A THOUGHT ON PARSHAS CHAYEI SARA
A Thought on Parshas Chayei Sara
"...ger v'toshav ani..."
"...I am a stranger and dweller..." (23:4)
"...v'ashbi'echa ba'HaShem..."
"...and swear by HaShem..." (24:2)
This parsha includes the death and burial of Sarah, and the search for a wife to marry Yitzchak.
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel addresses the intriguing couplet used by Avraham in describing himself as a "ger v'toshav." He was bargaining with local pagans for a plot of land which was to become the burial cave of our first ancestors. He also addresses the idea of the oath which Avraham extracted from his servant to assure that he find a suitable wife for his pious son Yitzchak. Since when, queries Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel, is a non-Jew bound by an oath to HaShem? It is not one of his "Seven Commandments for Benei Noach" so the servant could promise and vow whatever he wanted yet have no sacred obligation to fulfill a oath "to HaShem."
The third puzzle he presents is on the rationale for the oath itself. The servant had to pledge that he would select a bride from Avraham's homeland and family stock. Those relatives were also pagans, and this was a way of life that Avraham had left behind. Why would he assume that the suitable wife would be found among idolaters?
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel offers a stunning trio of interdependent answers. Commentaries struggle with the double term "a stranger and a dweller" and offer a number of ideas. The interpretation of Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel is that in referring to himself as a stranger, a ger, Avraham was explaining to the local heathens why he needed a special burial plot.
"I am a ger! I am a righteous convert to the Ways of HaShem", Avraham declared, "and it is not fit for one who submits to One G-d to be counted among those who worship many deities." The emphasis was on Avraham's personal faith system. The heathen locals could interpret this as a sign of his inferiority to them, or as an assertion of his being different than them, but regardless, Avraham cited his personal belief to justify how he and his followers would need a different and separate hallowed ground for the burial of their fellow Hebrews.
Now on to the oath. Why would the servant feel bound by swearing in the name of HaShem if HaShem was the G-d of the Hebrews, who did not command other people to observe anything more than the basic Seven mitzvos of the Children of Noach? He explains that when someone takes an oath in the name of HaShem and does not honor it, this is more than just a lie. This is a denial of the reality of HaShem's Presence. Being a "kofer b'ikar" or functioning as if there is no Divine Presence monitoring our conduct is a greater abomination than worshipping idols. Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel is of the opinion that denial of HaShem is included in the mitzvah of not serving idols ("kofer b'ikar bi'chlal oved avoda zara").
Avraham knew that his servant had no commandment to keep an oath nor any prohibition against lying under oath. However, taking an oath in the name of HaShem was forbidden to Benei Noach. He knew that his servant would be bound by such an oath.
The third issue, understanding Avraham's rationale for accepting a daughter-in-law from a pagan family, is equally fascinating. Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel suggests that Avraham Avinu knew that if those people worshipped something (as compared with those who refuse to worship anything), then they would have some "religious fervor" or spiritual potential. He anticipated that once such a devout young woman would move into the holy sphere of learning to serve the One G-d, she would draw on her devotion to develop yiras Shomayim to fuel her new understanding of religion. One who already accepts the concept of serving a deity, and who is familiar with the practice of inner devotion and worship, can more readily accept and adopt the tenets and practice of serving the One Above.
We are still Strangers Among the Nations. We bind ourselves with and by our beliefs and we can elevate ourselves and our world by directing our spiritual energy, and our reverence for the Sacred, in the service of HaShem. Good Shabbos. D Fox
"...ger v'toshav ani..."
"...I am a stranger and dweller..." (23:4)
"...v'ashbi'echa ba'HaShem..."
"...and swear by HaShem..." (24:2)
This parsha includes the death and burial of Sarah, and the search for a wife to marry Yitzchak.
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel addresses the intriguing couplet used by Avraham in describing himself as a "ger v'toshav." He was bargaining with local pagans for a plot of land which was to become the burial cave of our first ancestors. He also addresses the idea of the oath which Avraham extracted from his servant to assure that he find a suitable wife for his pious son Yitzchak. Since when, queries Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel, is a non-Jew bound by an oath to HaShem? It is not one of his "Seven Commandments for Benei Noach" so the servant could promise and vow whatever he wanted yet have no sacred obligation to fulfill a oath "to HaShem."
The third puzzle he presents is on the rationale for the oath itself. The servant had to pledge that he would select a bride from Avraham's homeland and family stock. Those relatives were also pagans, and this was a way of life that Avraham had left behind. Why would he assume that the suitable wife would be found among idolaters?
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel offers a stunning trio of interdependent answers. Commentaries struggle with the double term "a stranger and a dweller" and offer a number of ideas. The interpretation of Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel is that in referring to himself as a stranger, a ger, Avraham was explaining to the local heathens why he needed a special burial plot.
"I am a ger! I am a righteous convert to the Ways of HaShem", Avraham declared, "and it is not fit for one who submits to One G-d to be counted among those who worship many deities." The emphasis was on Avraham's personal faith system. The heathen locals could interpret this as a sign of his inferiority to them, or as an assertion of his being different than them, but regardless, Avraham cited his personal belief to justify how he and his followers would need a different and separate hallowed ground for the burial of their fellow Hebrews.
Now on to the oath. Why would the servant feel bound by swearing in the name of HaShem if HaShem was the G-d of the Hebrews, who did not command other people to observe anything more than the basic Seven mitzvos of the Children of Noach? He explains that when someone takes an oath in the name of HaShem and does not honor it, this is more than just a lie. This is a denial of the reality of HaShem's Presence. Being a "kofer b'ikar" or functioning as if there is no Divine Presence monitoring our conduct is a greater abomination than worshipping idols. Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel is of the opinion that denial of HaShem is included in the mitzvah of not serving idols ("kofer b'ikar bi'chlal oved avoda zara").
Avraham knew that his servant had no commandment to keep an oath nor any prohibition against lying under oath. However, taking an oath in the name of HaShem was forbidden to Benei Noach. He knew that his servant would be bound by such an oath.
The third issue, understanding Avraham's rationale for accepting a daughter-in-law from a pagan family, is equally fascinating. Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel suggests that Avraham Avinu knew that if those people worshipped something (as compared with those who refuse to worship anything), then they would have some "religious fervor" or spiritual potential. He anticipated that once such a devout young woman would move into the holy sphere of learning to serve the One G-d, she would draw on her devotion to develop yiras Shomayim to fuel her new understanding of religion. One who already accepts the concept of serving a deity, and who is familiar with the practice of inner devotion and worship, can more readily accept and adopt the tenets and practice of serving the One Above.
We are still Strangers Among the Nations. We bind ourselves with and by our beliefs and we can elevate ourselves and our world by directing our spiritual energy, and our reverence for the Sacred, in the service of HaShem. Good Shabbos. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 9:44 PM
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