Category: Teachings on Berashit (Genesis)
Last night, on the eve of the fifteen day of Kislev 5776, a very special wedding took place in Jerusalem in Binyaney Haumah. Sarah Tichyeh Litman, the precious bride, who lost her father, Rabbi Yaakov Litman, and her brother Nitanel, just two weeks ago in a brutal terror attack, was married to Ariel Beigel. The wedding had to be postponed by ten days because of the horrific circumstances. Not only the date was changed but the wedding was no longer an ordinary one of family and close friend invites. Sarah and Ariel decided to change everything by going ahead and inviting the entire nation of Israel to participate in their simcha. Not only did the chief Rabbis of Israel, Rabbis of cities, government ministers, the wife of Israel’s prime-minister attend, but even Jews from the Diaspora flew in especially to celebrate together with the young couple. For some of them, it was their first trip to Israel in their lives. The renowned singer, Avraham Fried, surprised the couple when he showed up to perform in their honor.
This amazing demonstration of love and unity is what Israel is all about in its inner essence. A deep look into this week’s portion reveals this fact.
After Yaakov struggles with the angle the Torah describes his injury. “When he saw that he could not prevail against him, he touched the socket of his hip, and the socket of Jacob’s hip became dislocated as he wrestled with him.” (Genesis 32:26)
The Torah goes on to tell us “Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh” (Genesis 32:33)
A question that comes to mind is – why does a personal injury of Yaakov result in the entire nation of Israel not being allowed to eat this part of an animal forever. Before we answer this question, let us learn a little bit about the prohibition of the forbidden sinew.
In the tractate of Chullin chapter 7 Mishnah 6, a debate is brought down between Rabbi Yehuda and the sages. The argument is over the application of the law of “Gid Hanesheh” – the prohibition of eating the sinew (it is identified with the sciatica nerve). Does this prohibition apply only to kosher animals or to non-kosher animals as well? In other words, if someone were to eat the Gid Hanasheh sinew of pig would he be transgressing Torah law or not? Obviously, there is a prohibition of eating pig; so one would have sinned anyway by eating a part of a non-kosher animal.
According to Rabbi Yehuda, one who eats the Gid Hanesheh of a non-kosher animal transgresses two offenses – one for eating a non-kosher animal and one for eating the forbidden sinew. His reasoning he bases on the fact that Yaakov and his family lived before the giving of the Torah and were allowed to eat non-kosher. Therefore, since the Torah brings down in relation to Yaakov’s time this prohibition, it means that it applies to all animals whether kosher or not. Nevertheless, If Yaakov’s sons were to eat Gid Haneshah they would be transgressing only one offense since they are allowed to eat non-kosher animals. After the giving of the Torah one would be obligated for two offenses -eating non-kosher and for eating the forbidden sinew. (It is important to note that although, Yaakov and his children were allowed to eat non-kosher since the Torah was not yet given on Sinai, nevertheless, our sages teach us that they did not do so since they kept the entire Torah before it was given, therefore the above debate is theoretical)
The sages in this Mishnah disagree with Rabbi Yehuda and hold that the law of Gid Hanesheh applies only to kosher animals. They explain that the law forbidding the sciatica nerve was given at Sinai and was written in the Torah by Moshe in relation with Yaakov to give the reason of the Torah’s prohibition. The Rambam in his commentary on the Mishnah brings down a cardinal rule regarding Torah law based on the above opinion of our sages. All Torah law obligates the nation of Israel only because Moshe Rabeybu was commanded by Hashem after the giving of the Torah on Sinai. Earlier prophecies to other prophets do not obligate the people of Israel to fulfill the commandments of the Torah. In other words, we do circumcision not because Abraham did, but because G-D told Moshe on Sinai that we are obligated to do so. In the same light, we are prohibited to eat the Gid Hanasheh not because of Yaakov’s prohibition, but because Hashem commanded this injunction to Moshe Rabeybu on Sinai.
With this introduction, we can now get back to my original question – why does the personal injury of Yaakov lead to the prohibition of eating the Gid Hanasheh? Different reasons are brought down by our classic commentators. I will mention here a few of them.
The famous Sefer Hachunuch in the 13th century writes that the reason for the prohibition is to strengthen the children of Israel in their struggle with the Edomite nation and its decedents until the awaited redemption. Just as Yaakov was able to overcome the angel, the same way Israel will be able to persevere despite all its great challenges that it will face in the course of history.
The Chizkuni, also in the 13th century, explains that this prohibition was a punishment to the children of Israel for leaving Yaakov alone as the verse says – “And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.” (Genesis 32:25) Yaakov should not have been left alone by his children.
The famous Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Miluntshitz 17th century in his famous commentary, the Kli Yaakar, explains that the Gid Hanesheh represents the investigation of hidden things. Things that are beyond the scope of man’s intellect. Only few selected individuals, like Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochay, the famous author of the Zohar, can enter into such realms. The laymen, however, must stay away from such investigation it could G-D forbid lead him to the path of destruction. Therefore, by not eating the Gid Hanasheh which is a hard tough sinew, we are taught to stay away from hard touch issues that are beyond the scope of our understanding.
After the amazing wedding last night – here in Israel, I had an insight that answers the above question as well. The prohibition of Gid Hanesheh must awaken within the hearts of every person empathy and compassion for his fellow brother and sister. If Yaakov was hurt and limping then his children must demonstrate their sympathy and understanding to his plight. This is why they were forbidden to eat the Gid Hahesheh. This commandment was given on Sinai to Moshe Rabeynu to implant within the hearts of the people of Israel this important lesson of identifying with the pain and distress of a fellow human being. This is what the name of Israel means. The name Israel literally means – straight with G-D. The dislocating of the hip of Yaakov had to be reset straight through the display of empathy by his children. This commandment, therefore, is mentioned precisely in connection to the changing of Yaakov’s name to Israel. In other words, the struggle with the angel symbolized the unification and building of the house of Israel. There is no greater testimony of unification than identifying with the pain and suffering of a fellow brother and sister. The name Hanesheh in Hebrew comes from the word meaning to give up on getting something back. In other words, G-D is commanding us to refrain from giving up. We must never give up on our ability to unite the entire house of Israel through love and compassion. Disunity is an evil we must fight against. It is the cause of exile. By working hard and strong in developing our love and compassion for one another we will bring about the long awaited redemption!
Last night’s wedding showed how Am Yisrael felt the pain and suffering of this precious family and no doubt internalized the message of Gid Hanesheh! They therefore came in large numbers to dance and cry together – what an amazing display of love and compassion! Yaakov’s limping was literally turned into a dance of unity.
During these difficulty times this message must be adopted by all righteous individuals of the nations, as well, that seek true peace and love for humanity and want to be partners in rectifying a world that needs so much fixing.
Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith Itamar Israel
The Talmud in the tractate of Pesachim relates a story of Rabbi Joseph the son of Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi that was ill and his soul left him temporarily and entered the upper worlds. When he returned to this world his father asked him “what did you see there?” He answered, an upside down world. Those who were on the top in this world were on the bottom in the upper world. His father answered him “you saw a world of clarity” In other words, this world is an allusion. People spend their whole lives running after the wrong things. Idolizing rock stars, Hollywood, fame, fortune, and materialism instead of what really counts. What is esteemed and sought after by the masses in reality is worthless. The truth is hidden and is uncovered only by those who seek it with all their heart and soul. It says in Psalms 85:12 “Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.” Truth is something like a seed that is hidden in the earth and eventually will spring forth. But the ground baring the seed must be plowed, weeded, fertilized and watered in order to make the seed grow properly. The Talmud tells us of different signs that will be prevalent during the generation of messiah. One these signs are the absence of truth. This is based on the verse in Isaiah 59:15 – And truth is lacking, And he that departed from evil make himself a prey. And the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice;
Reading this week’s portion on a superficial level may leave an impression that Jacob is the villain and Esau is the prey. “Poor” Esau comes home from the field and is tired and hungry. He sees that Jacob is preparing a meal of lentils. He asks his brother to give him some. Instead of heeding his request, Jacob begins by offering a business deal to his brother. “Only if you agree to sell me your firstborn rights will I allow you to partake in this meal”, says Jacob. “Poor” Esau answers: “what good is it to have firstborn rights behold I am going to die of starvation.” Esau agrees to sell his birthright position to Jacob and is forced to take an oath. Only then does Jacob agree to offer a meal to his brother that is about to collapse of exhaustion. Later on, Isaac asks Esau to hunt and prepare him a meal just the way he likes it. He wants to bless his son before he dies and, therefore, asks Esau to honor him by making him dinner. Rebekah overhears the conversation between Isaac and Esau and instructs Jacob to bring her a kid goat and dresses Jacob up as Esau. Jacob pretends to be Esau and succeeds in stealing the blessing meant for Esau.
Why does the Torah paint a false impression regarding Jacob? This could add fuel to the anti-Semitic stereotyping machines that coin Jews as greedy money hungry shylocks. We mustn’t forget that a first born son gets a double portion.
Obviously, a look deeper into the portion reveals that Jacob was the righteous one and Esau the devil. “And Jacob gave Esau bread and a pottage of lentils, and he ate and drank and arose and left, and Esau despised the birthright.” (Genesis 25:34) The Torah states right out that Esau despised the birthright, meaning that the blessing intended for Esau, as a first born, was rightfully given to Jacob; since he had purchased all the first born rights fair and square.
As far as Esau being tired and hungry, the Talmud tells us the reason behind his exhaustion. In the Tractate of Baba Batrah 16B, it is taught, in the name of R. Jochanan, that on the very day that Esau requested to be fed by Jacob, he had committed five sins: He raped a betrothed maiden, he committed murder, he rejected G-D, he denied the belief in the resurrection of the dead, and disgraced his birthright. Two of these sins are written explicitly in the verses of our portion and the other three are taught by the Talmud using exegesis through a Gezerah Shavah. (See my essay on Parshat Chayay Sarah for the meaning of a Gezerah Shavah)
We learn that he raped a betrothed maiden from the following verses: “Now Jacob cooked a pottage, and Esau came from the field, and he was faint. (Genesis 25:29) “Because he found her in the field. The betrothed girl had cried out, but there was no one to save her. (Deuteronomy 22:27) The Talmud bases the Gezerah Shavah on the word field which appears in both verses (I underlined them) to teach us that just as the verse in Deuteronomy 22:27 is talking about the rape of a betrothed girl so is our verse here in Genesis 25:29. We therefore conclude that Esau raped a betrothed maiden that day.
We know that Esau committed murder from the verse “and he was faint” 25:29 and the verse in Jeremiah 4:31 “Woe is to me, for my soul is faint before the murderers.” Again the Talmud uses the exegesis of a Gezerah Shavah to show that just like the verse in Jeremiah, which talks about murder and contains the word faint can be united with the verse here in Genesis regarding Esau and “he was faint” teaching us that he committed murder that day.
We learn that Esau denied the belief in G-D from Genesis 25:32 – “Esau replied, “Behold, I am going to die; so why do I need this birthright?” The Talmud teaches us again using a Gezerah Shavah based on the common word this from the verse in Exodus 15:2 “this is my God, and I will glorify Him:” that instead of saying this is my G-D, Esau denied him by saying – why do I need this? In other words, he is declaring – why do I need G-D?”
We learn the fact that Esau denied the resurrection from the verse in Genesis 25:32 “Behold, I am on the way to die”, in other words Esau saw this world as the only one without a continuation. Since he viewed the world in this fashion, he wanted to achieve as many worldly pleasures as he could before dying.
As far as despising the birthright it says directly in the verse Genesis 25:34 that Esau despised the birthright.
In addition, Talmud explains to us that the reason Jacob was preparing lentils was because this very day Abraham passed away and Jacob wanted to console his father Isaac by making him a meal. The lentils represent mourning in that they are rounded without an opening. This reflects on a mourner who has no words only pain. Even more, it hints to the fact that the world is a cycle and everyone must experience mourning at some time in their lives. Instead of Esau, the first born, thinking about the pain Isaac is going through over the loss of his father, he was busy in the field profaning G-D’s name.
In summary, we see that Esau wasn’t the misfortunate soul that he might be mistaken for. After learning the truth about who Esau was, why does the Torah allow one to get the wrong impression?
The answer is that Esau represents the kingdom of Edom, the last major kingdom that will reign until the coming of Messiah. Edom operates by trying to give an outward appearance of righteousness while having evil motives on the inside. The Midrash tells us that Esau the king of Edom is likened to a hog that hides its mouth and displays it hooves. He tries to show that he is kosher by showing off his split hooves, but buries his face in the ground to hide the fact that he does not chew his cud. (Kosher animals require two signs – split hooves and the chewing of the cud.) One Kosher sign doesn’t make the animal Kosher. In Genesis 34:4, it says, regarding the reunion of Esau and Jacob, “And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept.” In the original Hebrew Torah text there are dots over the word Kissed. Our sages learn from this that in reality Esau meant to bite Jacob. This was not a sincere kiss. The Midrash goes on to tell us how Esau would deceit his father by asking him if one is obligated to tithe water, straw and salt. According to Jewish, law they do not require tithing. Isaac would say to himself, “it is amazing how Esau is so stringent in keeping Torah law.” We see how devious Esau was trying to give a false impression of righteousness. A real con-artist! This is reflected in the verse: “And the boys grew; and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.” Esau dwelling in the field represents the superficial external personality that he represented. Jacob, on the other hand, was a man that dwelt inside the tents of Torah. He is known as the man of Truth. As is written in the book of Micah 7:20 “You will give truth to Jacob and unchanging love to Abraham, Which You swore to our forefathers from the days of old”.
This message that can be applied in different realms of our lives. On a personal level, by avoiding external distractions and focusing on our inner essence, we can eliminate the husk of Esau and bring spirituality and purity in our lives. Of course, there is nothing greater than Torah study to achieve this goal. Socially, we should surround ourselves with people that care about ethical and moral ideals like doing good to others, and seeking the truth. On a worldwide level, the nations of the world must truly strive for the betterment of mankind. They must fight evil and promote justice and thus eliminate the dangers of Esauism in the world.
Unfortunately, today the word is suffering greatly at the hands of Islamic extremism. Instead of focusing all efforts on eliminating this danger to democracy, the husks of Esau choose to signal out the only true democratic country in the Middle East as an obstacle to peace, Israel. No other country, has forfeited such assets and paid the price that Israel has in trying to make peace. Despite Israel’s relentless effort nothing has been given in return except terrorism and hatred. The absurdity of it all is the winner of the Nobel Peace prize in 1994– he was one of the most prominent symbols of terrorism and murderer in the world – Yasser Arafat. Nevertheless, Esau has succeeded in portraying Israel as the villain and the so called Palestinians as the victim. How conceited is the suggestion of a Palestinian state in the eternal borders of Israel. The only nation in the world that G-D Himself has drawn the map of its homeland. Just yesterday, the European Union announced their new law requiring the marking of Israeli products made in East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and Judea and Samaria. When the EU ambassador to Israel, Lars Faaborg-Andersen, was asked to explain, his answer was that it was a technical decision. One has to be very naïve to accept such an explanation.
It is very interesting that Rebekah not only put on goat skins on Jacob to make him hairy like his brother, but she dressed him with the garments of Esau. These were not his regular garments but the most precious of his garments. And Rebekah took the choicest garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son. (Genesis 27:15) Why did Rebekah have to do this? Isaac was blind. She obviously wanted to do a good job in disguising Jacob so that Isaac would not recognize the ruse. Nevertheless, she could have chosen regular clothes why did she chose the best clothes he had? The Midrash explains that these were the garments of the first man. The first man was a firstborn and his garments were the garments of a high priest. Esau coveted the garments of the first man that were taken by the evil Nimrod. They were known for having special powers. Esau murders Nimrod and takes the garments for himself. The word used here in the verse for choicest garments is Chamudot (חמודות)in Hebrew. Interestingly, in the Ten Commandments the same root of the word is used regarding the prohibition of coveting. You shall not covet תחמוד)) your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, or whatever belongs to your neighbor.” Esau evilness stemmed from the fact that he was coveting the external aspects of man. Instead of looking for the spiritual side of man, he was drawn towards the physical side. It is not the garment that is most important, it is what lies behind it that counts. The only coveting that the Torah allows is coveting the spiritual characteristics of man. Let us covet those who do good and love G-D. Unfortunately, Esau was not interested in these aspects. The word for man in Hebrew is Adam (אדם) which is very close to Edom אדום. Removing the letter Vav ו) ) from Edom(אדום) becomes man(אדם) . The letter vav in Hebrew is used as the word “and”. When a person wants this and this and this… – he has become Edom. When he eliminates his external desires he becomes man.
The Hebrew word for garment is Beged (בגד)which means to rebel in Hebrew. Clothes can lead to a false impression. It is not the fancy suit that counts but it is the voice of Jacob. Let us not be taken in by the outside appearance.
This can explain the Torah allowing for a misconception of who Jacob really was. The lesson that Hashem is teaching us is to search for the truth and look beyond the exterior aspects of the world. The spelling of the word Beged is (בגד) three consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. That is what clothes are, layer on layer on layer covering over the inner world. If we peel off these layers removing the Dalet and then the Gimmel we reach the first letter of the word Beit. This is the first letter of the Torah. Only through the light of the Torah will we succeed in removing the husk of Edom and merit in the final redemption.
“And saviors shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be G-D’s. (Ovadiah 1:21)
Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith, Itamar Israel
Looking at world statistics one will find that the not only the average age of marriage has risen to an all-time high but the numbers of never married adults is also breaking all time records. In other words, people are getting married at an older age or not getting married at all. The question is why? Not finding the sought after qualities in a spouse, the lack of financial stability, and not being ready to settle down are reasons given by recent surveys explaining this trend. In addition, in modern society it has come much more acceptable for couples to live together out of wedlock. The traditional family framework has been challenged.
This week’s Torah portion Chayay Sarah is an amazing lesson on the beauty and importance of marriage. A deep look into the portion can shed a tremendous amount of light on the subject and help rectify the situation by restoring faith in the traditional family unit.
In the beginning of the oral law tractate, Kiddushin, the Talmud discusses the laws of betrothing a woman. Before the Torah was given, all that had to be done to marry a women was to take her home and live with her. Once the Torah was handed down, a special marriage ceremony was required by the Torah. This ceremony is divided into two parts the first part is called the Kidushin or the betrothal and the second part is the Neesuin – taking the bride home. Kedushin comes from the word meaning to sanctify and Neesuin from the word to uplift. We can see from the words used to describe marriage that the process of man and woman building a life together is something holy that must be sanctified.
The Talmud asks: What is the Torah source that a women may be betrothed through money? It answers by bringing the different verses in the bible that teach us this law. The Talmud first brings down the verse in Deuteronomy 24:1 “When a man takes a wife…” It then quotes a verse in this week’s portion “And he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “But, if only you would listen to me. I am giving the money for the field; take [it] from me, and I will bury my dead there.” (Genesis 23:13)
The Talmud uses a form of exegesis called a “Gizerah Shavah” which is one of the thirteen rules of Rabbi Yishmael that is based on comparing two verses that may outwardly appear as having no connection with one another other than a similar word expression. The Gizerah shavah allows us to compare the verses and unify them under a common law. A law that is taught in one verse will apply to the other one as well, although it is not mentioned there explicitly. One cannot use this type of exegesis without receiving a tradition from a teacher.
After this introduction, we can return to the two above verses. The oral tradition uses the Gezerah shavah to unify the two verses “When a man takes a wife” with the verse regarding Abraham’s purchase of the field saying “take it from me“. In Hebrew the word used for take is “Yikach” This word is found in both of these verses. (I underlined them) We can therefore rule that the law governing the acquisition of land through monetary means will apply to betrothal as well. Just as Abraham’s purchase of the Cave of the Patriarchs was acquired through money a woman can be engaged in the same manner. An acquisition is not to be taken lightly. It demonstrates a powerful bond that is formed between the owner and the item purchased. Abraham’s purchase of the field symbolized the everlasting bond the people of Israel have with the land of Israel.
In Jewish law, the laws of ownership and acquisition are binding. When one purchases something it becomes his and he is now legally responsible for his new purchase. The buyer or seller can no longer renege on the transaction. After an agreement is reached between the buyer and seller, an act of taking possession must be performed. Once this is done, the new owner has total ownership rights and responsibilities over the item purchased. It is important to pay attention that paying for something or not paying for something does not necessarily institute the transfer of ownership. It is the act of taking possession that counts. Among the different types of things being sold, like land, animals, chattels etc., each require their own act of ownership transfer. These include, lifting, pulling, a written contract, building a fence, raising a handkerchief, money transfer, and many more. With this in mind we can now continue.
The Talmud goes on to show that what Abraham purchased the field through a monetary acquisition. This the Talmud assumes since it says in Genesis verse 23:16 “And Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, accepted by the merchant.” Later in Genesis 25:10 “The field that Abraham had bought from the sons of Heth there Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried.” This seems to show us that the legal transaction that took place between Abraham and Ephron was one of a monetary fashion.
Nevertheless, since we leaned before that it is possible to acquire something in other ways as well. For example Abraham could have begun fencing in the area around the cave, or widened the entrance to the cave in the presence and agreement of Ephron and this would be considered a legal taking of possession although he did not yet pay for it yet. Therefore, the Talmud brings down an additional verse to prove that a monetary transaction was performed. The source used is a verse in Jeremiah 32:44. Men shall buy fields for money and inscribe deeds and sign [them] and appoint witnesses in the land of Benjamin and in the environs of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah and in the cities of the mountain and in the cities of the lowland and in the cities of the southland, for I will restore their captivity, says the Lord. This is the final proof that a monetary acquisition was used by Abraham to purchase the field.
Now using the Gezerah Shavah mentioned above allowing us to unify the law of land purchase with betrothal we can rule that a women can be engaged through a monetary acquisition. The fact that a women can be engaged in this fashion raises an important question. Does the Torah G-D forbid look at a women as a purchased item? The answer is of course not! That is why in Jewish law the act of acquisition is not making the payment for the object. Its function is to institute ownership by creating a bond between the owner and his new acquisition. This is proven by that fact that a women can be engaged by offering her something with the value of only a prutah (penny). This is where we get our custom of giving the bride a ring. A special bond is being formed between the bride and groom. The Hebrew word for money or silver, “Kesef”, comes from the root meaning to yearn for something. This yearning is what creates the bond. The unification of two souls that were meant for each other.
It is interesting that each of the verses brought down by the Talmud that regarding acquisition by “Kesef” relate to the purchase of land in Eretz Yisrael. The first source is the first historical acquisition ever in of land in Israel, the purchase of the tomb of the Patriarchs. The second one, on the other hand, is the last acquisition performed in the land of Israel, by Jerimiah, only hours before exile.
A question that immediately comes to mind when looking into Jeremiah’s land purchase is -Why would anyone in their right mind buy a field knowing that within hours he will be sent far away and will not be able to reap fruit from his acquisition? The obvious answer is this was a tremendous lesson of faith for the people of Israel. Although we will go into exile for whatever time it may be, the everlasting bond between the land and Israel that begun with Abraham’s purchase will never be severed. We must remember that Hashem will bring us home! G-D will not abandon His people. As the nation of Israel, we must believe in this with all our heart and soul.
Living in our time, witnessing the restoration of the State of Israel after 2000 years of exile is a living testimony of this everlasting bond. The Gizerah Shavah is doing much more that teaching us the laws of acquisition, but in essence it is uniting marriage with the land of Israel. Teaching us that an engagement between a man and women is intrinsically connected to the Eretz Yisrael. A Jewish couple getting married must know that it is not a personal matter but it is on a national scale. Living and building their family in the land of Israel is part of building the Kingdom of Hashem in Eretz Yisrael! That is why we are taught in the Talmud in Brachot 6B that if one makes a bride and groom happy it is as if he has built one of the ruins of Jerusalem. Why is it so important to make a bride and groom happy, they are happy already? The answer is that it is the entire house of Israel’s joy as another brick is placed on the Palace of Hashem. This idea is clearly supported in Genesis 24:5-6 “And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not wish to go after me to this land. Shall I return your son to the land from which you came?” And Abraham said to him, “Beware, lest you return my son back there.” In other words, Abraham set things straight, if his son’s potential bride will not want to move to Israel then no marriage will take place! In Abraham’s eyes there is no purpose for his son Isaacs’s marriage outside the land of Israel.
On the other hand, one cannot neglect the importance of the personal side of matrimony as well. The opening of this week’s portion with Abraham looking for a burial place for his precious wife, Sarah, testifies to the special relationship that existed between them. Abraham could have easily found another place to bury his wife without having to go through such heavy negotiations and to pay such a huge fortune for the gravesite. This demonstrated his love, honor, and appreciation that he held for his wife. After living together for so many years the pain of separation between spouses is tremendous. Abraham of course knew that one day he will be reunited with his love of life in the world to come. This parallels Jeramiah’s purchasing the field in the land and having to say goodbye to it. This is the terrible pain Israel suffered throughout exile. Nevertheless, Israel knew that they will eventually return home. G-D’s promise not to abandon them will surely be fulfilled.
The Talmudic message through the Gezerah shavah that united the land of Israel with betrothal wants to implant this lesson of faith in the hearts of every person. One needs to have faith in the Creator that He will bring the bride and groom together. He is the matchmaker.
The story of how Abraham sends out his servant Eliezer to find a wife for his son Isaac demonstrates Abraham’s total faith in G-D as the matchmaker. “The Lord, God of the heavens, Who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and Who spoke about me, and Who swore to me, saying, ‘To your seed will I give this land’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.”(Genesis 24:7)
Eliezer, follows the path of faith outlined by Abraham and says: And he said, “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please cause to happen to me today, and perform loving kindness with my master, Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the water fountain, and the daughters of the people of the city are coming out to draw water. And it will be, [that] the maiden to whom I will say, ‘Lower your pitcher and I will drink,’ and she will say, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels,’ her have You designated for Your servant, for Isaac, and through her may I know that You have performed loving kindness with my master.”
Eliezer’s prays to Hashem that he will chance upon the bride of Isaac. The Hebrew the word for chance is “מקרה” Mikreh – the same letters that spell רק מה'” meaning only from G-D. In other words, one must always remember that everything is from Hashem and one must rely on Him. There is no chance happenings in this world. Let G-d make it happen.
It is amazing when we see Eliezer returning to the land of Israel with Isaac’s bride Rebecca she happens to stumble across her groom Isaac.
And Isaac went forth to pray in the field towards evening, and he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, camels were approaching. And Rebecca lifted her eyes, and saw Isaac, and she let herself down from the camel. And she said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field towards us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” And she took the veil and covered herself. (Genesis 24:63-65)
This takes place literally when Isaac finished his prayers. At that very moment his bride fell into his hands!
This important lesson must be taught today in all circles. If people will reach the realization that G-D is behind the scene and will bring them their partner in life. Only through this understanding will sanctity and faith be restored to the family unit.
Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith