Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 29:17/אבן עזרא על בראשית כ״ט:י״ז
ארכות. כמשמעו ויש שואלים למה היה כן בעבור שחשבו שמחשבות השם כמחשבותיהם, וכל הנבראים ראויות צורתן להיות שוות ובן אפרים אמר שהוא חסר אל"ף וטעמו ארוכות והוא היה חסר אל"ף,
1WEAK. Rakkot is to be taken literally.18 Some ask, why were Leah’s eyes weak? They raise this question because they believe God’s thoughts are like their thoughts,19 and they think that all people have to be formed alike.20 123a; Bereshit Rabbah 70:16; 71:2. Ben Efraim said that an alef is missing in the word rakkot (weak), its meaning being arukhot (long).21 is short for arukhot. Arukhot minus the alef spells rakkot. However, Ben Efraim himself was missing an alef.22 spells parim (cows). Aluf also means wisdom. Perhaps I.E. means Efraim lacked wisdom (Krinsky, Weiser).
ביפת תואר, כמו "ותאר הגבול" (יהושע טו ט) כל אבר כעין והאף והפה יפה
2OF BEAUTIFUL FORM. To’ar (form) is similar to ta’ar (drawn) in And the border was drawn (ve-ta’ar) (Jos. 15:9). The meaning of beautiful form is that each organ of her body such as her nose and mouth were beautifully drawn (formed).
גומראה הכל יפה או מראה על עין הפנים הנראה:
3[AND FAIR TO LOOK UPON.] Her whole body was fair to look upon,23 refers to the shape of the individual body parts and mareh to the body as a whole. or And fair to look upon refers to the complexion of her face.24