JBlog Central - The Jewish Blog Network | Did Eliezer, or 318 men accompany Avraham? It can't be both!

#	Date	Action
1	2009-11-02 1:00pm PT	This post was found by JBlog Central and given an initial rating of 5 stars.
2	2009-11-02 1:05pm PT	Received an audience rating of 5 stars.
3	2009-11-02 6:30pm PT	Received an audience rating of 5 stars.
4		Add to this post's history by giving it YOUR rating! It's fun, it's easy, it only takes a click. And best of all, when you rate a post, your opinion becomes helpful to other people.

Hide Post History

Excerpt From Blog Post:

Inspired by a post at Yachdus, some delving into a midrash brought down by Rashi, and how it might work alongside the peshat. The pasuk in Lech Lecha {Bereishit 14:14} states:

יד וַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָם, כִּי נִשְׁבָּה אָחִיו; וַיָּרֶק אֶת-חֲנִיכָיו יְלִידֵי בֵיתוֹ, שְׁמֹנָה עָשָׂר וּשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת, וַיִּרְדֹּף, עַד-דָּן.

14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan.

and Rashi there states that this is a reference to Eliezer:

three hundred and eighteen: Our Sages said (Gen. Rabbah 43:2, Ned. 32a): It was Eliezer alone, and it [the number 318] is the numerical value of his name.

שמונה עשר ושלש מאות: רבותינו אמרו אליעזר לבדו היה, והוא מנין גימטריא של שמו: