[Avodah] Ahab

[Akiva Miller via Avodah]

> Whatever Yosef and Moshe did, that wasn't good enough for Yitzhaq
> and Yaacov, who dafka had to marry family. Locals were out. So my
> original point remains: For at least some of the Avot, it wasn't
> simply patriarchal descent.

Reread what you wrote. Are you referring to Yosef and Moshe as "some of the
Avot"? That's an error. Yitzhaq and Yaacov were among the Avot, but Yosef
and Moshe were not.

I am not harping on linguistic details, but rather focusing on a point
which is essential to this discussion: The women married by Avraham,
Yitzchak and Yaakov were markedly different than the women married by
others of that time period.

Sarah's paternal grandfather was Terach.

Rivka's father's paternal grandfather was Terach.

Rachel and Leah - their paternal grandfather's paternal grandfather was
Terach.

Anyone notice a pattern? For the avos, it wasn't enough to stay away from
Canaan, or any other tribe for that matter. They had to marry davka within
the family of Terach, and with "family" being defined patrilinially.

I do not pretend to know WHY this was so important. But it does seem to me
that it was a critical factor for Yitzchak and Yaakov's mates. And it also
seems that once the 12 shevatim were born, this ceased to be so important,
and I don't pretend to understand that either.

Anyone know the parentage of Bilhah and Zilpah? Maybe the importance
stopped already when Yaakov married Rachel and Leah.

These are just some thoughts I've had. If anyone wants to build on them, or
knock them down, go right ahead.

Akiva Miller
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