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“That you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites.” (24:2)

The spiritual and moral abyss between a son of Avraham and a daughter of Canaan is so profound that any relationship between them remains forever illusive. The son of Avraham must never come under the influence of a Canaanite woman. We see Avraham, however, accepting marriage with an Aramean woman of his land and birthplace. In as much as both of these nations were idolators, what is the distinction between them? The Ran explains that the difference is in their basic character. The Arameans were of a moral and pure character, whose affinity to idolatry was a correctable intellectual deviation….

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“And Avraham said to his slave… and take a wife for my son for Yitzchak.” (24:2-4 )

The Torah devotes a large amount of space to the process of Yitzchak seeking a wife and subsequent marriage. This is indicative of the importance that is attributed to this major event. Indeed, there is no event in the life of a Jewish father which is more important than the marriage of his child. No details are left to chance. Avraham elaborates for Eliezer the specific criteria required for Yitzchak’s wife, who is to carry on the mantle of Jewish motherhood. The Torah details the fact that this first Jewish marriage was arranged through an intermediary or in the classical…

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“And Hashem blessed Avraham with everything.” (24:1 )

Rashi explains that the word “kfc” alludes to the fact that Avraham was blessed with a son, since the numerical equivalent of “kfc” equals that of “ic”, which means “son.” It seems peculiar that the Torah would be so circumspect, rather than explicitly stating that Avraham was blessed with a son. Horav Nissan Alpert, z.l., offers two insightful answers to this question. Although parents make every attempt to raise children in an appropriate manner, sometimes it is to no avail. Some children grow up and unfortunately do not see “eye to eye” with their parents. The type of wife envisioned…

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“And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years; the years of Sarah’s life.” (21:1)

Horav S. R. Hirsch z.l., notes that this is the only place in Tanach in which the Torah records a woman’s age. There are two peculiarities in the text. After stating “vra hhj uhvhu” – and the life of Sarah – rather than “vra hhj hba” the years of Sarah’s life, the Torah finds it necessary to repeat this information at the end of the pasuk! Indeed, the simple textual interpretation is not that Sarah lived 127 years, but that she lived one hundred years, twenty years, and seven years. Chazal have duly noted that Sarah’s life was divided into…

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