The interpretive strategy of the received text is paramount takes an entirely different approach, which attempts to encounter the word of God without any mediation. It is thou that didst place the hatchet in the hand of the big god, and thou sayest he smote them all. Abraham answered his father, and said: How, then, canst thou serve these idols in whom there is no power to do anything? 3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The plot point of Abrahams fattempted murder for his beliefs is found in four source texts. 23 And when Abram had gone from them he went to his mother and sat before her, and he said to his mother, Behold, my father has shown me those who made heaven and earth, and all the sons of men. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of An ahistorical Torah is not subject to being disproven by archaeology or academic historical reconstructions. How is one to deal with such a tremendous challenge? Thus, we can say that there is no reason not to ascribe great literary prowess to God. Rav Kook believed that this model should be copied when wrestling with notions that were current in his day, like the theory of evolution. They meant the world to me and taught me crucial lessons. A similar point was made by R. Abraham Kook inEder ha-Yakkar, (Jerusalem, 5726), p. 42. All rights reserved worldwide. 24 Now, therefore, hasten and fetch a kid from the flock, and make of it savory meat, that I may bring it to my fathers gods as an offering for them to eat; perhaps I may thereby become acceptable to them. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. 20 Bible Verses about Abandoning Idols Deuteronomy 7:25 Verse Concepts The graven images of their gods you are to burn with fire; you shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, or you will be snared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. The consequence was, his father and the idolatrous priests of that day sought to take his life. Although I felt able to push the first question into the sidelines, the second question seemed to me more problematic. 19Also for the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in (U)the pasture lands of their cities, or in each and every city, (V)there were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone genealogically enrolled among the Levites. Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, A Phoenician goddess, also an image of the same, Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular, Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct, Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct, Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular, Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel, He takes order for the repair of the temple, Josiah sends to Huldah to enquire of the Lord, Huldah prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem, but respite thereof in Josiah's time, Josiah, causing it to be read in a solemn assembly, renews the covenant with God, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT History: 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat (2 Chron. Therefore, by necessity we would need to distill from his historical persona what parts of his life were his own choice, (i.e. Abraham is to be killed for his righteousness, and is saved by God Inasmuch as Abrahams fight against idolatry is a common theme in the Bible, so is the prophet of God, in the face of adversity, being persecuted for his beliefs. Child sacrifice was one reason for the Babylonian captivity (verse 36). Access 50+ premium resources. 31 And in the evening of that day in that house Abram was clothed with the spirit of God. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. [21] Did the elephant really need the ant in order to make dust-clouds in the desert? 5 From . I discuss this halacha in greater detail in the book. According to Genesis Rabbah 38.13, iyya b. Abba, a third-generation Amora, told following story: Terah was an idol manufacturer who once went away and left Abraham in charge of the store. Bible Verses About Idols - King James Bible Online And Terah answered his son Abram and said, Behold those who created us are all with us in the house. Abraham responds that people withstand wind. What was Abraham's religion before God called him? Abrahams father had instructed him in the doctrines of these idols, and had sought to induce him to have faith in them and in their power, authority, and dominion, telling him what great personages they were. PDF 'The Gods of My Father Terah': Abraham the Iconoclast and the Polemics This Abraham is entirely in the hands of heaven (in a different and positive sense). These were the feelings of Abraham, and he taught his fathers house, and all around him, as far as he had the privilege. As such, writing is secondary to the event itself. New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Rambams approach here applies to our case as well. The question the rabbis are trying to answer with the Midrash is why and how did Haran die in the presence of his father. These events occurred at some point in the past, and the Holy Author (God) describes them from the unique perspective of the divine. Heis a member of the rabbinic organizations Tzohar and Beit Hillel, has written a number of onlineresponsa,and is the author ofExistential or Non-Essential: History and Literature, Religious Language and the Nature of the Deity. Contrast this with the literary Abraham, the Abraham who is the fruit of the spirit of God and the divine pen. I am not surprised, therefore, at the literary prowessvery much like human literary prowessdemonstrated in Torah by its author. [20] Moreover, even if the Torah had been written from one perspective only, in one clear and flowing style, that would not have proven that it came from God. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. 38 And he found Abram his son still sitting in the house; and he said to him, What is this work thou hast done to my gods? 71C11132 Haran, Abraham's brother, having witnessed the miracle, decides to undergo the test of fire as well, but is immediately consumed. 15 And Terah his father was in those days, still captain of the host of king Nimrod, and he still followed strange gods. Now, believing it is safe, Abram leaves Noah's home and returns to his father Terah. Furthermore, this objection often remains inchoate and not fully articulated. 39 And Abram answered Terah his father and he said, Not so my lord, for I brought savory meat before them, and when I came nigh to them with the meat that they might eat, they all at once stretched forth their hands to eat before the great one had put forth his hand to eat. Abraham responds that water puts out fire. As I was leading a discussion in the beit midrash on this subject, one of the participants pushed back against this approach. Deuteronomy 9:13-14, "Let me alone that I may destroy them." [22], Getting accustomed to this kind of thinking about the Torah is required, in my opinion, if a person wishes to acquire the ability to raise his or her faith in Torah from a peripheral attachment to an essential attachment to its contents. Abraham responds that wind pushes clouds. The main purpose of contracts and newspapers, for example, is to translate the real worldwhere a deal was struck or something worth describing occurredinto writing. Haran is thrown into the fire, and is not saved by God. 26 And Abram saw on the day when he was sitting amongst them, that they had no voice, no hearing, no motion, and not one of them could stretch forth his hand to eat. 52 And the king sent three men of his servants, and they went and brought Abram before the king. Join today!. What is a believer to do, when he or she is convinced that a new religious outlook, as innovative and brazen as it may be, not only doesnt diminish the value of faith but even colors it in stronger and more vibrant colors? As I came to understand the Word of Wisdom, I wanted my parents to live that law. 61 And when Abram had ceased speaking before the king and princes, Abram lifted up his eyes to the heavens, and he said, The Lord seeth all the wicked, and he will judge them. See:The Guide of the Perplexed, 1:1. (U) Far be it from you! Although the Bible says Terah "worshiped other gods" Would you like updates when content is posted? How can virtual classrooms help students become more independent and self-motivated learners? Abraham and His Father's Idols A Concordance of Abraham in The - Scribd Even for such a person, something still lingers from the dissonance required in reframing the story as ahistorical. To me, it seems likely that the par between those who criticize the ahistorical paradigm and those who embrace it can be traced to the par between the correspondence theory of truth and the coherence theory of truth, but a full analysis along these lines would take us too far afield. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr). A woman came carrying a plate of fine flour and she told me to offer it before them. went away on a journey, and he left Abraham in charge of the store. Its meaning is not dependent on external evidence; its narrative descriptions should not be characterized as reconstructions or preservation of past events. I simply believe it. The believer, who adapts the divine message to his or her own life, chooses to look upon the events of the past described in the Torah from the divine perspective. Is there spirit, soul, or power in these gods to do all thou hast told me? 46 Did not our fathers in days of old sin in this matter, and the Lord God of the universe brought the waters of the flood upon them and destroyed the whole earth? Sons were born to them after the flood. Kush was the son of Ham, the lowest and least important of Noah 's three sons. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. So he got a club, or some other weapon, and knocked off the heads of some, the arms and legs of others, and made a general wreck among the idols, but left the biggest untouched. Smashing Jewish Idols | My Jewish Learning 18The genealogical enrollment included [k]all their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, for the whole assembly, for they consecrated themselves [l]faithfully in holiness. [14]M.Pesachim10:5. His father came in and asked what he had been doing, what great sin this was that he had committed, why he was so sacrilegious in his feelings and so wicked as to seek to destroy these gods?
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