* TORAH WEEKLY * Highlights of the Weekly Torah Portion Parshas Chayei Sarah For the week ending 24 Cheshvan 5755 28 & 29 October 1994 ========================================================================= This issue is being sent out to -> 928 <- Internet subscribers ========================================================================= This issue is dedicated in honor of the marriage of Cliff Seltzer of Jennifer Green of Roslyn Heights New York to Harrison New York ========================================================================= Summary The life of Sarah, mother of the Jewish people, comes to a close at the age of one hundred and twenty seven. After mourning, and eulogizing her, Avraham buries her in the Cave of the Machpela. As this is the burial place of Adam and Chava, Avraham is prepared to pay Ephron the Hittite the exorbitant sum which he demands for the cave. Avraham places the responsibility for finding a suitable wife for Yitzchak on his faithful servant Eliezer, who takes an oath to choose a wife from among Avraham's family and not from the Canaanites. Eliezer travels to Aram Naharaim, to the city of Nahor, and prays to Hashem for a sign as to whom he should choose. At evening time, as he is about to water his camels, Rivka providentially appears and Eliezer asks her for a drink of water. Not only does she give him a drink, but draws water for all ten of his thirsty camels. (Some 140 gallons!) This extreme thoughtfulness and kindness is the sign that she is the correct wife for Yitzchak, and a mother of the Jewish People. Negotiations with Rivka's father and her brother Lavan finally result in her leaving with Eliezer. Yitzchak brings her into the tent of his mother Sarah, marries her, and loves her. He is thereby consoled over the loss of his mother. Avraham remarries Hagar, who is renamed Ketura to indicate her improved ways. Six children are born to them. After giving them gifts, Avraham sends them to the East. Avraham passes away at the age of one hundred and seventy-five, and is buried next to Sarah in the Cave of the Machpela. ========================================================================= Commentaries "And Avraham came to eulogize Sarah" 23:2. When Avraham came to eulogize Sara, he focused on the Akeida - the binding of Yitzchak - as exemplifying Sara's qualities. For Sara had educated a son who was prepared to give up his very life to serve Hashem, and there can be no greater testimony to the qualities of a parent than the qualities of the child. This should serve as a powerful reminder to parents that their children's spiritual standards are inevitably a reflection of their own. (HaDrash v'HaIyun in Mayana shel Torah) "Let it be that the maiden to whom I shall say `tilt your pitcher so I may drink' and who replies `Drink and I will even water your camels' her will you have designated for your servant Yitzchak" 24:14. A poor man once asked the Brisker Rav whether he could fulfill his obligation to drink four cups of wine on Pesach by drinking four cups of milk instead. The Brisker Rav told him to stick to wine and instructed his wife to give him a large sum of money from the communal tzedaka fund so that he could buy both wine and meat for the festival. After the poor man had gone, the rebbetzin asked her husband why he had given him money to buy meat when the question had only been about the wine. The Brisker Rav replied that if this man was intending to drink four cups of milk on the Seder Night, he certainly wasn't planning to eat meat either for lack of funds. What distinguished Rivka's kindness was that she was able to understand not just what Eliezer said to her, but what his real needs were. True kindness lies in understanding the needs of others even when they are incapable of expressing them. "And Yitzchak went out to supplicate in the field towards evening" 24:63. A Jewish person davens (prays) three times a day: In the morning, the afternoon and after nightfall. We learn from this verse that it was Yitzchak who instituted Mincha, the afternoon prayer. Mincha is a very different prayer from the morning and the evening prayers. In the morning, a person has yet to involve himself in the hurly-burly of the working world. His thoughts are still peaceful, and his mood calm. Similarly, at the end of the day, whether the day has brought frustration or success, problems or triumph, it is over -- another day done -- and one lays it to rest and davens with a calmness, born, at least, of resignation. But when a person arises in the middle of the afternoon from difficult business and everyday matters, and turns to his Maker in prayer -- how difficult it is to rid the mind of distractions and to concentrate fully! The symbol of preoccupation in the affairs of this world is the field -- plowing, sowing, reaping, winnowing, threshing and grinding -- for even in our modern age man's basic needs are still centered on the "field." "And Yitzchak went out to pray in the field" -- his prayer was while he was still in the field, in the middle of his work and business affairs. It was in this environment that Yitzchak instituted the afternoon prayer of Mincha and its power to light up the material world. (Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zobin in Torah u'Moadim) ========================================================================= Haftorah: I Kings 1:1-31 The need to secure the succession of the Jewish People which is the subject of this week's Parsha, is reflected in the Haftorah: David HaMelech is coming to the end of his days (like Avraham) and his senior son, the handsome and indulgent Adonijah tries to wrest the succession from Shlomo, King David's appointed heir. But King David is alerted of Adonijah's scheme by his wife Basheva and Nasan the prophet, and the plot is foiled. ========================================================================= Ani Ma'amin The Rambam's 13 principles of faith Principle #3: "I believe with complete faith that the Creator, may His Name be blessed, has no corporeal form and is not affected in any way by the physical world and there is no comparison to Him whatsoever." Because Hashem is in no way physical, His reality can never be conceived or even imagined by man, whose mind is limited by the physical world. For example: When an artist puts down his brush and looks at his creation, he can appreciate every nuance of each color and line, each shadow and highlight, but what can the painting know of the painter? The world of the painting is that of the created world, and any creation, by definition, cannot know what it is to be a creator, or it itself would be a creator. But not only is Hashem not physical, He is also not spiritual -- for the definition of a physical object is that which is bound by time and space, and a spiritual entity is that which is confined by time but not by space. However, when we talk of Hashem's "incorporeality," we mean that He is limited by neither space nor time, for both of these were His creations, and therefore He cannot be dominated or restricted by them -- just as the painter is not restricted by his painting... * * * * * * * * * * WAIT A SECOND! Doesn't the Torah refer to Hashem in physical ways? For example: o "With a strong hand did Hashem bring you out of Egypt..." (Shemos 13:9) o Isn't Hashem referred to as "He" which is masculine -- a physical trait?? Yes, but these and other anthropomorphic terms are only to help us grasp the concepts being conveyed. ======================================================================== Spend this coming Winter Break in Israel for as little as $599 -> JLE Israel Winter Seminar '94/'95 <- 3 weeks of study and touring, optional Ulpan, and structured encounters with Israeli Dignitaries Departure December 22 Optional free week Jan 8-15 For Jewish men between the ages of 19 and 30 with demonstrated academic achievment and a sincere motivation to explore their roots. Minimum scholarship price: $599 Covers round trip ticket, room, board, tuition and tours Undergraduates attending college anywhere in North America who PERMANENTLY reside in New York City (Kings, Queens, New York, Bronx and Richmond counties), Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk counties) or Westchester County may qualify for a FULL SCHOLARSHIP _ an ALL EXPENSE paid trip to ISRAEL! 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