From newman@jerusalem1.datasrv.co.il Sun Oct 31 23:32:33 1993 Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 23:27:33 +0200 (IST) From: Rabbi Newman To: "soc.culture.jewish" Subject: Torah Weekly * TORAH WEEKLY * Highlights of the Weekly Torah Portion * Parshas Chayei Sara * SUMMARY : The rich spiritual life of Sara comes to an end at age 127, and Avraham, after mourning and eulogizing her buries her in the Mearas Hamachpela in Hevron which he has purchased at great expense because Adam and Chavah are buried there. Responsibility for finding a suitable wife for his son Yitzchak within his own family in Mesopotamia is placed upon his foremost disciple Eliezer, who takes an oath to fulfillhis mission. Eliezer prays for a sign from Hashem to help him make the right choice. As he stands by a well, Rivka providentially appears and Eliezer asks her for a drink of water. Her response of offering not only a drink for him but to water all his camels as well convinces Eliezer that Heaven has given him a sign that this thoughtful woman is worthy of being Yitzchak's wife and a mother of the Jewish people. Negotiations with Rivka's father and her brother, Lavan, finally result in her leaving with Eliezer and becoming Yitzchak's wife. Avraham remarries Hagar, whose improved ways have gained her the new name of Ketura, and six children are born to them. After bestowing gifts upon them, Avraham sends them away. Avraham passes away at the age of 175 and is buried next to Sara in Mearas Hamachpela. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * COMMENTARIES : " The years of Sara's life...And Avraham came to eulogize Sara" (23:1-2) - No explicit mention is made in the Torah of what Avraham said in his eulogy. But the essence of his tribute may be contained in Rashi's explanation that the words "the years of Sara's life" communicate that all of her years were consistent in their virtue. Avraham could pay no greater tribute to his saintly wife than to point out that she was virtuous from beginning to end. This must be the goal of every Jew with an ambition to live a meaningful life - to avoid slumps and backsliding while steering a steady course of personal growth. (Rav Chaim Shmulevitz, Rosh Yeshivas Mir) "And Avraham came to eulogize Sara" (23:2) - Avraham, says the Midrash, came from Mount Moriah to eulogize Sara. It was the event which took place at Mount Moriah - the willingness of their son Yitzchak to be offered by his father as a sacrifice to Hashem - which Avraham focused on as an expression of Sara's qualities. She had successfully trained her son to be totally dedicated to Hashem and absolutely respectful of his father. The ultimate proof of Sara's righteousness was her ability to transmit her ideals to her son. This serves as a powerful reminder to all parents that their children's spiritual standards are inevitably a reflection of their own. (Hadrash V'Haiyun in Wellsprings of Torah) * * * * * "And Avraham said to his servant, the elder of his household, the manager of all his possessions...and I will make you swear...and you will take a wife for my son Yitzchak" (24:2-4) - Two important lessons can be learned from apparent contradictions between the confidence in Eliezer implied in his role as Avraham's foremost disciple and manager of all his possessions and the lack of trust expressed in requiring him to take an oath. One is that even if we can totally delegate our business and material affairs to someone else, we cannot do so in spiritual matters. Although Avraham completely relied on Eliezer in regard to all material matters, he felt that it was necessary for himself to be personally involved in such an important spiritual matter as choosing the proper wife for his son, and he therefore insisted on Eliezer swearing to him to faithfully carry out his mission. This serves as a reminder that we cannot totally delegate the education of our children to others - even if they are as capable, dedicated and reliable as Eliezer - without maintaining an involvement in supervising their development. (Magid Yosef) The second lesson is the importance which the Torah attaches to the role of wife and mother. Since the woman is the very foundation of the Jewish family - and in Rivka's case the foundation of the Jewish people - Avraham felt that he could not take the slightest risk of even his most trusted and capable servant failing to choose the right wife for Yitzchak and therefore required an oath to guarantee the success of the mission. (Lev Eliyahu) "And the maid to whom I shall say : `Please tilt your pitcher so that I shall drink' and she will say : `Drink, and I shall give your camels to drink as well', she is the one You have indicated for Your servant Yitzchak". (24:14) - "Can one fulfill his obligation for four cups for the Pesach Seder with milk instead of wine?" a poor man once asked the Rav of Brisk, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik (author of the "Beis Halevi"). The rabbi told him to stick to wine and instructed him wife to give him a large sum of money from the communal charity fund which he administered to enable him to purchase both wine and meat for the holiday. After the poor man's departure, the rebbetzin asked her husband why he provided money for meat when he had only asked about a substitute for wine. The rabbi replied that if the poor fellow was intending to drink four cups of milk on Pesach night, it could safely be assumed that he did not have meat for that night due to lack of funds. The genius of Rivka's kindness was not in merely responding to what Eliezer explicitly requested but in being able to read between the lines and anticipate the need to water his camels as well. True kindness lies in understanding the needs of others even when not explicitly expressed. * * * * * HAFTORAH : Melachim (Kings I, Ch. 1) After reading in the Parsha "and Avraham was old, coming in his days", we read about the end of King David's reign beginning "and King David was old coming in his days". One of his sons, Adoniyahu, feels that he is the worthy heir to the throne and consequently attempts to have himself annointed. However, Nathan the Prophet realizes that this is not meant to be. He therefore sends Bas-Sheva, Solomon's mother, to King David to remind him of his oath that Solomon would succeed him. The King reassures her that this is indeed his will and renews his oath that Solomon will reign after him. A Service of: The Jewish Learning Exchange/JLE, Ohr Somayach/Tanenbaum College