Parashat Lech L’cha, 5774/2013 edition

This is a “two-fer” (two for the price of one)—I’m inserting a link here not only to give my readers quick access to the basics, but also to give *me* access to the “Compose” window.  Note that the usual problem remains--I can't correct any errors except by backspacing and deleting because the mouse is "frozen," so most mistakes will remain uncorrected until I get to a computer on which I have full access.

Here’s something new that I just spotted yesterday:

Genesis Chapter 12 בְּרֵאשִׁית

יג אִמְרִי-נָא, אֲחֹתִי אָתְּ--לְמַעַן יִיטַב-לִי בַעֲבוּרֵךְ, וְחָיְתָה נַפְשִׁי בִּגְלָלֵךְ. 13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee.'

יד וַיְהִי, כְּבוֹא אַבְרָם מִצְרָיְמָה; וַיִּרְאוּ הַמִּצְרִים אֶת-הָאִשָּׁה, כִּי-יָפָה הִוא מְאֹד. 14 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.

טו וַיִּרְאוּ אֹתָהּ שָׂרֵי פַרְעֹה, וַיְהַלְלוּ אֹתָהּ אֶל-פַּרְעֹה; וַתֻּקַּח הָאִשָּׁה, בֵּית פַּרְעֹה. 15 And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

טז וּלְאַבְרָם הֵיטִיב, בַּעֲבוּרָהּ; וַיְהִי-לוֹ צֹאן-וּבָקָר, וַחֲמֹרִים, וַעֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחֹת, וַאֲתֹנֹת וּגְמַלִּים. 16 And he dealt well with Abram for her sake; and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels.

Genesis Chapter 14 בְּרֵאשִׁית

כא וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ-סְדֹם, אֶל-אַבְרָם: תֶּן-לִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ, וְהָרְכֻשׁ קַח-לָךְ. 21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram: 'Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.'

כב וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם, אֶל-מֶלֶךְ סְדֹם: הֲרִמֹתִי יָדִי אֶל-יְהוָה אֵל עֶלְיוֹן, קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ. 22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom: 'I have lifted up my hand unto the LORD, God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth,

כג אִם-מִחוּט וְעַד שְׂרוֹךְ-נַעַל, וְאִם-אֶקַּח מִכָּל-אֲשֶׁר-לָךְ; וְלֹא תֹאמַר, אֲנִי הֶעֱשַׁרְתִּי אֶת-אַבְרָם. 23 that I will not take a thread nor a shoe-latchet nor aught that is thine, lest thou shouldest say: I have made Abram rich;

כד בִּלְעָדַי, רַק אֲשֶׁר אָכְלוּ הַנְּעָרִים, וְחֵלֶק הָאֲנָשִׁים, אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ אִתִּי: עָנֵר אֶשְׁכֹּל וּמַמְרֵא, הֵם יִקְחוּ חֶלְקָם. {ס} 24 save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, let them take their portion.' {S}

What a hypocrite! Avraham Avinu is perfectly willing to accept gifts for, um, allowing his “sister” to be taken into a king’s harem (or whatever) and politely ignoring what’s likely to happen to her there, but won’t take any spoils from a victory in battle, which, at least, he’d earned! One could make a legitimate claim that it was really Sarah who'd earned the sheep, etc., as well as, in a fine irony, the maidservant who nearly displaced her.

Oldies:

• Parshat Lech L'cha: To me, this makes no sense (Friday, November 04, 2011)
• Parshat Lech L'cha thoughts for 5773/2012 (Wednesday, October 24, 2012).
• Parshat Lech L'cha--my husband's view (Monday, October 29, 2012).

Conservadox doesn’t like his Lech L’cha “dumbed down,” but tries to make the best of it.