by way of the land of the Philistines, for it was near" — Near (i

Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Mekhilta Tractate Vayehi Beshalach 1:3

Curated by The Jewish Mythology Team · Published January 13, 2025

"by way of the land of the Philistines, for it was near": Near (i.e., "close") is the thing of which the Holy One Blessed be He spoke to Moses (Exodus 2:12): "When you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve G–d on this mountain." Variantly: "for it was near": It afforded easy return to Egypt, viz. (Ibid. 5:3) "Let us go a three days' distance in the desert." Variantly: "for it was near": Close (in time) was the oath that Abraham had sworn to Avimelech, viz. (Genesis 21:23) "And now, swear to me here by G–d that you will not deal with me falsely (by trespassing on my land), or to my son or my grandson," and his grandson was still alive. Variantly: "for it was near": The first war (that with Egypt) was too close to the second (that with Canaan). Variantly: "for it was near": The Canaanites had only recently acquired the land, and (Genesis 15:16) "And they (the Israelites) shall return here in the fourth generation, for the sin of the Amorites is not yet complete."

Themes

Patriarchs Moses Covenant Holy Land

Biblical References

Continue Reading

Ginzberg Isaac — Abraham Among the Fathers They loved to explore these "what if?" scenarios. What if Abraham, Isaac, and Moses met? Who would come out on top? Than... Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael (One verse (Exodus 12 — 40) states "And the habitation of the Two verses in the Torah appear to contradict each other about how long the Israelites were connected to Egypt. One verse... Midrash Aggadah Isaac Circumcised Both Jacob and Esau on the Eighth Day Our journey begins with Isaac. According to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 29, Isaac himself circumcised his twin sons, Jacob an... Midrash Aggadah Why Israel Skipped Circumcision in the Wilderness We all know it's a fundamental ritual in Judaism, a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham. But what about the tim... Midrash Aggadah Abraham — Moses and the Angels That's the situation Moses faced in a powerful story found in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (chapter 45). The story opens with ... Midrash Rabbah God Showed Moses Every Future Leader Across All History When the Torah says, “Command the children of Israel, and say to them: For you are coming to the land of Canaan; this wi... Midrash Rabbah When Blessings and Curses Do Not Line Up The Torah is full of promises, both of blessings and of curses. And sometimes, it seems like things don't quite line up.... Midrash Rabbah Abraham and Creation of Abram It says, "Abram was ninety-nine years old, and the Lord appeared to Abram; He said to him: I am God Almighty; walk befor... Midrash Rabbah The Blood on the Doorpost and the Patriarchs' Merit Our story comes from Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Exodus. We’re looking at ch...