Study Megillah folio 17A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
למה נמנו שנותיו של ישמעאל? כדי ליחס בהן שנותיו של יעקב. דכתיב: ״ואלה שני חיי ישמעאל מאת שנה ושלשים שנה ושבע שנים״. כמה קשיש ישמעאל מיצחק? ארביסר שנין, דכתיב: ״ואברם בן שמונים שנה ושש שנים בלדת הגר את ישמעאל לאברם״, וכתיב: ״ואברהם בן מאת שנה בהולד לו את יצחק בנו״, וכתיב: ״ויצחק בן ששים שנה בלדת אותם״, בר כמה הוה ישמעאל כדאתיליד יעקב? בר שבעים וארבעה, כמה פיישן משניה — שתין ותלת.
Why were the years of Ishmael mentioned in the Torah? For what purpose were we told the life span of that wicked man? In order to reckon through them the years of Jacob. As it is written: “And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, 137 years” (Genesis 25:17). How much older was Ishmael than Isaac? 14 years. As it is written: “And Abram was 86 years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram” (Genesis 16:16). And it is written: “And Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him” (Genesis 21:5). And it is written with regard to Jacob and Esau: “And Isaac was 60 years old when she bore them” (Genesis 25:26). Based on these verses, how old was Ishmael when Jacob was born? 74. How many of his years remained then until his death? 63, as Ishmael died at the age of 137.
ותניא: היה יעקב אבינו בשעה שנתברך מאביו בן ששים ושלש שנה, ובו בפרק מת ישמעאל. דכתיב: ״וירא עשו כי ברך וגו׳ וילך עשו אל ישמעאל ויקח את מחלת בת ישמעאל אחות נביות״, ממשמע שנאמר ״בת ישמעאל״, איני יודע שהיא אחות נביות? מלמד שקידשה ישמעאל ומת, והשיאה נביות אחיה.
And it was taught in a baraita: Jacob our father was 63 years old at the time he was blessed by his father, and at that same time Ishmael died. How is it known that these two events occurred at the same time? As it is written: “When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob…then Esau went to Ishmael and took for a wife Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth” (Genesis 28:6–9). From the fact that it is stated: “the daughter of Ishmael,” do I not know that she was the sister of Nebaioth? For what purpose then does the verse say this explicitly? This teaches that Ishmael betrothed her to Esau and in the meantime he died, and Nebaioth her brother married her off. Therefore, special mention is made of Nebaioth. Consequently, it is understood that Jacob was 63 years old when he received his blessing and left his father’s house.