Parshas Chayei Sarah Divrei Torah and Messages

בּ"ה

Parshas Chayei Sarah

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‘And they were the life of Sarah -- one-hundred years, and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.’ (Bereishis 23:1)

The Midrash relates that Rabbi Akiva was once expounding before his students, and they started to doze. He wanted to awaken them, so he said: How did Esther merit being queen over 127 provinces? Let the “granddaughter” of Sarah, who lived for 127 years, come, and she should reign over 127 provinces.

Ask the first Gerrer Rebbe, HaRav Yitzchok Meir Alter zt”l; how would these words Rabbi Akiva said help to awaken his students?

We see clearly from this Midrash, says the Rebbe, that Esther was queen over 127 provinces because Sarah lived 127 years. Therefore, if you make the calculation, each province came because of one year, and thus, a week of Sarah’s life could have meant a city; and every hour meant a village. If that is the case, in the time that a person puts down their head and dozes, how much could they theoretically lose. . . This therefore, was just the right message to arouse his students.

(Sefer HaZechus, as brought in Chiddushei HaRim al HaTorah)

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‘And they were the life of Sarah -- one-hundred years, and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.’ (Bereishis 23:1)

Why is the phrase ‘the years of the life of Sarah’ repeated? Rashi zt”l says, all of them were equal in goodness.

Asks Rebbe Zusha of Anipoli zt”l; how is it possible to say this? Didn’t Sarah Imeinu endure many, many troubles in life? She was kidnapped by Paroah and Avimelech; she didn’t have children until quite an old age, and even underwent problems from Yishmael! So what is Rashi saying?

Explains the Rebbe Reb Zusha; we learn from here, that on everything that happened to Sarah, even if it was hard or painful, she said “Also this is for good!” Since she knew that everything emanated from Hashem, she didn’t feel the pain as much, but realized that it was all for the best. Therefore, all her days truly were good!

(Vi’Karasa L’Shabbos Oneg vol. 2)

HaRav Moshe Feinstein zt”l furthermore says that all her life, no matter how difficult things might have been, Sarah Imeinu always involved herself in doing kindness and goodness. Therefore, in another way, as well, all her days were good!

(Darash Moshe vol. 2)

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‘And they were the life of Sarah -- one-hundred years, and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.’ (Bereishis 23:1)

On verse 2, Rashi zt”l quotes Midrash Bereishis Rabbah that the juxtaposition of Sarah Imeinu’s death to Akeidas Yitzchok teaches us that when she heard the news that Yitzchok had been prepared for being slaughtered, and almost was, her Soul departed, and she died.

Explains HaRav Yaakov Kamenetzky zt”l (and see also Torah L’Daas here): One might think on the basis of this, that the Akeidah caused her death. Therefore, the Torah testifies that the 127 years that she lived were ‘the years of the life of Sarah’ -- meaning that that amount of years had been allotted to her when she was born, and the Satan merely used the news of the Akeidah as the means through which she would die.

(Emes L’Yaakov)

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Says HaRav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler zt”l: Surely it was very difficult for Avraham Avinu when Sarah Imeinu died, and now, in this saddened state, he had to end up paying a very high price for a proper grave for her. And nevertheless, he overcame this pain, and still behaved with extreme respect towards the Bnei Cheis! And this was not flattery for some purpose -- no! It was because Avraham knew the great obligation we have to treat others with respect.

We learn from this narrative that even if, Chas v’Shalom, we are in pain, or enduring hardship, other people don’t have to feel that pain. We must learn from Avraham Avinu to not vent our sorrows onto others; rather, even when it is difficult, we must treat everyone with respect and proper conduct.

(Michtav Me’Eliyahu vol. 4)

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‘And Avraham was old, coming in days’ (Bereishis 24:1)

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Further on in the Parsha, when the Torah relates the death of Avraham Avinu, the verse (25:7) says ‘And these are the days of the years of the life of Avraham that he lived; one-hundred years, and seventy years, and five years.’

HaRav Shimshon Dovid Pincus zt”l relates that he heard the following insight in the name of HaRav Yerucham Levovitz zt”l: What does it mean to live? When a person eats pizza or falafel, is that called living? The answer is no. Living means the moments of achievement; growth, closeness with Hashem -- and overall, service of Him.

Generally speaking, when a person lives, let’s say, 80 years, it would be nice if they could gather together numerous moments of true life. And a person who is able to gather years of true life, that’s already great!

Avraham Avinu lived 175 years of pure life. There was not a moment of his life that he was not truly alive.

(Tiferes Shimshon)

As the Zohar states (see Sfas Emes to Chayei Sara, 5631), Avraham Avinu did what he needed to every single day, and therefore, when he died, all his days came with him.1

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1 As to the fact that Avraham Avinu, we are told, did not recognize Hashem until a certain age (there are differences of opinion regarding exactly what age -- many seem to say 3), HaRav Moshe Feinstein zt”l explains that the implication of 25:7 is that because of Avraham’s incredible deeds, even the days before he recognized Hashem were retroactively changed to be as if he did (Darash Moshe). And this is consistent with what the Gemara (Yoma 86b) tells us, that through Teshuva from love of Hashem, past sins can perhaps even be turned into merits -- and surely Avraham Avinu did complete Teshuva for any shortcomings he might have ever had!

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‘And Avraham was old, coming in days, and Hashem had blessed Avraham with everything.’ (Bereishis 24:1)

There is a very big lesson that we can learn from the word ‘everything’ in the above verse:

Many things happen to us in life. Some are very good and we thank Hashem for such blessings. Others don’t seem such. . .

But what we must understand, though, is that even those things are also good and for the best. The happenings that don’t seem so great -- and even very bad, at times -- are for our benefit as well. Hashem only does good things. But it is just sometimes hard to realize.

You see, the verse says that Avraham was blessed with everything. It doesn’t go and list everything we think is good. No! It says that ‘Hashem had blessed Avraham with everything’. Meaning also the things that we would think of as bad, because they too are blessings and messages from Hashem.

Hashem knows what is best for us, and He makes thus occur. If everything we hoped would happen came about, things would not end up as joyous and ideal as we would think. . . Hashem knows what needs to happen. It is just up to us to accept and understand this.

The Chofetz Chaim zt”l (quoted in Torah Wellsprings) gives an analogy: Let’s say a person walked into shul when somebody was saying the verse in Ashrei, ‘Hashem guards all His loved ones, and all the wicked He will destroy’ -- ‘שׁומר ה' את כּל אהביו ואת כּל הרשׁעים ישׁמיד’, but he happens to not hear the first word in the verse. It would then sound like ‘Hashem, all His loved ones and all the wicked He will destroy’ -- ‘ה' את כּל אהביו ואת כּל הרשׁעים ישׁמיד’! Or perhaps he didn’t hear the last; it would then sound like: ‘Hashem guards all His loved ones and all the wicked’ -- ‘שׁומר ה' את כּל אהביו ואת כּל הרשׁעים’; both of which would be terrible, untrue verses!

Explains the Chofetz Chaim zt”l: Since we don’t see the whole picture, some things look very bad to us. But that is because we “only hear part of the verse”, i.e. we only see part of the picture. If we knew and saw the Supreme Plan behind everything, we would understand and not question that all is truly for the best.

Indeed, Avraham Avinu was blessed with everything. 2

(Tal U’Matar)

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2 See also Chiddushei Rabbeinu Yosef Nechemia here.

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‘And Avraham said to his servant, the elder of his household, who ruled over everything that was his. . . “I will adjure you by Hashem, the G-d of the Heavens, and the G-d of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaani”’ (Bereishis 24:2-3)

In the sefer Yalkut HaDrush, the question is asked: Why does the Torah go into such detail here about Eliezer Damaseik? Couldn’t it just have said ‘And Avraham said to his servant. . .’?

I saw, the author writes, to explain on this a beautiful mussar: In our times, when it comes to spiritual matters, we seem to more readily accept someone’s word for something without checking into their qualifications or the veracity so deeply. For example, if someone opened up a supposedly Kosher restaurant, they might still get plenty of customers, and many people might not be so careful as to check into how high the level of kashrus is, etc.

On the other hand, if this same person would come to us for a loan, then suddenly we would be asking questions and looking into them; maybe they aren’t honest and won’t pay us back? And until we find without a doubt that they are honest and trustworthy, we won’t lend them the money. Any doubt about the person is enough to keep us from giving them the sum. . .

But with Avraham Avinu it was the exact opposite: Spiritual matters were the main thing, and material things of This World were of much lesser importance. Eliezer Damaseik was ‘his servant, the elder of his house’ -- he knew him well, and for many years! He was the one ‘who ruled in everything that was his’ -- all Avraham’s silver and gold were under Eliezer. And yet, when it came to a spiritual thing like finding a suitable match for Yitzchok, Avraham didn’t trust him completely without adjuring him. From this we must learn, and try to lead our lives in the way of Avraham Avinu, with spiritual matters taking precedence over material matters.

(Yalkut HaDrush)

In this vein, it is related famously that once, HaRav Yisroel Salanter zt”l came to a village, and he went to the local inn. The innkeeper, noticing that Rav Yisroel was very distinguished-looking, asked him if he was a Shochet. He had an animal that needed to be slaughtered and it was a burden to bring it to the Shochet in town.

“No.” Rav Yisroel replied, though. “I am not a Shochet.”

After some time, Rav Yisroel came to the innkeeper with a question of his own: Could he perhaps lend him a ruble? The innkeeper replied that he didn’t even recognize him, and he should trust him to lend him a ruble?!

Said Rav Yisroel Salanter zt”l to the innkeeper, “If only you would listen to what your own mouth says! With money, I am not trustworthy for it, even for one ruble! But yet with Shechitah, regarding which there are many laws in the Torah, you trusted me after a mere greeting!” (See also Torah of Brisk; Sefer Bereishis, Talelei Oros, and Peninei HaTorah here).

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In this parsha, we read about the shidduch (marriage match) between Rivkah Imeinu and Yitzchok. Avraham Avinu sent Eliezer Damaseik, his loyal servant, to find the match, and the entire affair was guided and aided by Hashem, and there were many open miracles.

Teaches the Chiddushei HaRim {first Gerrer Rebbe, Rebbe Yitzchok Meir Alter zt”l}: The Torah lists the many miracles that took place with Yitzchok Avinu’s shidduch so we should know that every shidduch has miracles; they don’t happen according to the rules of nature.

(Brought in Torah Wellsprings)

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‘And she [Rivkah] went down to the fountain, and she filled her jug, and she went up. And the servant [Eliezer Damaseik] ran to greet her’ (Bereishis 24:16-17)

He ran to greet her because he saw that the waters had risen towards her (Rashi zt”l from Bereishis Rabbah).

The Ramban zt”l notes that this can be derived from the fact that here, it merely says that she went down and filled her jug, whereas when she was getting water for the camels Eliezer brought, the Torah says ‘And she drew’ (v. 20).

The question is, says Rebbe Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev zt”l, why was the miracle of the water rising on its own for her not done when she went to get water for the camels?

And he answers beautifully: The first time, when Rivkah went down to draw water, she intended to get the water for her own needs, therefore, Hashem wanted to save her the trouble, so He made the waters rise up to make it easy for her. But when she went to get water for the camels with Eliezer, she was intending to do a Mitzvah, and thus, since it is better that a Mitzvah is actually carried out in action, she had to draw the water herself.

(Kedushas Levi al HaTorah)

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‘And she [Rivkah] went down to the fountain, and she filled her jug, and she went up. And the servant [Eliezer Damaseik] ran to greet her, and he said, “Please feed me a little water from your jug.” And she said, “Drink, my master.”. . . and she gave him to drink. And when she was finished giving him to drink, and she said, “Also for your camels I will draw, until they will have finished drinking.”’ (Bereishis 24:16-19)

In the sefer Lachazos B’Noam Hashem, the author explains a beautiful message we learn from this: Rivkah Imeinu could have merely acceded to Eliezer’s request, and given him water, but she went beyond that, and gave water to the camels with him as well, even though it was a big burden to provide water for several camels! We need to keep our eyes open when someone asks if we can do a certain thing for them, because perhaps there is something else that they need hidden in that request that they are too embarrassed to ask, for example. We have to think awarely.

A man once approached either HaRav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik zt”l, or his son, HaRav Chaim zt”l, on Erev Pesach, and asked him if he could fulfill his obligation of the Four Cups with milk. When the Rav heard the question, he took a somewhat sizable sum of money out, and handed it to the man, so that he would be able to buy what he needed.

The Rebbetzin saw this and asked her husband, “He asked if it is possible to fulfill his obligation with four cups of wine; why did you give him a sum of money much greater than what would amount to four cups of wine?”

The Rav replied to her, “From the midst of his question, I understood that also meat he doesn’t have for himself for the holiday, because how is it possible that he will make four cups of milk, if he has meat? With this he would stumble in basar b’chalav (the prohibition of eating milk and meat together); rather, certainly he does not have meat for the holiday. Therefore, I gave him a proper sum that he can buy the festival needs.”

It is easy to think that in order to do chesed, we must be wealthy. But in reality, if we would think about it, throughout our day, there are likely close to a hundred opportunities to perform kindness for others, even without money.

(Lachazos B’Noam Hashem)

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‘And Yitzchok went out to converse [לשוח] in the field shortly before evening’ (Bereishis 24:63)

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Rashi zt”l comments from Midrash Bereishis Rabbah that the word לשוח (‘to converse’) is a language of Davening.

Our Sages teach us that Yitzchok Avinu was establishing Mincha at that time. And in Gemara Berachos (Daf 26), it is taught that the three Davenings of the day were set up by the Avos. Avraham Avinu established Shacharis; Yitzchok Avinu established Mincha; and Yaakov Avinu established Maariv.

Interestingly, the second letter in all of their names allude to the prayer that they set up: אברהם; the ב alludes to the Davening of the בקר (morning), which is Shacharis. יצחק; the צ alludes to the צהרים (afternoon), which is the time for Mincha. And יעקב; the ע alludes to Maariv, the davening of the ערבית, (evening time).

(Vi’Karasa L’Shabbos Oneg)

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~ Maasim Tovim ~ ‘And Yitzchok went out to converse in the field.’ (Bereishis 24:63)

‘To converse’ is a language of prayer (Rashi zt”l from Bereishis Rabbah).

In one of his shiurim, my Rebbe, HaRav Daniel Yaakov Travis shlit”a related that a man once came to Radin, and of course, he wanted to see the Chofetz Chaim zt”l, who resided there.

During the morning prayers, he saw one elder man who just looked like he was having a conversation. It turned out that that “elder man” was none other than the Chofetz Chaim, and when he davened, he would literally be talking to Hashem!

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I once asked my Rebbe, HaRav Moshe Shulman shlit”a if he could relate to me something he had seen from one of the Gedolim that was really inspiring.

He paused for a little, and then told me that when he used to teach in the Vizhnitz yeshiva, he used to see Rebbe Mordechai Hager zt”l, the recent Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, NY, before davening, walking back and forth saying Tehillim in a very sweet voice. And this was really inspiring.

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Another story of the Chofetz Chaim is told, wherein HaRav Naftali Trop zt”l, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Radin yeshiva, was deathly ill, so the students of the Yeshiva decided to make a “life-raiser”, and the bachurim would “donate” some time -- maybe a month or two -- out of their own lives to Rav Naftali’s, in hope that this would help him to continue to live.

The bachurim also came to the Chofetz Chaim, and asked him to contribute a little time to Rav Naftali. Rav Yisroel Meir thought, and thought, and the bachurim could see that he was really undergoing a struggle inside himself, until in the end, he said that he was prepared to donate one minute from his life. This left the bachurim in wonder.

Explained the Chofetz Chaim to them: “If you knew how much importance there is to every single moment, you would understand why I donated one minute, for the time is very precious, and there is no loss like the loss of time.”

When the students heard this, they strengthened themselves greatly in their use of time for study of the holy Torah, and it was said that for a long time, there was not a state of strengthening like this in the yeshiva.

(Levush Yosef; quoted in Peninei HaTorah)

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Gut and meaningful Shabbos to all!

Torah, Mussar, Chassidus, Stories, and More! - בּ"ה

Friday, November 22, 2019