CHAMISHOH MI YODEI'A - FIVE QUESTIONS ON THE WEEKLY SEDRAH - PARSHAS LECH L'CHO 5768 - BS"D

2) Ch. 12, v. 6: "Eilone Moreh" - What is the proper translation of "Eilone"?

3) Ch. 14, v. 19: "Konei shomayim vo'oretz" - What is the translation of "konei"?

4) Ch. 15, v. 10: "V'es hatzipor lo vossor" - Since Avrohom brought both a "tor" and a "gozol" (verse 9), why does our verse express itself in the single form?

5) Ch. 15, v. 16: "Ki lo sho'leim avone hoEmori ad heinoh" - When the fourth generation will return to Eretz Yisroel, not only will the Emori be driven from the land, but many others as well. If so, why is this nation singled out here?

ANSWERS:

#1

1) When people want to bless their children they will say, "May you be as Avrohom and his family." (Rashi, Rivosh, Ramban)

2) The blessings for all others will come in your merit. (Targum Onkelos, Targum Yonoson ben Uziel, M.R., Ramban)

3) You will be the conduit for all blessings. (Rabbeinu Bachyei)

4) All the nations of the world will be joined and grafted with your family (mavrich). (Chizkuni)

In a previous edition the Moshav Z'keinim was cited, who writes that Avrohom married Soroh, a descendant of Shem, Hogor from Chom, and Keturoh from Yefes.

#2

1) Flatland of a man named Moreh (Radak)

2) FlatlandS (plural, based on Dvorim 11:30) (Targum Onkelos)

3) A land of abundance of greenery (Rabbi Saadioh Gaon)

4) A land of trees (Ibn Ezra)

5) A field (Ibn Ezra)

#3

1) The Creator (Rashi)

2) The owner (Rashi)

Rashi goes on to explain that by creating them He is automatically their owner.

3) The One Who made the heavens and earth as a nest (Responsa of the Rashba 5:115)

Just as a nest is a medium for the first stages of a bird's life, so too, the creation of heaven and earth ahead of most others creations, was done to create an environment for the first stages of the world's development.

#4

1) The intention is that the bird species was not severed. (Ibn Ezra)

2) He only brought one bird. The translation of "tor" is not a turtledove, but rather it is the Aramaic word for an ox. (Yotzros for the second day of Rosh Hashonoh Shacharis, which detail Avrohom's ten tests)

#5

1) The intention is really all the Canaanite nations. Emori is singled out because it is the strongest of these nations (see Omos 3). (Ramban, Rabbeinu Bachyei, Radak)

2) Even the Emori, which has sinned greatly, and is closer to being driven out, as we find that Moshe vanquished Emorites on the Trans-Jordanian side, while the others were not vanquished until Yehoshua warred with them, still has not filled My patience quota yet. (Maskil l'Dovid)

3) Other groups will have their quota of sin filled earlier. Emori will have their quota filled at the time of entry to Eretz Yisroel. (N'tziv)

This is totally contrary to the explanation of the Maskil l'Dovid.

4) It is specifically the Emori whose quota of sin will not be filled until later, because the Emorites, namely Eshkol, O'neir, and Mamrei made a covenant with Avrohom and offered him refuge. (B'eir Baso'deh)

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