Blessing for the Study of Torah
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה:
Baruch ata adonai, eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu la'asok b'divrei Torah.
Blessed are You, Adonai, Source of Enlightenment, Who sanctified us with mitzvot and commanded us to engage with words of Torah.
Outline of the Torah Portion
Genesis 23:1-25:18
- Sarah's Death and Burial (23:1-20)
- Sarah Dies (1-2)
- Abraham Negotiates for a Burial Plot (3-18)
- Sarah is Buried (19-20)
- The Tale of Rebekah (24:1-67)
- Abraham Commissions Eliezer (1-9)
- Eliezer Finds Rebekah (10-27)
- Eliezer Meets the Family (28-54)
- Potential Pitfalls (55-58)
- Rebekah Departs (59-61)
- Rebekah Meets and Marries Isaac (62-67)
- Progeny (25:1-18)
- Abraham's Third Wife and Her Descendants (1-4)
- Abraham's Will (5-6)
- Abraham's Death and Burial (7-11)
- Hagar's Descendants (12-18)
Summary
Chayyei Sarahi focuses almost purely upon legacy, taking time to illustrate how Sarah and Abraham are buried and memorialized, as well as discussing the future of all Abraham's lines, with special attention, of course, given to Isaac's marriage. Read in concert with the beginning of next week's parashah, the list of Abraham's offspring, as well as their endeavors, is complete, transitioning us fully into the next hero of the tale, Jacob.
A Dread of Home
Abraham Commissions Eliezer
The Torah: A Women's Commentary on Genesis 24:6-8
Abraham's response introduces a key Biblical concept: the special bond between the family of the patriarchs and the land of Israel.
Questions for Study
- Why, do you think, Abraham is so concerned about Isaac returning to Haran?
- What might we learn from Abraham's reticence to allow Isaac to return?
Emissary of Kindness
Rebekah at the Well
(10) Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and set out, taking with him all the bounty of his master; and he made his way to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor. (11) He made the camels kneel down by the well outside the city, at evening time, the time when women come out to draw water. (12) And he said, “O יהוה, God of my master Abraham’s [house], grant me good fortune this day, and deal graciously with my master Abraham: (13) Here I stand by the spring as the daughters of the townspeople*townspeople Or “town’s householders.” come out to draw water; (14) let the maiden to whom I say, ‘Please, lower your jar that I may drink,’ and who replies, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels’—let her be the one whom You have decreed for Your servant Isaac. Thereby shall I know that You have dealt graciously with my master.” (15) He had scarcely finished speaking, when Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. (16) The maiden was very beautiful—[and] a virgin, no man having known her.* She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. (17) The servant ran toward her and said, “Please, let me sip a little water from your jar.” (18) “Drink, my lord,” she said, and she quickly lowered her jar upon her hand and let him drink. (19) When she had let him drink his fill, she said, “I will also draw for your camels, until they finish drinking.” (20) Quickly emptying her jar into the trough, she ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels.
Questions for Study
1. Why does love always happen at wells in the Torah?
2. Why does Eliezer look for someone who offers water to his camels?
3. What might we learn from this episode?
יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא. בְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִרְעוּתֵהּ וְיַמְלִיךְ מַלְכוּתֵהּ בְּחַיֵּיכוֹן וּבְיוֹמֵיכוֹן וּבְחַיֵּי דְכָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא:
יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח וְיִתְפָּאַר וְיִתְרוֹמַם וְיִתְנַשֵּׂא וְיִתְהַדָּר וְיִתְעַלֶּה וְיִתְהַלָּל שְׁמֵהּ דְּקֻדְשָׁא. בְּרִיךְ הוּא. לְעֵלָּא מִן כָּל בִּרְכָתָא וְשִׁירָתָא תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחֱמָתָא דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל רַבָּנָן. וְעַל תַּלְמִידֵיהוֹן וְעַל כָּל תַּלְמִידֵי תַלְמִידֵיהוֹן. וְעַל כָּל מַאן דְּעָסְקִין בְּאוֹרַיְתָא. דִּי בְאַתְרָא קַדִּישָׁא הָדֵין וְדִי בְכָל אֲתַר וַאֲתַר. יְהֵא לְהוֹן וּלְכוֹן שְׁלָמָא רַבָּא חִנָּא וְחִסְדָּא וְרַחֲמִין וְחַיִּין אֲרִיכִין וּמְזוֹנֵי רְוִיחֵי וּפֻרְקָנָא מִן קֳדָם אֲבוּהוֹן דְּבִשְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
יְהֵא שְׁלָמָא רַבָּא מִן שְׁמַיָּא וְחַיִּים עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
Yitgadal v'yitkadash sh'meih raba. B'al'ma di v'ra chiruteih, v'yamlich malchuteih b'chayeichon uv'yomeichon uv'chayei d'chol beit yisra-eil, ba-agala uvizman kariv, v'imru amein.
Y'hei sh'meih raba m'varach l'alam ul'al'mei al'maya.
Yitbarach v'yishtabach v'yitpa-ar v'yitromam v'yitnasei v'yithadar v'yitaleh v'yithalal sh'meih d'kudsha b'rich hu, l'eila min kol birchata v'shirata tushb'chata v'nechemata, da-amiran b'al'ma, v'imru amein.
Al yisra-eil v'al rabanan, v'al talmideihon v'al kol talmidei talmideihon, v'al kol man d'as'kin b'orayta, di v'atra hadein v'di v'chol atar va-atar. Y'hei l'hon ul'chon sh'lama raba, china v'chisda v'rachamin, v'chayin arichin, um'zonei r'vichei, ufurkana, min kodam avuhon di vishmaya, v'ara, v'imru amein.
Y'hei sh'lama raba min sh'maya, v'chayim tovim aleinu v'al kol yisra-eil, v'imru amein.
Oseh shalom Oseh shalom bimromav, hu b'rachamav ya-aseh shalom aleinu v'al kol yisra-eil, v'imru amein.