Chumashחומש

והקמתי את בריתי. וּמַה הִיא הַבְּרִית? לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לֵאלֹהִים:

והקמתי את בריתי AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT — And what is this Covenant? להיות לך לאלהים TO BE A GOD UNTO THEE.

לאחזת עולם. וְשָׁם אֶהְיֶה לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים, אֲבָל הַדָּר בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ דּוֹמֶה כְמִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ אֱלוֹהַּ:

לאחזת עולם FOR AN EVERLASTING POSSESSION — and there I will be your God; but whoever resides outside the land is as if he has no God (Ketubot 110b).

ואתה. וָי"ו זוֹ מוֹסִיף עַל עִנְיָן רִאשׁוֹן, אֲנִי הִנֵּה בְרִיתִי אִתָּךְ, וְאַתָּה הֱוֵי זָהִיר לְשָׁמְרוֹ, וּמַה הִיא שְׁמִירָתוֹ? זֹאת בְּרִיתִי אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְרוּ הִמּוֹל לָכֶם וְגוֹ':

ואתה AND AS FOR THEE — This ו (of ואתה) connects this verse with the preceding matter (v. Gensis 17:4, thus setting ואתה of here in contrast with the ואני of there): “As for Me, behold My covenant is with thee” — “and as for thee, thou shalt be careful to keep it”. And what constitutes the “keeping” of it? THIS IS MY COVENANT WHICH YE SHALL KEEP… EVERY MALE AMONGST YOU [SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED].

ביני וביניכם וגו'. אוֹתָם שֶׁל עַכְשָׁו:

'ביני וביניכם וגו BETWEEN ME AND YOU — “you” is plural and refers to all those belonging to Abraham who were then alive.

ובין זרעך אחריך. הָעֲתִידִין לְהִוָּלֵד:

ובין זרעך אחריך AND THY SEED AFTER THEE — those who are yet to be born.

המול. כְּמוֹ לְהִמּוֹל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאַתָּה אוֹמֵר עֲשׂוֹת, כְּמוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת:

המול is an infinitive equal to לְהִמּוֹל just as you may say עַשׂוֹת in place of לעשות (i.e. the infinitive may be with or without ל prefixed).

ונמלתם. כְּמוֹ וּמַלְתֶּם, וְהַנּוּ"ן בּוֹ יְתֵרָה לִיסוֹד הַנּוֹפֵל בּוֹ לִפְרָקִים, כְּגוֹן נ' שֶׁל נוֹשֵׁךְ ונ' שֶׁל נוֹשֵׂא, וּנְמַלְתֶּם, כְּמוֹ וּנְשָׂאתֶם; אֲבָל יִמּוֹל לְשׁוֹן יִפָּעֵל, כְּמוֹ יֵעָשֶׂה, יֵאָכֵל:

ונמלתם AND YE SHALL CIRCUMCISE — This word, in spite of the נ in it, is not Niphal but the same as ומלתם and the נ in it is an addition to the root, which only sometimes appears in it, as, for example, the נ of נושך and of ונמלתם ;(נושא is Kal like ונשאתם “and ye shall carry” (Genesis 45:19), but יִמּוֹל (Genesis 17:12 and Genesis 17:13) is a Niphal form — “shall be circumcised” — like יֵעָשֶׂה “it shall be done”, and יֵאָכֵל “it shall be eaten”.

יליד בית. שֶׁיְּלָדַתּוּ הַשִּׁפְחָה בַּבַּיִת:

יליד בית HE THAT IS BORN IN THE HOUSE — one to whom a handmaid gave birth in the house.

מקנת כסף. שֶׁקְּנָאוֹ מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד:

מקנת כסף HE THAT IS BOUGHT WITH THY MONEY — one whom a person bought after his birth.

המול ימול יליד ביתך. כָּאן כָּפַל עָלָיו וְלֹא אָמַר לִשְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁיֵּשׁ יְלִיד בַּיִת נִמּוֹל לְאַחַר שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים (ס"א לְאֶחָד) כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בְּמַסֶּכֶת שַׁבָּת (דף קל"ה ב'):

המול ימול יליד ביתך HE THAT IS BORN IN THY HOUSE MUST NEEDS BE CIRCUMCISED — Here the statement that one born in the house must be circumcised is repeated but it does not say “after eight days” as in 5:12, thus teaching you that there are some cases of those “born in the house” who have to be circumcised on the first day of birth, as is explained in Treatise Sabbath (Shabbat 135b).

וערל זכר. כָּאן לִמֵּד שֶׁהַמִּילָה בְּאוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא נִכָּר בֵּין זָכָר לִנְקֵבָה (בראשית רבה):

וערל זכר AND THE UNCIRCUMCISED MALE — This phrase teaches that circumcision must be at that place where the distinction between male and female is evident (Genesis Rabbah 46:13).

אשר לא ימול. מִשֶּׁיַּגִּיעַ לִכְלַל עֳנָשִׁין וְנִכְרְתָה; אֲבָל אָבִיו אֵין עָנוּשׁ עָלָיו כָּרֵת, אֲבָל עוֹבֵר בַּעֲשֵׂה:

אשר לא ימול HE WHO DOES NOT CIRCUMCISE HIMSELF) as soon as he reaches the age when he is legally liable to punishment, ונכרתה THEN HE SHALL BE CUT OFF — his father, however, who did not have him circumcised is not punished on his account with כרת (excision, “being cut off from his people”), but is merely transgressing an עשה “a positive commandment” (for which the punishment is flagellation).

ונכרתה הנפש. הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי וּמֵת קֹדֶם זְמַנּוֹ (שבת כ"ד):

ונכרתה הנפש THAT SOUL SHALL BE CUT OFF — i. e. he shall depart hence childless and shall suffer an untimely death.

לא תקרא את שמה שרי. דְּמַשְׁמַע שָׂרַי, לִי וְלֹא לְאַחֵרִים, כי שרה סְתָם שְׁמָהּ, שֶׁתְּהֵא שָׂרָה עַל כֹּל (ברכות י"ג):

לא תקרא את שמה שרי THOU SHALT NOT CALL HER NAME SARAI which means “my princess”— a princess to me and not to others — BUT SARAH, in a more general sense, SHALL BE HER NAME: she shall be princess over all (Berakhot 13a).

וברכתי אותה. וּמַה הִיא הַבְּרָכָה? שֶׁחָזְרָה לְנַעֲרוּתָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הָיְתָה לִּי עֶדְנָה (בר' י"ח):

וברבתי אותה AND I WILL BLESS HER — And in what did the blessing consist? In that she resumed her youthfulness, as it is said, (Genesis 18:12) “shall I have the pleasure of youth again?” (Genesis Rabbah 47:2)

וברכתיה. בַּהֲנָקַת שָׁדַיִם כְּשֶׁנִּצְרְכָה לְכָךְ בְּיוֹם מִשְׁתֶּה שֶׁל יִצְחָק, שֶׁהָיוּ מְרַנְּנִין עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁהֵבִיאוּ אֲסוּפִי מִן הַשּׁוּק וְאוֹמְרִים בְּנֵנוּ הוּא, וְהֵבִיאָה כָל אַחַת בְּנָה עִמָּהּ וּמֵנִקְתָּהּ לֹא הֵבִיאָה, וְהִיא הֵנִיקָה אֶת כֻּלָּם; הוּא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הֵינִיקָה בָנִים שָׂרָה, בְּ"ר רְמָזוֹ בְּמִקְצָת:

וברכתיה AND I WILL BLESS HER with teeming breasts. And this happened when she really needed this on the day of Isaac’s feast. For people were speaking spitefully about them, that they had adopted a foundling from the street saying, “This is our son.” Every one, therefore, brought her child with her, but did not bring the wet-nurse and she (Sarah) suckled all of them. To this refers that which is said (Genesis 21:7) “Sarah has given suck to children”. In Genesis Rabbah 47:2 this is alluded to in part.

ויפל אברהם על פניו ויצחק. זֶה תִּ"אֻ, לְשׁוֹן שִׂמְחָה, וַחֲדִי, וְשֶׁל שָׂרָה לְשׁוֹן מָחוֹךְ; לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁאַבְרָהָם הֶאֱמִין וְשָׂמַח וְשָׂרָה לֹא הֶאֱמִינָה וְלִגְלְגָה, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁהִקְפִּיד הַקָּבָּ"ה עַל שָׂרָה וְלֹא הִקְפִּיד עַל אַבְרָהָם:

ויפל אברהם על פניו ויצחק AND ABRAHAM FELL UPON HIS FACE AND LAUGHED — This word ויצחק Onkelos translates by וחדי which signifies joy (“and he rejoiced’’) but the similar verb in the case of Sarah (ותצחק Genesis 18:12) he translates as meaning laughter. From this you may understand that Abraham had faith and rejoiced, and that Sarah had no faith and sneered, and that is why God was angry with Sarah (when she laughed) but was not angry with Abraham.

הלבן. יֵשׁ תְּמִיהוֹת שֶׁהֵן קַיָּמוֹת, כְּמוֹ הֲנִגְלֹה נִגְלֵיתִי? (שמואל א ב'), הֲרֹאֶה אַתָּה (יח' ח'), אַף זוֹ הִיא קַיֶּמֶת; וְכָךְ אָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ, הֲנַעֲשָׂה חֶסֶד זֶה לְאַחֵר, מַה שֶּׁהַקָּבָּ"ה עוֹשֶׂה לִי?

הלבן SHALL A CHILD BE BORN TO ONE WHO IS A HUNDRED YEARS OLD? — There are some questions expressing astonishment which do not imply a doubt but rather affirm the certainty that the circumstance referred to has happened or will happen, as (1 Samuel 2:2) “Did I reveal myself [unto thy father’s house?]” (Of course, I did) and (Ezekiel 8:6) “Seest thou what they do?” (You, of course, have seen it). This question, too, affirms the certainty that it is possible for God to cause Abraham, at the age of hundred, to beget a son and this is in effect what he said to himself: Would there be done to another man one hundred years old this favour that the Holy One, blessed be He, is doing to me”? (Rashi means that the words must be translated, “would a child be born to any other person who is a hundred years old?”).

ואם שרה הבת תשעים שנה. הָיְתָה כְדַאי לֵילֵד; וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁדּוֹרוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הָיוּ מוֹלִידִין בְּנֵי ת"ק שָׁנָה, בִּימֵי אַבְרָהָם נִתְמָעֲטוּ הַשָּׁנִים כְּבָר וּבָא תַּשּׁוּת כֹּחַ לָעוֹלָם, צֵא וּלְמַד מֵעֲשָׂרָה דּוֹרוֹת שֶׁמִּנֹּחַ וְעַד אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁמִּהֲרוּ תּוֹלְדוֹתֵיהֶן בְּנֵי ס' וּבְנֵי ע':

ואם שרה הבת תשעים שנה OR SHALL SARAH, WHO IS NINETY YEARS OLD be worthy to bear a son? Although the previous generations used to beget at the age of five hundred years, yet in Abraham’s days the length of life had already become shorter and a diminution of strength had come upon people. Go and learn this from the ten generations from Noah to Abraham who begot their children at the then early age of sixty or seventy.

לו ישמעאל יחיה. הַלְוַאי שֶׁיִּחְיֶה יִשְׁמָעֵאל; אֵינִי כְדַאי לְקַבֵּל מַתַּן שָׂכָָר כָּזֶה:

לו ישמעאל יחיה means O THAT ISHMAEL MIGHT LIVE: I am unworthy to receive such a reward!

יחיה לפניך. יִחְיֶה בְיִרְאָתֶךָ, כְּמוֹ הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי – פְּלַח קֳדָמַי:

יחיה לפניך LIVE BEFORE THEE — live in reverence of thee; similar in sense is Genesis 17:1, התהלך לפני, which Onkelos renders by “worship Me”.

אבל. לְשׁוֹן אֲמִתַּת דְּבָרִים, וְכֵן אֲבָל אֲשֵׁמִים אֲנַחְנוּ (בראשית מ"ב), אֲבָל בֵּן אֵין לָהּ (מלכים ב ד'):

אבל VERILY — This word implies confirmation of a statement, just as (Genesis 42:21) “Verily (אבל) we are guilty”, and (2 Kings 4:14) “Verily (אבל) she has no son”.

וקראת את שמו יצחק. עַל שֵׁם הַצְּחוֹק, וְיֵ"אֹ עַל שֵׁם הָעֲשָׂרָה נִסְיוֹנוֹת וצ' שָׁנָה שֶׁל שָׂרָה וח' יָמִים שֶׁנִּמּוֹל, וק' שָׁנָה שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם:

וקראת את שמו יצחק AND THOU SHALL CALL HIS NAME ISAAC — with reference to his laughter. Some say the name has reference to the ten (י) trials, the ninety (צ) years of Sarah’s age, the eight (ח) days of the circumcision and the hundred (ק) years of Abraham’s age (Genesis Rabbah 53:7).

והקימתי את בריתי אתו. לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר, כְּבָר כְּתִיב וְאַתָּה אֶת בְּרִיתִי תִשְׁמֹר אַתָּה וְזַרְעֲךָ וְגוֹ'? אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר וַהֲקִמוֹתִי וְגוֹ', יָכוֹל בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל וּבְנֵי קְטוּרָה בִּכְלַל הַקִּיּוּם, תַּ"לֹ וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתּוֹ – וְלֹא עִם אֲחֵרִים: ואת בריתי אקים את יצחק. לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר? אֶלָּא לִמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה קָדוֹשׁ מִבֶּטֶן. דָּ"אַ אָמַר רַ' אַבָּא, מִכָּאן לָמַד קַ"וָ בֶּן הַגְּבִירָה מִבֶּן הָאָמָה; כְּתִיב הִנֵּה בֵּרַכְתִּי אֹתוֹ וְהִפְרֵיתִי אֹתוֹ וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אֹתוֹ, זֶה יִשְׁמָעֵאל, וְקַ"וָ וְאֶת בְּרִיתִי אָקִים אֶת יִצְחָק:

והקמתי את בריתי AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH HIM — Why is this stated? Is it not already written (Genesis 17:9) “as for thee, thou shalt keep My Covenant, thou and thy seed etc.”? But since is said, (Genesis 17:7) and I will establish My Covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations”, it might be inferred that the children of Ishmael and the children of Keturah (who are all descendants of Abraham) are included in this promise of the establishment of the Covenant, therefore it states here (Genesis 17:19) “And I will establish My Covenant with him (Isaac), not with the others” (cf. Sanhedrin 59b). If so, why is there a repetition of the statement that the covenant will be established with Isaac in the words (Genesis 17:21) ואת בריתי אקים את יצחק “but My Covenant will I establish with Isaac”? But it is repeated in order to add the words אשר תלד so as to teach that he was holy from his birth (Shabbat 137b). Another explanation of why 5:21 is repeated is: R. Aba said, “from here Scripture draws a logical conclusion regarding the son of the Mistress (Sarah) from what is said regarding the son of the handmaid (Hagar): It is written (Genesis 17:20) “Behold I have blessed him and will make him fruitful”, and this refers to Ishmael: Surely then, it follows logically that “I must establish my covenant (of blessing) with Isaac also!” (Genesis Rabbah 47:5).

ואת בריתי. בְּרִית הַמִּילָה תְּהֵא מְסוּרָה לְזַרְעוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק:

את בריתי [I WILL ESTABLISH] MY COVENANT — The Covenant of circumcision shall be transmitted only to the descendants of Isaac.

שנים עשר נשיאים. כַּעֲנָנִים יִכְלוּ; כְּמוֹ נְשִׂיאִים וְרוּחַ (משלי כ"ה):

שנים עשר נשיאים TWELVE PRINCES — like clouds shall they vanish, the word נשיאים being explained here as the same word in (Proverbs 25:14) נשיאים ורוח “Clouds and wind”

מעל אברהם. לְשׁוֹן נְקִיָּה הוּא כְּלַפֵּי שְׁכִינָה, וְלָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהַצַּדִּיקִים מֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם (בראשית רבה):

מעל אברהם [GOD WENT UP] FROM ABRAHAM — This is a more fitting expression to use of God, and we learn from it that the righteous are the Chariot of the Omnipresent God (Genesis Rabbah 47:6).

בעצם היום. בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם שֶׁנִּצְטַוָּה, בַּיּוֹם וְלֹא בַּלַּיְלָה; לֹא נִתְיָרֵא לֹא מִן הַגּוֹיִם וְלֹא מִן הַלֵּצָנִים, וְשֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ אוֹיְבָיו וּבְנֵי דּוֹרוֹ אוֹמְרִים אִלּוּ רְאִינוּהוּ לֹא הִנַּחְנוּהוּ לָמוּל וּלְקַיֵּם מִצְוָתוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם:

בעצם היום IN THE SELFSAME DAY — on the very day when he received the command of circumcision: by day and not by night — he was afraid neither of the heathens nor of the cynics. And he did it in broad daylight in order that his enemies and other people should not say, “If we had seen him we would never have allowed him to practise circumcision and carry out the commandment of the Omnipresent (Genesis Rabbah 47:9).

וימל. לְשׁוֹן וַיִּפְעַל:

וימל AND HE CURCUMCISED — This is a Kal form (active).

בהמולו. בְּהִפָּעֲלוֹ, כְּמוֹ בְּהִבָּרְאָם (בראשית ב'):

בהמלו WHEN HE WAS CIRCUMCISED — a Niphal form (passive), like (Genesis 2:4) בהבראם “when they were created”.

בהמולו את בשר ערלתו. בְּאַבְרָהָם לֹא נֶאֱמַר "אֵת", לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה חָסֵר אֶלָּא חִתּוּךְ בָּשָׂר, שֶׁכְּבָר נִתְמָעֵךְ עַל יְדֵי תַשְׁמִישׁ; אֲבָל יִשְׁמָעֵאל שֶׁהָיָה יֶלֶד, הֻזְקַק לַחְתֹּךְ עָרְלָה וְלִפְרֹעַ הַמִּילָה, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ "אֵת" (בראשית רבה):

בהמולו את בשר ערלתו WHEN HE HAD THE FLESH OF HIS FORESKIN CIRCUMCISED — With Avraham, [the word], et is not stated [as it is here with Yishmael], because the only thing he was missing was the cutting of the flesh, as [his foreskin] was already flattened through sexual relations. But Yishmael - who was only a child - was required to cut his foreskin and open [and push back] the circumcision. Hence about him, et is stated. (Genesis Rabbah 47:8)

בעצם היום הזה. שֶׁמָּלְאוּ לְאַבְרָהָם צ"ט שָׁנָה וּלְיִשְׁמָעֵאל י"ג שָׁנִים נמול אברהם וישמעאל בנו:

בעצם היום הזה ON THE SELFSAME DAY when Abraham completed his ninety-ninth year and Ishmael his thirteenth year נמול אברהם וישמעאל בנו WAS ABRAHAM CIRCUMCISED AND ISHMAEL HIS SON.