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<DIV><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'>From: Toby
Katz at <FONT color=#000000>< t613k@aol.com></FONT><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"></SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'>R' Eli
Turkel wrote: <BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'>We all
know the aggadah of the burial of Yaakov, the fight with Esav and<BR>finally the
deaf Chushin the son of Dan kills Esav<BR><BR><BR>explanation #1 - The sons of
Jacob didn't know how to handle the challenge<BR>of Esav and argues with him but
Esav was more clever. Chushin who was deaf<BR>understood the "real" Esav and
understood the resultant Chilul Hashem. So<BR>he acts without considering the
reactions to his act to claim the rights of<BR>the descendants of
Yaakov<BR><BR><BR><BR>explanation #2 - There was no need for the disagreement
between Esav and<BR>the sons of Jacob to involve murder. It could have been
solved by friendly<BR>negotiations by showing Jacob's legal right to Maarat
HaMachpela. Instead<BR>there are "deaf" people who rush to action before all
peaceful ways are<BR>followed. Rikvah who fought to prevent the fight between
Yaakov and Esav<BR>now loses both of them the same day.<BR><BR><BR><BR>There is
no way to decide between these alternatives sometimes the<BR>questions are
stronger than the answers</SPAN></P>-- <BR>Eli Turkel<BR></FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>>>>>></DIV>
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<DIV>There is a way to decide between these alternatives. Look for earlier
sources or commentators -- earlier than the 21st century. We moderns can
speculate but can't really make up our own meforshim based on nothing but our
own intuition. You need sources, precedents.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Your explanation #1 is close to the classic explanation. While
the sons of Yakov were arguing with Esav about who has the rights
to Me'aras Hamachpela, Chushim ran back to Egypt and fetched the original
shtar. (However I do not understand the last sentence of that paragraph --
you wrote, Chushim "acts without considering the reactions to his act to claim
the rights of the descendants of Yaakov." I don't know if "he acts without
considering...." is an implied criticism of Chushim, and I don't understand "to
claim the rights of the descendants of Yaakov" at all.)</DIV>
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<DIV>Your explanation #2 has a totally modern "shmeck." I'd like to see
any Chumash commentator who says anything similar to that.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT><BR><FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG>--Toby
Katz<BR>t613k@aol.com</STRONG></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#ffffff size=2
face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR><STRONG>..</STRONG></FONT><FONT
lang=0 color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><BR><STRONG>=============</STRONG><BR><BR><BR>-------------------------------------------------------------------</FONT></DIV>
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