֖וֹ וְאֶת־בּ֣וּז אָחִ֑יו וְאֶת־קְמוּאֵ֖ל אֲבִ֥י אֲרָֽם׃ (כב) וְאֶת־כֶּ֣שֶׂד וְאֶת־חֲז֔וֹ וְאֶת־פִּלְדָּ֖שׁ וְאֶת־יִדְלָ֑ף וְאֵ֖ת בְּתוּאֵֽל׃ (כג) וּבְתוּאֵ֖ל יָלַ֣ד אֶת־רִבְקָ֑ה שְׁמֹנָ֥ה אֵ֙לֶּה֙ יָלְדָ֣ה מִלְכָּ֔ה לְנָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֥י אַבְרָהָֽם׃
(20) Some time later, Abraham was told, “Milcah too has borne children to your brother Nahor: (21) Uz the first-born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram; (22) and Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel”— (23) Bethuel being the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
Since she (Milcah) was the daughter of Haran,(Avraham's) brother, this news was reported to Avraham; that his older brother had many (grand) children from the daughter of his dead brother. From the text it appears that he did not know of any of them until this day. If they were born earlier when she was young it would have been impossible that is was not known until today because the distance between Aram Naharaim and Canaan isn't so far. Also, Nahor was elderly and his wife was not a young woman anymore. Rather, God performed a miracle that in her elderly years she gave birth. This is why it is written ''Also Milcah'' and in the words of our Rabbis (Yilkut Shimoni 766) it says 'she gave birth like her sister'.
(כב) וַיִּתְרֹֽצֲצ֤וּ הַבָּנִים֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אִם־כֵּ֔ן לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה אָנֹ֑כִי וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ לִדְרֹ֥שׁ אֶת־ה'׃
(22) But the children struggled in her womb, and she said, “If so, why do I exist?” She went to inquire of the LORD,
(60) And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “O sister! May you grow Into thousands of myriads; May your offspring seize The gates of their foes.”
(א) את הה' לאלפי רבבה ויירש זרעך - ממך יצאו אותם הבנים שנאמר בהם בשעת עקידה ויירש זרעך את שער אויביו.
(1) את היי לאלפי רבבה ויירש דרעך, may all these children originate from you, as it had been said to Avraham at the time of the binding of Yitzchok: “your descendants will conquer the gates of their enemies” (22,17)
"Abraham imposes only one condition on the servant's assignment: the woman must be willing to leave her country, her relatives, and her family, as he himself once did (24:5-8; cf. 12:1-4a). When the servant arrives in the town of Nahor, he sits down by the well, which in ancient Oriental towns was the meeting place for women. He find what he was looking for in Rebekah, whose introduction in the narrative is constructed like an appearance. "Behold, Rebekah came out" (v. 15). Rebekah is not only the woman who matches the patriarchal ideals that the servant obviously understands to be the criteria for G-d's choice (vv. 14, 42-44). She is the woman of the right family to which the genealogy in 22:20-24 had already pointed: the family tree of Milcah and Nahor culminates in 22:23a in the brief note of conception (!) of Rebekah. Her story is made to be parallel to that of Abraham because she, like him, leaves her people, her relatives, and her family and announces her decision with "I will go" (24:58), just like Abraham, who in days gone by followed G-d's voice and left (cf. 12:4). Not Isaac but Rebekah is portrayed as the adequate link in the promise of the Abrahamic line. This becomes clear in the bridal blessing for Rebekah: "May your offspring gain possession of the gates of their foes" (24:60), which is almost the exact wording of the last promise to Abraham after his successful test in 22:17. Isaac, on the other hand, is linked with the tradition of Abraham's failure when he, like his father before him, lies to Abimelech saying that his wife is his sister (26:1-11).
אברבנל על פרשת חיי שרה
אמנם נתנו לה ברכה מעליא שאמרו לה אחותנו את הה' לאלפי רבבה ויירש זרעך את שער שונאיו. כי הנה ברכוה בב' דברים הא' ברבוי הזרע את הה' לאלפי רבבה. והב' בכבודו ומעלתו וזהו ויירש זרעך את שער שונאיו. ונראים הדברים שהם דברי אל חי ששם אותם בפיהם כי בזה הלשון עצמו נאמר לאברהם בשעת העקדה ויירש זרעך את שער שונאיו
Abarbanel on Parashat Chaye Sarah
Really, she was given the greater bracha as they said to her: "“O sister! May you grow Into thousands of myriads; May your offspring seize The gates of their foes.” Here, she was given two blessings: First with the abundance of her offspring and the second that your offspring will conquer the gates of their enemies. These words are the words of the Living God who placed them into their mouths. We know this because these same words were told by God to Avraham at the time of the Akeda.
(23) and the LORD 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.”
...through a prophet or Avraham himself, for he had not died until her sons were fifteen years old.
(ו) אֶל הָאִשָּׁה אָמַר הַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה עִצְּבוֹנֵךְ וְהֵרֹנֵךְ (בראשית ג, טז), רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן, מֵעוֹלָם לֹא נִזְקַק הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהָשִׂיחַ עִם אִשָּׁה, אֶלָּא עִם אוֹתָהּ הַצַּדֶּקֶת וְאַף הִיא עַל יְדֵי עִלָּה. רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר כַּמָּה כִּרְכּוּרִין כִּרְכֵּר בִּשְׁבִיל לְהָשִׂיחַ עִמָּהּ (בראשית יח, טו): וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא כִּי צָחָקְתְּ, וְהָכְתִיב (בראשית טז, יג): וַתִּקְרָא שֵׁם ה' הַדֹּבֵר אֵלֶיהָ, רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּר רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אִידֵי אָמַר עַל יְדֵי מַלְאָךְ, וְהָכְתִיב (בראשית כה, כג): וַיֹּאמֶר ה' לָהּ, רַבִּי לֵוִי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא אָמַר עַל יְדֵי מַלְאָךְ, רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר זִמְרָא אָמַר עַל יְדֵי שֵׁם.
Woman (Eve) was told: "you will suffer greatly in childbirth" (Genesis 3:16). Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of R. Simon and R.Yochanan in th ename of R.Eliezer son of R. Simon: God is never obligated to speak with a woman except for that Tzadeket (Sarah) and even in her case it was through a higher source. R.Aba son of Bar Cahana said in the name of R.Yitzchak how much difficulty (lit. dancing wildly) was needed to speak with her. "He said: You were laughing (Genesis 16:13). "She called the name of God Whom was speaking to her". RYBRN said in the name of R.Idi in Genesis 25:23, God spoke to her through an angel, others say it was told to her by Shem.
(3) ויקרא שמו יעקב AND HE CALLED HIS NAME JACOB — The Holy One, blessed be He, thus named him. Another explanation is: his father called him Jacob because he was grasping Esau’s heel
(מב) וַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְרִבְקָ֔ה אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י עֵשָׂ֖ו בְּנָ֣הּ הַגָּדֹ֑ל וַתִּשְׁלַ֞ח וַתִּקְרָ֤א לְיַעֲקֹב֙ בְּנָ֣הּ הַקָּטָ֔ן וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו הִנֵּה֙ עֵשָׂ֣ו אָחִ֔יךָ מִתְנַחֵ֥ם לְךָ֖ לְהָרְגֶֽךָ׃ (מג) וְעַתָּ֥ה בְנִ֖י שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלִ֑י וְק֧וּם בְּרַח־לְךָ֛ אֶל־לָבָ֥ן אָחִ֖י חָרָֽנָה׃ (מד) וְיָשַׁבְתָּ֥ עִמּ֖וֹ יָמִ֣ים אֲחָדִ֑ים עַ֥ד אֲשֶׁר־תָּשׁ֖וּב חֲמַ֥ת אָחִֽיךָ׃ (מה) עַד־שׁ֨וּב אַף־אָחִ֜יךָ מִמְּךָ֗ וְשָׁכַח֙ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂ֣יתָ לּ֔וֹ וְשָׁלַחְתִּ֖י וּלְקַחְתִּ֣יךָ מִשָּׁ֑ם לָמָ֥ה אֶשְׁכַּ֛ל גַּם־שְׁנֵיכֶ֖ם י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃
(42) When the words of her older son Esau were reported to Rebekah, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill you. (43) Now, my son, listen to me. Flee at once to Haran, to my brother Laban. (44) Stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury subsides— (45) until your brother’s anger against you subsides—and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will fetch you from there. Let me not lose you both in one day!”
Why should I lose...: she feared that Esav and Yaakov might kill each other or that Esav might get killed for killing Yaakov. There is a midrash that both died on the same day.
(מו) וַתֹּ֤אמֶר רִבְקָה֙ אֶל־יִצְחָ֔ק קַ֣צְתִּי בְחַיַּ֔י מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנ֣וֹת חֵ֑ת אִם־לֹקֵ֣חַ יַ֠עֲקֹב אִשָּׁ֨ה מִבְּנֽוֹת־חֵ֤ת כָּאֵ֙לֶּה֙ מִבְּנ֣וֹת הָאָ֔רֶץ לָ֥מָּה לִּ֖י חַיִּֽים׃
(46) Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am disgusted with my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries a Hittite woman like these, from among the native women, what good will life be to me?”
She said this with intelligence to Yitzchak in order to distance Yaakov from Esav and not to reveal to him (Yitzchak) that it was because of the Esav's hatred that this was necessary.
(ח) וַתָּ֤מָת דְּבֹרָה֙ מֵינֶ֣קֶת רִבְקָ֔ה וַתִּקָּבֵ֛ר מִתַּ֥חַת לְבֵֽית־אֵ֖ל תַּ֣חַת הָֽאַלּ֑וֹן וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ אַלּ֥וֹן בָּכֽוּת׃ (פ)
(ג) תחת האלון וְאַגָּדָה נִתְבַּשֵּׂר שָׁם בְּאֵבֶל שֵׁנִי, שֶׁהֻגַּד לוֹ עַל אִמּוֹ שֶׁמֵּתָה (בראשית רבה), וְאַלּוֹן בְּלָשוֹן יְוָנִי אַחֵר, וּלְפִי שֶׁהֶעֱלִימוּ אֶת יוֹם מוֹתָהּ, שֶׁלֹּא יְקַלְלוּ הַבְּרִיּוֹת כָּרֶס שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנּוּ עֵשָׂו, אַף הַכָּתוּב לֹא פִרְסְמָהּ:
(3) תחת האלון UNDER THE OAK —An Agada (Genesis Rabbah 81:5) states that he there received news of another mourning for he was informed that his mother had died. — In Greek allon means “another”. — Because the time of her death was kept secret in order that people might not curse the mother who gave birth to Esau, Scripture also does not make open mention of her death (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Teitzei 4).
(א) ותמת דבורה מינקת רבקה ...והקרוב מה שאמרו רבותינו (ב"ר פא ה) שירמוז למיתת רבקה ולכן קרא שם המקום ההוא אלון בכות כי אין בכי ואנקה על המינקת הזקנה שיקרא שם המקום עליו אבל יעקב בכה והתאבל על אמו הצדקת אשר אהבתהו ושלחה אותו שם ולא זכתה לראותו בשובו ולכן נגלה אליו האלקים וברך אותו לנחמו כאשר עשה ליצחק אביו אחרי מות אברהם (לעיל כה יא)
Our Rabbis taught that this is a hint to the death of Rivka. that it why the name of the place is Alon Bachut because the crying was not for the elderly nursemaid, they did not name the site after her. Rather, Yaakov was crying and mourning over his mother, the Tzadeket whom he loved. She sent him there (to Charan) and she did not merit to see him on his return. Therefore, God revealed to him and blessed him to comfort him in which he did to Yitzchak, his father after Avraham died.
(א) ותמת דבורה מינקת רבקה. ומה שיחזק זה אמרו בסמוך ויבא יעקב אל יצחק אביו ממרא קרית הארבע, ואילו היתה רבקה אמו בחיים היה לו לומר ויבא יעקב אל יצחק אביו ואל אמו, שהרי היא שלחה אותו שם ויצחק צוה לו כן בעצתה, אבל מפני שמתה שלא לכבודה העלים הכתוב מיתתה. (ב) וכך אמרו במדרש אתה מוצא כשמתה רבקה אמרו מאן יפוק קמה, אברהם מת יצחק יושב בבית ועיניו כהות, יעקב הלך לפדן ארם, מאן יפוק קמה, עשו רשיעא וימרון ברייתא לייטין בזייתא דהא כדין ינקין, מה עשו הוציאו מטתה בלילה. א"ר יוסי בר חנינא לפי שהוציאו מטתה בלילה לא פרסמו הכתובים מיתתה אלא מן הצד. הדא הוא דכתיב ויקרא שמו אלון בכות שתי בכיות, פירוש אחת על מיתתה ואחת שמתה שלא לכבודה.
(1) ותמת דבורה מינקת רבקה, “Devorah, Rivkah’s nursemaid died.”
(2) Nachmanides quotes a Midrash (Tanchuma Ki Tetze 4) where the matter is explained. Although G’d promised Avraham that he would die of a ripe old age, he died at 175 years of age, 5 years younger than his son Yitzchak. The reason was in order to save him the mental anguish of seeing his grandson Esau become corrupt. In the case of Yitzchak, the latter was blind and could not see what his son Esau was up to. According to this Midrash, both Avraham, Yitzchak, and Rivkah ended their lives experiencing a degree of shame. Rivkah’s funeral lacked the presence of her loving son Yaakov, and presumably the presence of her son Esau who hated her. When she died, people cursed the passing of a woman who had nursed an evil person such as Esau. For these and other reasons G’d decided to console Yaakov by blessing him at this time. The plural form בכות, “weeping,” is accounted for because as soon as Yaakov was about to weep for the death of Devorah, he received word that his mother had died. His weeping was for the passing of both these women.
(א) שמה קברו את יצחק ואת רבקה אשתו: ,,, נראה מכאן כי רבקה מתה בעוד יעקב בבית לבן, לפיכך לא היה יכול לומר קברתי את רבקה, ולפיכך סתם ואמר שמה קברו.
There they buried Yitzchak and Rivkah, his wife... it appears from here that Rivkah died when Yaakov was still in the house of Lavan. Therefore, he was unable to state "I buried Rivkah" rather it states "she was buried"
What is the significance of this?
ANSWER: The combined numerical value of Yitzchak and Rivkah (יצחק רבקה) is 515, which is also the numerical value of the word Tefillah — prayer (תפלה). They are the only couple that the Torah mentions prayed together (see Bereishit 24:2 Rashi).
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