Shabbat Parashat Toldot 5784

Parashat Hashavua: Patriarchs and Matriarchs = Princes and Princesses?

Going through Sefer Bereishit, one wonders whether to look at the matriarchs and patriarchs, as heads and members of families, who only retroactively received special status when their offspring became a nation (after the Exodus), or already in their time, they were nobility or even royalty.

At first glance, they seem to be individuals, not leaders, and indeed they have to deal with challenges that affect simple people. For example, they wandered due to difficult economic times, among other reasons (see Bereishit 11:31; ibid.12:10; ibid. 26:1; ibid. 26:24, …). They dealt with infertility and with challenges in child rearing. They dealt with strife between siblings (see ibid. 13:7-12; ibid. 16:1; ibid. 21:9; ibid. 34:30).

However, from a different and deeper perspective, they did not only act as individuals, who became the symbol for all generations of special people. Notice that their recorded communication with their surroundings was primarily with kings and other leaders. They discussed matters of national importance and even took part and led in international war.

Avraham interacted closely with Paroh in Egypt (ibid. 12:15-20). He defeated the four Mesopotamian kings and thereby freed five regional kings of Eretz Yisrael (ibid. 14:1-24) and drew praise from Malkitzedek, the King of Shalem (ibid. 17-18). He was approached by Avimelech of Grar and agreed to make a treaty with him. Yitzchak renewed the treaty with Avimelech. Yaakov faced up against Lavan and his militia (ibid. 31:23), and Eisav and his 400 men (ibid., perakim 32-33). He negotiated a settlement with Chamor, the leader of Shechem (ibid. 34:6-16). He even interacted closely with the world leader, Paroh of Egypt.

Our matriarchs, the patriarchs’ wives, were princesses. The name Sarah means a noblewoman, and she was also called the gevira (see Bereishit Rabba 47:5), a name which is reserved for the wife and/or mother of the king (see Melachim I, 11:19). According to the midrash, Hagar, Sarah’s maid-servant, was Paroh’s daughter, who joined up with Avraham’s family because her father saw Hashem’s miracles to support them. Avimelech, the king of Grar, did the same thing (Bereishit Rabba 45).

There are indications from various places in Tanach that Ketura, the wife Avraham took after Sarah died, was a Midianite princess, whose grandchildren were heads of tribes there. The fact that Avraham took concubines at that time is a further indication of his status as a king (see Rambam, Melachim 4:4).

Along similar lines, Rivka and Rachel, Leah, Zilpa, and Bilhah, had statuses of princesses. We see this status extended to further generations (see Divrei Hayamim I, 7:14; Yerushalmi, Sanhedrin 2:3).

The Rambam describes the patriarchs’ social standing as follows: “… until thousands and tens of thousands joined them, and these are the people of the House of Avraham” (Avoda Zara 1:3). Based on the above, when the people of Chet, from whom Avraham sought to buy a burial plot in Chevron, called him “a prince of (nesi) G-d in our midst” (Bereishit 23:6), it was not empty flattery. Rather, it is as Chazal described a nasi: “One above whom there is no one other than Hashem” (Horiyot 3:3).

May our leaders today earn the title of followers of the legacy of our matriarchs and patriarchs.   

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