Prophecy of the Patriarchs

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The Prophecy of Enslavement

TANAKH

The prophecy given to Abram foretells the future enslavement and oppression of his descendants for four hundred years, setting the stage for the Jewish people's history of exile and redemption. In the book of Genesis, God reveals to Abram the future suffering and eventual liberation of his descendants, marking a pivotal moment in the narrative of the Jewish people.

And [God] said to Abram, “Know well that your offspring shall be strangers in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years;

Genesis 15:13

The Fulfillment of Rebecca's Prophecy

TALMUD

Rebecca's prophecy about the simultaneous bereavement of her sons, Jacob and Esau, was fulfilled in a unique way through their burials. The Talmudic tractate Sotah, from the early medieval period, recounts how Rebecca's prophecy was realized through the timing of her sons' burials.

At that moment the prophecy of Rebecca was fulfilled, as it is written that Rebecca said of Jacob and Esau: “Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?” (Genesis 27:45), as Rebecca foresaw that the future bereavement for both her sons would be on the same day. The Gemara comments: And although their deaths were not on the same day, in any event their burials were on the same day, as Esau was killed and buried on the same day that Jacob was buried.

Sotah 13a:11

The Prophetic Visions of Abraham

MUSAR

Abraham's prophecy is unique in its detailed and multifaceted nature, revealing significant future events in Jewish history. The 14th-century ethical work Menorat HaMaor by Rabbi Yisrael Alnaqua uses Abraham's prophecy to illustrate moral conduct and virtues.

Our father Abraham lowered himself, so the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him greatness. And that is to the one to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, first said, “Ask.” Rabbi Yonatan said, “There are three to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘Ask.’” Rabbi Acha said they are four - Abraham, Solomon, Achaz and the messianic king. Abraham, from where [do we know it]? As it is written (Genesis 15:2), ‘And [he] said, “My Lord God, what will You give me?’” He would not have said, ‘What will You give me,’ unless He had said to him, ‘Ask…

Menorat HaMaor, iv; On Humility, Great is Humility 20

Direct Communication with HaShem

KABBALAH

All prophecy, even when appearing to come through an angel, is ultimately from HaShem-יהו״ה, and Moshe's prophecy was directly from HaShem-יהו״ה without any intermediary. The 13th-century Kabbalistic work, Sha'arei Orah by Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla, delves into the mystical aspects of the Sefirot and the nature of divine communication.

Now, you might object and say that we indeed find prophecies transmitted through an angel. For example, about Avraham it states, “An angel of HaShem-יהו״ה called to him from the heavens.” We likewise find in the prophecy of Zachariah, “The angel who spoke to me answered etc.,” seeming to indicate that the prophecy was through the medium of an angel. However, let not your spirit be perturbed by these verses and others like them, for you have yet to hear the words of the Living God about these matters…

Sha'arei Orah, Third and Fourth Gates, Seventh and Eight Sefirah 54

Trust in Established Prophets

TALMUD

Once a prophet is established, their prophecy is trusted without requiring additional signs. The Gemara in Tractate Sanhedrin discusses the necessity of signs to establish a prophet's credibility, using examples of Abraham and Elijah.

The Gemara continues: Since if you do not say so, and claim that even the prophecy of one established as a prophet requires a sign, then in the case of Abraham at Mount Moriah, how did Isaac listen to him and submit to being slaughtered as an offering? Likewise, in the case of Elijah at Mount Carmel, how did the people rely upon him and enable him to engage in the sacrifice of animals slaughtered outside the Temple, which is prohibited? Rather, perforce…

Sanhedrin 89b:7

The Symbolism of the Patriarchs

COMMENTARY

The Messiah will embody the combined attributes of the three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In his 18th-century Torah commentary, Or HaChaim, Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar uses the elements of cedar-wood, scarlet, and hyssop to symbolize the three patriarchs.

The words ועץ ארז ושני חולעת ואזב, "and the cedar-wood and the scarlet and the hyssop," are allusions to the merits of the three patriarchs. Abraham is represented by the word עץ ארז; He was a man of gigantic spiritual stature. Jacob is represented by the words ושני תולעת, seeing he is called by that "nickname" in Isaiah 41,14 i.e. אל תירא תולעז יעקב, "do not be afraid O worm Jacob;" Isaac is represented by the word אזוב…

Or HaChaim on Leviticus 14:9:7

Joseph's Dream and Its Consequences

SECOND TEMPLE

Joseph's prophetic dream not only foretold his future power and wealth but also incited jealousy among his brothers, leading to significant events in his life. In his first-century historical work, Josephus provides a detailed account of Joseph's dream and its implications, offering a unique perspective on this pivotal biblical event.

2. When they were in the middle of harvest, and Joseph was sent by his father, with his brethren, to gather the fruits of the earth, he saw a vision in a dream, but greatly exceeding the customary appearances that come when we are asleep; which, when he was got up, he told his brethren, that they might judge what it portended. He said, he saw the last night, that his wheat-sheaf stood still in the place where he set it, but that their sheaves ran to bow down to it, as servants bow down to their masters…

The Antiquities of the Jews 2:2:2

The Prophetic Timelines of Exile and Redemption

COMMENTARY

The duration of the Israelites' exile in Egypt is a complex topic with multiple prophetic timelines that can all be true. Rabbeinu Bachya’s commentary on Shemot 12:40:1 explores the different calculations of the Israelites' stay in Egypt and relates them to future dates of redemption.

ומושב בני ישראל אשר ישבו במצרים, “and the habitation of the Children of Israel during which they dwelled in Egypt, etc.” We find three separate sets of numbers for the ending of the exile and subsequent departure from Egypt. They are either 400 years, 430 years, or 210 years. The 400 years are calculated from the time Avraham’s descendants became strangers and experienced various problems either within the land of Canaan or outside of it. This was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Genesis 15,13: “they will serve them or even oppress them for 400 years…

Rabbeinu Bahya, Shemot 12:40:1

The Revelation to the Patriarchs

TANAKH

God revealed Himself to the Patriarchs as El Shaddai, but did not make Himself known to them by His name יהוה. The book of Exodus, the second book of the Torah, recounts the Israelites' journey from enslavement in Egypt to their travels in the desert under Moses' leadership, including God's revelations to them.

I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make Myself known to them by My name יהוה.

Exodus 6:3

The Ultimate Test of Faith

LITURGY

Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac demonstrates his unwavering faith and obedience to God, leading to the reaffirmation of God's covenant and blessings upon his descendants. The Seder Ma'amadot recounts the Binding of Isaac, a foundational story in Jewish tradition, highlighting Abraham's ultimate test of faith.

And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham, and said unto him: ‘Abraham’; and he said: ‘Here am I.’ And He said: ‘Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.’ And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he cleaved the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him…

Seder Ma'amadot 1:50

Abram's Intense Prophecy

MIDRASH

Abram's prophecy involved both 'speaking' and 'vision,' which are considered among the harshest forms of divine communication. The early medieval midrash, Bereshit Rabbah, delves into the multifaceted nature of prophecy and the intense ways God communicated with Abram.

“The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying” – it is referred to by ten expressions: a prophecy, a vision, preaching, speaking, saying, a command, a burden, a parable, a metaphor, an enigma. Which is the harshest of them all? Rabbi Eliezer said: Vision, as it is stated: “A harsh vision was told to me” (Isaiah 21:2). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Speaking, as it is stated: “The man, lord of the land, spoke harshly with us” (Genesis 42:30). The Rabbis said: Burden, as is its plain sense: “Like an onerous burden, they are too heavy for me” (Psalms 38:5)…

Bereshit Rabbah 44:6

Jacob's Heavenly Vision

TARGUM

Jacob's vision of the ladder is a profound moment of divine recognition of his spiritual stature. The Targum Jerusalem, an Aramaic translation and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, offers a unique perspective on Jacob's dream, emphasizing the interaction between the angels and Jacob.

And he dreamed, and, behold, a ladder was fixed in the earth, and the summit of it reached to the height of heaven. And, behold, the angels who had accompanied him from the house of his father, ascended to make known to the angels on high, saying, Come, see Jakob the pious, whose likeness is in the throne of glory, and whom you have been desirous to see! And, behold, the holy angels from before the Lord ascended and descended, and looked upon him.

Targum Jerusalem, Genesis 28:12

Modes of Divine Communication

JEWISH THOUGHT

The different modes of prophetic revelation highlight the unique ways God communicated with various individuals in the biblical narratives. In the 15th-century philosophical work Sefer HaIkkarim, Rabbi Joseph Albo explores how God communicated directly with Abraham, through dreams with Abimelech, and through plagues with Pharaoh.

Prophetic revelation is illustrated in the case of Abraham, to whom God said: “Get thee out of thy country … and I will make of thee a great nation …” Communication in a dream is illustrated in the case of Abimelech, who was told in a dream of the night: “Behold thou shalt die, because of the woman whom thou hast taken.” Pharaoh, who was a wicked man, received the divine communication in the shape of plagues, as the Bible says: “And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues …”

Sefer HaIkkarim, Maamar 4 11:5

The Divine Promise of the Land

SECOND TEMPLE

The covenant between God and Abram promises the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates to Abram's descendants. Philo of Alexandria, a first-century Jewish philosopher, elaborates on the significance of this divine promise in Jewish history.

18. In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram saying, To thy seed will I give this land from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates.

Who is the Heir of Divine Things, Introduction 19

Dialogue with the Divine

COMMENTARY

God actively invites Abraham to engage in dialogue and provides specific guidance on the values of righteousness and justice. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in his commentary on Genesis 18, explores the profound conversation between God and Abraham about the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah.

It is clear that this speech of God is an invitation to Abraham to speak. What else can be the meaning of “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” Not only does God invite Abraham to speak; he even signals in advance the words he wants Abraham to use – “right” (tzedek/tzedaka) and “just” (mishpat). These constitute “the way of the Lord” that God wants Abraham to teach his children.

Covenant and Conversation; Genesis; The Book of the Beginnings, Vayera, Challenging God 17

God's Promise to Jacob

HALAKHAH

God's promise to Yaakov (Jacob) is a cornerstone of the Jewish faith, ensuring the future nation and kings that will descend from him and the specific assignment of the land to his offspring. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed’s contemporary work, Peninei Halakhah, delves into the significance of this divine promise, reiterating the covenant made with the patriarchs regarding the land of Israel and the future of the Jewish people.

Upon Yaakov’s return from Ḥaran, God said to him: I am El Shaddai. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation, yea an assembly of nations, shall descend from you. Kings shall issue from your loins. The land that I assigned to Avraham and Yitzḥak I assign to you; and to your offspring to come will I assign the land. (ibid., 35:11-12)

Peninei Halakhah, Simchat Habayit U'Virkhato 5:22:6

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The Patriarchs

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