 | Toledot |  |
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| | 26:1 |
There was a famine in the land, aside from the first famine in the time of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelekh king of the Philistines in Gerar.
Vayehi ra'av ba'arets milvad hara'av harishon asher hayah bimey Avraham vayelech Yitschak el-Avimelech melech-Plishtim Gerarah. |
| 26:2 |
God appeared to [Isaac] and said, 'Do not go down to Egypt. Remain undisturbed in the land that I shall designate to you.
Vayera elav Adonay vayomer al-tered Mitsraymah shechon ba'arets asher omar eleycha. |
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Commentary:
first famine...
Genesis 12:10. This chapter is the only place where we see Isaac without Abraham or Jacob, and it is here that we see Isaac's life literally as a carbon copy of Abraham's (see Genesis 26:18). While it had been Abraham's task to blaze spiritual trails, it was Isaac's mission to consolidate them.
| Abimelekh
Probably not the same as the one involved with Abraham; see note on Genesis 20:2. According to one source, this was the previous Abimelekh's son (Targum on 26:28).
| Gerar
See Genesis 20:1. It was on the boundary of the Holy Land, 10:19. From the context, it seems that Isaac was headed toward Egypt. This is difficult to understand, since Isaac lived in Beer LaChai Roi (Genesis 25:11), which is to the west of Gerar, on the way to Egypt. It is possible that Isaac went to Gerar because of Abraham's previous treaty (cf. Ramban). Alternatively, this is connected to the following sentence, and Isaac went to Gerar at God's command (Josephus, Antiquities 1:18:2). However, see note on Genesis 20:1.
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