meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Gur Aryeh/Torah/Gur Aryeh on Bereishit/English/merged.txt"}
text: Gur Aryeh on Bereishit
  גור אריה על בראשית
  merged
  
  This file contains merged sections from the following text versions:
  -Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009
  -
  -YU Torah miTzion Beit Midrash
  -
  -Sefaria Community Translation
  -
  
  Gur Aryeh on Bereishit
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  ......
  "For if they will say..." Now, you may argue that the verse is still problematic; for how does the issue of the giving of the land connected to Torah's mitzvot? This is clear, since most of the Torah's mitzvot  are performed in conjunction with (the Jewish people's sovereignty or dwelling in) the land. Donations, tithes and construction of a temple must be done in the land. When Jewish people do not have the land they cannot fulfill these mitzvot at all.  ...
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  
  
  Verse 21
  
  
  The great whales. See Rashi in the name of the Aggadah. A species is considered to be in its ideal state only when male and female dwell together. Some creatures, however, are so huge that this world would be unable to bear them. Thus if the Leviasan were to mate the world would be destroyed.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  The serpent deceived (<i>hishi</i>) me. See Rashi. <i>Hishi</i> cannot be understood here in its usual meaning of “incited” because that would not have been an excuse for sinning.
  
  Verse 15
  
  I will put hostility. See Rashi. The serpent assumed that Chavah would offer the fruit to her husband first, and when she saw that he died she would refrain from eating.
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  
  
  Verse 21
  
  
  
  Verse 22
  
  
  
  Verse 23
  
  
  
  Verse 24
  
  
  
  Verse 25
  
  
  
  Verse 26
  
  Then men began to call upon the name. This cannot mean that at that time they began calling upon Hashem, because earlier generations had done so as well. For this reason the Sages interpret this statement negatively.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Until the water … dried up. See Rashi in the name of the <i>Midrash</i>. Since the raven is a callous creature it would not have been sent to bring glad tidings to the world. Rather, its real mission was to sustain Eliyahu in the desert so that he could bring famine to the world.
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  Which do not walk among humans. The meaning of "damaging beasts" (<i>chayyot hamazikin</i>) is such things as the lion, the bear and the leopard. The Re'em says that <i>hamazikin</i>, "damagers," means demons. But this is an error, because here it is written, "with every beast of the earth." Demons are not called <i>chayyot,</i> but rather are in the category of <i>kol chai,</i> "all living things," as it is written (above, Bereishit 6:19 and Rashi ad loc.): "from all the living things." And they are not called <i>chayyot</i>, "beasts."
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  
  
  Verse 21
  
  Spoken of as Samaria - It seems to me that the text hints at the core of the punishments that come through wine, and they are two: the first is the abasement that comes to a person through drunkenness, that they humiliate themselves, and that's why we read "and he uncovered himself in the middle of his tent". The second is the loss of wisdom and intelligence that a person has. And know that intelligence is the connection with the Holy One of Blessing, and through drunkenness this connection will be lost, and when a person has no connection to Hashem - exile and divisiveness come to a person, since whenever a person has his intelligence on, one is called a faithful seed, one is "a tree on a field" (Deut. 20:19), and one's saplings are in heaven, since the head which is the root of the tree/human turns upwards, and this is why a person is called "tree of the field" planted in heaven, and it is through the rational part one is planted in one's place, and all the winds come and blow, but do not move the person from one's place (see Avot 3:17) and when a person goes after getting drunk and one's rational faculties get lost - then one is in exile, and this is what the Torah truly hints with its word "itgal", the writing is "vaitgal" because it comes from the expression of galut, exile.
  And the words of Rashi are surprising, because our sages in Bereshit Rabbah (Bereshit Rabbah 36:4) did not say that the text hints at the exile of the ten tribes using the word "vaitgal", which is an expression of galut, but using the word "his tent", which I did not find in Bereshit Rabbah. And the rabbis of blessed memory are right, because the Text hints to exile (galut) with the word "vayitgal", since there is no difference between exile (galut) and revealed (galuy), since when one is exiled from one's place comes out from one's hiding place and is seen in another place, and the hint is the exile - that comes from the word revelation that humiliates, and a different revelation - the exile from one;s place, and this thing that maintains the exile of the ten tribes that were exile due to drunkenness, since they separated from the rational part that is the faithful seed, as we explained above. And this is what Bereshit Rabbah says (36:4) - Rabbi Shmuek bar Nachmani says it is not written 'and he revealed' (vaigal) rather 'and he uncovered himself', this thing brought about exile for him and his children. The ten tribes were not only exiled due to wine, etc.' And from the fact that he said 'brought about exile for him'  and what was the exile that it was brought about if not as we said, that he experienced exile from the place of his [high] stanting and level, and so [also] he brought exile to his children. And this is not like Rashi has explained that the Text hints specifically to the ten tribes, since behold he said 'to him and his children' - meaning, all his children, just what was found in the ten tribes, and see. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  How will I know. Avram was concerned that his offspring might sin inadvertently and lose their right to the land. In response God revealed to him the secret of the sacrifices, through which they would receive atonement.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  In the groves of Mamrei. See Rashi. He took counsel so that no one could claim that if he had been advised to refrain he would have done so. Alternatively, as allies (see 14:13) they were required to consult with the other before acting.
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  
  
  Verse 21
  
  
  
  Verse 22
  
  
  
  Verse 23
  
  
  
  Verse 24
  
  
  
  Verse 25
  
  It would be sacrilege. Although there were no truly righteous individuals in these cities there were some that appeared so. And since Hashem had already brought destruction to the world twice before, people would attribute their deaths to vindictiveness on His part rather than to their own insincerity. To kill the righteous. Their hypocrisy is hinted at in the spelling of the word <i>tzaddikim</i> — “righteous ones” — which is written defective (i.e. missing a <i>yud</i>) throughout this passage.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  I will appease him. He told them to relate to Eisov how ashamed he was about the injustice he had done him and to request forgiveness on his behalf.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  ... This is difficult: If [only] Shechem sinned, what was the sin of the [rest of the] city [for which they ‎deserved] to die? Rambam (Hilchot Melachim 9:14) answered that Noachides are commanded to ‎set up courts, and [for]any sin which they violate, they are killed. Here, they witnessed the evil act ‎‎[of Shechem kidnapping Dinah] and did not judge him. For this they deserved to die, for they failed ‎to judge him. But truthfully, these words are surprising, for how could they have judged the son of ‎their prince, since they feared him? Even though they are commanded to judge, that is when they ‎can judge, but “G-d exempts one who is under duress” (Bava Kama 28b), and how could they have ‎judged him?  It appears that there is no difficulty [explaining why all the males in Shechem deserved to die], ‎because [a war between] two nations is different. The Jewish people and the Canaanites are ‎considered two nations, as it is written “and we will be one nation” (Bereishit 34:16), [implying ‎that] initially they were not considered one nation. Therefore they were permitted to fight, like ‎any nation who fights another nation, which the Torah permits. Even though the Torah says, ‎‎“When you draw near to a city to fight it, you shall offer peace” (Devarim 20:10), that applies when ‎they have done nothing to Israel. When they have acted against Israel, as they did here when they ‎breached them to commit an evil act, then even though only one of them sinned, since he is part ‎of the nation and since they instigated, it is permitted to avenge this from all of them.‎ This is so with all wars which they encountered, like “Attack the Midianites” (Bamidbar 25:17). Even ‎though there were many who had done nothing, this is not a [valid] distinction. Since they were ‎members of the nation who acted wickedly against [the Jewish people], it was permitted to ‎engage [all the Midianites] in war, and such is the case with all wars.‎
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  
  
  Verse 21
  
  
  
  Verse 22
  
  
  
  Verse 23
  
  
  
  Verse 24
  
  
  
  Verse 25
  
  
  
  Verse 26
  
  
  
  Verse 27
  
  
  
  Verse 28
  
  
  
  Verse 29
  
  
  
  Verse 30
  
  
  
  Verse 31
  
  
  
  Verse 32
  
  
  
  Verse 33
  
  
  
  Verse 34
  
  
  
  Verse 35
  
  
  
  Verse 36
  
  
  
  Verse 37
  
  
  
  Verse 38
  
  
  
  Verse 39
  
  
  
  Verse 40
  
  
  
  Verse 41
  
  
  
  Verse 42
  
  
  
  Verse 43
  
  Magdiel. See Rashi. This name derives from <i>magdil</i> — “magnify,” just as “Rome” derives from <i>romemus</i> — “exaltation.” The next name, Iram, also alludes to Rome and together they correspond to the <i>ir vemigdal</i> (“city and tower”) of the Generation of the Dispersion (see 11:4), which intimates that like that generation, they were destined to be humbled by Hashem.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  Please (<i>Havah na</i>). The word <i>havah</i> often means “prepare yourself.” Yehudah requested that she consign herself to him exclusively so that no harlotry would be involved.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  When they had finished. See Rashi — if waiting was not a stratagem on Yehudah’s part he should have spoken up as soon as Yaakov rejected Reuvein’s offer.
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  
  
  Verse 21
  
  
  
  Verse 22
  
  
  
  Verse 23
  
  
  
  Verse 24
  
  
  
  Verse 25
  
  
  
  Verse 26
  
  
  
  Verse 27
  
  
  
  Verse 28
  
  
  
  Verse 29
  
  
  
  Verse 30
  
  
  
  Verse 31
  
  
  
  Verse 32
  
  
  
  Verse 33
  
  
  
  Verse 34
  
  And became intoxicated. See Rashi. They believed he was testing them to see what they would reveal when drunk; therefore if they thought that if they refused, his suspicions would be strengthened.
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  My master asked. See Rashi. If he truly suspected them of spying he should have asked for character references rather than inquiring about their families.
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  
  
  Verse 21
  
  
  
  Verse 22
  
  
  
  Verse 23
  
  Ten male donkeys. See Rashi. The donkeys were a hint that in selling him the ten brothers were like mere beasts of burden, fulfilling someone else’s purposes uncomprehendingly. That is, Hashem had used them to bring about this salvation.
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  
  
  Verse 21
  
  
  
  Verse 22
  
  
  
  Verse 23
  
  
  
  Verse 24
  
  
  
  Verse 25
  
  
  
  Verse 26
  
  
  
  Verse 27
  
  
  
  Verse 28
  
  
  
  Verse 29
  
  
  
  And wept. See Rashi. When Yaakov saw Yoseif he reflected on what Hashem had done for him and renewed his love and awe through the recitation of the <i>Shema</i>.