Parashat Chayye Sarah

5782

Chapter 23 v.2

ב וַתָּמָת שָׂרָה בְּקִרְיַת אַרְבַּע הִוא חֶבְרוֹן בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וַיָּבֹא אַבְרָהָם לִסְפֹּד לְשָׂרָה וְלִבְכֹּתָֽהּ

  1. And Sarah died in Kiriath-Arba; which is Hebron in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her

אלא מהיכן בא? מהר המוריה (ב”ר נח.ה)

From where did he come? From Mount Moriah. (Bereshit Rabbah 58:5)

When Abraham wanted to recount the many virtues of his departed wife, he began with the story of the sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah. Just the fact that she had succeeded in training her son to be willing to sacrifice his very life for God showed what type of woman she had been. This explains the statement quoted above from the Midrash:

“From where had Abraham come?” From what point did Abraham, in his eulogy, begin the story of Sarah’s life? “From Mount Moriah” – with the event that took place on Mount Moriah, which gave him ample material for a eulogy.(HaDrash VeHaiyyun)

5781

Chapter 24 v.10

י וַיִּקַּח הָעֶבֶד עֲשָׂרָה גְמַלִּים מִגְּמַלֵּי אֲדֹנָיו וַיֵּלֶךְ וְכָל־טוּב אֲדֹנָיו בְּיָדוֹ וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־אֲרַם נַֽהֲרַיִם אֶל־עִיר נָחֽוֹר

And the servant took ten of his master’s camels, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand; and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

The meaning of “all the good things” here is not gold, silver, or other material things. Rather, the “good” refers to the promise to Abraham that his children would be righteous and God-fearing. If Eliezer were to choose a pious and virtuous bride for Isaac, then this “good” would come true. If, however, he were not to choose such a woman, the nature of Abraham’s descendants would be in jeopardy. The “good things” were, then, in Eliezer’s hands.

We see that, in reality, choosing the proper mate is the assurance of “good”.