[Avodah] A few notes on Parshas Vayetzei

[Gershon Dubin]

From: "SBA Gmail" <sbasba at gmail.com>

<<A few points to ponder and questions on the parsha.>>

Yasher koach.


<<Simple.  They were placed outside the walls of the city ? where they died.

(Sounds a bit like the Eskimo solution..)
Would this be the first published example of institutionalized euthanasia?>>

I'm not sure if it's this or another midrash, but the way I remember it is when they get tired of living (this is common among very old people;  Rav Moshe's last words were "Ich ken shoen nisht" or something to that effect.) they go outside the walls on their own;  nobody puts them there.  The question becomes if that constitutes suicide rather than euthanasia.


<<29:32 - Rashi dh Vatikra shemo Reuven - 'Omro re'u ma bein beni leben
chami...'


The first obvious question is, the Torah gives a clear reason why Leah
called him Reuven - 'ki ro'o Hashem be'onyi', so why is Rashi giving a
different reason>>

For all the other shevatim, the reason comes first:  ki shama Hashem ki senuah anochi...Ata hapa'am yilaveh ishi eilai...Hapa'am odeh es Hashem, FOLLOWED by al ken kar'ah shemo...the name.

Here, it's vatikra shemo Reuven, ki amra...  implying that there is another, hidden reason for giving the name before the reason is even given.

<<31:34 - Am I understanding it correctly that Rochel was sitting on her cvamel INSIDE the tent? And if so, was/is this the done thing - having camels in the tent that you live?>>

In my chumash it says she was sitting on the camel PILLOW;  presumably when they brought that inside they left the camel outside (except maybe for his nose <g>)


Gershon
gershon.dubin at juno.com