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Why does the Torah (תורה) emphasize Yishmael's lifespan and his descendants' ongoing circumcision? Brit Milah created the first particularistic Divine covenant, inevitably generating resentment from those excluded. Yishmael's greatness lies in validating this new paradigm - accepting circumcision acknowledges that Hashem (ה׳) maintains different relationships with different peoples while recognizing his secondary status to the full Jewish covenant.
This shiur presents a revolutionary understanding of Yishmael's role in Jewish history and theology. The speaker begins by examining a Gemara (גמרא) in Sanhedrin where the descendants of Yishmael and Keturah claim rights to Eretz Yisrael before Alexander the Great, arguing they too are descendants of Avrohom. Gevah ben Psisa successfully defends the Jewish claim by citing that Avrohom gave gifts to these children but designated everything to Yitzchok, like a father making settlements during his lifetime. The analysis then shifts to understanding why the Torah (תורה) tells us Yishmael lived 137 years - according to Rashi (רש"י), this enables us to calculate that Yaakov spent 14 missing years in the yeshiva of Ever before going to Lavan. This seems like an unnecessarily complex way to convey this information, suggesting deeper significance.
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Sanhedrin 91a
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