Readings for the week of 10/25-31 (Jewish/Noachide caucus)

Kohen--Genesis 12:1-13
Levi--12:14-13:4
Shelishi--13:5-18
Revi`i--14:1-20
Chamishi--14:21-15:6
Shishi--15:7-17:6
Shevi`i--17:7-27
Maftir--17:24-27
Haftarah--Isaiah 40:27-41:16

Weekly pre-Shabbat bump.

Lots of hidden goodies in this week's parashah--especially lots of double identities. According to Jewish tradition Malkitzedeq is Shem the son of Noach, 'Amrafel the King of Shin`ar is Nimrod (the instigator of the War of the Kings in order to get revenge on Abraham), and the "escapee" in 14:13 who told Abraham about Lot's capture was `Og (who was later killed by Moses), and he was an "escapee" not only from the war but from the Great Flood as well. And the 318 men Abraham took with him was actually just one man--'El`azar, the value of whose name is 318 (I believe that's an example of remez interpretation). I don't know for sure if there is a Jewish tradition that `Og and 'El`azar were the same person, but in such a case it would be easy to see that one giant would be the equivalent of 318 normal men.

Here's some interesting info on the annunciation of Yishma`'el: four different times the Torah says "the Angel of the L-rd said." Why does it repeat "the angel of the L-rd" four times instead of just saying it once and then giving the four messages? Because there were four angels, one angel for each message. The fourth message tells Hagar that she will conceive and bear a son to be named Yishma`'el, but already in verse four it says that Hagar conceived. Why does the angel now tell her that she will conceive if she's already pregnant? Because she lost the first baby via a miscarriage after Sarah cast the evil eye upon her, and so she had to conceive again.

I can't cite particular sources for each of these, though perhaps some of you can. Does anyone else care to elaborate on these events?

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