"O HaShem, the G-d of my master Avraham!"(Genesis 24:12) Cheshvan 24, 5783/November 18, 2022 The last time in_his life that Avraham would hear directly from G-d was when G-d told him, "take your son, your only one, whom you love, yea, Yitzchak, and go away to the land of Moriah and bring him up there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains, of which I will tell you" (Genesis 22:2) which we read in last week's parasha. After that Avraham would hear the voice of HaShem's angel, telling him not to slay Yitzchak, and that Avraham and his offspring would be forever blessed by virtue of Avraham's steadfast faith in HaShem. Until his final day on earth Avraham would not receive another direct communication, neither from HaShem, nor His angel. Avraham has passed every test that G-d sent his way, yet perhaps the most important tests to face still were before him. Sara dies and without any instruction from G-d, Avraham needs to purchase a burial plot. He enters into a negotiation, this time not with G-d over the fate to the citizens of Sodom, but with Ephron, a local Hittite, over the purchase of a burial plot. Avraham wants the cave of Machpelah and whatever is reasoning was, his insistence on this specific location would prove fateful. For there, in the double-chambered cave would be buried both Avraham and Sara, Yitzchak and Rivka, and Yaakov and Leah, six of the seven matriarchs and patriarchs of the nation of Israel, with the exception of Rachel, who would be buried alongside the road to Efrat. By purchasing this plot, and not receiving it as a gift from Ephron, Avraham was taking the first step in Israel's eventual claiming of the entire land of Israel, as promised them by G-d, in the generations to come, both in ancient times and today. Avraham's purchase of the burial cave is living proof of all that G-d promised Avraham, when he first told Avram to "Lech lecha - go forth" to the land of Canaan. G-d promised and Avraham purchased. G-d promised - and Avraham delivered! From this we learn one of the greatest lessons that Avraham has taught us: G-d's promise is not permission to sit back and let G-d do the heavy lifting. On the contrary, G-d's promise is the green light for us to take action. Following the purchase of the Machpelah and the burial of Sara, Avraham has one last urgent task to complete before he dies. He needs to find for Yitzchak a bride, not from the daughters of Canaan, but from among Avraham's own kith and kin, back in Haran. Being too old to perform that task himself, he assigns his faithful servant Eliezer to travel back to Haran and find a bride, binding his decision with an oath. Just as Avraham had placed his total trust in HaShem as he led Yitzchak to Moriah to offer him up as a burnt offering, he now places his complete trust and the entire future fate of the children of Israel, in the heart and hands of Eliezer. We know that Eliezer was Avraham's longtime servant, so esteemed by Avraham that, in a moment of despair, Avraham entreated G-d to name Eliezer as Avraham’s spiritual heir. But as we learn as Eliezer sets out to fulfill his pledge to Avraham, he is so much more than a faithful servant of Avraham. No sooner has he left the tent of Avraham then Eliezer calls upon G-d to give him a set of signs to aid him in determining the identity of the future bride of Yitzchak. Eliezer sets the conditions: "O HaShem, the G-d of my master Avraham, please cause to happen to me today, and perform loving kindness with my master, Avraham. 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 Yitzchak, and through her may I know that You have performed loving kindness with my master." (ibid 24:12-14) Exhibiting greet humility, Eliezer calls upon the G-d of Avraham, and asks of Him to be an active participant in his search for a bride, for a young maiden who would possess the very same qualities of generosity and loving-kindness that Avraham possessed and by which he blessed all that he came across. Eliezer isn't simply asking for G-d's assistance, he is asking for G-d to play an active role in his search, just as his master Avraham would have done. By asking for HaShem to be his full partner in moving G-d's promise forward, by calling upon G-d to bring His full presence into the world of man, Eliezer is behaving precisely as Avraham would, fully justifying Avraham's faith in him. Eliezer wasn't simply Avraham's long time servant and veteran steward of his household, he was Avraham's top student, a testimony to Avraham's preeminence as a teacher, by word and by deed, that there is but one G-d in the world, and it is our duty to forge a faithful relationship with Him. And did G-d approve of Avraham's decision and Eliezer's initiative? Not only did G-d provide for Eliezer the righteous Rivka at the well, and her ultimate consent to accompany him back to Canaan, leaving her land, her birthplace and her father's house to go to an unknown land, just as Avraham had done so many years before, but the Torah repeats the details of Eliezer’s meeting with Rivka at the well three times, first in the form of Eliezer's proposal to HaShem, second as it actually occurred, and thirdly in relating the story to Rivka's family. Surely not only did G-d approve, but He positively delighted in this proof of the fruitfulness of His close cooperation with His beloved children. Many challenges would lay ahead for Yitzchak and Rivka, but the final seal of G-d's approval for His children's handling of the great responsibility He bequeathed them, lies in the Torah's account of their initial meeting, After repeating his story one last time for Yitzchak, (Torah spares us this fourth telling), we are told that Yitzchak brought Rivka "to the tent of Sara his mother, and he took Rivka, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Yitzchak was comforted for the loss of his mother." (ibid 24:67) This is the very first time that Torah tells us of love between man and wife, and this is most certainly proof of G-d's approval! . |
Tune in to this week's Temple Talk as Yitzchak Reuven describes Avraham's purchase of the Machpelah cave in Hevron, the long-lost tribe of Dan, and Chayei Sara - life, death & the Garden of Eden! Avraham’s purchase of the Machpelah Cave for a burial site for Sara is the first of three land purchases in Israel recorded in Torah, followed by Yaakov's purchase of land in Shechem, where Yosef is buried, and David's purchase of a threshing floor on Mount Moriah, where the Holy Temple stood! The Jews of Ethiopia have returned to Israel, ending a 2,700-year-old exile, and brought with them the holiday of Sigd! |
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What makes a place holy? Perhaps being the place of the burial of the father of monotheism, and the final resting place of the six patriarchs and matriarchs, plus Adam and Eve, and four thousand years of uninterrupted veneration and worship of the One True G-d at the site. Or perhaps simply the chills you feel when you stand at the Machpelah cave in Hevron which Avraham avinu purchased long ago. Chayei Sara (Genesis 23:1 - 25:18)
Parashat Chayei Sara is read on Shabbat:
Cheshvan 25, 5783/November 19, 2022 |
Haftarah For Shabbat Parashat Chayei Sara I Kings Chapter 1: "And king David was old, he came into his old age, and they covered him with clothes, but he was not warmed. And his servants said to him, 'Let them seek for my lord the king a young girl, a virgin, and she shall stand before the king, and she shall be to him a warmer, and she shall lie in your lap, and it shall be warm for my lord the king.' And they sought a beautiful young girl throughout the borders of Israel, and found Avishag the Shunemitess and brought her to the king...'" |
A Temple Mount Moment: The Cedars of Lebanon! Beneath a dusty tarp on the Temple Mount lie weather-beaten beams of cedar - from the Holy Temple that King Solomon built! A Temple Mount Moment is the joint project of the Temple Institute and High on the Har. Temple Mount experts and co founders of High on the Har, Dr. Melissa Jane Kronfeld and Rabbi Yehuda Levi present each week fascinating facts and insights about the Temple Mount and the Holy Temple, its past, present and future! |
This Week: Parashat Chayei Sara: Yitzchak Prays At Mt. Moriah In the passage describing the first meeting between Yitzchak and Rivka, we read: “Yitzchak went out to meditate in the field towards evening” (Genesis 24:63); the Talmud explains that Yitzchak thus instituted the afternoon Mincha prayer, for “meditation is none other than prayer.” (Berakhot 26b) |
A Rabbi Tempts Fate On Jerusalem’s Temple Mount Israelis are beginning to buck the state’s ban on Jewish prayer at Judaism’s holiest site. Before it mattered for any other reason, Jerusalem was the center of a sacrificial cult. According to Jewish eschatology, this is what it will be again one day, when earthly existence is perfected and the Third Temple stands over the Even HaShtiya—the Foundation Stone, the first thing God created, the location of the Holy of Holies. |
This Week: Parashat Chayei Sara: The Hevron - Temple Connection (Part 2) In yesterday's post we discussed the mention of the city of Hevron by the kohanim before commencing the morning service in the Holy Temple. A practical reason also existed for the tradition. |
'We Cannot Accept That A Jew Who Prays On The Temple Mount Gets Arrested' Tom Nisani, the Executive Director of “Beyadenu – Returning to the Temple Mount”, tells Israel National News that they are presenting their list of issues to the new government. “We have some 10 demands for the new coalition government. We want to make some big improvements related to the Temple Mount,” he explains. “Some of them involve extending the hours that we can visit as Jews and tourists also, and fixing the law considering holy places in Israel that until today does not include the Temple Mount unfortunately.” |
This Week: Parashat Chayei Sara: The City Of Hevron "And so the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, facing Mamre, was established (as Avraham's possession). [This included] the field and the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within its entire border around. [It was] to Avraham as a possession before the eyes of the sons of Heth, in the presence of all who had come within the gate of his city. And afterwards, Avraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre, which is Hevron, in the land of Canaan." Genesis 23:17-19) |
Mikdash Monday: The Menora (Part 2) The Menorah was made of one central Stem, with 3 Stems on either side. (Shemot 25:32) These Stems rose to the height of the center Stem, all to be at the same level, 18 ‘Tefach’ (~10 cm/4 in.). |
Shavua Tov From The Temple Mount! "Who will ascend upon HaShem's mount and who will stand in His Holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not taken My name in vain and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from HaShem and charity from the G-d of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your presence - Yaakov, forever." (Psalms 24:3-6) |
Red Heifers Arrive In Israel! On Thursday, September 15, 2022, 5 PM, 5 perfect, unblemished red heifers arrived in Israel from the USA. A modest ceremony was held at the unloading bay of the cargo terminal at Ben Gurion airport, where the new arrivals were greeted and speeches were made by the incredible people who have put their hearts and souls and means into making this historic/prophetic day become a reality. |
5 Red Heifers Enjoying Life in Israel The 5 red heifers that were flown to Israel one month ago from Texas, via Kennedy Airport, are currently enjoying their lives in Israel. After spending 10 days in quarantine they are now living peacefully on a farm in Israel's Galilee region. |
Blessings from the holy city of Jerusalem!
Yitzchak Reuven
The Temple Institute |
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