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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>From: Danny Schoemann <doniels@gmail.com><BR>> Is it really
the Torah approach to "cover up"<BR>> things that do not fit with the
conceptions that<BR>> some of how a gadol is supposed to be? I think<BR>>
that the answer is a resounding "No!" [--RYL]<BR><BR>Well, how do you explain
that Terach's demise was conveniently<BR>mentioned at the end of Noach, in order
to fudge the fact that he<BR>lived until Avraham was 130 years old? The correct
location would have<BR>been around Chayei Sarah!<BR><BR>Talk about "cover
up".<BR><BR>- Danny</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>If the Torah really wanted to cover it up, it would have left out Terach's
death entirely. There are plenty of things that are left out of the Torah,
for various reasons. (E.g., did Yisro leave or stay?) </DIV>
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<DIV>The fact that Avraham left while his father was still alive is /not/
covered up. Rather, it is presented in such a way as to suggest what
Rashi kind of says: normally, it is not right to leave your
father in his old age and never see him again. It is acceptable for a
tzaddik to do it in exceptional circumstances, like if Hashem tells him
to. (Or if your father is a rasha.)</DIV>
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<DIV>The people who were not supposed to notice that Avraham abandoned his
father were his contemporaries, "so people shouldn't say...." The
circuitous way that the Torah provides this information suggests a
circuitousness in the way the information percolated to Avraham's
contemporaries. The information is not hidden from us. And nowhere
is there any suggestion that Avraham actually did anything wrong by
leaving his father -- on the contrary, leaving his father, against all natural
instinct, was one of his ten big tests.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><B>--Toby Katz<BR>==========<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"></B>--------------------</FONT></DIV></DIV>
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