Overview
of the Torah Reading
To be
read on Shabbat Chayei Sara, 27 Cheshvan 5787/Nov.7, 2020
Torah: Genesis 23:1-25:18; Haftorah: Kings I 1:1-31 (because
the first verse is like Gen. 24:1)
Chayei
Sara is the 5th Reading out of 12 in Genesis and it contains
5314 letters, in 1402 words, in 105 verses
Sarah
died at the age of 127. Avraham bought the Cave of Machpelah. Avraham
sent his servant to look for a wife for his son, making him swear not
to bring back a Canaanite bride. The servant left for Charan, and arriving
at the well, asked G-d to give him a sign. Rivkah arrived to draw water.
The servant asked if he may have some, and after he drank she drew more
water for his camels. The servant spent the night in her father's house.
Her family agreed to let Rivkah marry Yitzchak. Avraham remarried Keturah,
who bore him six sons. Avraham died at the age of 175, and was buried
in the Cave of Machpelah, next to Sarah. Ishmael had twelve sons, each
princes for their nations. He died at the age of 137. His descendants
lived along the border of Egypt all the way to Assyria.
An
Essay from
Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, Director of Ascent
(for a
free weekly email subscription, click
here)
In
this week's Torah portion, Chayei Sara, we read, "And Yitzchak
brought her [Rivka] into the tent of Sara his mother, and he took Rivka
to be his wife and he loved her and he was comforted after the passing
of his mother." [Bereishit/Genesis 24:67].
It is
interesting to note that four verses before [Ibid 24:63] the Torah tells
us that initially, Yitzchak went to greet Rivka in the field. Then he
took her to his mother's tent and only then did he take her as his wife.
Only after he brought her to the tent did he decide to marry her. What
is the message here?
Rashi
explains the purpose of bringing her to his tent. It was a test. "And
she 'became' his mother Sara", meaning she became a living example
of Sara. Just like Sara had three miracles - that her Shabbat candles
stayed lit from Friday till the following Friday; no matter how much
bread she baked, i.e. even a small amount, it was enough to satisfy
those who ate; and a cloud [of Divine blessing] always surrounded her
tent. When she passed away the miracles stopped. When Rivka came, the
miracles returned! From this Yitzchak knew she was the wife that his
father Avraham had intended for him [Ibid 24:2-4]
because even though she was only three years old at the time, she had
the same spiritual power as his mother.
One beautiful
lesson from this is the Torah's subtle teaching about the power of Shabbat
candles. Even though most candles stay lit only for a few hours into
Shabbat after they are lit on Friday, the Torah is telling us that their
true impact lasts for the entire week, until they are lit again before
the next Shabbat.
There
is a question here. Since the candles remained lit miraculously why
did they only stay lit from "Erev Shabbat [Shabbat eve]
to Erev Shabbat"? Why only seven days? Why not continuously?
The Torah
is teaching us a very deep lesson. The Jewish people have a special
principle, "We elevate in holiness" [Ma'alin
BaKodesh - Talmud. Berachot 25a
and subsequent sources]. The purpose of a Jew is to transform
the world from mundane to holy and from holy to more holy. From here
we understand that every erev Shabbat, after a week had passed
since the candles were lit on the previous erev Shabbat, Sarah was given
the opportunity (and similarly Rivka) to ascend to a higher level in
her Divine service. It could be that she did the action with greater
intent to honor G-d. Or that she invited other women to also participate,
or she was careful about the details. Similarly, each of us can think
about actions we do from day to day or week to week and how it would
be possible to do them in a way of elevating in holiness.
That is
why every erev Shabbat, G-d "extinguished" the light
from the previous week, so that she could light, each week, in an even
more elevated manner.
[Rabbi
Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Hitvaduyot 1975. Volume 1. Page 357 ff.
From LikratShabbat. Chayei Sara. Page 9. www.likras.org]
(for a
free weekly email subscription, click
here)
For last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this week's Reading, see the
archive.
FROM
THE SAGES OF KABBALAH ON KabbalaOnline.org
Specifically, for
an overview of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary
Kabbalists, and more,
click to Chayei
Sara
one sample:
Ascent Lighta
Sara,
Then and Now
By
Shaul Yosef Leiter
A sensitive appraisal of Sarah reveals a strong, self-confident woman,
spiritual teacher and leader, connected to G-d in a deep ongoing relationship,
and gifted with prophetic vision and clarity even beyond that of her
prophet husband, Abraham.
For a
free email subscription to our weekly anthology, click
here.
For another taste of recommended Kabbalah articles on a variety of subjects,
click to the our
weekly Kabbalah magazine
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