Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Torah Portion Vayishlach - Beresheit 32:4-36:43



This week expands on a topic we discussed briefly in our last Torah portion, taking action. If you are hungry for Torah and ready to dig into a discussion, join me as we talk about portion Vayishlach, "And sent.".

Yakov took his wives, children, flocks and herds and left Lavan’s land. He has a covenant of peace with his in-laws, and now he is returning to Canaan, the Promised Land. When he left Canaan, some twenty years ago, he took with him only his clothing, his staff, and his brother Esav’s firstborn birthright.

The Return announcement

Now it’s time to face the music. Esav is still around. The primary reason Yakov left in the first place was that Esav was waiting for Yitzhak their father to die before exacting revenge on Yakov for stealing his inheritance.
Will the murderous intention still be on Esav’s mind?

The first thing Yakov does is send messengers to Esav to tell him that Yakov is returning. But he is not returning empty handed as he left. The messenger explains to Esav that during Yakov’s absence he has amassed flocks, herds, and family. The messengers also express Yakov’s subservience to Esav, in the terms, “to Esav my lord” from “Yakov your servant.”

A Disturbing Response

The messengers return to Yakov with disturbing news. Esav is indeed coming to meet Yakov, but he’s bringing four hundred men with him.

Perhaps the troops Esav brings has something to do with the news he received from Yakov’s messengers. They said that Yakov had prospered and was returning with his increase. In Yakov’s mind, this was an innocuous way of telling Esav that he was self-sufficient and was not coming to mooch off Esav. After all, Yakov is a man of the tents, and through his experience with Lavan, he is now also a business person.

But Esav is a man of violence, a hunter, a man of the field. As we discussed last week, a hunter has a different mentality than someone who hunts. When Esav hears of Yakov’s prosperity, more than likely he thought in terms of what he considered prosperous, manpower. A body of men able to wield sword and shield and wage war. Because that is who Esav is.

On the way to meet Yakov and his horde, Esav gathers his troops. The upstart Yakov may have tricked him out of his inheritance, but he would defend his property. I suspect he thought “if Yakov thinks he can waltz in and take over with his army, I’ll show him.” So Esav assembles a troop of men to meet Yakov’s advance.

Softening the News

On the way, Yakov’s messengers bring offerings of goats, donkeys and cattle, lots of them, along with words of grace, “From your servant Yakov, a tribute sent to my lord Esav.” This is not the typical invasion technique of the day. I think three things possibly happened to Esav on the way to meet Yakov.

The first thing that happened is that Esav’s pride is assailed. His thinking might have gone along these lines. Here is my thieving brother, who stole my birthright in broad daylight, and now I thought he was coming back into the land to claim the inheritance he stole, but he is sending me gifts and calling me his lord. Perhaps he has changed from the conniving young man who ripped me off and left before I could get my hands on him. Maybe twenty years has taught him some propriety and respect for his elders.

The second thing that happened is that Esav saw the gifts and heard the greetings and some brotherly love seethed to the surface. There were probably some fond memories of their childhood, and the tribute gifts rekindled some of those memories. Esav might have begun thinking about pleasant times, and the familial relationship the two of them shared during younger happier days. He could have recalled that Yakov was a momma’s boy, but they had a good relationship for much of their lives.

Saving Face

The third thing that happened was perhaps the most life changing. Here were four hundred men ready for battle. They are warriors. How would it look to them if Esav ignored the obvious overtures of peace and started a war with his own brother when all indications are that Yakov is admitting his inferior position to Esav? Where would the honor be in massacring a family who made all the right moves to establish a peaceful relationship? Esav’s honor and dignity in the presence of his army was at stake.

I can imagine the joking that went on among the troops as they watched these droves of animals approach on the road. They were probably vigilant for a trap or ambush when the first drove arrived. Maybe the second even. But after that, they probably burst out laughing as the successive droves came into view. They might have jostled Esav, joking with him about what a fearsome foe this Yakov must be to send such a mighty force of goats and donkeys to scope out the opposition.

The Meeting

By the time Esav actually reached Yakov, the four hundred soldiers were probably only slightly wary of a trap, and mostly anticipating meeting the brother who had such an unusual way of entering a new land.
In verse 33:4, we see that Esav kissed Yakov when they met. In the Hebrew scroll, there is a dot over every letter of the word for kissed. The rabbis have a few explanations for the dots, but I would like to offer an additional one. I think Esav was confused. He dearly wanted a war with Yakov, he had promised to kill him. But here Yakov was humble, and he had softened the hearts of Esav’s army to the point that they had no animosity toward Yakov. The pleasant memories of their youth that the tribute offerings had kindled were as strong as his anger for what Yakov had done in stealing his birthright. 

All of the emotions seethed in Esav. He wasn’t sure what to do. But overall, the manner in which Yakov prepared the situation compelled Esav to act with honor toward his brother. The dots over the letters are not so much that Esav wanted to tear out Yakov’s throat, but more that there was mental conflict within Esav as to what he should do. Kiss, kill, forgive, revenge. Haven’t you been in a situation where you know what you want to do, or should do, but there are other factors that make it confusing and difficult to do what you think you should do? I think Esav was in just such a conundrum here in portion Vayishlach.

The Plan

Sending the tribute offerings was only part of Yakov’s plan. Have you ever heard someone say that you shouldn’t do anything, just rely on God and He will do it for you? Yakov’s plan in this Torah portion is the antithesis of the sit back and have faith paradigm.

Not only did Yakov send the droves of animals as tribute to Esav, he also sent messengers with calming words. He also set up a survival plan for his family, he divided the group so if one half was attacked, the other half might escape. He laid out an escape and evade plan. Since he had an inferior military force, including women and children, he made an informed decision and set a strategy in motion. But that’s not all.
After the plans were laid out, and he had placed everyone where they were supposed to be, he went to Elohim for help. He prayed, and what a response he received.

I want to emphasize that Yakov didn’t sit back and make no preparations and pray. He did everything he could to insure a survivable outcome and then he prayed. I suspect that even though it is not recorded, he probably did some serious praying before and during the time he was putting all his plans into operation as well. But the point here is that he actively worked at making preparations to the best of his ability.

Perhaps a line of action we view in Yakov’s situation could be described, Plan for survival – Prepare for battle – Try for a peaceful resolution – Pray for success or peace – Take advantage of your strengths – Strengthen your weaknesses.

The Terror of Elohim

Later in the portion, we see another side to protection. When Levi and Simeon exact revenge on Shechem for defiling their sister Dinah, Yakov is afraid that the other tribes in the area will band together and wipe out the family. But we are told that “a terror of Elohim” came upon the cities and they did not pursue.

Giving Names with their Meaning

Because of the incident at Shechem, Yakov returns to Luz, Beth-El, and receives another visitation and promises from Elohim and He reiterates that Yakov shall be named, Israel.

It is convenient that in the Torah a name is often followed by the definition of the name. In Yakov’s case, he is given the name Israel, and we are told what it means, “For you have struggled with Elohim and with men and have overcome.” (Beresheit 32:29)

As a brief aside, we are also given the same key at Messiah’s birth. “You shall call his name Yeshua, for he will save his people from their sins.” Notice that the messenger didn’t say “Yah will save his people,” but “he.” Had the messenger foretold that “Yah will save...” then the name given would have been Yahoshua, “Yah will save.” But since the messenger said he will save, I think the name given was, Yeshua, “salvation,” or, “he will save.”

So much more in Torah Portion Vayishlach, but we’re out of space. As you read and study the portion, please share your thoughts through the comment section below. Join me next week as we discuss portion Vayeshev, Beresheit 37:1-40:23. Until then, Shalom, stay hungry for Torah, and pray Elohim will open your eyes to see wonderful things from His word.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Torah Portion Vayeitzei Beresheit 28:10-32:3



Is it lawful to actively take part in your own success?
Welcome to Hungry for Torah. This week we are discussing Vayeitzei, “and departed.” The Torah portion name comes from the beginning of the first verse, “And departed Yakov from Beer Shava and he went toward Haran.” (Beresheit 28:8)
For seven years, Yakov worked for Laban to buy Rachel’s hand in marriage. Laban tricked and gave Yakov Leah, the older sister instead, and for the next seven years Yakov worked for the privelege of wedding Rachel as well. What did he have in the way of financial assets at the end of his fourteen years of servitude?
But before we talk about Yakov’s financial situation, let’s drop back and look at his marital status.
In the course of a week, Yakov went from bachelor to husband of two wives. I have heard some people tell the story as though he worked seven years, married Leah, worked another seven years and then married Rachel. In the Torah, we see that Laban says, “ ‘Fulfil her week, and we will give you this (Rachel) also for the service which you shall serve with me yet seven other years.’ And Yakov did so, and fulfilled her week: and he (Laban) gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.” (Beresheit 29:27-28)

A Rabbi Trail off the Portion Path

At the end of the week, Yakov is the husband of two wives and the provider for two handmaids. As time progresses, we see that without the participation of the two handmaids, we would be talking about the eight tribes of Israel rather than the twelve tribes. This suggests a question, “What about polygamy? Is it allowed? Is it a good thing?”
Pro-Elohim/Anti-Elohim
I find it interesting that there are groups today pushing to allow homosexual ‘marriage,’ that is clearly immoral by Biblical standards yet they are adamantly against polygamy which is practiced by many of the patriarchs and beyond. The world’s position is in line with so many other issues. The dividing line is pro-Elohim and anti-Elohim.
The same factions that support homosexual relationships and oppose polygamy also tend to support abortion and oppose capital punishment. The correlation is that they fall on the anti-Elohim side of each issue. The Bible clearly supports capital punishment for certain crimes and forbids the murder of innocents, and it allows polygamy and forbids homosexual relationships.

Three Questions

Just to be clear, I am not promoting the practice of polygamy, but the Bible doesn’t forbid it, and therefore I see no reason to condemn its biblical practice. I don’t see it as a major issue because nowhere are we commanded to practice it either. The three questions we ask when faced with an issue are:
1.    Does the Torah forbid it?
2.    Does the Torah require it?
3.    Is the Torah silent on it?
We have our hands full working to become obedient to the many issues that Torah requires, or forbids. Polygamy, while it is allowed, it is not required. Once we get all of the rest in place and are obedient, then by all means, when we have extra time, let’s talk about it. Those things the Torah forbids, let’s not do. Those that the Torah requires, let’s do, and those things the Torah is silent on, let’s deal with as they become an immediate issue.

The Seder Question

While we are discussing these three questions, one issue that will become immediate in about four or five months is the Passover Seder. Is a Seder commanded? No. Is it forbidden? No. We are commanded to observe the Passover (Pesach) and to keep the Pesach, but the traditional Seder is not commanded as such in the Torah. It is important for us to teach our children the events and lessons that are so beautifully incorporated in the Seder. But as far as the organization of the instruction, the Seder itself is only a traditional method to transmit what Yehovah commanded us to teach.
I am in favor of having a modified traditional Seder. I see it as a multi-sensory training and teaching aid designed long before anybody had coined the phrase multi-sensory. It is valuable for the young child as well as the well informed adult and those who are reaching the end of life. There are some traditions that are good, and I think the Pesach Seder, with some informed alterations in the haggadah as a result of our understanding of non-biblical intrusions into the meal and Messiah’s fulfilled ministry, is a good tradition.

Back to the Portion

And we’re back to the portion. At the end of fourteen years of service, Yakov had two wives. two handmaids, eleven sons, and one daughter. But no financial assets. So he goes to Laban and says, “Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, and let me go: for you know my service which I have done you.” (Beresheit 30:26)
Laban says that he has learned by divination that Yehovah has blessed him because of Yakov presence in the land. (Beresheit 30:30) Understandably, Laban doesn’t want to lose his ‘golden goose.’ When Yakov arrived, Laban’s holdings were sparse enough that Rachel alone was able to tend to his flocks. Now he has prospered.
Yakov agrees to stay, but he wants to gain some measure of financial security for his now large family. But not from Laban’s holdings. Yakov will only take a portion of the increase from that point on.
The increase is not left to chance. Yakov sets stakes in front of the healthiest of the flock so when they give birth, the lambs fall into his portion. The weaker ones are allowed to birth plain lambs and while Yakov’s flocks became stronger and healthier, Laban’s became weaker.

Science and Elohim

How did Yakov know what to do? And how did the stakes have any part in the outcome of the markings on the lambs? With our understanding of genetics, we can be fairly certain that setting a pole in front of a ewe will not effect the markings on her lamb. Yet when Yakov did it, there was a predictable result.
Perhaps the effect on the lambs was not a result of the stakes at all, but rather an effect of Yakov’s faith in Yehovah. Near the beginning of our portion, Yakov rests in the ‘place,’ makowm, and sees a ladder, sulam, reaching from earth to heaven and angels ascending and descending on it. Then he sees Elohim standing above him. Elohim explains who He is and makes promises to Yakov. The next morning Yakov vows that if Elohim will give him bread to eat and clothes to wear, then Yehovah will be his Elohim and he will tithe all that he has.
In Yakov’s day, having bread to eat and clothes to wear meant having land, and flocks. Elohim began to provide the financial resources for Yakov to leave the security of Laban’s provision. We see in Portion Vayeitzei that Elohim can provide through means we may not understand. There was no reason for the stakes placed in front of the ewes to produce marked offspring, but there was a reason for Elohim to reward Yakov’s efforts.
We see similar responses from Elohim today. We need something, and we make an effort to provide what is needed, but the answer comes from somewhere else. Was our effort useless? Or did Elohim reward us, or provide what we needed, in a manner that we can see His hand if we are attentive?

Trust and Doubt

 Trust in Yehovah with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) One of the meanings we can derive from this counsel is that we should not rely on how we understand the world works, but to trust that Yehovah is in control and to look at what He is doing. We know that if we plant a radish seed, a radish plant will come up out of it. We plant, we water, fertilize and weed. But we don’t make it grow. Elohim does that. In the same way, Yakov did the work he could do, he made the stakes and put them in front of the ewes. But Elohim produced the results.
With some things, such as gardening, results are more predictable. With others, the results are not so much, but what is predictable is that Elohim makes certain promises and He keeps His promises. We may not understand how or why He does certain things, but we can trust that He is honorable and just. The New Testament Yakov cautions us, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from Elohim, who gives to all freely and with no reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing. For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, being driven by wind and being tossed; for do not let that man suppose that he will receive anything from Yehovah.” (Yakov 1:5-7)
We should develop faith in our Elohim. As we read about what He has done in the past, we can learn about His faithfulness and love. When we get to know Him, we can have faith that He will continue to do what He says He will do and will do so justly. We don’t have to understand how He works, only accept unequivocally that He does. The answer to the question asked at the beginning is, yes, we can actively take part in our own success, but we need to understand the increase comes from Elohim, or in other words, the outcome of the battle belongs to Him.

The Ladder

The last bit of our portion I would like to highlight from our Torah portion is the ladder Yakov saw. Yeshua told Nathanael, “Truly, truly, I say to you, From now on you will see Heaven opened, and "the angels of Elohim ascending and descending" on the Son of Man.” (John 1:51) Do we have any record that Nathanael ever saw what he was promised? No. But Yeshua makes a direct connection between himself and the ladder in our portion.
Perhaps Nathanael, and we, are pointed back to our portion so we can see that Yeshua is the conduit by which we communicate with Yehovah and by which the messengers of Elohim are given access to us. Yeshua said, “no man comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6)
Shalom, I hope you join me next week when we study portion vayishlach, Beresheit 32:4 – 36:43. Until then, stay hungry for Torah, and Elohim will open your eyes to see wonderful things from His word. Please leave your comments below, I welcome your thoughts.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Torah Portion Toldot, Generations - Beresheit 25:19 – 28:9



Welcome to Hungry for Torah. Thank you for joining our study. This week our Torah portion is Toldot, Generations, the portion begins in Beresheit 25:19 with the words va’eleh toldot Yitzach, “and these are the generations of Isaac.”

If you are not familiar with the genealogy of the biblical patriarchs, the three that stand in history are Abraham, Isaac (Yitzach) and Jacob (Yaakov). In the beginning verses of Toldot, we have the lineage of these three patriarchs listed genealogically.

Barren but not Idle

The three patriarchs share the common difficulty of having wives they dearly love and who, at first, are barren. Abraham was ninety-nine before Sarah bore Yitzach. Yitzach was sixty when Yaakov was born, and Joseph is recorded to be the son of Yitzhak’s ‘old age’. Beresheit records Sarah, Rivkah and Rachel as being ‘barren’ prior to the late-age birth of their sons.

One way to look at the ‘barren’ tag is that since they had not yet conceived, by definition, they were barren; they had not had a child. But the more accurate way to look at it is to see that they had been married for many years without conceiving a child. And in these three cases, the child that is born becomes a bulwark of the faith. What can we learn from this?

One lesson might be that good things come to those who wait. Or that I can wander aimlessly in the ‘faith’ for years until one day I wake up and bear fruit when I am old. I think that the more cogent lesson is that for the faithful and obedient, with years of service and study, we can get to the point that we become fruitful servants. Abraham, Yitzach and Yaakov were not idle during the years before they had their patrilineal sons. They were involved in living and making a life for their family, whether born or grafted in.

Be Ready

We never know when Yehovah has something planned for us that is as momentous as the birth of a patriarch to a barren wife. Not all of us are going to have such a world-changing effect, but we don’t know who among us will. You could be the one that Father is waiting for the right moment to work through to make a real difference in the world. Even if the difference in on a smaller level, a single person, or family, or city, Father may want to use you to deliver His gift to another. We don’t know, but we must be ready.

Perhaps that is another characteristic we can glean from the three patriarchs. They were always ready for what Elohim had prepared for them, and prepared them for. As each of them went through the process, they didn’t always recognize the benefit, and they didn’t enjoy the trial, but they maintained faith that Elohim would respond to their heartfelt prayers.

Learn to Pray

In our portion we read, “And Yitzach entreated (awthar H6279) Yehovah for his wife, because she was barren: and Yehovah was entreated of him, and Rivkah his wife conceived.” (Beresheit 25:21) The sense of the word awthar is abundance, Yitzach wasn’t just casually mentioning that Rivkah was barren, the psalmist would perhaps phrase what Yitzach was doing as, 'his heart was drawn out in prayer all the day.'

When we read in the New Testament (Brit Chadashah) that “You have not because you ask not,” I think we sometimes get the idea that all we have to do is ask. So we casually mention that we need something. But perhaps Yitzhak’s example is a more accurate picture of what it means to ask. When our hearts are drawn out in prayer continually to Elohim and we are focused on what we need from Him, as Yitzach entreated Yehovah, and our faith is anchored in Elohim, then He listens and responds. I don’t think it necessarily takes years. A moment of crisis may call for instant assistance, but the intensity of prayer and focus of faith tends to be more acute at times of crisis.

Not that every prayer, even heartfelt and sincere prayers are always answered in the way we want to see them answered. If they were, Abraham would have had a son years earlier, Ishmael would never have been born, and we might be talking today about the five tribes of Israel. Sometimes Father has reasons beyond our understanding that our prayers are not answered when or how we want them to be answered.

Yitzhak’s prayers are eventually answered and Rivkah gives birth to two sons, Esav and Yaakov. The two boys are dramatically different in appearance, Esav is red and hairy, and Yaakov looks like a normal baby. Esav grows up to be a man of the field and a hunter. Yaakov becomes a man of the tents. Would you agree that there is a difference between a man who is a hunter, a man of the field, and someone you would describe as a man of the tents? Even today the two descriptions evoke different images of what kind of person each man would be.

The Hunter and the Shepherd

In the time of Esav, lacking high-powered rifles and compound bows, the art of hunting would be intense. Esav would have to stalk his prey and get close enough for his weapon of choice to be effective. Less like hunters today and more like Native Americans hunted. It was a career choice for Esav to devote the time, study and energy to become a hunter and forge his own weapons, his kelee. This same word is used to describe the instruction, “A woman shall not wear that which pertains (kelee) to a man and a man shall not wear a woman’s garment.” (Devarim 22:5)

The mindset is different between a hunter and a man of the tents. How much attention does a hunter need to direct to the hunt? It is an intense activity requiring concentration on the hunt, more so as you near your prey. When Esav is not engaged in hunting, he must still explore the game trails and watch the movement of game herds so that when he need to hunt again he will know where to go to find his next kill.

The term used to describe the results of the hunt is telling. The kill. We don’t use the word kill to describe what we do to an animal in the herd or flock. We slaughter them. In our vernacular ‘kill’ has a more sporting meaning than ‘slaughter,’ I might kill a deer, but I slaughter sheep. I see a correlation between these terms and building a relationship with Elohim. The Tanakh says that Elohim is wooing us; we don’t need to go out and hunt Him down, but only stay around the tents, tend to the flock, study, listen and respond.

Moshe said the Torah is not difficult or far away, but it is near us, even in our lips so that we can obey it and live and Paul repeats Moshe’s counsel in Romans chapter 10. The added difficulty with the hunter mentality is that the focus is on the earth, earthy. Too much attention is focused on the things of this earth and little time is spent on how the hunter can be of service to others and to Elohim. The Brit Chadashah explains the concept in terms of the spiritual man and the carnal man. I’m not opposing those who hunt; there is a difference between going hunting, and being a hunter. Going hunting is something you do; being a hunter is a way of relating to the world.

The Small Letter in the Scroll

In Beresheit 27:46, we have a Hebrew hint. The letter kuph in the word translated weary or disgusted, when Rivkah says, “I am weary/disgusted (katzti) of my life from the daughters of Heth. If Yaakov takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these from the daughters of the land, what is my life to me?” (Beresheit 27:46)

Why is the kuph in the word katzti made smaller?

According to rabbinic sources, the letter kuph represents holiness, as in kadosh and kedoshim. With that thought, perhaps Elohim is sharing with us a lesson in how we deal with the world.

Have you ever encountered a time in your life when you were disillusioned with life? Job expressed so eloquently in chapter 3 that he cursed the day he was born because of all the sorrow he was going through. Rivkah is moaning about her situation by commenting about how she is disgusted with her life. You have probably had a time in life when you were weary or disgusted with life and the events that were going on. I know people who experience that kind of response yearly between April 13 and April 15.

I think the small kuph in katzti is Yehovah’s way of telling us that if we get to the point of looking at our life as though it is a burden, we diminish His presence in the world and His holiness. He made Adam a little lower than the angels, in the image of Elohim. For us to downplay the magnificence of His creation we denigrate His majesty and holiness. We were not made for ourselves, we each have a greater purpose than to have an easy life and be pleased with what goes on in our life. We have a responsibility to make an improvement in the world.

Whether we consider the Jewish idea of tikkun olam, repairing the world, or the Christian idea of converting the world, both sides have the concept that believers and followers should make a difference. That difference may be in one person’s life, or in the lives of the entire world. But you and I should make some kind of positive difference.

When I look at Rivkah, I can see why she would feel the way she felt. Her son Esav married daughters of Heth, and they probably were a factor in his lifestyle. What wife does not have an influence in her husband’s life? Rivkah didn’t want to lose Yaakov to the same perverting influences and felt her life would be wasted if that happened. But look at the difference she made in the world. Through her came Yaakov, the 12 tribes, the Torah, and the Messiah. We never know what our legacy will be. Elohim does, and it is our place to remain faithful to Him and let His plan play out through our life the way He intends.

Join me next week as we discuss Torah portion VaYetze, Beresheit 28:10-32:3. Shalom, stay hungry for Torah, and Elohim will open your eyes to see wonderful things from His word. Please leave your comments below, I welcome your thoughts.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Chayei Sarah Beresheit 23:1 - 25:18



Shalom. Our Torah portion Chayei Sarah begins with, “And this was the life of Sarah, one hundred years, and twenty years, and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.”

I apologize for my absence the last three weeks. I injured my back and was unable to get off the floor for awhile, unable to walk, and unable to get down the stairs. But I can now get to my computer, and am overjoyed at being able to join you for a study of this week’s Torah portion.

Sarah and Ishmael

The sages say that the text is written in this form to say that at age one hundred, Sarah had the innocence of a twenty year old, and at age twenty, she had the natural beauty of a seven year old. They go on to say that for every twenty years, Sarah only appeared to age seven years. They explain that is why Pharaoh and later Abimelech desired her even though she was well advanced in years.

Is there a problem with this rabbinic explanation? The next to the last verse in our portion reads, “These were the years of the life of Ishmael, one hundred years, and thirty years, and seven years, he expired and he died and was gathered to his people.” Should we extend the interpretation of the phrasing of the years of Sarah’s life to include Ishmael’s health and virtue? That at one hundred Ishmael had the innocence of a thirty year old?

What is the difference between the innocence of a twenty and thirty year old?

In Judaism, a great difference. A person is not accountable for Individual sin until age twenty. Saying that Sarah was as innocent as a twenty year old says basically that she was without sin. But Ishmael had ten years to amass a sin record. When do people normally rack up sin? In their youth, while they are still reckless and feel indestructible.

Carrying the rest of the rabbinic analogy through to Ishmael, we would conclude that he was a very handsome man, youthful looking. Borrowing from Israel’s later experience with Saul, we know that physical attributes played a part in the status of leaders. Perhaps that is one of the reasons Ishmael his twelve tribes accepted his ongoing leadership.

There is a difference between the account of Sarah’s death that begins Chayei Sarah, and the account of Ishmael’s death that ends our Torah portion.

Sarah’s account ends with, “The years of the life of Sarah.” Ishmael’s account ends with, “He expired and he died and was gathered to his people.” When the Torah speaks of Sarah, it speaks of her life, but when it speaks of Ishmael, it speaks of his death.

The answer lies in the potential of each person. Sarah was the matriarch of the Children of Israel. Her lineage becomes the inheritors of the land, the covenant, and the promise of Messiah. Ishmael is the father of many of the enemies of Israel. They are at odds with the promise given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. So the Torah gives us the life of Sarah and the death of Ishmael.

 The Inheritance of Isaac

This promised blessing is seen again as Abraham sends his other children away with gifts, but the land and the inheritance lies with Isaac who remains in the land. Even when Abraham sends Eliezer to find a wife for Isaac, he makes it clear that under no circumstances is Isaac to be taken out of the land. There was to be no question as to Isaac’s legitimate claim on the land of Canaan.

Along the same thought lines, Abraham pays top dollar for Sarah’s burial place. There is a teaching in Judaism that one is to pay well for the blessing of performing a mitzvah. Abraham’s willingness to pay the first stated price rather than haggling over it to reduce the price is one of the bases for this teaching.

We might mistakenly think Abraham bought a burial plot, like we are familiar with. A small place to inter a body. But as we read the description we see a different picture, “And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.” (Genesis 23:17-18)

What Abraham purchased was a tract of land. A beginning to owning the entire land of Israel. The start of Israel’s legitimate claim to Eretz Israel. 

 Tradition as a Teaching Aid

Tradition says that this is the same cave in which Adam and Chava were buried, and that this location is the nearest portal to Gan Eden. Is it really? For the sake of commonly held tradition and later references back to this event, whether it is true or not is immaterial. It can still be used to emphasize a teaching because most of the hearers in biblical times would know of the tradition.

The same is true of many other traditional understandings. They provide a teaching device that is easily and readily understood by the hearers.

 The Life of Sarah

Let’s look at what the Torah entitles “The life of Sarah.”

We don’t know the totality of a person’s until she is deceased and is no longer doing more.
Even then, we only know the “Rest of the Story” when we see the effects she has on the following generations. So we see that Abraham honors Sarah. He buys a large tract of land to insure she is protected and has a permanent resting place. Which, sadly enough, today is a dangerous place for the Children of Israel to go.

Abraham weeps for Sarah. I once knew a man who professed the belief that one had to endure the hell of marriage on earth so he could benefit from going to heaven when he dies. Not so Abraham. There is a sense of great loss when Abraham loses Sarah who had been his helpmeet for over one hundred years.

I have been married for slightly less than a hundred years. But my wife and I have grown together as one to the extent that I can’t conceive of how great a loss losing her would be. How much greater the loss Abraham would have felt after all those years together.

The Small Letter

In the Hebrew of our text, verse Beresheit 23:2 there is a small letter kaf. The word containing the small letter is “to weep.” Why is the kaf small? One of the Talmudic answers is that Sarah died between Yom Kippur and Sukkoth, and as a result, Abraham’s period of mourning was cut short from the traditional seven days of sheva.

Another explanation is that Abraham kept his grief private. Outwardly he showed some emotion, but inwardly his grief was monumental. I like this interpretation. I can see that as the days pass after Sarah’s death that the impact of her absence would become more acute. As the little things like waking up alone, eating alone, not having her to talk to and share with became evident the reality and impact of her death would grow. Especially after all their years together.

The seven day period of mourning is only the beginning of the outpouring of sorrow. The flood that comes immediately. But the sense of loss continues long after. We should be careful to honor the memory of the deceased and the dignity of the survivors by being sensitive to the needs and feelings of family members after a loss.

On one side, Abraham recognized that Sarah had gone on, that only her body died, not her soul. On the other side, he must face the loss of her companionship. No matter how sure we are that our loved on is “in a better place,” we still miss them. 

 The Search for Isaac's Wife

Eliezer travels to find a wife for Isaac. He arrives at a well in the land of Abraham’s birth, and asks for a sign from Elohim. As we read this, we ask, “Is it appropriate to ask for a sign?” Perhaps there is no easy answer to this question. Some say no, others yes. But let’s look at Eliezer's situation.

Eliezer is to find a wife for Isaac. How does he decide? There are any number of criteria he could use. Each set would likely provide a suitable wife who had the qualities necessary for a good wife. But Eliezer takes the extra step in asking who Elohim wants for Isaac’s wife.

There is a lesson we can draw from this. At times we can evaluate a situation and make an informed decision without help because the outcome is not vital. Does Elohim care what car you drive? Maybe, maybe not. Or what house you live in? But when it come to something as important as your spouse...maybe we would be wise to get input from Him.

As is always the case, there is much more in this Torah portion Chayei Sarah that we don’t have time to cover this time around. I hope you will join me next week when we study portion Toldot. Until then, Shalom. Stay hungry for Torah and share your insights in the comments section below. Shalom and blessings.