Vayeira 21:8 · unit 1

Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 21:8

The Complete Passuk

וַיִּגְדַּ֥ל הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַיִּגָּמַ֑ל וַיַּ֤עַשׂ אַבְרָהָם֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה גָד֔וֹל בְּי֖וֹם הִגָּמֵ֥ל אֶת־יִצְחָֽק׃

And the child grew and was weaned, and Avraham made a great feast on the day that Yitzchak was weaned.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Pesachim 119b.

TT lemma: ויגמל.

Sefaria — Pesachim 119b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וַיִּגָּמַל. דָּרַשׁ רַב עַוִירָא, מַאי דִּכְתִיב וַיִּגְדַּל הַיֶּלֶד וַיִּגָּמַל? עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת סְעֻדָּה לַצַּדִּיקִים בַּיּוֹם שֶׁיִּגְמֹל חַסְדּוֹ לְזַרְעוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק.

English: “And he was weaned.” Rav Avira expounded: What is the meaning of “And the child grew and was weaned”? The Holy One, blessed be He, will make a feast for the righteous on the day that He weans His kindness upon the seed of Yitzchak.

On the daf / in context: The weaning feast is read as a prototype of the future banquet that God will prepare for the righteous when the full measure of kindness is “weaned” upon Israel.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. A narrative celebration is projected onto the eschatological feast.

What Is Learned

Avraham’s weaning feast foreshadows the future banquet that Hashem will make for the righteous when His kindness is fully “weaned” upon the seed of Yitzchak.