Click to print/View in PDF

Parsha Perspectives by rabbi Ozer Alport

(ויאמר אברהם אל עבדו זקן ביתו המשל בכל אשר לו שים נא ידך תחת ירכי (24:2

“And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his household who controls all that is his, ‘Place now your hand under my thigh.’”

When Abraham decided that it was time to seek a wife for Isaac, he called his trusted servant Eliezer to instruct him regarding the mission. As we have already been introduced to Eliezer and his role as Abraham’s servant several times in the Torah (see e.g. 15:2), why was it necessary to repeat and emphasize at this point that Eliezer controlled all of Abraham’s possessions?

Rabbi Chaim of Czernowitz (1760-1818), in his work Be’er Mayim Chaim, answers our question by comparing it to a case of a person visiting an unfamiliar town. If he is hungry, he will seek out a restaurant which advertises that it is kosher. For some people, this claim will be sufficient for them to enter and eat, while more religiously scrupulous individuals will inquire among the locals about the religious standards of the proprietor. Still others won’t suffice with information obtained from strangers, but would insist on speaking to the Rabbi of the town for his opinion about the reliability of the establishment.

On the other hand, if the visitor was pursuing a potential business partnership, these variations wouldn’t exist. When money is at stake, people do not rely on advertised claims regarding the integrity of the person in question, nor would he even consider accepting local people’s opinions. Rather, he would remain in town and do extensive research to personally ensure the integrity of the prospective business partner.

Abraham, however, was precisely the opposite. To him, material possessions were significant only as means to pursue his spiritual goals of serving Hashem and spreading His knowledge throughout the world. On the other hand, spiritual matters were viewed and treated with the utmost care.

As a result, Abraham had no qualms about entrusting Eliezer with all of his earthly possessions. However, when it came to the selection of a wife for his spiritual inheritor Isaac, a new standard had to be applied, and Eliezer could be trusted only after swearing to adhere to Abraham’s instructions. Precisely at this time the Torah emphasizes Eliezer’s well-known position to contrast it with the concern which Abraham displayed in assigning him this new task and to teach us what Abraham’s true priorities and values were. return to top
Ozer Alport can be reached at  ozer@partnersintorah.org

talking points - parshat chayei sara
Rabbi Elazar Meisels

1. Caanan - Cannot

“And Abraham was old, advanced in days, and Hashem had blessed Abraham with all things.” 24:1

• With all things – The Hebrew word for this is “bakol,” and its numerical equivalent is 52. This is the same as the numerical equivalent for the word, “ben” which means “son.” Thus, the verse is telling us that G-d granted him a son for whom he would now have to find a wife. That’s why it precedes the story of Eliezer being sent to find a wife for Isaac. – Rashi
• With all things – Some say this means that he also had a daughter and her name was “Bakol.” Others understand it to mean that he did not have a daughter and that this fact itself was a great blessing for him because he would have had no alternative other than to marry her off to one of the corrupt Canaanites in his neighborhood, and this would have doomed her spiritually. – Ramban quoting Midrash Rabbah

Rashbam (Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir, a grandson of Rashi),points out that the reason the Torah prefaces the story of Eliezer’s long-distance mission to find a wife for Isaac with a testament of Abraham’s overwhelming success, is to reassure us that his reason for sending Eliezer to a distant land was not due to lack of interest among the locals. His wealth and prestige alone, virtually guaranteed that all the local girls and their fathers’ would jump at the chance to marry Isaac. Abraham could have arranged a match with the family of his choosing and attained acceptance and respect from all his neighbors. Nevertheless, aware of their considerable spiritual shortcomings, he chose to reject that possibility and insisted that Eliezer travel a great distance to find a suitable girl who would match Isaac’s intense desire to live a life of Divine servitude.

2. Abraham The Environmentalist

“And Abraham said to him, “Take care, not to bring my son back there.” 24:6

• Not to bring my son back there – The reason for this was because Isaac had been dedicated as a sacred offering before the Almighty [in the incident of [The Binding of Isaac] and he therefore, may not leave the spiritual haven of the Holy Land. – Rabbeinu Bachya

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zt”l drew attention to the logical conclusion of these instructions and its unmistakable message. Had Rebecca refused to return with Eliezer to marry Isaac, Eliezer would have had no other choice other than to marry him off to a local descendant of Lot or Ishmael, even though they weren’t on par with him spiritually. His fear of allowing Isaac to depart his spiritual haven however, was so great that he felt that this would be a better alternative than to allow him to live amongst the corrupt and deceitful people of Charan. Abraham felt more comfortable with the prospects of a spiritually less-than-ideal wife than he did with a spiritually sub-par environment. One can sooner inspire a wife than he can withstand the negative influence of an environment.

3. The End Mend

“His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the Machpeilah cave, in the field of Ephron, son of Tzochar, the Chitite, which faces Mamrei. 25:9

• Isaac and Ishmael - From here we may derive that Ishmael repented and allowed Isaac to go ahead of him. – Rashi
• Ishmael was older than Isaac and yet he allowed Isaac to take a leading role whenever they were together, even when they buried Abraham. This indicates that he repented during his lifetime. – Rabbeinu Bachya

From what sin specifically did Ishmael repent, and what did it have to do with honoring Isaac? Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk explains in his commentary Meshech Chochmah that earlier in their lives, Ishmael, taking his cue from his mother, insisted that he was the rightful heir to Abraham’s legacy, and not Isaac. In fact, it was this insistence of his that inspired Sara to drive him out of the home. Had he still maintained this fallacious belief, there’s no way he would ever have agreed to allow Isaac to precede him public matters, certainly not at the funeral of Abraham where all the discussion would center around who would assume his mantle. Therefore, the Torah points out that although he initially protested Isaac’s elevated status, he later came around and relinquished his claim to Isaac’s station. Our sages understood this verse as a preview of the Messianic Era at which time the nation of Ishmael will finally acknowledge the spiritual pre-eminence of the nation of Isaac and peace will reign among all men. return to top
Rabbi Elazar Meisels can be reached at rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org 

This page is dedicated to, and written for the 6,000 Partners in Torah mentors.
We welcome you to join their ranks by calling 800-STUDY-4-2.
Please send your comments, questions, and suggestions to info@partnersintorah.org
Contact info for Partners in Torah Mentor Advisors*:
Rabbi Elazar Meisels | 732-917-6370 (Sunday & Tuesday 8:00 – 11:00 pm; Thursday 10 am-12 pm) rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org
Rabbi Pinchos Jung | 845-425-6533 (leave message)
*Kindly reserve use of our advisors for mentor contact.

Talmud for Beginners - Rabbi Elazar Meisels

Dear Rabbi,
I’ve been studying through Partners in Torah for more than three years and during that time, my study partner and I have completed the entire Five Books of Moses, relevant sections of Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, Path of the Just, and now we’re preparing to embark upon the study of Talmud. Since I’ve never studied it before, I was wondering whether there were any tips you could offer that would help ease my way. Just so you know, I’m 23 years old, intellectually curious, not afraid of hard work, and possessing a degree in molecular biology. If you need more information to help you advise me, please email me and I’ll supply whatever else you need.
Thanks Rabbi,
D.W.

D.W.,
Mazal Tov on all of your remarkable accomplishments thus far. You sound like the perfect candidate to embark on Talmud study and I’ll be glad to share with you nine tips I’ve accumulated over years of teaching introductory Talmud classes to my students. However, I would also encourage you to speak to others who’ve taken up the study of Talmud at your age and listen to their advice as well.

1. Be prepared to toil – Talmud study is unlike any other. Not only is it written in Aramaic, which I’m assuming you’re not that familiar with, it possesses a style all its own, and features zero punctuation.

2. Don’t go it alone – Not only will you find it difficult to navigate your way through the Talmud alone, it was not meant to be studied that way. You must have a proficient teacher guiding you, especially in the early stages. Note: an English translation is NOT a substitute for a teacher.

3. It’s not how much you know, but how well you know it that counts – In Talmud study, especially in the beginner stages, it makes no difference how much ground you cover in a set amount of time. What’s more important is to understand every word of what you studied and grasp the flow of the discussion.

4. Reading and translating skills are crucial – Apart from understanding the discussion, one must also focus on developing reading and translating skills. This is a not an easy task and requires much diligence and patience.

5. Reconstruct the dialogue orally before proceeding – One of the most effective ways to ensure that you fully grasped the dialogue is to reconstruct it orally, without referring to the text. If you can do this accurately, you will know that you’ve mastered the subject matter and are ready to proceed.

6. Long-winded discussions are the rule – Be aware that the Talmud is a collection of many discussions, some short and some very long. In fact, one discussion can take as many as four pages to conclude. Of course, a wealth of sources will be cited along the way, most of which you may not be familiar with, but over time, you’ll begin to recognize them and this will smooth your path.

7. The conclusion is not the only thing that matters – In secular law, unless you’re a lawyer, the only thing that matters is the law itself. This is not the case with the Talmud, in which the process by which the law was arrived at is as important as the law itself.

8. Begin with the right tractate – Although each tractate is important in its own right, not all are ideal for beginners. Traditionally, we begin with Tractate Bava Metziah [Chapter Eilu Metziot which deals with lost objects,] or Tractate Brachot [which deals with the laws of reciting the Shema among many other subjects.]

9. Think yeshivah while you still can – While one certainly can become proficient in the Talmud without attending a yeshivah, his job will be immeasurably easier if he is introduced to Talmud while in a yeshivah setting. The total immersion, the expert teachers, the company of others in a similar situation, and the access to those who’ve only recently travelled a similar road, all combine to ease the transition enormously. I don’t know if your personal situation allows for yeshivah, but if it does, please do consider this option very seriously. If it doesn’t, see if it’s at all possible in the near future.

In closing, I’ll share with you the words of the Rosh [Orchot Chaim, 2:37] who wrote in praise of the study of Talmud, “Review each weeks Torah Portion, reviewing the verse twice, the translation of Targum once, and the commentary of Rashi. You should delve into it to the best of your ability, and do the same when studying Talmud, for one who studies Talmud is engaging in a worthwhile activity and acquires great merit for doing so. In fact, there is no more worthwhile activity than it [i.e. the study of Talmud]…”

Wishing you great success in navigating the Sea of Talmud,

Yours Truly,
Rabbi Elazar Meisels
return to top

Submit your questions for publication consideration to parsha@partnersintorah.org
Rabbi Elazar Meisels can be reached at rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org

For a person to live with happiness and joy, to feel that he is blessed in life, it is critical that he be שָׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, satisfied with his lot.

Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg explains that we are used to thinking that happiness must be triggered by outside events, and that we cannot generate happiness by ourselves: If I have a child, I will be happy. If I win the lottery, I will be joyful. But the truth is quite the opposite. Joy is not based upon what we are given as our lot in life. We can increase our own joy. How do we bring happiness into our lives?

It all depends on attitude. Take this example: Two patients are in a nursing home facility. One says, "Thank G-d, my family cares so much about me. Not a week goes by without a visit, and when they come they always bring something, whether some apples or some candy."

The other patient says, "What a horrible family I have. Once a week is all the time they have for me, after all I have done for them as a mother. All I'm worth is some candy or apples!"

The two patients are describing the same thing, but their attitudes are poles apart. The essential ingredient of joy is not what we actually have, but how we view what we have. Even simple, commonplace pleasures must be highlighted.

Rabbi Weinberg notes that there is a Yiddish story written solely about an orange. It is called "The Morantz — The Orange." The orange was received as a present on Purim in Russia. Oranges in that part of the world were rare in the 1800's. The first day people from all over town came to look at it. Wow! What an unbelievable sight!

The second day they came to smell it — an incredible aroma. The next day they peeled it, saving each piece of peel with care in order to make marmalade from it. Then they divided the sections of the orange and crushed each section slowly in their mouths, savoring the delicious juices. An incredible experience!

And then they had the marmalade that lasted for weeks. A memory for a lifetime — the Orange.

Usually, we hardly stop to notice the blessing or the pleasurable tastes of the foods we are eating. Oftentimes, before we realize it, we are finished eating, without having focused on an appreciation for the pleasure that Hashem has given us. We must focus on the many pleasures we enjoy already in order to attain happiness.

This is what the Mishnah states in Pirkei Avot 4:1: אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר? הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, Who is rich? One who is satisfied with his lot. The wealthiest man in the world is not necessarily the richest man in the world. One can have a net worth of many billions of dollars, but if he does not enjoy and appreciate his wealth, and is always looking for ways to increase it, he will be neither happy nor rich. A poor man may have only a few dollars to his name, but if he is satisfied with it and counts his blessings, he is the richest man in the world.

This does not mean that we cannot strive for more than we have. We must, however, fully appreciate what is ours already.

Being satisfied with our lot includes spiritual matters. The Vilna Gaon says that we should always endeavor to strive for greater accomplishments in Torah, but we must constantly be aware of, and grateful for, the levels that we have already achieved. return to top

Hey, I never knew that! By Ozer Alport

Amazing Insights About the Weekly Parsha   

Q: The Midrash relates (Esther Rabbah 1:8) that Rabbi Akiva was once in the middle of teaching a class when he noticed his students beginning to doze off. He digressed from the subject he had been discussing and asked, “Why did Queen Esther deserve to rule over 127 countries? She merited doing so because she was descended from Sarah, who lived 127 perfect years.” Why did he interrupt his class to interject this specific tangent?

A: The Chiddushei HaRim, Rabbi Yitzchok Meir Alter, answers that one could view Esther’s kingdom as simply a collection of countries, and for each year of Sarah’s life, she warranted to rule over another one. However, in reality, each country consists of states, cities, neighborhoods, streets, and houses. Similarly, a year can be subdivided into months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds.

Rabbi Akiva made the point that it wasn’t because Sarah lived a generally good life that Esther received the same number of countries. If Sarah would have let up for a week or even a second, it would have resulted in a corresponding deficiency in Esther’s empire, causing her to be lacking a city or even just a house. It was only because Sarah’s life was equally good from beginning to end – כולן שוין לטובה – every second of every day, for her entire life, that Esther’s kingdom was complete.

Rabbi Akiva’s students were obviously quite tired, and they assumed that if they took a short nap and missed a little of the class, it wouldn’t be the end of the world or have any real ramifications. Realizing this, Rabbi Akiva wanted to teach them that every second of our lives, every word we say and every action we take, has very real and direct consequences.

Q: Eliezer established a litmus test which would allow him to determine whether a prospective match was indeed the intended spouse for Isaac. The test revolved around her dedication to doing kind deeds, which would be evidenced by her willingness to give not only Eliezer but also his camels water to drink (24:14). Although a generous nature is certainly an important quality to seek in a prospective spouse, why was this the most essential feature that he sought, and why was he willing to rely on this component without additionally testing her belief in Hashem, wisdom, and moral values?

A: Rabbi Meir Rubman answers by quoting the Mishnah in Ethics of our Fathers (2:9), which relates that Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai instructed his students to seek out the path in life which a person should choose and attach himself to. Rabbi Eliezer said the possession of a good eye, Rabbi Yehoshua answered to acquire a good friend, Rabbi Yossi suggested finding a good neighbor, Rabbi Shimon opined to see the consequences of one’s actions, and Rabbi Elozar posited the possession of a good heart. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai responded that the final suggestion (a good heart) was the best one, as it includes all of the other characteristics. Rabbi Ovadiah Bartenura explains that this is because the heart is origin of all of one’s actions.

Eliezer carefully designed his test to measure the prospective match’s love of assisting others. He understood that the amount of water needed to feed him and his ten thirsty camels was tremendous. A young girl who was asked by a healthy adult man to draw this water for him would typically respond by questioning why he couldn’t do so himself. If a girl instead jumped at the opportunity and drew the water with joy and alacrity, such as Rebecca who ran to bring the water (24:20), it could only be due to her giving and generous heart. Once Rebecca passed this test, Eliezer knew with confidence – as the Mishnah states – that she possessed all of the other necessary qualities and there was no need to further test them. return to top

Ozer Alport can be reached at ozer@partnersintorah.org

Parsha Partner is a publication of Partners In Torah
a division of Torah Umesorah, The National Society for Hebrew Day Schools.
Rabbi Eli Gewirtz, National Director;
Parsha Partner Production Team- Yaffa Baslaw, Chani Davis, Gittel Fischer

Partners in Torah is a multi-faceted educational organization dedicated to fostering unity among jews of all backgrounds and assisting them in their quest for a deeper appreciation of their heritage. Partners in Torah brings adults from across the spectrum of religious observance together for a variety of study programs and jewish life experiences. Our growing participant base of 12,000+ is serviced by 24 trained professionals who work to maximize the experience of each participant.
For more information call 800-study-4-2 or visit www.partnersintorah.org
Distributed in UK by Phone and Learn (PaL), a division of Partners in Torah. www.phoneandlearn.org, 08000 J-LEARN (553 276)

Honor or remember a loved one by dedicating an issue of parsha partner which reaches over 15,000 people each week. dedications (up to 15 words) for yahrtzeits, refuah sheleyma, etc. are $180 an issue. For dedication and free subscriptions information or to have Parsha Partner sent to your shul, call 732-363-3330 ext. 6377, or via e-mail parsha@partnersintorah.org

Your Dedication Here