Why the Patriarchs and David Were Refined Through Famine

Midrash Shmuel 28:2

Curated by Arthur·Translated by Maggid (Beta)·

Why were the Patriarchs refined through famine? So that their children would merit Torah. Abraham was refined through famine: "And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down..." (Genesis 12:10). Isaac was refined through famine: "And there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine..." (Genesis 26:1). Jacob was refined through famine: "And Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and he said, Behold, I have heard... that we may live and not die. And Joseph's brothers went down..." (Genesis 42:1, 3). David was refined through famine: "And there was a famine in the days of David three years..." (II Samuel 21:1).

Themes

PatriarchsFamineHeresyDavidCreation

Biblical References

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Legends of the JewsThe Seven Divisions of ParadiseWhile readers often imagine it as a single, unified place, Jewish tradition offers a far more intricate and fascinating vision. Some accounts say Paradise. Or GLegends of the JewsAmram Was So Pious That Death Had No Natural Claim on HimThe Legends of the Jews tells us about Amram, father of Moses, and his extraordinary piety. He wasn't just a Levite, already a tribe known for its devotion. No,Legends of the JewsMoses Asks God to Show Him the Future of the WorldBeing in his sandals, standing in the very presence of God. It's a question that has captivated Jewish scholars and storytellers for centuries. The Legends of tLegends of the JewsBlood Flows From the City and Israel Recites the ShemaJoab was presumed dead, the city was under siege, and then blood began flowing from inside the walls. The scene: Joab's army is locked in a brutal battle, thousMekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelWhen Abraham Insisted on Paying Full Price and Weighed Out FourThe Mekhilta teaches that there are people in the Torah whose very names were diminished, literally shrunk, because of their actions. The prime example is EfronMidrash AggadahWhy Esau Said Let My Father Arise and Jacob Said Arise Please SitListen to how a single word can carry a man's whole soul within it. When Jacob came before his father, he spoke softly: "Arise, please, sit and eat of my game"