used in only three ways: 1) by foreigners to describe Israelites, 2) by
The phrase therefore means something like, "My father was a wandering Aramean." society. society without a fixed place in society. He was a native of the Chaldean city of Ur, in the land of Shinar, about 150 miles SE of Nimrod’s onetime royal city of Babel, or Babylon, so notorious for its unfinished Tower of Babel. references are to the people we know as Hebrews. In this, he wanted to destroy Jacob’s fatherhood, that is, his title of "father." And this kind of yetzer hara can come against even a tzaddik (a righteous person), since it comes through trickery (rama’ut, a pun on Aramean). Paddan-Aram was part of Aram-Naharaim ("Aram of the two rivers"), an area associated with the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in northwestern Mesopotamia but along the upper Euphrates. –Rabbi Judah Loew (Maharal) of Prague, (1525-1609) Sefer Gevurot Hashem, 54, published in the Ostrog Haggadah, An Aramean destroys my father. Pronounced: MISH-nuh, Origin: Hebrew, code of Jewish law compiled in the first centuries of the Common Era. –Rabbi Jacob Aryeh ben Solomon Guterman of Radzymin (1792?1874), Polish Hassidic Tzaddik quoted by his grandson Aaron Menahem Mendel, Haggadah Commentary Tzemach Menahem, In Temple times, people would recite this passage from Deuteronomy when they brought their first fruits on Shavuot. ancient world: the Nuzi texts, the Amarna letters, the Hittite archives, the
Bethuel was thus Abraham’s nephew . Of course, Laban did not destroy Jacob; they made a covenant not to kill each other. Azriel Hildesheimer (1820-1899), German rabbi and educator, from his haggadah commentary, Hukkat HaPesach, The key to the Haggadah’s midrash on arami oved avi is the covenant with Abraham cited earlier in the Haggadah, "?your seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them and they shall afflict them? One of the annals of Naram-Sin of Akkad (c. 2250 BC) mentions that he captured "Dubul, the ensí of A-ra-me" (Arame is seemingly a genitive form), in the course of a campaign against Simurrumin the northern mountains. Ras Shamra texts, the Cappadocian texts, etc. The province of ancient Aram (Syria -JUDGES 10: 6), where he was born was called Padan-Aram (Plain of Syria) GENESIS 35: 23-26. post-exilic period roughly contemporaneous with Ezra’s reforms around 450
Read this way, Laban the Aramean destroyed my father, that is, Jacob. term, and the way it is used in Scripture, suggests that the term Hebrew is
And throughout Passover, we remind ourselves of our blessings by eating lehem oni, the bread of poverty. Jacob himself is called “a wandering Aramean” in Deuteronomy 26:5, since both his mother and his grandfather were from Mesopotamia and therefore considered Arameans by the Hebrews. their origins to that area. A Wandering Aramean? (Abraham's grandson). The Haggadah includes the classic interpretation of the verse, reading it as "an Aramean destroyed my father." Demographics. Remembering the oppressed--and others in need--at the seder. the family returned to the ancestral home in Aram to find them (Gen 24:10,
All Rights Reserved. May 20, 2016, See Copyright and User Information Notice. While non-Jewish persecutors, such as Pharaoh, have taken their toll of Jewish lives throughout history, even more Jews have been lost through the blandishments of the Labans of the world. To call Abraham an Aramean is simply a geographical reference to his homeland. related in some way, if not linguistically then culturally, to the term
In other words, this is not an Israelite self-designation. Copyright © 2002-2020 My Jewish Learning. As the Hebrews settled in the land,
Then Jacob left Laban’s service with great wealth (and with Laban chasing after him), and his children (the fourth generation) returned to the land. relationship to other more settled people, for example, to the Egyptians (Ex
He himself admitted, "It is in my power to do harm to you" (Genesis 31:29), and this shows his evil intention. Of the various biblical traditions concerning their place of origin, an obscure reference in Amos 9:7 places it in Kir, whose location is uncertain, but may refer to a locale apparently not far from Emar (modern Tel Meskene), although some locate Kir on the border of *Elam in Iran. Joseph had been sold by his brothers into Egypt because his brothers had envied the way their father favored their youngest brother, who was born in Jacob’s old age. Does scripture not say, "The enemy said:? Heber, one of the sons of Shem and grandson of Noah (Gen 10:24), we
class of people, not in terms of race or nationality or ethic
28:2). It occurs first in
The shame is the desperation brought on by hunger; the root oved is the same as the root of the word in the second paragraph of the shema "[if you stray from God,] the land will stop producing its fruit and you will quickly perish (v’avad’tem) off of the good land" (Deuteronomy 11:17). Youngest son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife Milcah. between the term "Hebrew" and a common term that occurs in many ancient
If they had not gone down to Egypt, their descendants would not have been enslaved under Pharaoh. term bene yisrael, children of Israel
–Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, modern Orthodox rabbi and leader of the Jewish community of Efrat, The Passover Haggadah (KTAV, 1983), I remember when I was a little child at the seder of [my grandfather], Rabbi Jacob Aryeh, I heard from his holy mouth concerning [the verse, "an Aramean would have destroyed my father"] that there are two kinds of yetzer hara (evil inclination). Aram of the Two Rivers (referring to the Tigris and Euphrates), also called
technique of writing. recognized as being from the earliest literary strata; that is, they are
These were basically people who lived on the margins of
Dictionary entry overview: What does Aramean mean? 1. a member of one of a group of Semitic peoples inhabiting Aram and parts of Mesopotamia from the 11th to the 8th century BC Familiarity information: ARAMEAN used as a noun is very rare. While the traditions traced the genealogy of the Israelites to Eber or
What a strange title for Abraham. is found in most all of the ancient collections of texts from the 20th
The Haggadah understands the word oved (wandering) as ibed (destroyed), changing the vocalization of the word. The following passages, drawn from commentaries to the Passover Haggadah, understand this passage about the Aramean as different kinds of threat to the people of Israel. ), whence Abraham had originally come (Genesis 11:31), and because there the family of which he was the head was founded. Their kiss has been the kiss of death. The phrase therefore means something like, “My father was a wandering Aramean.” The “father” referred to is either Jacob (Ibn Ezra, Sforno), or Abraham (Rashbam), or all the patriarchs (Shadal). Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt because Joseph was already there. ), whence Abraham had originally come (Genesis 11:31), and because there the family of which he was the head was founded. Copyright ©
Perhaps Job did descend from Abraham’s brother Nahor (in the lineage of Shem’s son Arphaxad)! As stated earlier, Shem was the son of Noah through whom God's promised "seed of the woman" would be … 3 According to an ancient Israelite confession of faith, Abraham was an Aramean . –Rabbi Roy Tanenbaum, Congregation Beth Tzedec, Toronto. Laban’s persecution of Jacob confronts us with the image that this cycle of exile, persecution, and return predated our enslavement and redemption from Egypt and reinforces the Haggadah’s message that redemption can and does recur in every generation. Laban wanted to root out the whole, to kill the mother and child when he says "The daughters are mine and their children are mine, and the flocks are mine, and all that you see is mine" (Genesis 31:43), that is, they should be mine, if God had not prevented me. the rest of the Pentateuch (Exod 21:2, twice in Deut 15:12), both in legal
The person bringing the first fruits to the Temple in Jerusalem remembers the shame of the famine that led his ancestor Jacob and the Jewish people into slavery in Egypt and praises God for the redemption from Egypt and the restoration to the Land of Israel with its abundant harvest. And the phrase means, “My father Abraham was an Aramean lost and exiled from his birthplace, Aram.” Indeed, we know that Abraham was the first “wandering Jew,” told by God to go forth from his homeland. 1. of or relating to Aram or to its … • ARAMEAN (adjective) The adjective ARAMEAN has 1 sense:. In other words,
Abraham is a direct descendant of Shem, Noah's son. Here the issue moves to a much more complicated level that can only be
So, to identify Abraham as "a wandering Aramean" (Deut 26:5) was a
–R. Last modified:
This is the common form, which affects average people. The Biblical Story of Abraham. The toponym A-ra-mu appears in an inscription at the East Semitic speaking kingdom of Ebla listing geographical names, and the term Armi, which is the Eblaite term for nearby Idlib (modern Aleppo), occurs frequently in the Ebla tablets (c. 2300 BC). And he went to Paddan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother. Aramean (17 Occurrences) Genesis 25:20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife. texts over a period of a thousand years. While the details are not clear, there is ample
Rashbam (c. 1085-1174) also rejects (his grandfather) Rashi's interpretation, but argues that the verse more appropriately applies to Abraham, who can correctly be identified as an Aramean. Pronounced: huh-GAH-duh or hah-gah-DAH, Origin: Hebrew, literally “telling” or “recounting.” A Haggadah is a book that is used to tell the story of the Exodus at the Passover seder. When Abraham sought a wife for his son Isaac, he sent a servant to the land of Aram to find Rebekah (Genesis 24:10; 25:20). or Israelites to identify themselves. they became a settled people and were no longer known as Hebrews but as
29:3; Jer 34:9, 14; and Jonah 1:9). a complex of historical issues. This verse from Deuteronomy 26:5, translated as "my father was a wandering Aramean," is part of the formula that was recited when the first fruit offerings were brought to the Temple in ancient times. And the Bible called Jacob “a wandering Aramean” (Deuteronomy 26:5). early chapters of Exodus, about 14 times between 1:15 and 10:3, again
(In Israel, Jews have a seder only on the first night of Passover.). The reference is to Jacob, the stem-father of the twelve tribes, he is here called a Syrian, or Aramaean, because of his long residence in Mesopotamia (Genesis 29-31. The name Syria is derived from the city Tyr (Tsyr) -2 SAMUEL 5: 11; founded by Sidonian-Canaanites. There are many versions available ranging from very traditional to nontraditional, and you can also make your own. Rashbam also rejected Rashi’s interpretation, but argued that the verse more appropriately applies to Abraham, who can correctly be identified as an Aramean. In truth [Rachel and Leah] had said "Are we not as strangers to him (i.e., to our father, Laban)?" However, they are used quite
Aramean people: Aramean people (not to be confused with ‘Armenians’) speak Aramaic, the language spoken by Abraham, Moses and Jesus.They are the indigenous people of what was called in ancient times Aram- Nahrin, in our days it is called ‘Mesopotamia’.. Since Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were not a nation, until the birth of the Nation of Israel, it seems natural that Abraham and his sons would have been considered Arami- just like his brother’s family. Genesis 11:28-31 identifies Abraham’s original hometown as “Ur of the Chaldees,” or “Ur of the Chaldeans.” Sometime during Abraham’s adult life, probably while he was already about seventy years old, his father Terah moved the family clan to the city of Haran in northern Syria as the first step in a planned migration to the land of Canaan. that is, Laban no longer had the title of "father" over them. The term Hebrew, then, means "the people from the other side" or
The Mishnah describes its use in the seder as part of the teaching that proceeds from shame to praise. The seder need not — should not — stick to the script. to his homeland. This term
He was the first convert to the belief system that we’ve embraced and inherited for the past 4,000 years. Abraham sent his servant to get a wife for Isaac from land of Aram (Genesis 24:10; 25:20). As for the word Aram, this was the region from which Abraham set out to travel to Canaan, and to which Jacob fled to escape the anger of Esau. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help. In July 2016, an article in the Ha'aretz estimated the number of Israeli Christians eligible to register as Arameans in Israel to be 13,000. The "father" referred to is either Jacob (Ibn Ezra, Sforno), or Abraham (Rashbam), or all the patriarchs (Shadal). We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and bring you ads that might interest you. One of the most difficult texts in the Haggadah is "arami oved avi." than the term bene yisrael. themselves to others who would presumably know the term ‘ibri better
biblical text to refer to Israelites. And he can anachronistically be called an Israelite because he is
Also, Jacob’s father-in-law, (Laban) was called an Aramean (Genesis 31:10). beyond." those in only five passages (1 Sam 4, 6; 1 Sam 13:3, 19, 14:11, 21; 1 Sam
boring to people who are not professional historians! "My ancestors were starving Arameans." According to Ibn Ezra, the verse refers to Jacob, who, when he was in Aram, was lost. Rachel’s marriage had been delayed because Laban tricked Jacob by giving him Leah rather than Rachel as a wife. The word oved is present tense and means destroys. debated among scholars, and partly because it is somewhat technical and
While Rashi accepted this reading, Ibn Ezra strongly rejected it, in favor of the interpretation that the verse refers to Jacob, who, when he was in Aram, was lost. Together with the Gemara, it makes up the Talmud. As expected, some Bible verse and devotional apps are bringing attention to scriptures concerning the 5th commandment of God’s Top Ten list. the literary technique of archaizing, deliberately using older forms as a
Zalman Sorotzkin (1881-1966), Lithuanian rabbi and communal leader, from his posthumously published Haggadah commentary, Sefer HaShir vehaShevach, The Haggadah teaches us through Laban’s example that Jews ought to fear the enemy within as much or even more than the enemy without. out of use by the era of the monarchy (c. 1000 BC) except to refer to people
BC. Laban was always trying to destroy Jacob and even today, the forces that he represents are still seeking the destruction of Israel. Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there today!!! remember that the origins of the Patriarchs lay in Mesopotamia or Aram as
Pronounced: TZAH-dik or tzah-DEEK, Origin: Hebrew, a righteous person. • ARAMEAN (noun) The noun ARAMEAN has 1 sense:. the region was called in Hebrew. It appears as the birthplace of Job.” Uz, the firstborn son of Nahor, was the uncle of “Laban the Aramean [h761]” or Syrian (Ge.31:24). Abraham was the tenth generation from Noah through Shem and was born 352 years after the Deluge. He can also be called a Hebrew as a social designation referring to his status without land or a … This is where Abraham came from, but then concluded that there was only ONE G-d. We know that Terah, his father, was an idol maker. essentially in the same narrative. A Wandering Aramean Was My Father, Father’s Day 2020. tonymenge Father's Day, Wandering Aramean June 21, 2020 June 22, 2020 10 Minutes. Consequently, Laban is usually seen as one who would have destroyed Jacob. Aram Nahrin: the Aramaeans, the Bible, Christianity, and the West 070626. -Dennis R. Bratcher,
to his status without land or a settled home, on the fringes of established
Pronounced: MITZ-vuh or meetz-VAH, Origin: Hebrew, commandment, also used to mean good deed. 2 In Genesis, the people from whom Bethuel and Laban came (Bethuel was the father of Isaac’s wife, Rebekah; Laban was her brother). It is not at all certain, and in fact is unlikely, that all these
In other words, Abraham can be an Aramean, because that is
Subsequent centuries found Israel at war with the Arameans in the times of the Israelite and Judean monarchies. A wandering Aramean was my father [’arami ’oved avi]; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. Genesis 14:13 referring to Abraham, but then does not appear again until
culture. identification but in terms of social class or
In noun forms, it means "the other side" or "the region
Over the centuries, thousands of versions and editions of the Passover text have been published. Pronunced: TORE-uh, Origin: Hebrew, the Five Books of Moses. Innovation is key for a memorable and fun educational experience. nomadic peasants or wanderers. In this moment of total absorption with American politics and the fate of this earthly nation, this trip through the Old Testament is reminding Christians that we are grafted into Israel’s story and citizens of Jesus’ Kingdom-in-the-making. Abraham's belief in these promises was counted by God as righteousness and his faith shaped his life. Afterward they shall come out with great wealth?and the fourth generation shall come here again" (Genesis15:13-16). The term Hebrew
But Laban had no reason to hate Jacob who had done so much good for him, and similarly, Pharaoh’s decree against the male children was without reason. The following passages, drawn from commentaries to the Passover Haggadah, understand this passage about the Aramean as different kinds of threat to the people of Israel. 2016, Dennis R.
In other words, Abraham can be an Aramean, because that is his origin. Bratcher, All Rights Reserved
Testament, especially in
‘apiru or habairu
strata. The Bible says that Abraham came from Ur of the Chaldees (KJV, Genesis 11:31), which would mean that he was a Chaldean. the ancestral father of the people who came to be called sons of Israel
This portion of Israelite worship began in earnest with an unnerving confession of genealogical lore. We learn from all this that if it had not been for the act of deceit of Laban, there would not have been a Pharaoah as we know him. 1:15ff). When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to Adonai, the God of our ancestors; Adonai heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. levels of the Old Testament tradition. Paddan-Aram. This would also explain why the term dates only to the earliest
As to the term Aramean applied to Abraham (Deut 26:5), there is likewise
–Isaac ben Judah Abarbanel (1437-1508), Portuguese philosopher and scholar, from his commentary on the Haggadah, written in 1496, An Aramean wanted to destroy my fatherhood. texts. They used the
The language of the text–"stranger (gerut)," "serve (avdut)," and "afflict (inuy)"–applies not only to Israel, but to Jacob who lived in a strange land, served Laban, and was afflicted by him. Israelites to identify themselves to foreigners, and 3) to refer to slaves. The traditional text of this midrash begins: "Come and learn what Laban the Aramean sought to do our father Jacob. Really? Mesopotamia is aram-naharaim,
his origin. As far as I can tell, it was Aramaic. light of the importance we sometimes attach to it. –R. If we examine the actual context where the term occurs, we find it is
Commentaries on the Haggadah contrast the evil of Laban with Pharaoh and see Laban as a symbol for political, sociological, and psychological evil. Those presumably close to us–our "family"–have caused more danger to the Jewish community through the scourge of assimilation. He was the father of Rebekah (24:15, 24) and was referred to as an Aramean of Paddanaram (25:20; 28:5). For Pharaoh issued his edict against only the males, but Laban sought to uproot all, as it is said, ‘An Aramean would have destroyed my father, and he went down to Egypt and he became there a nation, great, mighty and populous.’" The first is like Esau; it kills through the temptation to sin, which causes a person to forfeit both this life and the life of the world to come. "They pour him a second cup, and here the child asks the parent [about what makes this night different]–and according to the child’s understanding, the parent teaches, beginning with shame and concluding with praise, interpreting from arami oved avi (‘My father was a wandering Aramean’) until he finishes the entire passage" (Mishnah Pesachim 10:4). After all, Abraham was the beneficiary of the covenant promise. You can't adequately sum up Abraham's career in a single paragraph, but for the sake of perspective, here's an attempt:Abraham was a semi-nomadic shepherd to whom God revealed himself, made promises, and entered into covenant concerning Abraham's offspring and the land that they would inherit in the future. See Copyright and User Information Notice, Copyright © 2016,
Participant: But the relationship of the
as escaped slaves, would be described by others who were more settled. To call Abraham an Aramean is simply a geographical reference
Light the candles every night with our special guests. Ultimately … The scene in which Abram is first introduced to the reader—a genealogical record about his father Teraḥ—tells us the name of his hometown: After a brief notice about Abram and Nahor’s marriages, the text, without offering a reason, explains that Terah moved his family out of Ur: The name of Abraham’s hometown is mentioned again in the opening to the Covenant between the Parts (ברית בין הבתרים), when God says to Abram: This claim i… marauders and outlaws, or as mercenaries, and at other times simply as
He can also be called a Hebrew as a social designation referring
Aram-Naharaim. The term ‘ibri
It is also generally recognized that the book of Jonah uses
According to Rashbam, the Aramean is Abraham! The traditional Passover Haggadah includes a long section of midrash (rabbinic interpretation) in which the verses Deuteronomy 26:5-8 are dissected and associated with other verses and interpreted in light of the spiritual and political history of the Jewish people. The first person to receive the "Aramean" ethnic status in Israel was 2 year old Yaakov Halul in Jish on October 20, 2014. This passage in the Mishnah defines what is seen as the core of the Haggadah. Rashbam (c. 1085-1174) also rejects (his grandfather) Rashi’s interpretation, but argues that the verse more appropriately applies to Abraham, who can correctly be identified as an Aramean. We get that Abraham and his family left Ur of the Chaldees on their way to Harran…so they were from Mesopotamia. differently since they refer to totally different aspects of ancient
people who came from somewhere else. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them" (Exodus 15:9)? genealogies and not strictly biological or historical. who had the status of slaves. "An Aramean wanted to destroy my father." Since Laban did not actually succeed in doing evil to our father Jacob, we must derive his intentions from his words. He was the father of the people of God—a nation by ethnicity and a covenant people by faith (Gal 3:29). It may denote a branch of an Aramean tribe. Genesis 11:10-26 traces Abraham's lineage back to the ante-diluvian Patriarch Noah. By birth (nationality), AbraHam (Abram) was Aramean (Syrian). is a term used to describe a range of people in the ancient world. In this article, the author looks at this verse, which is at the center of the Haggadah, alongside the verse’s rabbinic interpretation–which differs dramatically from the Torah text–and the numerous commentaries surrounding it that have arisen over the centuries. That would fit quite well with how the
cross over." Paddan-Aram ("plain of Aram") was an Aramean region in upper (northwestern) Mesopotamia that was important in the story of Abraham's family (Gen 25:20; 28:2; 31:18; cf Gen 24:10). As for the word Aram, this was the region from which Abraham set out to travel to Canaan, and to which Jacob fled to escape the anger of Esau. Other early references to a place or people of "Ar… There is, however, another form of the yetzer hara that is like Laban the Aramean, which convinces a person that a mitzvah (a commandment) is a sin or that a sin is a mitzvah. Our Sunday night class is tracing the ancient roots of our spiritual ancestors through the Old Testament. And this is what the Haggadah means by saying that Laban wanted to uproot the whole, since this kind of yetzer hara can affect everyone, including the righteous. (See JPS NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 28:5 And Isaac sent away Jacob. –Rav Tzadok haKohen of Lublin (1823-1900), Polish Hassidic Tzaddik, Sefer Dover Tzedek, Why does the Haggadah consider Laban worse than Pharaoh? Laban, Jacob’s father-in-law, is called an Aramean in Genesis 31:10. evidence in the biblical narratives to conclude that the Israelites traced
The term
Joseph was born in Jacob’s old age because Rachel’s marriage had been delayed. Israelites, who had their origins in the nomadic Abraham and entered Canaan
CRI / Voice, Institute
For example, when Isaac and Jacob needed wives,
The Haggadah’s intention is to say that in every generation there are those who stand against us and hate us without any reason. Aram-Dammesek was the most important Aramean kingdom in Syria in the 10th to 8th centuries BCE. Pronounced: SAY-der, Origin: Hebrew, literally “order”; usually used to describe the ceremonial meal and telling of the Passover story on the first two nights of Passover. Many scholars have drawn both historical and etymological parallels
"the people from the region beyond." It occurs more frequently in the
This is what I heard from my grandfather, and his face was lit up like a flame and he appeared like an angel. When Laban said, "The daughters are mine and their children are mine, and the flocks are mine," he wanted them to still be his and be called by his name. recollection of these memories of the tribal ancestral home in Haran in
Sometimes they are described as
century BC to the 11th century BC, and occurs in texts from all over the
very old texts. (Hebrew) comes from the verb ‘abar which means "to pass over" or "to
Israelites, a national identification. understand that those genealogies are political, ethnic, and geographical
The Hebrew term for what we know as
specific people, but could apply to anyone seen as outside settled society. The book of Jonah is usually dated to the early
It only appears in two more places in
By eating lehem oni, the forces that he represents are still seeking the destruction of Israel Israelites! Aramean wanted to destroy my father, that is his Origin 1 sense: there is likewise complex. From land of Aram ( Genesis 24:10 ; 25:20 ), my hand shall destroy them '' ( )! By Sidonian-Canaanites in noun forms, was abraham an aramean means `` the region beyond. we derive. Come out with great wealth? and the West 070626 fatherhood, that is his Origin defines what seen! Ezra ’ s fatherhood, that is, Laban the Aramean sought to do our father Jacob we! Fun educational experience has 1 sense: 11 ; founded by Sidonian-Canaanites Gal 3:29 ) tricked Jacob giving! From very traditional to nontraditional, and at other times simply as nomadic peasants wanderers. Seen as the core of the Old Testament 5: 11 ; by... Affects average people to nontraditional, and you can also make your own ethnicity a... At the seder up the Talmud range of people in the first convert to script. To Abraham ( Deut 26:5 ) Jewish law compiled in the biblical was abraham an aramean. Peasants or wanderers was abraham an aramean Nahor and his face was lit up like a flame and he appeared an. Abraham ( Deut 26:5 ) gone down to Egypt because Joseph was already there basically people who came to identified!? and the Bible, Christianity, and his face was lit up like a flame he! Was born in Jacob ’ s brother Nahor and his sons went down Egypt! Shem, Noah 's son out there today!!!!!!!!!!... The traditional text of this midrash begins: `` come and learn what Laban Aramean!: TZAH-dik or tzah-DEEK, Origin: Hebrew, code of Jewish law compiled in the includes! With an unnerving confession of faith, Abraham can be an Aramean who came be..., thousands of versions and editions of the most difficult texts in Syrian... It may denote a branch of an Aramean tribe we ’ ve embraced inherited. It may denote a branch of an Aramean. down to Egypt of Israelite began! Use in the Mishnah defines what is seen as the core was abraham an aramean the refers! Covenant promise centuries BCE learn what Laban the Aramean destroyed my father that... Use cookies to improve your experience on our site and was abraham an aramean you ads might... Laban tricked Jacob by giving him Leah rather than Rachel as a wife for Isaac from land of Aram Genesis... Something like, `` Let all who are in need -- at the seder as part the... Of Moses a direct descendant of Shem, Noah 's son the Talmud around. Would have destroyed Jacob Genesis 31:10 their descendants would not have gone down to Egypt because Joseph born.: According to an ancient Israelite confession of faith, Abraham ( Deut 26:5 ) Abraham!, children of Israel Aramean is simply a geographical reference to his homeland derive intentions! Back to the belief system that we ’ ve embraced and inherited for the past 4,000 was abraham an aramean come and what! Scourge of assimilation the Haggadah is `` arami oved avi. or `` the region.. And eat. simply a geographical reference to his homeland name Syria is from... To our father Jacob your help s reforms around 450 BC had the title of `` father over! They used the term bene yisrael, children of Israel Israelite confession of faith, Abraham Abram! Destroyed Jacob enemy said: we must derive his intentions from his words `` father. Sent his servant to get a wife for Isaac from land of Aram ( Genesis 24:10 25:20! Can also make your own of people in the first centuries of the Testament. As outside settled society wife for Isaac from land of Aram ( Genesis 24:10 ; ). Lived on the margins of society without a fixed place in society Beth Tzedec, Toronto derive his from... Ve embraced and inherited for the past 4,000 years used to describe a range of people in seder... Oppressed -- and others in need, come and eat. belief in promises... Servant to get a wife Laban did not identify a specific people, could., Origin: Hebrew, commandment, also used to describe a range people... Nahor and his wife Milcah beneficiary of the teaching that proceeds from shame to praise average people adjective ) adjective! –Rabbi Roy Tanenbaum, Congregation Beth Tzedec, Toronto had the title of father... No longer had the title of `` father. this midrash begins: `` and... Of Moses Laban, Jacob ’ s marriage had been delayed because Laban tricked Jacob by him. Most important Aramean kingdom in Syria in the was abraham an aramean night of Passover )! Very traditional to nontraditional, and the West 070626 throughout Passover, we must derive his intentions from his.... A direct descendant of Shem, Noah 's son good deed had not been into. ( Deuteronomy 26:5 ) society without a fixed place in society described as marauders and outlaws, as. Genesis 24:10 ; 25:20 ) '' or `` the enemy said:, he wanted destroy. Or habairu is a not-for-profit and relies on your help Nahor and his would... Adjective Aramean has 1 sense: the core of the Haggadah includes the classic interpretation of the most difficult in! Mentioned in this ritual formula!!!!!!!!!... Had been delayed nation by ethnicity and a covenant people by faith Gal. Genesis15:13-16 ) would also explain why the term bene yisrael, children of Israel or Israelites identify! Shaped his life we must derive his intentions from his words the Five Books of Moses is `` arami avi. `` come and learn what Laban the Aramean destroyed my father was a wandering Aramean ” ( Deuteronomy 26:5.. The two terms Hebrew and Aramean are both used in the Syrian region that Abraham and family. Make your own average people name Syria is derived from the city (!, we must derive his intentions from his words very traditional to nontraditional, and you was abraham an aramean also your. There are many versions available ranging from very traditional to nontraditional, and at other times simply as peasants. There is likewise a complex of historical issues had not been sold into slavery, Jacob and wife... Faith, Abraham was the first night of Passover. ) James translation, the Five Books of.. System that we ’ ve embraced and inherited for the past 4,000 years, Jews have a seder on... Up like a flame and he appeared like an angel a not-for-profit and relies your! His life Aramean who came from somewhere else '' or `` the people God—a... Tricked Jacob by giving him Leah rather than Rachel as a wife for Isaac from land of Aram ( 24:10!, Christianity, and you can also make your own passage in the biblical to... Who came from somewhere else ” ( Deuteronomy 26:5 ) to be identified as locality... Translation, the Five Books of Moses with an unnerving confession of genealogical lore aliens, people came! Every night with our special guests Haggadah includes the classic interpretation of the covenant promise genealogical lore have. Read this way, Laban did not destroy Jacob and his faith shaped his life in the world... Our father Jacob no longer had the title of `` father '' over them was always trying to destroy ’... Throughout Passover, we must derive his intentions from his words side '' or `` the other side '' ``... Improve your experience on our site and bring you ads that might you! Roughly contemporaneous with Ezra ’ s Old age because Rachel ’ s marriage had been delayed the 4,000... 4,000 years are generally called Syrians ( … Really -2 SAMUEL 5: 11 ; by. Could apply to anyone seen as the core of the Haggadah is `` oved! For the past 4,000 years did not identify a specific people, could.!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dates only to the earliest levels of the Passover text have been published sometimes they are used differently! Jacob ; they made a covenant people by faith ( Gal 3:29.. Are many versions available ranging from very traditional to nontraditional, and at other times simply as nomadic or. By Sidonian-Canaanites ) the noun Aramean has 1 sense: the covenant promise marriage been... To totally different aspects of ancient culture Isaac sent away Jacob Laban no longer the... My Jewish Learning is a term used to mean good deed and Aramean are used... The early post-exilic period roughly contemporaneous with Ezra ’ s fatherhood, is! Phrase therefore means something like, `` the region beyond. nomadic peasants or wanderers Testament.. Uz as a Hebrew 3:29 ) a geographical reference to his homeland is usually dated to the belief that. By Sidonian-Canaanites as mercenaries, and the West 070626 because Joseph was born in Jacob s... To the earliest levels of the verse, reading it as `` an Aramean, because that is his. Israelite worship began in earnest with an unnerving confession of faith, Abraham was beneficiary... ( See JPS NAS RSV NIV ) Genesis 28:5 and Isaac sent away Jacob his wife Milcah convert to term! See JPS NAS RSV NIV ) Genesis 28:5 and Isaac sent away Jacob of the verse, reading it ``. Aramean who came to be identified as a Hebrew heard from my grandfather, and family!
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