Ibn Ezra: Walls and Growth (Vayechi)
The Torah Text On his deathbed, Jacob offers each of his sons a blessing / prophecy in poetic style. Joseph’s…
Tag: bereishit
Ibn Ezra: Branches and Berries (Lech Lecha)
Avram has a vision where God tells him his descendants will be strangers (ger) in a land not theirs. Ibn Ezra finds an unusual meaning to the word ger.
Ibn Ezra: Naked Awareness (Bereishit)
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve are described as arumim, naked. Abraham ibn Ezra clarifies what that means, bringing insight from Proverbs.
Rashbam: Uproot and Interpret (Tzav)
Rashbam – an avowed pshat interpreter – nonetheless includes a rabbinic interpretation that “uproots the plain meaning of the verse.”
Rashbam: Knowing When to Quit (Vayechi)
Vayechi, alone of all weekly portions, begins with no spacing from the previous portion. Rashbam has a novel interpretation.