Ramban (Bereishis 46:15) Jochebed was born in Egypt, but she was not conceived in Egypt. This is the principle of our Rabbis. But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra replied, saying that “this is surprising. For if so, why did Scripture not mention the wonder that befell her, for she gave birth to Moses when she was one hundred and thirty years old? And why did it mention the case of Sarah who gave birth when she was ninety years old? This distress was not yet sufficient for us so that the poets came and composed liturgic poems for the day of Simchath Torah, wherein they state, ‘Jochebed, my mother, will be comforted after me,’ [implying that Jochebed survived her son], and thus she was two hundred and fifty years old at the death of Moses! Is the proof of the poets for this longevity of Jochebed because Ahijah the Shilonite lived a life of great duration?. If so, this is not a proof, for his longevity is but] an Agadic tradition or the opinion of a single authority.” These are the words of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra. in contradicting the words of our Rabbis, I must answer him and say that in any case, there is in the matter of Jochebed a great wonder of the hidden miracles which constitute the foundation of the Torah. Jochebed was Levi’s actual daughter, and not merely his offspring, Thus Amram, Levi’s grandson, married Jochebed, Levi’s daughter. Now if we would say that Levi begot Jochebed in his younger years, just as he begot all his sons, this would place her birth soon after his descent into Egypt, and she would have been very old at the time of Moses’ birth, at or near the age stated by our Rabbis. And if we would say that he begot her after he resided in Egypt for many years — say, for a period of fifty-seven years — then Levi would have been one hundred years old at Jochebed’s birth, for when he went down to Egypt he was forty-three years. In that case, there were two great wonders! Levi, at the time he begot Jochebed, was as old as Abraham, concerning whom Scripture mentions, Shall a child be born to him who is a hundred years old? and it is further written, And my lord is old also,. while Jochebed would still have been an elderly woman of seventy-three when Moses was born! And should we further postpone Jochebed’s birth to the end of Levi’s days, the wonder of his begetting a child will be greater than that of Abraham! But I will tell you a true principle, clearly indicated in the Torah. Scripture mentions miracles performed through a prophet and which he previously prophesied, or performed by an angel who is revealed in the course of a Divine mission, but those effected naturally in order to help the righteous or destroy the wicked are not mentioned in the Torah or in the books of the prophets. May this be “hot gold poured into the mouth” of this wise man who refuted the words of our Rabbis in the matter of Phinehas and similar matters in many places. Why should Scripture mention hidden miracles when all the foundations of the Torah are hidden miracles. In the entire scope of the Torah there are only miracles, and no nature or custom. All assurances of the Torah are in the form of signs and wonders, as it is not natural that he who has connection with one of the forbidden degrees of marriage or he who eats forbidden fat suffers excision or death. Nor is it by nature that the heavens become as iron because we have sowed our fields in the Sabbatical year.
This is a perfect example of the Modern Rabbi - Ibn Ezra, thinking purely rationally, such that the Holy Ramban, who thinks in many modes, traditional, mystical, rational, blesses him with molten gold.
ReplyDeleteRambam also had the problem of thinking rationally, which he restricts in his halachic works, but then does so freely in his philosophical opus.
“Disagreeing with Agada” No.
ReplyDeleteSanhedrin 58b: “Come and hear: “Amram took to wife his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the span of Amram’s life was 137 years.” (Exodus 6:20). Does it not [presumably] mean his father's sister on her mother's side [too] [ This refutes R. Eliezer's ruling. [Belonging to the pre-Sinaitic era, the Patriarchs were accounted Noachians.]? No. It means his father's paternal sister [Only this relation was permitted in the pre-Sinaitic era. But his father's maternal sister would have been forbidden.]”
במדבר פרשת פינחס פרק כו פסוק נט
וְשֵׁם אֵשֶׁת עַמְרָם יוֹכֶבֶד בַּת לֵוִי אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה אֹתָהּ לְלֵוִי בְּמִצְרָיִם וַתֵּלֶד לְעַמְרָם אֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת מֹשֶׁה וְאֵת מִרְיָם אֲחֹתָם:
רש"י במדבר פרשת פינחס פרק כו פסוק נט
אשר ילדה אתה ללוי במצרים - [אשתו ילדתה במצרים], לידתה במצרים ואין הורתה במצרים. כשנכנסו לתוך החומה ילדתה, והיא השלימה מנין שבעים, שהרי בפרטן אי אתה מוצא אלא ששים ותשע:
בכור שור במדבר פרשת פינחס פרק כו פסוק נט
אשר ילדה אותה ללוי. מקרא קצר: אשר ילדה אותה אשתו ללוי
Midrash Rabbah - Genesis XVIII:5: "THEREFORE SHALL A MAN LEAVE HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER (II, 24). It was taught: If a man became a [Jewish] proselyte, and he was [previously] married to his paternal sister or to his maternal sister, he must, in R. Meir's opinion, divorce her. But the Sages maintain: He must divorce his maternal sister, but may keep his paternal sister, because Gentiles do not recognize paternity. They raised an objection against him: Surely it is written, And moreover she is my sister, the daughter of my father (Gen. XX, 12)? He [Abraham] answered them in accordance with their own ideas, was his reply. R. Hanan said: This view was proved to us by the verse, THEREFORE SHALL A MAN LEAVE HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER, which means she who is related to his father and she who is related to his mother [He renders: ‘Therefore shall a man leave,’ i.e. divorce, his wife if she is related to his father, etc.]. R. Abbahu objected: surely it is written, And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife (Ex. VI, 20)? [If R. Meir's reason is as stated by R. Hanan, surely a father's sister is forbidden?] R. Simeon, the son of R. Abin, said: If so, the Israelites before Revelation did not even observe [the interdicts] of the children of Noah! Said R. Ila: But it was explained to us: THEREFORE SHALL A MAN LEAVE HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER means, the woman who is related to himself through his father and the woman who is related to himself through his mother [I.e. only a paternal or maternal sister is forbidden, not an aunt, such as Jochebed was to Amram, who is primarily related to his father or mother.].
Amram’s father was Kehath son of Levi. Forbidden post-Sinaitic era to marry an aunt “Do not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s flesh שאר אביך היא.” (Leviticus 18:12). Pre-Sinai marrying an aunt is permitted. Jochebed daughter of Levi was Amram’s aunt. I heard a legend to explain the odd phrasing וְשֵׁם אֵשֶׁת עַמְרָם יוֹכֶבֶד בַּת לֵוִי אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה אֹתָהּ לְלֵוִי בְּמִצְרָיִם
Levi had 2 daughters Osah אותה and Jochebed with Osah much older. Osah was conceived in Israel and delivered in Egypt and completed the 70. Jochebed was much younger, conceived in Egypt and delivered in Egypt. Amram married Jochebed but Osah was conceived in Israel and delivered in Egypt. This solves KA’s problem Moses 80 years old, 210 years after Levi entered Egypt. Moses’ mother was Jochebed. We don’t know when Jochebed was born, according to the legend that Levi had 2 daughters, not twins, Asah and Jochebed. Follow KA?
Yocheved was around 100/ 130 when she gave birth?
ReplyDeleteNo. Anything is possible. 210 years from Levi coming to Egypt till Moses being 80 at Exodus. 210-80 = 130. Maybe Jochebed was 30 when she married Amram, 31 with Miriam, 39 (??) with Aaron, and 42 with Moses. If Jochebed was 30 when she married Amram, then her older sister Osah was 100. Maybe Levi had 2 or more wives. It’s a man’s world, thank you God. I saw in a midrash that Levi had 2 wives.
ReplyDeleteYes, that makes sense - if Levi had several wives, which is most likely.
ReplyDeleteRamban claims Yocheved was 130 when she gave birth to Moshe. Since she was not conceived in Egypt.
ReplyDeleteSo that is the dispute.
Perhaps it was another Yocheved.