tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1097749014220347853.post5868088796326831156..comments2024-01-30T12:26:03.019-05:00Comments on The Blog of Garnel Ironheart: How Old Was Rivkah?Mighty Garnel Ironhearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09571194550300367249noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1097749014220347853.post-79719215209188143832012-11-13T11:02:14.789-05:002012-11-13T11:02:14.789-05:00Great post! I was wondering this myself and cringi...Great post! I was wondering this myself and cringing a bit when recalling this Rashi. I recall proudly pronouncing this age difference as "fact," when I was in middle/high school, having learned it in lower/middle school as such.<br /><br />It makes much more sense to understand Rivkah's age as being more older and thus adult rather than the age of a young child.<br /><br />Another point related to this that I thought of - even if she wasn't 3, perhaps there was a somewhat significant age gap between her and Yitzchak, say 20 years. I think this is what led Avimelech to snoop around and question Yitzchak's statement that Rivkah was his sister. He had 3 reasons for doing so:<br /><br />1) Avraham pulled this trick before, and regardless if this was the same Avimelech or not, I imagine that kidnapping incident and the resulting story was enough to make it memorable and passed down - and it wasn't THAT long ago that it would be forgotten.<br /><br />2) Avraham and Sarah were much closer in age, and could be seen visually as siblings. In multi-child homes, an age difference of 10 years is quite possible, but one of 20+ usually isn't unless the parents have had a ton of kids, or a younger, 2nd wife is involved. <br /><br />3) Avraham and Sarah, being uncle and niece, also probably looked a lot more alike and could pass for siblings.Shades of Greyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02733139852424935591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1097749014220347853.post-11759159643100530632012-11-13T09:34:22.209-05:002012-11-13T09:34:22.209-05:00The only besulahs around were 10? Me thinketh not....The only besulahs around were 10? Me thinketh not. I'm sure there were spinsters of 30 available . . . Princess Leahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17217157534383672867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1097749014220347853.post-13499127521300452632012-11-12T15:13:15.426-05:002012-11-12T15:13:15.426-05:00"For her, it was Yitzchak Avinu's godlus ..."For her, it was Yitzchak Avinu's godlus that sealed the deal, not a sense of personal interest." As I mentioned <a href="http://onthefringe_jewishblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/parshat-chayei-sarah-57732012-thoughts.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>, “ . . . Avraham's servant lauded--and demonstrated--his master's wealth to the nth degree, but never said a word about Yitzchak/Isaac himself . . . “, so how could Rivkah possibly have known anything whatsover about Yitzchak’s gadlut/greatness?Shira Salamonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15989302669175887512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1097749014220347853.post-40665401948520264902012-11-12T15:05:08.516-05:002012-11-12T15:05:08.516-05:00In my opinion, a little seichel (common sense) wou...In my opinion, a little seichel (common sense) would be useful in considering the question of Rivkah's age upon marriage. Not to put too fine a, um, point on it, but what on earth would be, um, in it for any guy to marry a three-year-old? No normal guy would, um, get anything out of such a marriage. Why bother marrying someone for whom you'd have to wait for probably over a decade?Shira Salamonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15989302669175887512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1097749014220347853.post-36630099846782927902012-11-12T10:37:54.916-05:002012-11-12T10:37:54.916-05:00The marriage rules are different for the Kohen Gad...The marriage rules are different for the Kohen Gadol from those of regular kohanim. A KG must marry a young virgin if he's unmarried at the time of his appointment.Mighty Garnel Ironhearthttp://garnelironheart.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1097749014220347853.post-8088573422975298952012-11-12T10:08:00.231-05:002012-11-12T10:08:00.231-05:00For a cohen to be single at 60 would certainly hav...For a cohen to be single at 60 would certainly have been an anomaly. However, am I incorrect in that widows are also cohen-eligible? Merely the divorcees are banned.Princess Leahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17217157534383672867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1097749014220347853.post-45221969260537526892012-11-12T06:28:14.431-05:002012-11-12T06:28:14.431-05:00Also the text at the Akedah calls Yitzchak a na...Also the text at the Akedah calls Yitzchak a na'ar, which is normally used for an adolescent, and it calls Rivkah a na'arah which is similar.Mike S.noreply@blogger.com