Q&A: Reflections on the Book of Genesis
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Reflections on the Book of Genesis
Question
Good week,
I have three questions that I haven’t found an answer to.
1. Rashi in the portion of Lech-Lecha, the commentary on “from your land and from your birthplace,” appears on verse 3 instead of verse 1. (I was asked this by a 13-year-old boy.) Is this the typesetter’s mistake and everyone just copies without reading?
2. At the end of the portion of Vayera, Abraham settles in Beersheba, but Sarah dies in Hebron—did they separate? Also later the verse says, “And Abraham came,” which implies he wasn’t there?
3. Why don’t Isaac and Ishmael come to bury Sarah?
Thank you for your attention.
May we merit good news.
Answer
Usually I don’t deal with biblical verses, for reasons that have been explained here more than once. I’ll answer briefly.
- In the Responsa Project everything is arranged by verses. Maybe it’s a printing error.
- Indeed, after the Binding of Isaac they lived separately. That is what Rashi writes at the beginning of Chayei Sarah; see also Siftei Chakhamim there.
- I have no idea. But who told you they didn’t come? Ishmael is not her son, but at least Isaac may indeed have come.