Trivia - Vayeshev 3 - Amnon
This week's sedra seems to have a lot of similarities to the story of Amnon in II Shmuel chapter 13. By a lot, I mean at least 7. All 7 are real connections, stuff that can't be said about any other section of Tanach besides these two (I believe), as opposed to features common to numerous episodes in Tanach. I don't think that the connections are strong enough for me to write an essay making the claim that I did a few days ago regarding the stories of Yehuda and Yosef in the middle two chapters of this week's parsha, but it's still extremely strange.
I think that I'll end my post now and leave this as a trivia question.
Clarification, 10:50 a: The question is what the 7 connections are. They're all primarily textually based.
Update, 12/28: Moving through the parsha of Amnon step-by-step...
- A significant character named Tamar.
- Amnon interacts with a friend, as did Yehudah. (I believe that Chirah and Yonadav are the only significant characters (as opposed to Shimshon's unnamed friend) who are described in this way).
- Amnon's story begins with Yonadav's question to him, "Why are you looking so lean every morning?", while the story of the butler and the baker begins with Yosef's similar query to the butler and baker, "Why are your countenances bad today?".
- Amnon demanded of Tamar, "Lay with me", as did Potiphar's wife of Yosef.
- Tamar was wearing a k'sones pasim, which we only find elsewhere by Yosef.
- The event that introduces the climax of the story which takes place after a break in time is Avshalom shearing his sheep. The event that introduces the climax of the story of Yehudah and Tamar is Yehudah shearing his sheep.
- David tore his garments upon hearing an incorrect report that all of his sons were killed. Similar to Yaakov tearing his garments over an incorrect report.
- "And he mourned for his son for all of the days", found by David, is similar to Yaakov's "And he mourned for his son for many days".
posted by Josh M. @ 2:53 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
How is it a trivia question if you didn't ask any question?
I just clarified the question - what are the 7 significant similarities? They're all primarily textual, although for some of them, the significance is based partially on the context here and there. That probably didn't make any sense, but you probably get the idea what I'm looking for.
Withou actually looking at the text, off the top of my head I can think of the facts that
1) Tamar and Dinah both "lived with" their paternal brothers (because Dinah later married Shimon, according to one Midrash).
2) Both Tamar and Dinah were defended by their full brother(s).
3) Both Dinah and Tamar were raped by men who were the sons of the man in charge of that area (i.e. Schem was the son of Chamor, the mayor, and Amnon was the son of Dovid, the melech).
Vayeishev, not Vayishlach.
off the top of my head too...
~the father of the rape victim is silent, to the consternation of her brothers. (yaakov is silent elsewhere, too, so i don't know if this meets your criteria for real parallels...)
~as a result, the brother(s) avenge her with violence, to the consternation of the father
~the phrase "nevalah asah beyisrael" (re: shechem) is parallel to verses 12-13 re: tamar (be-yisrael...nevalim)
Post a Comment
<< Home