![]() ![]() He lusts after Sara, and makes calculations about how he will take her upon Abraham’s death (Bereshit Rabba 42:8). As a reward for his life-long loyalty to Abraham (Zohar 3:184, where he is the one who circumcises his master), God transforms him into Og, king of Bashan. In another source, he is the servant Eliezer, part of a gift given by Nimrod to Abram after the latter has succeeded in emerging unscathed from the furnace into which the wicked king had thrust him ( Pirkei deRebbi Eliezer 15 Targum Yonatan 14:13). ![]() Og also appears in the same chapter of Numbers: “And they turned and they went up by way of the Bashan, and Og king of Bashan came to meet them – he and all his people – at Edrei… And God said to Moses ‘Don’t be afraid of him, because I have given him into your hands just as you did to Sihon king of Emor” (21:33).Īccording to Pirkei deRebbi Eliezer (23), Og is the last of the giants that flourished before the Flood and survived the Flood thanks to the generosity of Noah – in so doing he swore eternal fealty to him. You’re going to come in and not take over my nest egg? Are you crazy? What do you take me for? ( Bamidbar Rabba 19:29-30)Īnd thus (continues the midrash) just as Sihon took over Moab, so did God take over the rich pickings of Sihon ( heshbon ) – since “one who steals from a thief is innocent of robbery.” ![]() account) that Sihon worried over Canaan was his pot of gold ( di-zahab). The Midrash elaborates on Sihon’s victories – saying that he took over the entire land of Canaan and extracted tribute from them all: this is the “ heshbon” (lit. This conquest includes the city of Heshbon, since, “Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of Emor who had fought the first king of Moab and taken all his land up to Arnon” (Numbers 21: 21-27). But Sihon would not permit Israel to cross his border and brought out all his people and went out to meet Israel in the desert and Israel smote them and took the land (Numbers 21:21) Israel sent messengers to Sihon King of Emor saying: Allow us to cross your territory, we will not turn into your fields or your vineyards, we will not drink from your wells, but will go by the Way of the Kings, until we have crossed your border. What is so significant in these two characters? The name Sihon is mentioned seven more times, and Og four times. Moreover these kings are named not just at this opening but also numerous times within the weekly portion. Why were these names also not given to us in hints by recalling the places in which these victories came, Emor and Heshbon, or Bashan and Ashtarot Edrei? Why wouldn’t these have been enough? What was so special about these two kings to mention them specifically? But surely, recalling explicitly victories over these kings goes against another religious value – the injunction against rejoicing over the downfall of our enemies. Enemy leaders who attempted to prevent the Israelites from crossing in to the Promised Land – and thus are to be eliminated. Nevertheless in the fourth verse explicit names are mentioned – namely Sihon, king of Emor, and Og, king of Bashan. The reason for this covert style of the text is to save the Israelites from embarrassment – especially since these were the sins of their fathers and not of the current generation. Arava, for example, meaning “plain” is meant to remind them of their idolatrous behavior in the plains of Moab Paran is a reminder of the sin of the spies Hazerot – the rebellion of Korah, etc. Names mentioned here – Arava, Suf, Paran, Tofel, Lavan Hazerot, Di-Zahav – are suggestive of particular events that they underwent. Sihon, king of the Emorites, for His love is forever / and Og, king of Bashan, for His love is forever (Psalms 136: 19-20).Īccording to Rashi – basing himself on Sifrei – the opening lines of the Book of Deuteronomy are mere hints at sins committed by the Children of Israel as they crossed the deserts from Egypt. They turned and they went up by way of the Bashan and Og, king of Bashan came to meet them – he and all his people – at Edrei (Numbers 21:33).Īfter he had defeated Sihon, king of the Emorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtarot and in Edrei (Deuteronomy 1:4). Sihon would not permit Israel to cross his border and brought out all his people and went out to meet Israel in the desert and Israel smote them and took the land (Numbers 21:23). WOODCUT MIDRASH: Sihon and Og – The Last of the Giants ![]()
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