Monday Torah Tweet (Chayei Sarah)

Monday Torah Tweet (Chayei Sarah): G-d’s plans require human agents.

“… there Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife. After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac settled near Beer-lahai-roi.” (Gen. 25:10-11)

This parasha is an intriguing parasha from many perspectives. From a literary perspective, the parasha is tightly woven. It begins with the death of Sarah and ends with the death of Abraham. Between these two events, there are two complex sets of negotiations. Immediately following Sarah’s death, Abraham engages in robust bargaining with Ephron the Hittite to purchase his field and the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron in order to provide a burial place for Sarah. Later in the parasha, Abraham’s servant engages in a negotiation with Laban for Rebecca to be a wife for Issac.

Both sets of negotiation are given in great detail and, together, occupy the majority of the parasha. Why is this? What message is the parasha giving us?

The answer is very clear.

Abraham begins his negotiation with Ephron in the position of a stranger and sojourner (“ger v’toshav anochi” Gen. 23:4). He ends that set of negotiations as a landowner and permanent resident in Hebron. This is the first part of the land purchased and owned by Abraham. Owning a field with a cemetery indicates a view to long-term residence. Abraham had been promised the land by G-d. With the purchase of this land, he establishes for himself and for his family a legitimate permanent presence in the land.

Now that he is a landowner in Canaan, the story moves immediately to the next part of the promise – establishment of his family. Abraham sends his servant to his ancestral home in Padam-Aram to acquire a wife for Isaac. Why go to this extent? Why not take on the Hittite women as a wife? After all, Abraham has been accepted as a resident by the Hittites. Would not the most natural thing been to have taken a wife from the local population? The answer again is clear. Abraham knows that he has been called to take a path other than that of the surrounding idolatrous nations. He needs a wife for his son who will ensure that fidelity to G-d’s teachings will be passed down. Abraham recognizes the role that a mother will play in raising her children. If Abraham’s descendants, as Jews, are to flourish, he needs to ensure that the tradition gets passed on to at least the next generation. Thus, at the conclusion of the servant’s negotiation,a suitable wife for Isaac has been found.

Having taken possession of land in Canaan and having ensured the passing of the tradition on to the next generation, Abraham dies.

Abraham had been promised the land and had been promised offspring. At the beginning of this parasha he had no land and only one unmarried son. At the end, he has land and the promise of descendants.

This is clearly the message of the parasha. One final question remains, however. Immediately after the death and burial of Abraham, the parasha gives the descendants of Ishmael and then ends. That seems an odd way to end the passage if the parasha is about the establishment of Abraham and ensuring that the descedants of Isaac flourish in the land.

This curiosity is best answered by looking at how the very next parasha begins. It begins with the story of Isaac. I think that the editor who divided up the parshiot preferred to start the next parasha with Isaac’s story rather than Ishmael’s story. The point is that Ishmael is really a footnote to Jewish history. The main line of the story is Isaac. So, from there – from Isaac’s descendants – the story will pick up next week.

From this parasha, I think we can draw the following conclusions. G-d keeps promises made. Abraham was able to see in his lifetime the beginning of the fulfillment of the promises of land and progeny. In addition, we see that very human action is needed to bring these promises to fruition. Abraham bargained for the land and paid dearly. Abraham sought out a suitable bride for Isaac. G-d’s plans require human agents.

Mikael Swayze
CY&RS Faculty Member in the School of Professional Practice