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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Genesis 12: 5: Are "Souls" Slaves?

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  • From: Shoshanna Walker <rosewalk AT concentric.net>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Genesis 12: 5: Are "Souls" Slaves?
  • Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2007 21:07:49 -0500

Stone Chumash:

"The souls refer to those whom they had converted to faith in Hashem, for Abraham converted the men and Sarah converted the women. According to the SIMPLE meaning, however, it refers to the servants they had acquired (Rashi) [note- "servants" not "slaves" - Shoshanna], WHO HAD AGREED UNANIMOUSLY TO ACCOMPANY AVRAHAM ON HIS MISSION (Radak)"

See, Yigaal, you don't tell us the whole story.

Moreover, HOW in the world would a human being (Avraham and Sarah) be able to CREATE ("asher asu" - ie' Avraham and Sarah, plural) a Nefesh, ie; a spiritual aspect of a person???? Because the Torah specifically states that they made a SPIRITUAL being, this must mean spiritual ELEVATION of a human being, ie; conversion to knowledge and worship of G-d.

Also, why is Nefesh singular?

Shoshanna





Actually, Shoshanna, Saadiah Gaon, Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Radak all interpret
it as meaning slaves, either before or after metioning that they could also
be people who they had "converted".

Yigal Levin

----- Original Message -----
From: "Shoshanna Walker" <rosewalk AT concentric.net>
To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 1:03 AM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Genesis 12: 5: Are "Souls" Slaves?


It is the consensus (unanimous as far as I know) among Chazal, that
these refer to the people who he "converted" to the knowledge of G-d.
It is beyond belief that this could be construed as slaves.

Shoshanna


Genesis 12: 5 tells us that certain people came with Abraham and Lot from
Harran to Canaan, who almost certainly were not members of the
immediate family
of Abraham or Lot: "the souls that they had gotten in Haran". Are these
people "slaves", who had been "bought" by Abraham and Lot in Harran? Or,
rather, are these people distant relatives of Abraham's father,
whose families were
the social equals of Abraham's father's family, and who were on a long
caravan trip out to Mesopotamia with Abraham's father's family as
security guards?
Here is the JPS1917 translation of Genesis 12: 5:
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