Onkelos on the Torah

by Drazin, Israel; Wagner, Stanley M.

• ISBN13: 9789652293428
• ISBN10: 9652293423
• Edition: Bilingual
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-10-30
• Publisher: Gefen Books

Table of Contents

Authors' Note	xi
Publisher's Note	xiii
Preface	xv
An Introduction to Targum Onkelos	xvii
An Introduction to ``Beyond the Text''	xxix
TORAH PORTIONS
Torah Reading Blessings	1	(357)
Bereishit (Chapter 1:1--6:8)	2	(356)
God creates the world
God blesses the seventh day and sanctifies it
God places man in the Garden of Eden, prohibiting him from eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
Adam names the animals
Woman is created from Adam's side
They eat from the forbidden fruit, are punished and banished from the Garden of Eden
Cain murders Abel and is punished
The world becomes populated and sinful
Haphtarah of Bereishit	358	(3)
Noach (Chapter 6:9--11:32)	34	(327)
Noah is deemed righteous enough to be spared from the impending destruction of the wicked world
He is commanded to build an ark and is informed about the deluge
Noah gathers his family and animals into the ark in accordance with God's instructions
It rains for forty days, blotting out all existence
God promises not to destroy the world again
Noah receives commandments (Noahide Laws)
the rainbow becomes a sign of God's covenant that a flood will never again destroy all flesh
Noah debases himself by becoming drunk and curses Ham, his son, for his lack of respect
The story of the Tower of Babel and the dispersion of the world's population
Haphtarah of Noach	361	(2)
Lekh Lekha (Chapter 12:1--17:27)	64	(299)
Abram receives a call from God to journey from his home in Ur of Chaldea to the land of Canaan and is promised that he will become a great nation
Abram leaves Canaan for Egypt because of a famine and Sarai is taken to Pharaoh's palace
Abram returns to Canaan with Sarai and separates from his nephew, Lot
Lot is taken captive in a war, but Abram frees him
God enters into the ``Covenant between the Parts'' with Abram
Sarai banishes Hagar, her maidservant, but an angel informs Hagar that she will bear Abram's child who will be called Ishmael and instructs her to return to Sarai
God changes Abram's name to Abraham and commands that he and his male descendants should be circumcised as a sign of the covenant
Sarai's name is changed to Sarah
Abraham circumcises himself and the male members of his household
Haphtarah of Lekh Lekha	363	(2)
Vayeira (Chapter 18:1--22:24)	98	(267)
Abraham extends hospitality to three strangers (angels)
God tells Abraham that he will have a son
God informs Abraham that He intends to destroy the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, but Abraham attempts to dissuade God from taking this action
Two angels rescue Lot and his family from Sodom
Lot's wife looks back at the destruction of the cities and becomes a pillar of salt
Lot becomes drunk and impregnates his two daughters
Isaac is born and is circumcised
Hagar and Ishmael are cast away from Abraham's household, but Hagar is promised that Ishmael will become a great nation
The binding of Isaac on the altar, a demonstration of Abraham's relationship to God
Haphtarah of Vayeira	365	(3)
Chayei Sarah (Chapter 23:1--25:18)	140	(228)
Sarah dies and is buried in a sepulcher in Hebron that Abraham purchases
Abraham's servant is sent on a mission to find a suitable wife for Isaac
Rebecca passes a test by showing unusual loving-kindness to the servant, proving that she is worthy of becoming Isaac's wife
Rebecca turns out to be Abraham's grandniece and invites the servant to her home
The family approves of the marriage of Isaac and Rebecca, after Rebecca consents
Abraham dies
Haphtarah of Chayei Sarah	368	(2)
Toldot (Chapter 25:19--28:9)	162	(208)
Rebecca conceives after a period of barrenness
The twins in her womb struggle and Rebecca receives a prophecy about them
Esau emerges as the firstborn and becomes a hunter while Jacob becomes a dweller in tents
Esau sells his birthright to Jacob
Isaac relocates to Philistia to escape the famine and Rebecca is protected by Abimelech
Isaac wants to bless his firstborn, Esau, but Jacob, with Rebecca's complicity, steals the blessing
Esau vows to kill his brother
Jacob is instructed to leave the land and go to the home of Rebecca's family, hopefully also to find a wife
Haphtarah of Toldot	370	(2)
Vayeitzei (Chapter 28:10--32:3)	186	(186)
After departing from Beersheba, Jacob dreams of a ladder extending from earth to heaven and he receives a divine promise that his descendants will become numerous and inherit the land of Canaan
Jacob meets Rachel and learns that she is his cousin
Rachel brings Jacob back to her home and her father, Laban, who employs him
Jacob agrees to work for Laban seven years if he will allow Jacob to marry Rachel
Jacob is deceived and discovers that he married Leah, Rachel's older sister
Jacob remains in Laban's employ in order to marry Rachel
Leah bears Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah
Rachel's handmaiden, Bilhah, gives birth to Dan and Naphtali, but Rachel remains barren
Zilpah, Leah's handmaiden, bears Gad and Asher
Leah gives birth to Issachar and Zebulun as well as a daughter, Dinah
Rachel gives birth to Joseph
Jacob amasses wealth and flees from Laban with his family
Laban pursues in anger, but enters into a covenant with Jacob
Haphtarah of Vayeitzei	372	(4)
Vayishlach (Chapter 32:4--36:43)	216	(160)
Jacob learns, on his way back to Canaan, that Esau is approaching with four hundred men
Jacob prepares a strategy for the confrontation and prays to God
Jacob struggles with a man (angel) and is wounded
the man (angel) announces that Jacob's name will be changed to Israel
Jacob and Esau meet and are reconciled
Dinah, Jacob's daughter, is raped and her brothers, Simeon and Levi, take revenge
God confers the name Israel upon Jacob and renews His promises to him
Rachel bears Benjamin, dies, and is buried in Bethlehem
Isaac dies and is buried in Hebron
the family of Esau expands
Haphtarah of Vayishlach	376	(2)
Vayeishev (Chapter 37:1--40:23)	246	(132)
Joseph shows his greater love of Joseph by presenting him with a coat, arousing the envy of Joseph's brothers
Joseph reveals his dream to his brothers and father, which suggests that they will bow down to him, intensifying his brothers' envy
Joseph's brothers conspire against him and sell him into slavery
Joseph's brothers report to Jacob that Joseph was devoured by a wild beast and Jacob mourns the loss of his beloved son
Joseph is brought to Egypt and works in the household of Potiphar, a high-ranking official in Pharaoh's court
Judah's two sons die and his daughter-in-law, Tamar, tricks Judah into making her pregnant and she bears twins
Joseph earns an elevated status in Potiphar's household, but after Joseph rejects the advances of Potiphar's wife, she falsely accuses him of infidelity to Potiphar who incarcerates him
Joseph correctly interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker who were also imprisoned
Haphtarah of Vayeishev	378	(2)
Mikeitz (Chapter 41:1--44:17)	272	(108)
Pharaoh has two dreams, but his wise men cannot interpret them to his satisfaction
The cupbearer informs Pharaoh of Joseph's ability to interpret dreams
Pharaoh summons Joseph who informs Pharaoh that his dreams are predictions that Egypt will experience seven years of prosperity followed by seven years of famine
Joseph suggests how Pharaoh should cope with the famine and Pharaoh appoints Joseph as viceroy
Joseph marries and has two children, Manasseh and Ephraim
After the years of prosperity, famine consumes Egypt and the lands around it
Joseph's brothers, with the exception of Benjamin, go to Egypt to purchase food
Joseph recognizes them but does not reveal his identity
Joseph accuses his brothers of being spies, but allows all of them, except Simeon, to return home with provisions and informs them that they cannot return to Egypt without their other brother, Benjamin
Jacob is informed of Joseph's unusual request, and when the food is almost gone and the famine is severe, Jacob reluctantly allows his sons to return to Egypt with Benjamin
Joseph has his goblet placed in Benjamin's sack surreptitiously and then accuses Benjamin of being a thief
Haphtarah of Mikeitz	380	(2)
Vayigash (Chapter 44:18--47:27)	302	(80)
Judah importunes Joseph not to enslave Benjamin and offers to substitute himself as his servant
Joseph tearfully reveals his identity to his astonished brothers, insisting that all that happened was part of God's plan
Joseph sends his brothers back to Canaan laden with gifts and urges them to bring Jacob and all of their families to Egypt to be under his protection
God encourages Jacob to go to Egypt, promising that his family will some day return to Canaan
Jacob's family relocates to Egypt and Joseph and his father are reunited
Pharaoh recommends that they settle in the Goshen region of Egypt
Joseph acquires all Egyptian land for Pharaoh
The children of Israel multiply greatly
Haphtarah of Vayigash	382	(2)
Vayechee (Chapter 47:28--50:26)	322	(62)
Jacob is about to die and receives a promise from Joseph that he will be buried in Hebron and not in Egypt
Joseph takes his two sons to Jacob to be blessed
Joseph bestows a favored blessing upon Ephraim, Joseph's second-born
Jacob assembles his sons and blesses each one separately, according to his special nature, blessings that are prophecies as to how the tribes will develop and the contributions that they and their descendants will make to the nation of Israel
Jacob dies and Joseph receives permission to bury him in Canaan in the cave of Makhpeilah, with his ancestors
Joseph dies and is buried in Egypt
Haphtarah of Vayechee	384
Haphtarot Introduction and Blessings	356	(30)
HAPHTAROT FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Haphtarah when Rosh Chodesh falls on Sunday	386	(2)
Haphtarah when Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbat	388	(3)
Haphtarah of Shabbat Chanukah	391	(7)
Haphtarah of second Shabbat Chanukah	398	(3)
Appendix	401	(67)
Glossary of Selected Terms, Cited Works and Commentators	468	(5)
Selected Bibliography	473	(13)
About the Authors	486