Toldos 28:9 · unit 3

Parashas Toldos · Passuk 28:9

The Complete Passuk

וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ עֵשָׂ֖ו אֶל־יִשְׁמָעֵ֑אל וַיִּקַּ֡ח אֶֽת־מָחֲלַ֣ת בַּת־יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל בֶּן־אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֲח֧וֹת נְבָי֛וֹת עַל־נָשָׁ֖יו ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃

So Esav went to Yishmael and took to wife, in addition to the wives he had, Machalat the daughter of Yishmael son of Avraham, sister of Nevayot.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to related midrash / Rashi.

TT lemma: אחות נביות.

Sefaria

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
מִמַּשְׁמַע שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר מַחֲלַת בַּת יִשְׁמָעֵאל אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהִיא אֲחוֹת נְבָיוֹת, וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אֲחוֹת נְבָיוֹת, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁקִּדְּשָׁהּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל וּמֵת וְהִשִּׂיאָהּ נְבָיוֹת.

English: From the fact that it says “Machalat daughter of Yishmael” do I not already know that she is the sister of Nevayot? Why then does it say “sister of Nevayot”? This teaches that Yishmael betrothed her and then died, and Nevayot her brother gave her in marriage.

On the daf / in context: The extra phrase “sister of Nevayot” is taken to indicate that the marriage was completed by the brother after the father’s death, establishing a legal detail about who may give a woman in marriage.

Type of Learning

Custom (halakhic midrash — brother completes the marriage after father’s death)

What Is Learned

Yishmael betrothed Machalat and then died; his brother Nevayot completed the marriage. The superfluous “sister of Nevayot” is the source of that detail.