[Avodah] 400 men

[nachmanl at juno.com]

On Sun, Dec 14, 2008 at 09:11:00PM -0500, Gershon Dubin wrote:
: The 400 men who deserted Esav were later rewarded, per Rashi, in the
: times of Dovid hamelech...

I looked at it and left very confused.

Does Bereishis Rabba (quoted by Rashi 33:16) mean that these 400 people
who slipped away 1 by 1 survived, became geirim, and joined David
haMelekh's camel forces?

They were adults in 2208 and lived to see 2884? Not only that, but at
the age of something more than 692, they were called "na'ar"? Before
they fled Esav's cause they were already "ish", now after the laudible
act and its time for the payoff, they're demoted?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

The Lubavitcher Rebbe, notes that Rashi's version therefore specifically cites the prooftext of "na'ar", to show that the reward was typological (Amalek) and not literally the same people. Nehama Leibowitz seems to imply this too in the Gilyonot, and see Meleches HaKodesh on Rashi.

Nachman Levine


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