Texts in Conversation
Isaiah 41:8 calls Abraham God's friend. Rabbinic tradition in the Mekhilta interprets this verse to be about the children of Abraham to show that Israel, and even the convert who joins, are counted among those who love God.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Isaiah 41:8
Hebrew Bible
7 The craftsman encourages the metalsmith, the one who wields the hammer encourages the one who pounds on the anvil. He says of the welding, ‘It is good’18, and nails it down so it won’t fall over. 8 “You, my servant Israel, Jacob, whom I have chosen, offspring of Abraham my friend, 9 you whom I am bringing back from the earth’s extremities and have summoned from the remote regions—I told you, ‘You are my servant.’I have chosen you and not rejected you.
Mekhilta d'Rabbi Ishmael 22:20
Halakhic Midrash
Rabbinic
Now who is greater? One who loves the King or one whom the King loves? Certainly, one whom the King loves. Beloved are the strangers, for by every epithet that Israel is called, the strangers are called. Israelites are called "servants," as it is written (Leviticus 25:55) "For unto Me the children of Israel are servants." And the strangers are called "servants," as it is written (Isaiah 56:6) "… to love the name of the L rd and to be servants unto Him." Israelites are called "ministers," as it is written (Ibid. 6:6) "And you, 'priests of the L rd' shall you be called; 'ministers of our G d' will it be said of you." And the strangers are called "ministers," as it is written (Ibid. 56:6) "… and the strangers who join the L rd to minister unto Him." Israelites are called "lovers," as it is written (Ibid. 41:8) "the seed of Abraham, My lover." And the strangers are called "lovers" (i.e., beloved), as it is written (Devarim 10:18) "And He loves the stranger." "Covenant" is written of Israel, viz. (Genesis 17:13) "And My covenant (i.e., circumcision) shall be in your flesh." And it is also written of strangers, viz. (Isaiah 56:4) "and they hold fast to My covenant."
Date: 135 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... This fascinating text exploits the ambiguity of the Hebrew version of Isaiah 41.8, which reads, ‘the seed of Abraham, my beloved/who loves me’, opting for the latter interpretive choice of ‘the seed of Abraham’ as the subject of the verb. Not only that, the Sages read the text as referring to the seed of Abraham as the collective ‘lover’ of God, not to Abraham in the singular. And even more – the Sages then apply this text to converts, calling them ‘Israel’! ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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