[SO ESAU WENT UNTO ISHMAEL.] When Esau learned that Isaac blessed Jacob a second time and charged him not to take a wife of the daughters of Canaan,¹ he went unto his uncle Ishmael and married his daughter Basemath, who was also called Mahalath.². However, Gen. 36:3 tells us that Esau married Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter. I.E. solves the discrepancy by explaining that the daughter of Ishmael whom Esau married had two names. She, like Jethro, had two names, for I believe that Jethro and Hobab are one and the same person.³

footnotes: ¹ Verse 1. This comment forms the conclusion of I.E.’s notes on Gen 27:46. ² Our verse tells us that Esau married Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael ³ Cf. Ex. 18:1, and Num. 10:29. In the former, Moses’ father-in-law is called Jethro, in the latter, by the name Hobab. In his comments on Ex. 2:18, I.E. says that they refer to one and the same person, as he had two names.

THE SISTER OF NEBAIOTH. He was the most important of all his brothers.⁴ It is also possible that Ishmael had many wives and that Mahalath was Nabaioth’s sister from the same mother.⁵

footnotes: ⁴ Therefore Mahalath is identified as the sister of Nebaioth. ⁵ Sister here means sister from the same mother. Hence Scripture tells us that Mahalath was the sister of Nabaioth. The Bible mentions one wife of Ishmael (Gen. 21:21). Hence I.E.’s uncertainty.

[AND JACOB WENT OUT FROM BEER-SHEBA.] Saadiah Gaon is of the opinion that va-yelekh charanah (and went toward Haran) is to be interpreted as, to go to Haran.⁶) in place of an infinitive (la-lekhet), with the perfect having the meaning of an infinitive. Saadiah thus translates our verse: Jacob went out of Beersheba to go to Haran. However, this is not so. Va-yelekh charanah is to be interpreted literally.⁷ After telling us that Jacob left Beersheba and went to Haran, Scripture returns and tells us what he encountered on the way to Haran.⁸ Jacob did not arrive in Haran on the day he left Beersheba,⁹ 68:9 which states that Jacob arrived in Haran on the same day that he left Beersheba. because Scripture explicitly tells us that he spent a night on the way.

footnotes: ⁶ Verse 10 literally reads: And Jacob went out of Beersheba and went to Haran. The verse thus tells us that Jacob arrived in Haran. If this is the case, why then do the verses that follow tell us what happened to Jacob on the way to Haran? Saadiah solves the problem by claiming that the Bible employs a perfect (va-yelekh ⁷ That is, and he went to Haran. ⁸ In other words, verse 10 is a general statement The particulars then follow. ⁹ Contrary to the Midrash Bereshit Rabbah

[AND HE LIGHTED UPON THE PLACE.] The reason the bet of ba-makom (the place)¹⁰ and ba-makom. The former means in a place, the latter, in the place. “The place” implies a specific, well known place. When Jacob came to Beth-el there was as yet nothing significant about the place. Why then does Scripture say that Jacob alighted upon the place? is vocalized with a pattach is that Moses in writing the Torah did so in order to indicate the place that was well known in his time.¹¹ Similarly the prophet Hosea said, And there (at Beth-el) he would speak with us (Hos. 12:5).¹² Hosea said this because he prophesied in Beth-el concerning Jeroboam the son of Joash.¹³. Hosea used the term “with us” because Amos, too, prophesied in Bethel.¹⁴ It is clear from the Book of Amos that Beth-el was a holy place. According to the plain meaning of the text, va-yifga (and he lighted) is not to be translated as, and he prayed, as in neither make intercession (tifga) to Me (Jer. 7:16),¹⁵ (and he lighted upon the place). The Talmud states that va-yifga means, and he prayed (Berakhot. 26b; Ta’anit 7b; Sotah 14a; Sanhedrin 95b). According to I.E., if va-yifga is interpreted as, and he prayed, ba-makom must be interpreted to mean God. However, this is not necessarily so. Indeed, the Talmud interprets va-yifga ba-makom to mean, he prayed in the place. because we never find in the entire Bible the word makom (place) meaning God.¹⁶. I.E. points out that this a Rabbinic not a Biblical term for God. Hence va-yifga ba-makom cannot be translated as, and he prayed to God, and va-yifga cannot be rendered, and he prayed. Do not pay any attention to the Midrashic interpretation that explains makom, in makom acher (Es. 4:14), as referring to God,¹⁷ because it most certainly does not. Proof of this is found in the word acher (another) which follows makom.¹⁸), an impossible rendition.

footnotes: ¹⁰ There is a difference between be-makom ¹¹ I.E. suggests that after this incident Beth-el was “the place” and Moses wrote accordingly. ¹² We thus see that from the days of Moses onward, Beth-el was known as a holy place (Netter). ¹³ Hosea prophesied there because Beth-el was known as a holy place where an angel appeared to Jacob (Weiser). Cf. I.E. on Hos. 12:5. It was for the same reason that King Jeroboam set up a royal shrine there. Cf. Am. 7:13, Beth-el…is the king’s sanctuary and it is a royal house ¹⁴ Cf. Am. 7:13. ¹⁵ Our verse reads: va-yifga ba-makom ¹⁶ The Rabbinic sages refer to God as Ha-makom ¹⁷ The Book of Esther does not mention God. In his introduction to Esther I.E. quotes an opinion that God is mentioned in this book in 4:14. I. E. rejects this interpretation as being Midrashic. ¹⁸ For then Es. 4:14 would read: then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another God (mi-makom acher

OF THE STONES OF THE PLACE. Its meaning is: one of the stones of the place.¹⁹

footnotes: ¹⁹ “Of the stones” can be taken to mean that Jacob took a number of stones. However, verse 18 indicates that it was one stone (Cherez).

UNDER HIS HEAD. Me-ra’ashotav (under his head) is a plural.²⁰ It is similar to margelotav (his feet) (Ruth 3:4; 14).²¹ It is surprising that Rabbi Samuel Ben Hofni confused the dreams of common men with prophetic dreams.²²

footnotes: ²⁰ It is a plural having a singular meaning. This is so because this form does not appear in the singular (Weiser). ²¹ This form does not appear in the singular; the plural is used for singular and plural. ²² Cf. I.E.’s introduction to the Pentateuch where he notes that Rabbi Samuel ben Hofni, in commenting on this verse, wrote on dream interpretation. Rabbi Samuel thus treated this dream as non-prophetic and interpreted it along those lines (Cherez).

[AND HE DREAMED, AND BEHOLD A LADDER SET UP ON THE EARTH.] Those who say that the ladder seen by Jacob refers to a statue,²³ (ladder) gives us semel (statue). According to the Midrash God showed Jacob the statue that Nebuchadnezzar would erect and the statue that King Manasseh would erect and place in the Temple. Cf. Bereshit Rabbah 68: 19-21. or that it refers to Sinai because it is numerically equivalent to it,²⁴ and Sinai are numerically equivalent to 130. According to this interpretation it was prophetically shown that Jacob’s descendants would receive the Torah at Sinai. Cf. Bereshit Rabbah 68:16. are indulging in Midrash. Rabbi Solomon ibn Gabirol, the Spaniard, says that Jacob’s “ladder” alludes to man’s heavenly soul,²⁵, p. 39. and that “the angels of God” signify thoughts of wisdom.²⁶ Rabbi Joshua²⁷. 38 does not have the title rabbi prefixed to Joshua. It appears that Vat. Ebr. 38 is correct, as it is highly unlikely that I.E. would call a Karaite scholar rabbi. The title rabbi was probably inserted by a scribe who was unaware that the reference is to a Karaite. Some of the editions omit Joshua’s interpretation in totto. explains the dream of the ladder to mean that Jacob’s prayers ascended the Heavens via the ladder and in response to his supplications salvation was sent down to him. These commentators have apparently not studied²⁸ the prophecies of Zechariah, Amos and Jeremiah.²⁹ The way to interpret Jacob’s dream is to view it as a parable. It teaches that nothing is hidden from God and that what happens below is contingent on the decree from above.³⁰ There is thus, as it were, a ladder linking heaven and earth by which angels ascend to inform God what they have seen on earth after going over it. Scripture also states that other angels come down to fulfill God’s commands. The imagery presented is that of a king and his servants.³¹

footnotes: ²³ Rearranging the letters of sulam ²⁴ Both sulam ²⁵ For Ibn Gabirol’s concept of the human soul, see P.D. Bookstaber, The Idea of Development of the Soul in Medieval Jewish Philosophy ²⁶ See I.E.’s introduction to his commentary on the Torah, “man’s intelligence is the angel which mediates between him and his God.” ²⁷ A Karaite scholar. See note 15 to I.E.’s introduction to his commentary on the Pentateuch. Vat. Ebr ²⁸ A sarcastic barb. The scholars with whom I.E. takes issue obviously did study the prophets. ²⁹ The point is that the prophets spoke in parables. Cf. Zech. 1:4-11; 4; 5; 6; Am. 7:1-9, 8:1-2, 9:1; Jer. 1. ³⁰ It is hard to understand I.E.’s point. The other commentators also interpret the vision as a parable. It thus appears that I.E.’s main argument is from the Book of Zechariah which speaks of God sending angels to roam the earth. Amos and Jeremiah are mentioned for purposes of embellishment. ³¹ According to Filwarg the reference is to verse 12. According to Krinsky the reference is to Zech. 6:7.

AND THOU SHALT SPREAD ABROAD. U-faratzta (and thou shalt spread abroad) is to be rendered: and thou shalt multiply. Va-yifrotz ha-ish (and the man increased) is similar (Gen. 30:43).

SURELY THE LORD IS IN THIS PLACE. The meaning of Jacob’s statement is that there are places where miracles are seen.³² I cannot explain why this is so because it is a deep mystery.³³. 38) suggests that when I.E. says, I cannot explain, he means, I am not permitted to explain.

footnotes: ³² The point is that there are some places where God’s presence is more manifest than in others. Cf. I.E.’s comments on Ex. 25:40. ³³ It is beyond human comprehension (Weiser). Levine (Introduction to Vat. Ebr

THIS IS NONE OTHER THAN THE HOUSE OF GOD. This is a chosen place where a man in time of need will pray and his supplications will be accepted. Many ask, how could Jacob set up a pillar?³⁴ However, they have forgotten that Moses set up twelve pillars.³⁵ Scripture does not prohibit a pillar set up to honor the Lord. Scripture merely states, Neither shalt thou set thee up a pillar, which the Lord thy God hateth (Deut. 16:22). I will explain the latter verse when I come to it.³⁶, i.e., a pillar set up to an idol.

footnotes: ³⁴ Deut. 16:22 prohibits setting up a pillar. ³⁵ Ex. 24:4. ³⁶ Ibn Ezra on Deut. 16:22 explains that Scripture only prohibits A pillar which the Lord…hateth

AND POURED OIL UPON THE TOP OF IT. So that he would recognize it when he returned.

[THEN SHALL THE LORD BE MY GOD.] The Lord that shall be my God is the One known by the Tetragrammaton. Scripture clearly states, And, behold the Lord (spelled with the tetragramaton) stood beside him (v. 13). You will find an explanation of this name of God in my comments on the first Torah portion of Exodus.³⁷

footnotes: ³⁷ Cf. I.E.’s comments to Ex. 3:15.

[GOD’S HOUSE.] The meaning of shall be God’s House is: it will be a fixed place for my prayers and for my tithing; for out of all the money that thou shalt give me, I will give a tithe out of respect for God to one who is fit to receive it.³⁸ Those who say that the tithe refers to Levi³⁹ 70:7 and Pirke de-Rabbi Eliezer, Chap. 37. are indulging in Midrash. This is so because we do not find anywhere in the Torah that a man shall tithe his children. The only tithes that we find in the Pentateuch are cattle, sheep and produce.

footnotes: ³⁸ Such as Melchizedek. Cf. I.E.’s comments on Gen. 14:20. ³⁹ According to the Midrash Jacob set aside his son Levi as a tithe to God. Cf. Bereshit Rabbah