Chayei Sarah 5772

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Chayei Sarah (Genesis 23:1-25:18 )

GOOD MORNING! Rabbi Michael Shudrich, the Chief Rabbi of Poland, told me the following story: Two young anti-Semitic skinheads got married after high school. Two years later the wife's grandmother dies. On her deathbed the grandmother tells her, "I am Jewish, your mother is Jewish, you are Jewish." The young lady tells her husband that she heard of a Friday night meal that Jews celebrate and that she would like to honor her grandmother's memory each week with a Shabbat dinner. The husband had no objection, after all, one has to eat anyway.

However, the husband's parents were vehemently against it. "You can't do this! This Jewish stuff is not good. It's dangerous. You don't know what can happen if you do it!" The more they protested, the more the husband stood up for his wife and supported her Friday night efforts.

Over time his parents saw how much their son and daughter-in-law were enjoying Shabbat and how serious they were about Judaism. The young man approached his father that he was considering converting to Judaism. With perhaps a bit of chagrin the father tells his son, "You do not need to convert; you, too, are Jewish."

This is the power of Shabbat! It touches the soul. It gently fans the spark in the soul that yearns for a connection to the Almighty. For one who has not experienced Shabbat it is difficult, if not impossible, to imagine the experience. Pearl Benisch conveys the beauty, the tranquillity, the transcendence of Shabbat in her inspiring holocaust memoir To Vanquish the Dragon:

"How I used to love Shabbos at home, with its tranquil joy. There, too, I had counted the days until at long last it was Friday. From the early morning on we would be busily at work, preparing meals and scrubbing the house for the holy day. Then, dressed in our holiday finest and trembling with excitement, we would wait for the moment when in her full glory the Shabbat Queen would enter our home and our hearts.

"Mother would greet the Queen by kindling the Sabbath candles, moving her long, regal hands over and around the little flames and then resting them over her lovely, troubled face. How I had yearned to hear the blessing she whispered in those precious moments when, oblivious to the world, she conversed with God.

"Whispered though it was, I knew the contents of that prayer: you were praying, Mother, for the light to enter our hearts and fill them with love and understanding, for us to be better Jews, kinder people. I knew you were pleading with God to ease the burden of His people, to bring salvation to this tormented nation. And I knew you were praying for the same light to spread over the world and enter every human heart, illuminating the darkness of our existence.

"When she would lift her hands, the features I saw were no long the troubled weekday ones; they radiated strength and peace. In one moment, as if by the touch of a magic wand, the house was transformed into a sanctuary filled with light, love and tranquillity. The Shabbos table beckoned, with its spirited zemiros (Shabbos songs), Torah discussions, and peaceful aura."

Someone once said, "More than the Jewish people has preserved the Shabbat, the Shabbat has preserved the Jewish people." To enhance your Jewish family life and to strengthen the connection of your children with our heritage ... try Shabbat! If you would like to experience Shabbat, ask a friend who keeps Shabbat for an invitation. If you keep Shabbat, invite someone who might enjoy it.

There is a practical guide to experiencing a traditional Shabbat: Friday Night and Beyond: The Shabbat Experience Step-by-Step by Lori Palatnik (available at your local Jewish bookstore, at JudaicaEnterprises.com or by calling toll-free to 877-758-3242). It is well worth buying! Michael Medved, the noted talk show host relates to it as "a warm and wonderful book that describes some of the most life-enhancing aspects of Jewish tradition in inviting, accessible terms. Reading Friday Night and Beyond is like joining an especially joyous and informative family table as an honored Shabbat guest."

 

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Torah Portion of the Week
Chayei Sarah

Sarah dies at the age of 127. Avraham purchases a burial place for her in Hebron in the cave of Ma'arat HaMachpela. Avraham sends his servant, Eliezer, back to the "old country," his birthplace Charan, to find a wife for Yitzhak (Isaac). Eliezer makes what appear to be very strange conditions for the matrimonial candidate to fulfill in order to qualify for Yitzhak. Rivka (Rebecca) unknowingly meets the conditions. Eliezer succeeds in getting familial approval, though they were not too keen about Rivka leaving her native land.

Avraham marries Keturah and fathers six more sons. He sends them east (with the secrets of mysticism) before he dies at 175. Yitzhak and Ishmael bury Avraham near Sarah in the Ma'arat HaMachpela, the cave Avraham purchased in Hebron to bury Sarah. The portion ends with the listing of Ishmael's 12 sons and Ishmael dying at age 137.

* * *

Dvar Torah
based on Growth Through Torah by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

Efron the Hittite agreed to sell Avraham the Cave of Machpela in Hebron as a burial place for Sarah, after several exchanges regarding the sale. The Torah then relates that "And Avraham heard ... and weighed out for Efron ... four hundred shekels" (Gen. 23:16).

Efron spoke as if he were a generous man. He spoke to Avraham with the greatest respect. He ostensibly offered him the burial site free of charge. He mentioned, however, in passing, "The four hundred shekels that one might usually pay for this is nothing between friends. Your friendship is more precious than money. Take it without payment."

Avraham took the hint. He was perceptive and realized that Efron did not really want to give the land for nothing. It might seem to a naive bystander that Efron only mentioned the sum of money as an aside, that it was just a passing remark of no significance. However, Avraham "heard", and with his well-developed intuition understood Efron's real intentions. He responded to Efron's inner wishes and not to his superficial words.

This ability to differentiate between what someone says and what he really means is an attribute that we must develop. For many areas of spiritual growth it is essential.

For example, someone makes a belittling remark about something he just accomplished. The person would really appreciate a kind word. He might be uncertain about the quality of what he did and want reassurance. This encouragement could be beneficial in motivating him for further accomplishment. If you really "hear" him, you will say those kind words.

Another example: You may ask someone if he needs your help. He replies, "No, I can do it myself. It's not so difficult." Taking the words at their face value you might just walk away. However, if you are perceptive, you will know that he really needs your help. Perhaps he is either too shy or too embarrassed to ask for your help. Learn to be perceptive to realize when your help is needed and really welcomed.

By gaining this sensitivity and perceptiveness, you will be able to reach greater heights in the mitzvah of "Loving your fellow man."

 

CANDLE LIGHTING - November 11
(or go to http://www.aish.com/sh/c/)

Jerusalem 3:59
Guatemala 5:12 - Hong Kong 5:23 - Honolulu 5:31
J'Burg 6:18 - London 3:49 - Los Angeles 4:30
Melbourne 7:55 - Mexico City 5:39 - Miami 5:15
New York 4:18 - Singapore 6:34 - Toronto 4:32

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

To hear is human ... to listen is divine

 

 
With Special Thanks to

Mr. Joe Craven

Hong Kong

 

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