Parshas Chayai Sarah

Hi everyone, I hope this helps you go into your Shabbos more prepared and I hope you learn something new! This week’s Parsha is called Parshas Chaya Sarah (CHAH-YAY SUH-RUH.) The life of Sarah.

In an ironic beginning Sarah (Sara) dies at the age of one hundred twenty seven. After Sarah’s death Avraham now wanted to marry off his son Yitzchak (Isaac.) We learn in the passuk that Avraham calls to his servant Eliezer, and tells him to go to the land of Canaan, which was Avraham’s childhood home.

A very obvious question could be asked here before learning any further. We know that one of the reasons Avraham moved away from there was because the people worshiped Avodah Zarah (Idolatry,) so why in the world would Avraham want a wife for his son that comes from a place that practices things that he himself despises?

I saw a beautiful answer in a sefer called, “Lilmoad U’lamad” written be R’ Mordechai Katz zt”l. He answers like this, Avraham clearly knew all of the bad things about that place, but he also knew that if there was anything that those people did that was good is, they always did chesed, kindness. He knew this on a personal level because Avraham developed most of his character traits from his parents. And as a result we know Avraham today as the model for kindness to others. It is brought down that Avraham = Kindness, Yitzchak = Service to Hashem, (and Yaakov = Learning Torah).

So Avraham sends his servant to go find a "suitable" wife from his home town for his son to marry.

On the way Eliezer asks Hashem to help him find the perfect shidduch (match) for Yitzchak, and he also asks from Hashem to send a siman (a sign). He asked that when he meets the right girl for Yitzchak she should not only serve Eliezer water but also his camels. When Eliezer and the other servants he brought with him arrived they went to the nearest well, and they asked one of the girls there to help them get some water to drink. This girl, Rivkah, did get them some water to drink. Now I don't know how much 1 thirsty camel can drink but I'm sure it's a lot and after she fed Eliezer she shlepped enough buckets of water from the well to feed all of the camels they had with them. Now that’s chesed! In the end Yitzchak married Rivkah.

It was this specific quality of chesed that Avraham was searching for, in a daughter-in-law. This quality was also the main reason why Rivkah was most worthy of being one of the matriarchs of the entire Klal Yisroel.

May we all learn from here to always do chesed, even when (maybe especially when) it’s difficult for us to!

-Amen!

HAVE A GREAT SHABBOS AND WEEKEND!

Stay tuned for next week’s Parsha called, Parshas Toldos!