(Genesis 23:1-25:18)

Haftara (Kings I  1:1-31)

1. [23:1 ] “And the life of Sara was 100 years and 20 years and 7 years..” Rashi says that the Torah should have said that Sarah was 127 years old. He quotes a midrash which says that when Sara was 100 years old, she was like a 20 year old in relation to sin, and when she was 20, she was like a 7 year old in relation to beauty. The Ramban says that the extra words here are not meant to teach us anything special, but this is just the way people speak Hebrew.  Why does the Ramban reject Rashi’s explanation?

• [24:3] “…don’t take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites…” Why was Avraham so opposed to taking a wife for Yitzchak from among the Canaanites?  Rivkah also comes from a family of idol worshippers.

•  [24:63] “And Yitzchak went ‘lasuach basade…’”    Rabbenu Bechaya (11^th century, Spain) says that the simple meaning of this phrase is that Yitzchak went to enjoy a stroll among the trees. He then quotes a midrash that tells us that Yitzchak went to pray. How do each of these different interpretations change our image of Yitzchak?

•  [24:67] “…and he loved her…”  The Torah tells us that Yitzchak loved Rivkah.  Avraham didn’t mention anything about love to Eliezer when he sent him to find a wife for Yitzchak.  Love between a husband and wife seem to be important to the Torah, so why didn’t Avraham mention the factor of love to Eliezer?

•  [24:67] “…and he took Rivkah and she was his wife and he loved her…” The Ramban says that Yitzchak loved Rivkah because she was righteous like Sara. The Netziv says that he loved Rivkah for herself.  Which is the deeper love?

Commentary

[23:4] “I am a stranger and a resident with you…”

The Jew is a “resident” in the world. The Torah tells us not to escape the events and reality of this world, but rather to live in the world and elevate it. However, at the same time, the Jew feels himself a “stranger”. His true home is the world of spirituality, holiness and Godliness.

–R. Menachem M. Schneersohn, the Lubavitcher rebbe, USA, (1902-1994)

This study page is dedicated to the memory of Gad Eliahu ben David and Kochava–Eli Zucker

And to the memory of Sarah Beila Kummer bat Yitzchak and Chana, Chaim Yosef Yechiel ben Eliyahu Kummer and Eliyahu and Margaret Kummer