This week’s Torah portion Toldot begins with “And these were the generations of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac.” Torah commentators throughout the ages have pondered the obvious question: Why the repetition “Abraham begot Isaac” when the Torah just told us Isaac was the son of Abraham?

Whenever there is a repetition in the Torah, or a seeming repetition, it is not merely a repetition of the same thing. A repetition teaches something new.

Midrash Tanchuma Toledot 4, teaches the repetition is a way of communicating the closeness of the relationship between the father Abraham and his son Isaac. Saying, “Isaac was crowned with Abraham and Abraham was crowned with Isaac.” Abraham was the pride and joy of Isaac, and Isaac was the pride and joy of Abraham.

According to the purv

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