Samaritan Torah, פַּרְשַׁת תּוֹלְדֹת

[lethargic_man]

Genesis 25:34	בראשית כה לד-כה לד
Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; he ate, drank, rose and went; thus Esau despised his birthright.	וְיַעֲקֹב נָתַן לְעֵשָׂו לֶחֶם וּנְזִיד עֲדָשִׁים וַיֹּאכַל וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלַךְ וַיִּבֶז עֵשָׂו אֶת־הַבְּכֹרָה׃

The Samaritan text splits עֲדָשִׁים "lentils" (appropriately enough) into two words, changing the emphasis of the sentence from the stew to the birthright which Esau sold:

Then Jacob gave Esau bread until he granted [it]; he ate, drank, rose and went; thus Esau despised his birthright.

וְיַעֲקֹב נָתַן לְעֵשָׂו לֶחֶם וּנְזִיד עד שׁים וַיֹּאכַל וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלַךְ וַיִּבֶז עֵשָׂו אֶת־הַבְּכֹרָה׃

Gen. 26:26 refers to Avimelech's chief of staff, Phichol:

Then Avimelech went to him from Gerar, and Aḥuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.

וַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ הָלַךְ אֵלָיו מִגְּרָר וַאֲחֻזַּת מֵרֵעֵהוּ וּפִיכֹל שַׂר־צְבָאוֹ׃

The Samaritan text here and elsewhere split the latter name into two, making more clear its meaning "mouth of all".

Then Avimelech went to him from Gerar, and Aḥuzzath one of his friends, and Phi Chol the chief captain of his army.

וַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ הָלַךְ אֵלָיו מִגְּרָר וַאֲחֻזַּת מֵרֵעֵהוּ וּפִי כֹל שַׂר־צְבָאוֹ׃

On to Gen. 27:40, which is where Esau, having discovered his brother has stolen the blessing meant for him, pleads, distraught with his father to bless him too. Isaac's response includes:

And by your sword shall you live, and shall serve your brother; it shall come to pass when you shall have the dominion, that you shall break his yoke from off your neck.

וְעַל־חַרְבְּךָ תִחְיֶה וְאֶת־אָחִיךָ תַּעֲבֹד וְהָיָה כַּאֲשֶׁר תָּרִיד וּפָרַקְתָּ עֻלּוֹ מֵעַל צַוָּארֶךָ׃

The Samaritan text has the curious alteration:

And by your sword shall you live, and shall serve your brother; it shall come to pass when you show deference that you shall break his yoke from off your neck.

וְעַל־חַרְבְּךָ תִחְיֶה וְאֶת־אָחִיךָ תַּעֲבֹד וְהָיָה כַּאֲשֶׁר תְּהָדַר וּפָרַקְתָּ עֻלּוֹ מֵעַל צַוָּארֶךָ׃

This is an unusual meaning of הדר; I'm not sure I've translated it right.

And lastly, tomorrow I am going to see Benyamim Tsedaka, prominent Samaritan (whom the editor of the comparative Samaritan Torah I have liaised with, and who can be heard singing the Song at the Sea in Samaritan pronunciation on the Encyclopaedia Judaica CD-ROM) speaking at the LJCC, which I am very much looking forward to.

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