Vayeira 21:12 · unit 2

Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 21:12

The Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֗ם אַל־יֵרַ֤ע בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ עַל־הַנַּ֣עַר וְעַל־אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תֹּאמַ֥ר אֵלֶ֛יךָ שָׂרָ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלָ֑הּ כִּ֣י בְיִצְחָ֔ק יִקָּרֵ֥א לְךָ֖ זָֽרַע׃

And God said to Avraham, “Let it not be bad in your eyes concerning the lad and concerning your maidservant; whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her voice, for in Yitzchak shall seed be called to you.”

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Nedarim 31a.

TT lemma: כי ביצחק.

Sefaria — Nedarim 31a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
כִּי בְיִצְחָק וגו'. הָאוֹמֵר קוֹנָם שֶׁאֵינִי נֶהֱנֶה לְזֶרַע אַבְרָהָם אָסוּר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וּמֻתָּר בַּנָּכְרִים; וְהָאִיכָּא יִשְׁמָעֵאל? כִּי בְיִצְחָק יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע; וְהָאִיכָּא עֵשָׂו? בְּיִצְחָק וְלֹא כָּל יִצְחָק.

English: “For in Yitzchak…” One who says, “Konam that I will not benefit from the seed of Avraham” is forbidden to benefit from Israelites and permitted to benefit from non-Jews. But is there not Yishmael? “For in Yitzchak shall seed be called to you.” And is there not Esav? “In Yitzchak”—but not all of Yitzchak.

On the daf / in context: The verse is used to define the scope of “seed of Avraham” for the purpose of a vow of non-benefit, excluding both Yishmael and Esav.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The phrase limits the legal category of Avraham’s seed.

What Is Learned

“Seed of Avraham” for the purpose of a vow excludes Yishmael and Esav; only the line of Yitzchak that is “called” is included, and not every descendant of Yitzchak.