Chayei Sarah
Encyclopedia
Chayei Sarah, Chaye Sarah, or Hayye Sarah ( — Hebrew
for “life of Sarah
,” the first words
in the parshah) is the fifth weekly Torah portion (parshah) in the annual Jewish
cycle of Torah reading
. It constitutes Genesis Jews
read it on the fifth Sabbath
after Simchat Torah
, generally in November.
lived 127 years and died in Hebron
, and Abraham
mourned for her. Abraham asked the Hittites
to sell him a burial site, and the Hittites invited him to bury his dead in the choicest of their burial places. Abraham asked the Hittites to intercede for him with Ephron son of Zohar to sell Abraham the cave of Machpelah
at full price. Before the Hittites at the town gate, Ephron offered to give Abraham the field and the cave that was in it, but Abraham insisted on paying the price of the land. Ephron named the value of the land at 400 shekel
s of silver and Abraham accepted Ephron's terms, gave him the silver, and purchased the land. Abraham buried Sarah in the cave.
that he would not take a wife for Isaac
from the Canaan
ites, but would go to the land of Abraham’s birth to get Isaac a wife. The servant asked if the woman did not consent to follow him to Canaan, should he take Isaac back to the land from which Abraham came? Abraham told him on no account to take Isaac back there, for God — who took Abraham from there and promised Abraham the land of Canaan
for his offspring — would send an angel
before the servant and allow him successfully to get a wife for Isaac from there, and if the woman did not consent to follow him, he would then be clear of his oath. So the servant put his hand under Abraham’s thigh and swore to him as Abraham had asked.
, the city of Nahor
. He made the camels kneel by the well outside the city at evening, when women come out to draw water. The servant asked God to grant that the maiden whom he would ask to draw water for him and who replied by offering also to water his camels might be the one whom God had decreed for Isaac. He had scarcely finished speaking when Rebekah
, the beautiful virgin daughter of Abraham's nephew Bethuel
, came out with her jar on her shoulder, went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. The servant ran toward her and asked to sip a little water from her jar, and she quickly let him drink and when he had drunk his fill, she offered to draw water for his camels until they finish drinking. When the camels had finished drinking, the servant took a gold nose-ring and two gold bands for her arms, and asked her whose daughter she was and whether there was room in her father's house for him to spend the night. She identified herself and told him that there was plenty of straw and feed and room at her home for him to spend the night. The servant bowed low to God and blessed God for steadfast faithfulness to Abraham.
ran out to the servant at the spring, and when he saw the nose-ring and the bands on Rebekah’s arms, and when he heard his sister tell the story, Laban invited the servant to their house, had the camels unloaded and fed, and had water brought to bathe the feet of the servant and his party. But the servant would not eat before he had told his tale. The servant told how God had greatly blessed Abraham with sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and asses, and a son and sole heir. The servant told how Abraham made him swear to go to Abraham’s kindred to get Isaac a wife, and that God would send an angel to make his errand successful. And the servant told how he met Rebekah at the well. The servant then asked whether or not they meant to treat Abraham with true kindness, and Laban and Bethuel answered that the matter had been decreed by God and Rebekah could go and be Isaac’s wife. The servant bowed low to God and brought out silver, gold, and garments for Rebekah and presents for her brother and her mother. Then the servant and his party ate, drank, and spent the night. The next morning, the servant asked leave to return to Abraham, but Laban and her mother asked that Rebekah remain a period of time. The servant persisted, so they called Rebekah to ask for her reply, and she agreed to go. So they blessed Rebekah — wishing that her children be thousands of myriads and seize the gates of their foes — and they sent off Rebekah and her nurse with the servant.
, who bore him Zimran
, Jokshan
, Medan
, Midian
, Ishbak, and Shuah. Abraham willed all that he owned to Isaac, but to his sons by concubines he gave gifts while he was still living, and he sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the East.
Abraham lived 175 years and died old and contented. Isaac and Ishmael
buried him in the cave of Machpelah with Sarah. After Abraham’s death, God blessed Isaac and he settled near Beer-lahai-roi.
Ishmael had 12 sons, who became chieftains of 12 tribes. Ishmael lived 137 years and then died. Ishmael’s progeny dwelt in lands all the way from Havilah
, near Egypt
, to Asshur
.
paid the children of Hamor for the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent outside the city of Shechem
in the 50 shekels of silver that King David
paid Araunah
the Jebusite
for Araunah’s threshing floor, oxen, and wood in 2 Samuel
(but 1 Chronicles
reports cost 600 shekels of gold); and the 17 shekels of silver that Jeremiah
paid his cousin Hanamel for his field in Anathoth
in the land of Benjamin
in Jeremiah
The cave of Machpelah in which reports Abraham buried Sarah later became the burial site for Abraham himself (as reported in ) and thereafter Isaac, Rebekah, Leah
, and Jacob (as reported in ).
and other commentators noted a number of differences between the two recountings. (See, e.g., Yehudah Nachshoni. Studies in the Weekly Parashah: The Classical Interpretations of Major Topics and Themes in the Torah, 114–16. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1988. ISBN 0-89906-933-9.)
Abraham’s servant’s meeting (on behalf of Isaac) of Rebekah at the well in is the Torah’s first of several meetings at watering holes that lead to marriage. Also of the same type scene are the meeting of Jacob and Rachel
at the well in and the of meeting Moses
and Zipporah
at the well in Each involves (1) a trip to a distant land, (2) a stop at a well, (3) a young woman coming to the well to draw water, (4) a heroic drawing of water, (5) the young woman going home to report to her family, (6) the visiting man brought to the family, and (7) a subsequent marriage. (See Victor P. Hamilton. The Book of Genesis: Chapters 18–50, 254–55. Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995. ISBN 0-8028-2309-2.)
reported that Rebekah told Abraham’s servant, “my father was Bethuel, but he is dead; and Laban is my brother; and, together with my mother, takes care of all our family affairs, and is the guardian of my virginity.” (Antiquities
1:16:2:248.)
noted that recorded that “the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years” rather than “one-hundred-twenty-seven years,” and deduced that as the righteous are whole and unblemished by sin, so are their years reported whole in the Bible. Thus the midrash taught that at the age of 20, Sarah was as at the age of seven in beauty, and at the age of 100, she was as at the age of 20 in sin (the age below which Providence does not punish for sin). (Genesis Rabbah 58:1.)
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana interpreted the words, "The sun rises, and the sun sets," in Ecclesiastes
to teach that before God causes the sun of one righteous person to set, God causes the sun of another righteous person to rise. Thus a midrash taught that before God allowed Sarah's sun to set, God caused Rebekah's sun to rise. Thus first says, "Behold, Milcah, she also has borne children . . . and Bethuel begot Rebekah," and after that, says, "and the lifetime of Sarah was a hundred years . . . ." (Genesis Rabbah 58:2.)
Once while lecturing, Rabbi Akiba asked why Esther
deserved to reign over 127 provinces (as indicated by Esther
). Rabbi Akiba taught that the reason was this: Let Esther, the descendant of Sarah, who lived 127 years (as reports), come and reign over 127 provinces. (Genesis Rabbah 58:3.)
Noting that reports that "Sarah died in Kiriath-arba," literally, “city of four,” a midrash taught that the city had four names — Eshcol, Mamre, Kiriath-arba, and Hebron. Midrash taught that it was called Kiriath-arba because four righteous men dwelt there — Aner, Eshcol, Mamre, and Abraham; four righteous men were circumcised there — Abraham, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; four righteous men were buried there — Adam
, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and four matriarchs were buried there — Eve
, Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah. (Genesis Rabbah 58:4.)
A midrash deduced from the words “Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her” in that Abraham came directly from Mount Moriah
and the binding of Isaac
. The midrash told that at the very moment in that the angel of the Lord stayed Abraham from sacrificing Isaac, the Satan
appeared to Sarah in the guise of Isaac. When Sarah saw him, she asked what Abraham had done to him. He told Sarah that Abraham had taken him to a mountain, built an altar, placed wood upon it, tied him down on it, and took a knife to slaughter him, and had God not told him not to lay a hand on him, Abraham would have slaughtered him. And as soon as he finished speaking, Sarah’s soul departed. (Midrash Tanhuma
Vayeira 23.)
The Gemara
deduced from the use of the verb "came" in the account of "And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her," that Abraham delayed Sarah's funeral until he could travel to where her body lay. The Gemara further taught that Sarah would have been pleased that Abraham delayed her funeral so that he could eulogize her. (Babylonian Talmud
Sanhedrin 46b.)
Rav Ashi deduced from that as long as a person has the obligation to bury a body, it is as if the corpse lay before the person. says: "And Abraham rose up from before his dead," indicating that he departed from the presence of Sarah's body. And then says: "that I may bury my dead out of my sight," showing that Abraham still spoke as if Sarah's corpse were lying before him. (And this status affects a person's obligation to perform other commandments.) (Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 18a.) Similarly, Rabbi Johanan
taught that we learn from the words, “And Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke,” in that one whose dead lies before him is exempt from reciting the Shema
(as the verse implies that until Sarah’s burial, Abraham did nothing but make arrangements for it). (Genesis Rabbah 58:6.)
The Gemara expanded on the conversation between God and Satan in Job
to teach that Abraham’s patience in receiving the Promised Land even in the face of the need to buy land to bury his wife in showed faith comparable to that of Job
. begins: “Now one day the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came among them. And the Lord said to Satan: ‘From where do you come?’ Then Satan answered. . . .” The Gemara taught that Satan then told God: “Sovereign of the Universe, I have traversed the whole world and found none so faithful as Your servant Abraham. For You said to him, ‘Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for to you will I give it’ , and even so, when he was unable to find any place in which to bury Sarah until he bought one for 400 shekels of silver, he did not complain against Your ways.” Only then did God say to Satan the words of “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is none like him in the earth . . . .” (Babylonian Talmud Bava Batra 15b.)
Rabbi Berekiah
and Rabbi Helbo taught in the name of Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman
that the Valley of Siddim
(mentioned in in connection with the battle between the four kings and the five kings) was called the Valley of Shaveh (which means "as one") because there all the peoples of the world agreed as one, felled cedars, erected a large dais for Abraham, set him on top, and praised him, saying (in the words of ) "Hear us, my lord: you are a prince of God among us." They told Abraham that he was king over them and a god to them. But Abraham replied that the world did not lack its King, and the world did not lack its God. (Genesis Rabbah 42:5.)
A midrash taught that Abraham said (beginning with the words of and ), "'Here I am' — ready for priesthood, ready for kingship" (ready to serve God in whatever role God chose), and Abraham attained both priesthood and kingship. He attained priesthood, as says, "The Lord has sworn, and will not repent: 'You are a priest forever after the manner of Melchizedek." And he attained kingship, as says, "You are a mighty prince among us." (Genesis Rabbah 55:6.)
Rav
and Samuel
differed as to its meaning of “Machpelah” — meaning “double cave” — in One held that the cave consisted of two chambers one within the other, and the other held that it consisted of a lower and upper chamber. According to one, the term “double cave” meant that it was the burial place of multiple couples — Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah. (Babylonian Talmud Eruvin 53a.)
The Gemara deduced from the use of the term “take” in that “taking” means by monetary exchange. And thus the Gemara deduced that money effects betrothal by noting the common use of “take” in and in Deuteronomy in the words, “If any man take a wife.” (Babylonian Talmud Kiddushin 2a–b, 4b.)
The Mishnah
attributed to Abraham a good eye (a magnanimous spirit in financial matters, based, for example, on Abraham's generous and ungrudging nature in his dealings with Ephron the Hittite in ). (Mishnah Avot 5:19.)
Rabbi Haninah taught that every time the Torah refers to silver coin without any qualification, it means a sela (shekel
), except for the silver coin that cites in the transaction with Ephron. For although mentions the coinage without qualification, it means centenaria (worth 100 shekels each), because says: "400 shekels of silver current money with the merchant" (implying that wherever there were merchants, these shekels had to be accepted as such), and there is a place where they call centenaria "shekels." (Babylonian Talmud Bekhorot 50a.)
Rav Judah
said in the name of Rav that which says, "So the field of Efron which was in Machpelah . . . and all the trees that were in the field that were in the border thereof," indicates that Abraham in buying the field acquired all the small trees that were identified by their surrounding boundary. But the purchase did not include those large, distinctive trees that did not require a surrounding boundary for people to know to whom they belonged. And Rav Mesharsheya deduced from that one who buys a field also gains title to the border strips and the trees on these strips surrounding the field. (Babylonian Talmud Bava Batra 69b.)
deduced from that God blessed Abraham in his old age because (as the Mishnah deduced from ) he kept the entire Torah even before it was revealed. (Mishnah Kiddushin 4:14; Tosefta Kiddushin 5:17.) And the Tosefta deduced from the contrast between the plenty indicated in and the famine indicated in that God gave the people food and drink and a glimpse of the world to come while the righteous Abraham was alive, so that the people might understand what it had lost when he was gone. (Tosefta Sotah 10:5.)
Rabbi Hama ben Hanina taught that our ancestors were never without a scholars’ council. Abraham was an elder and a member of the scholars’ council, as says, “And Abraham was an elder well stricken in age.” Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, was an elder and a member of the scholars’ council, as says, “And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all he had,” which Rabbi Eleazar explained to mean that he ruled over — and thus knew and had control of — the Torah of his master. Isaac
was an elder and a member of the scholars’ council, as says: “And it came to pass when Isaac was an elder .” Jacob was an elder and a member of the scholars’ council, as says, “Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age .” In Egypt they had the scholars’ council, as says, “Go and gather the elders of Israel together.” And in the Wilderness, they had the scholars’ council, as in God directed Moses to “Gather . . . 70 men of the elders of Israel.” (Babylonian Talmud Yoma 28b.)
The Tosefta reported that Jewish judicial proceedings adopted the oath that Abraham imposed in (Tosefta Sotah 7:3.) And Rav Judah said that Rav said that the judge adjures the witness with the oath stated in “And I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven.” Ravina
explained that this accorded with the view of Rabbi Haninah bar Idi, who said that Jewish judicial proceedings require swearing by the Name of God. Rav Ashi replied that one might even say that it accorded with the view of the Rabbis, who said that a witness can be adjured with a Substitute for the Name of God. They concluded that the witness needs to hold something sacred in his hand, as Abraham’s servant did when in he put his hand under Abraham’s thigh and held Abraham’s circumcision. Rava
said that a judge who adjures by “the Lord God of heaven” without having the witness hold a sacred object errs and has to repeat the swearing correctly. Rav Papa
said that a judge who adjures with tefillin
errs and has to repeat the swearing. The law follows Rava, but not Rav Papa, as tefillin are considered sacred. (Babylonian Talmud Shevuot 38b.)
Reading the report of that Abraham’s servant had “all the goods of his master's in his hand,” Rabbi Helbo explained that this was a deed of gift (made by Abraham of all his wealth to Isaac, so that a bride would be more eager to marry him). (Genesis Rabbah 59:11.)
Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani said in the name of Rabbi Jonathan
that Abraham’s servant Eliezer made an improper request when in he asked God to grant that the young woman whom he would ask to draw water for him and who replied by offering also to water his camels might be the one whom God had decreed for Isaac. Rabbi Samuel asked what would have happened if she had happened to be lame or blind, and concluded that Eliezer was fortunate that Providence answered him by sending Rebekah to meet him. Rabbi Samuel compared Eliezer’s request to the improvident oaths that Saul
made in 1 Samuel
when he promised his daughter to the man who would kill Goliath and that Jephthah made in Judges
when he promised to sacrifice whatever came out of his house to meet him on his return. (Babylonian Talmud Taanit 4a.) And Rav cited Eliezer’s request in along with the omen sought by Jonathan
in as forms of improper acts of divination. (Babylonian Talmud Chullin 95b.)
Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai taught that God answered three men even while their petition was still on their lips: Abraham’s servant Eliezer, Moses, and Solomon
. With regard to Eliezer, reports: “And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out.” With regard to Moses, Numbers
reports: “And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground did cleave asunder.” And with regard to Solomon, 2 Chronicles
reports: “Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven.” (Genesis Rabbah 60:4.)
Rav Nahman bar Isaac
cited a Tanna that interpreted to teach that Rebekah was virgin between the ages of 12 and 12½ (a naarah) when Abraham’s servant encountered her. (Babylonian Talmud Yevamot 61b.)
The Rabbis read the words “And I came this day to the well” in to imply that Eliezer had set out that day from Abraham’s household and arrived on the same day in Aram-Naharaim
. The Rabbis thus taught that the earth shrank to speed Eliezer’s journey, as it would again for Jacob (as implied in ) and Abishai the son of Zeruiah
. (Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 95a–b.)
Rabbi Isaac called Bethuel a wicked man. (Babylonian Talmud Yevamot 64a; see also Genesis Rabbah 60:12 (wicked); 63:4 (a rogue); Leviticus Rabbah
23:1 (a deceiver); Song of Songs Rabbah
2:4 (a trickster).) A midrash identified Bethuel as a king. (Numbers Rabbah
14:11.)
Rav in the name of Rabbi Reuben ben Estrobile cited Laban’s and Bethuel’s response to Abraham’s servant that “The matter was decreed by the Lord” in as a proof text for the proposition that God destines a woman and a man for each other in marriage. (Babylonian Talmud Mo'ed Katan 18b; see also Genesis Rabbah 68:3.) Rabbi Joshua ben Rabbi Nehemiah in the name of Rabbi Haninah ben Isaac said that the decree with regard to Rebekah that Laban and Bethuel acknowledged came from Mount Moriah
. (Genesis Rabbah 60:10.)
Noting that reports that the next day, Rebekah’s “brother and her mother said, ‘Let the maiden remain with us some ten days’” , the Rabbis asked where Bethuel was. The midrash concluded that Bethuel wished to hinder Rebekah’s marriage, and so he was smitten during the night. (Genesis Rabbah 60:12.) The Rabbis said that Abraham’s servant did not disclose Bethuel’s fate to Isaac. (Genesis Rabbah 60:15.)
Rav Hisda
interpreted the word “days” in to mean “a year.” says, “And her brother and her mother said: ‘Let the maiden abide with us yamim, at the least ten.” The Gemara reasoned that if , yamim, in means “days” and thus to imply “two days” (as the plural implies more than one), then would report Rebekah’s brother and mother suggesting first two days, and then when Eliezer said that that was too long, nonsensically suggesting ten days. The Gemara thus deduced that , yamim, must mean “a year,” as Leviticus implies when it says, “if a man sells a house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; for a full year shall he have the right of redemption.” Thus might mean, “Let the maiden abide with us a year, or at the least ten months.” The Gemara then suggested that , yamim, might mean “a month,” as suggests when it uses the phrase “a month of days .” The Gemara concluded, however, that , yamim, means “a month” only when the term “month” is specifically mentioned, but otherwise means either “days” (at least two) or “a year.” (Babylonian Talmud Ketubot 57b.) Similarly, the Mishnah taught that they allowed a virgin 12 months to prepare for her wedding after her fiancé told her to prepare. (Mishnah Ketubot 5:2; Babylonian Talmud Ketubot 57a.)
A midrash noted that in Rebekah’s brother and mother asked Rebekah if she assented to going with Abraham’s servant to marry Isaac. The midrash deduced from this inquiry that a fatherless maiden may not be given in marriage without her consent. (Genesis Rabbah 60:12.)
Rabbi Joshua ben Levi
(according to the Jerusalem Talmud
) or a Baraita
in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yose the son of Rabbi Chaninah (according to the Babylonian Talmud) said that the three daily prayers derived from the Patriarchs
, and cited for the proposition that Jews derived the afternoon prayer from Isaac, arguing that within the meaning of “speak” meant “pray,” just as it did in Psalm
(Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 43a; Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 26b.)
. (Genesis Rabbah 61:4.)
Rabbi Hama son of Rabbi Haninah taught that shows God comforting the mourning Isaac, and thus demonstrates one of God’s attributes that humans should emulate. Rabbi Hama son of Rabbi Haninah asked what means in the text, “You shall walk after the Lord your God.” How can a human being walk after God, when says, “[T]he Lord your God is a devouring fire”? Rabbi Hama son of Rabbi Haninah explained that the command to walk after God means to walk after the attributes of God. As God clothes the naked — for says, “And the Lord God made for Adam
and for his wife coats of skin, and clothed them” — so should we also clothe the naked. God visited the sick — for says, “And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre
” (after Abraham
was circumcised in ) — so should we also visit the sick. God comforted mourners — for says, “And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son” — so should we also comfort mourners. God buried the dead — for says, “And He buried him in the valley” — so should we also bury the dead. (Babylonian Talmud Sotah 14a.) Similarly, the Sifre
on taught that to walk in God’s ways means to be (in the words of ) “merciful and gracious.” (Sifre to Deuteronomy 49:1.)
and Sefer ha-Chinuch
, there are no commandments
in the parshah. (Maimonides. Mishneh Torah
. Cairo
, Egypt, 1170–1180. Reprinted in Maimonides. The Commandments: Sefer Ha-Mitzvoth of Maimonides. Translated by Charles B. Chavel, 2 vols. London: Soncino Press, 1967. ISBN 0-900689-71-4. Sefer HaHinnuch: The Book of [Mitzvah] Education. Translated by Charles Wengrov, 1:87. Jerusalem: Feldheim Pub., 1991. ISBN 0-87306-179-9.)
for the parshah is:
), at the close of the fourth blessing (of thanks for God’s goodness), Jews allude to God’s blessing of the Patriarchs
described in , and . (Menachem Davis. The Schottenstein Edition Siddur for the Sabbath and Festivals with an Interlinear Translation, 172. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2002. ISBN 1-57819-697-3. Reuven Hammer. Or Hadash: A Commentary on Siddur Sim Shalom
for Shabbat and Festivals, 342. New York: The Rabbinical Assembly, 2003. ISBN 0-916219-20-8.)
The Sages deduced from Isaac’s “meditation . . . toward evening” in that Isaac began the practice of the afternoon Mincha prayer service. (Hammer at 1.)
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
for “life of Sarah
Sarah
Sarah or Sara was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai...
,” the first words
Incipit
Incipit is a Latin word meaning "it begins". The incipit of a text, such as a poem, song, or book, is the first few words of its opening line. In music, it can also refer to the opening notes of a composition. Before the development of titles, texts were often referred to by their incipits...
in the parshah) is the fifth weekly Torah portion (parshah) in the annual Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
cycle of Torah reading
Torah reading
Torah reading is a Jewish religious ritual that involves the public reading of a set of passages from a Torah scroll. The term often refers to the entire ceremony of removing the Torah scroll from the ark, chanting the appropriate excerpt with special cantillation, and returning the scroll to...
. It constitutes Genesis Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
read it on the fifth Sabbath
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
after Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah or Simḥath Torah is a celebration marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle...
, generally in November.
Summary
A burial place for Sarah
SarahSarah
Sarah or Sara was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai...
lived 127 years and died in Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
, and Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
mourned for her. Abraham asked the Hittites
Biblical Hittites
The Hittites and children of Heth are a people or peoples mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. They are listed in Book of Genesis as second of the twelve Canaanite nations, descended from one Heth...
to sell him a burial site, and the Hittites invited him to bury his dead in the choicest of their burial places. Abraham asked the Hittites to intercede for him with Ephron son of Zohar to sell Abraham the cave of Machpelah
Cave of the Patriarchs
The Cave of the Patriarchs or the Cave of Machpelah , is known by Muslims as the Sanctuary of Abraham or Ibrahimi Mosque ....
at full price. Before the Hittites at the town gate, Ephron offered to give Abraham the field and the cave that was in it, but Abraham insisted on paying the price of the land. Ephron named the value of the land at 400 shekel
Shekel
Shekel , is any of several ancient units of weight or of currency. The first usage is from Mesopotamia around 3000 BC. Initially, it may have referred to a weight of barley...
s of silver and Abraham accepted Ephron's terms, gave him the silver, and purchased the land. Abraham buried Sarah in the cave.
A wife for Isaac
Abraham was old, and instructed his senior servant to put his hand under Abraham’s thigh and swear by GodNames of God in Judaism
In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title; it represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relationship of God to the Jewish people and to the world. To demonstrate the sacredness of the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for...
that he would not take a wife for Isaac
Isaac
Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible, was the only son Abraham had with his wife Sarah, and was the father of Jacob and Esau. Isaac was one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites...
from the Canaan
Canaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
ites, but would go to the land of Abraham’s birth to get Isaac a wife. The servant asked if the woman did not consent to follow him to Canaan, should he take Isaac back to the land from which Abraham came? Abraham told him on no account to take Isaac back there, for God — who took Abraham from there and promised Abraham the land of Canaan
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
for his offspring — would send an angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
before the servant and allow him successfully to get a wife for Isaac from there, and if the woman did not consent to follow him, he would then be clear of his oath. So the servant put his hand under Abraham’s thigh and swore to him as Abraham had asked.
Rebekah by the well
The servant took Abraham’s bounty and ten of Abraham’s camels and traveled to Aram-NaharaimAram-Naharaim
Aram-Naharaim is a region that is mentioned five times in the Hebrew Bible. It is commonly identified with Nahrima mentioned in three tablets of the Amarna correspondence as a geographical description of the kingdom of Mitanni...
, the city of Nahor
Nahor
Nahor, Nachor, or Naghor may refer to three different names in the Hebrew bible: two biblical people, who were both descendants of Shem, and one biblical place named after one of these descendants....
. He made the camels kneel by the well outside the city at evening, when women come out to draw water. The servant asked God to grant that the maiden whom he would ask to draw water for him and who replied by offering also to water his camels might be the one whom God had decreed for Isaac. He had scarcely finished speaking when Rebekah
Rebecca
Rebecca a biblical matriarch from the Book of Genesis and a common first name. In this book Rebecca was said to be a beautiful girl. As a name it is often shortened to Becky, Becki or Becca; see Rebecca ....
, the beautiful virgin daughter of Abraham's nephew Bethuel
Bethuel
Bethuel , in the Hebrew Bible, was an Aramean man, the youngest son of Nahor and Milcah, the nephew of Abraham, and the father of Laban and Rebekah....
, came out with her jar on her shoulder, went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. The servant ran toward her and asked to sip a little water from her jar, and she quickly let him drink and when he had drunk his fill, she offered to draw water for his camels until they finish drinking. When the camels had finished drinking, the servant took a gold nose-ring and two gold bands for her arms, and asked her whose daughter she was and whether there was room in her father's house for him to spend the night. She identified herself and told him that there was plenty of straw and feed and room at her home for him to spend the night. The servant bowed low to God and blessed God for steadfast faithfulness to Abraham.
Rebekah’s mother’s household
Rebekah ran and told everything to her mother's household. Rebekah’s brother LabanLaban (Bible)
Laban is the son of Bethuel, brother of Rebekah and the father of Leah and Rachel and Bilhah and Zilpah as described in the Book of Genesis. As such he is brother-in-law to Isaac and both father-in-law and uncle to Jacob...
ran out to the servant at the spring, and when he saw the nose-ring and the bands on Rebekah’s arms, and when he heard his sister tell the story, Laban invited the servant to their house, had the camels unloaded and fed, and had water brought to bathe the feet of the servant and his party. But the servant would not eat before he had told his tale. The servant told how God had greatly blessed Abraham with sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and asses, and a son and sole heir. The servant told how Abraham made him swear to go to Abraham’s kindred to get Isaac a wife, and that God would send an angel to make his errand successful. And the servant told how he met Rebekah at the well. The servant then asked whether or not they meant to treat Abraham with true kindness, and Laban and Bethuel answered that the matter had been decreed by God and Rebekah could go and be Isaac’s wife. The servant bowed low to God and brought out silver, gold, and garments for Rebekah and presents for her brother and her mother. Then the servant and his party ate, drank, and spent the night. The next morning, the servant asked leave to return to Abraham, but Laban and her mother asked that Rebekah remain a period of time. The servant persisted, so they called Rebekah to ask for her reply, and she agreed to go. So they blessed Rebekah — wishing that her children be thousands of myriads and seize the gates of their foes — and they sent off Rebekah and her nurse with the servant.
Isaac meets Rebekah
Isaac had just come back from the vicinity of Beer-lahai-roi to his home in the Negeb and was out walking in the field toward evening when he looked up and saw camels approaching. Raising her eyes, Rebekah saw Isaac, alighted from the camel, and asked the servant who the man was. The servant said that Isaac was his master, so she covered herself with her veil. The servant told Isaac everything that had happened, and Isaac brought her into Sarah’s tent and took her as his wife. Isaac loved Rebekah, and found comfort after his mother's death.Family matters
Abraham took another wife, named KeturahKeturah
According to the Hebrew Bible, Keturah or Ketura was the woman whom Abraham, the patriarch of the Israelites, married after the death of his wife, Sarah. Keturah bore Abraham six sons, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah....
, who bore him Zimran
Zimran
Zimran , also known as Zambran. was according to the Hebrew Bible the first son of Abraham, the patriarch of the Israelites, and Keturah whom he wed after the death of Sarah...
, Jokshan
Jokshan
Jokshan ; most probably Josephus' Jazar. According to the Bible he was the second son of Abraham and his concubine Keturah, whom he wed after the death of Sarah...
, Medan
Medan
- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
, Midian
Midian
Midian , Madyan , or Madiam is a geographical place and a people mentioned in the Bible and in the Qur'an. It is believed to be in northwest Saudi Arabia on the east shore of the Gulf of Aqaba and the northern Red Sea...
, Ishbak, and Shuah. Abraham willed all that he owned to Isaac, but to his sons by concubines he gave gifts while he was still living, and he sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the East.
Abraham lived 175 years and died old and contented. Isaac and Ishmael
Ishmael
Ishmael is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, and was Abraham's first born child according to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Ishmael was born of Abraham's marriage to Sarah's handmaiden Hagar...
buried him in the cave of Machpelah with Sarah. After Abraham’s death, God blessed Isaac and he settled near Beer-lahai-roi.
Ishmael had 12 sons, who became chieftains of 12 tribes. Ishmael lived 137 years and then died. Ishmael’s progeny dwelt in lands all the way from Havilah
Havilah
Havilah is in several books of the Bible referring to both land and people.The story of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2:11: "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads...
, near Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, to Asshur
Ashur
Ashur |Shin]]) in the Masoretic text, which doubles the 'ש'), was the second son of Shem, the son of Noah. Ashur's brothers were Elam, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram....
.
Genesis chapter 23
The 400 shekels of silver that Abraham paid Ephron the Hittite to buy the cave of Machpelah and adjoining land in compares with the 100 pieces of silver that JacobJacob
Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
paid the children of Hamor for the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent outside the city of Shechem
Shechem
Shechem was a Canaanite city mentioned in the Amarna letters, and is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as an Israelite city of the tribe of Manasseh and the first capital of the Kingdom of Israel...
in the 50 shekels of silver that King David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
paid Araunah
Araunah
Araunah was a Jebusite who was mentioned in the Books of Samuel who owned the threshing floor on the summit of Mount Moriah that David purchased and used as the site for assembling an altar to God. The Scholar renders his name as Arunah....
the Jebusite
Jebusite
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Jebusites were a Canaanite tribe who inhabited and built Jerusalem prior to its conquest by King David; the Books of Kings state that Jerusalem was known as Jebus prior to this event...
for Araunah’s threshing floor, oxen, and wood in 2 Samuel
Books of Samuel
The Books of Samuel in the Jewish bible are part of the Former Prophets, , a theological history of the Israelites affirming and explaining the Torah under the guidance of the prophets.Samuel begins by telling how the prophet Samuel is chosen by...
(but 1 Chronicles
Books of Chronicles
The Books of Chronicles are part of the Hebrew Bible. In the Masoretic Text, it appears as the first or last book of the Ketuvim . Chronicles largely parallels the Davidic narratives in the Books of Samuel and the Books of Kings...
reports cost 600 shekels of gold); and the 17 shekels of silver that Jeremiah
Jeremiah
Jeremiah Hebrew：יִרְמְיָה , Modern Hebrew:Yirməyāhū, IPA: jirməˈjaːhu, Tiberian:Yirmĭyahu, Greek:Ἰερεμίας), meaning "Yahweh exalts", or called the "Weeping prophet" was one of the main prophets of the Hebrew Bible...
paid his cousin Hanamel for his field in Anathoth
Anathoth
Anathoth - the name of one of the cities given to "the children of Aaron" , in the tribe of Benjamin . Since the Israelites often did not change the names of the towns they found in Canaan, the name of this town may be derived from a Canaanite goddess, ‘Anat...
in the land of Benjamin
Tribe of Benjamin
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Benjamin בִּנְיָמִין was one of the Tribes of Israel.From after the conquest of the land by Joshua until the formation of the first Kingdom of Israel in c. 1050 BCE, the Tribe of Benjamin was a part of a loose confederation of Israelite tribes...
in Jeremiah
Book of Jeremiah
The Book of Jeremiah is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the book of Isaiah and preceding Ezekiel and the Book of the Twelve....
The cave of Machpelah in which reports Abraham buried Sarah later became the burial site for Abraham himself (as reported in ) and thereafter Isaac, Rebekah, Leah
Leah
Leah , as described in the Hebrew Bible, is the first of the two concurrent wives of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob and mother of six of sons whose descendants became the Twelve Tribes of Israel, along with at least one daughter, Dinah. She is the daughter of Laban and the older sister of Rachel, whom...
, and Jacob (as reported in ).
Genesis chapter 24
The story of Eliezer’s mission to get a wife for Isaac is told twice, once by the narrator in and then a second time by Abraham’s servant in Isaac AbrabanelIsaac Abrabanel
Isaac ben Judah Abrabanel, , commonly referred to just as Abarbanel, was a Portuguese Jewish statesman, philosopher, Bible commentator, and financier.-Biography:...
and other commentators noted a number of differences between the two recountings. (See, e.g., Yehudah Nachshoni. Studies in the Weekly Parashah: The Classical Interpretations of Major Topics and Themes in the Torah, 114–16. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1988. ISBN 0-89906-933-9.)
As Told by the Narrator | As Told by Abraham’s Servant |
|---|---|
| 1 And Abraham was old, well stricken in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. | 35 And the Lord has blessed my master greatly; and he is become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and men-servants and maid-servants, and camels and asses. 36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him has he given all that he has. |
| 2 And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, that ruled over all that he had: “Put, I pray you, your hand under my thigh. | 34 And he said: “I am Abraham’s servant. |
| 3 And I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell. | 37 And my master made me swear, saying: You shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell. |
| 4 But you shall go to my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son, even for Isaac.” | 38 But you shall go to my father’s house, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son. |
| 5 And the servant said to him: “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land; must I bring your son back to the land from which you came?” | 39 And I said to my master: ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ |
| 6 And Abraham said to him: “Beware you that you do not bring my son back there. | |
| 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my nativity, and who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying: ‘To your seed will I give this land’; He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. | 40 And he said to me: The Lord, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you, and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house; |
| 8 And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from my oath; only you shall not bring my son back there.” | 41 then shall you be clear from my oath, when you come to my kindred; and if they do not give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath. |
| 9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. | |
| 10 And the servant took ten camels, of the camels of his master, and departed; having all good things of his master’s in his hand; and he arose, and went to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor. | |
| 11 And he made the camels to kneel down without the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water. 12 And he said: “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, send me, I pray, good speed this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. |
42 And I came this day to the fountain, and said: ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now You do prosper my way that I go: |
| 13 Behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water 14 So let it come to pass, that the maiden to whom I shall say: ‘Let down your pitcher, I pray, that I may drink’; and she shall say: ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also’; let her be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant, even for Isaac; and thereby shall I know that You have shown kindness to my master.” |
43 behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and let it come to pass, that the maiden that comes forth to draw, to whom I shall say: ‘Give me, I pray, a little water from your pitcher to drink’; 44 and she shall say to me: ‘Both you drink, and I will also draw for your camels’; let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son. |
| 15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. 16 And the maiden was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her; and she went down to the fountain, and filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said: “Give me to drink, I pray, a little water of your pitcher.” |
45 And before I had done speaking to my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the fountain, and drew. And I said to her: ‘Let me drink, I pray.’ |
| 18 And she said: “Drink, my lord”; and she hastened, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. 19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said: “I will draw for your camels also, until they have done drinking.” 20 And she hastened, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. |
46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said: ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she made the camels drink also. |
| 21 And the man looked steadfastly on her; holding his peace, to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. | |
| 22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; 23 and said: “Whose daughter are you? tell me, I pray. Is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge in?” 24 And she said to him: “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” |
47 And I asked her, and said: ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said: ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ And I put the ring upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands. |
| 25 She said moreover to him: “We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.” | |
| 26 And the man bowed his head, and prostrated himself before the Lord. 27 And he said: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master; as for me, the Lord has led me to the house of my master’s brethren.’ |
48 And I bowed my head, and prostrated myself before the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son. |
Abraham’s servant’s meeting (on behalf of Isaac) of Rebekah at the well in is the Torah’s first of several meetings at watering holes that lead to marriage. Also of the same type scene are the meeting of Jacob and Rachel
Rachel
Rachel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, is a prophet and the favorite wife of Jacob, one of the three Biblical Patriarchs, and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She was the daughter of Laban and the younger sister of Leah, Jacob's first wife...
at the well in and the of meeting Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
and Zipporah
Zipporah
Zipporah or Tzipora is mentioned in the Book of Exodus as the wife of Moses, and the daughter of Reuel/Jethro, the priest or prince of Midian...
at the well in Each involves (1) a trip to a distant land, (2) a stop at a well, (3) a young woman coming to the well to draw water, (4) a heroic drawing of water, (5) the young woman going home to report to her family, (6) the visiting man brought to the family, and (7) a subsequent marriage. (See Victor P. Hamilton. The Book of Genesis: Chapters 18–50, 254–55. Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995. ISBN 0-8028-2309-2.)
Genesis chapter 24
JosephusJosephus
Titus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
reported that Rebekah told Abraham’s servant, “my father was Bethuel, but he is dead; and Laban is my brother; and, together with my mother, takes care of all our family affairs, and is the guardian of my virginity.” (Antiquities
Antiquities of the Jews
Antiquities of the Jews is a twenty volume historiographical work composed by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus in the thirteenth year of the reign of Roman emperor Flavius Domitian which was around 93 or 94 AD. Antiquities of the Jews contains an account of history of the Jewish people,...
1:16:2:248.)
Genesis chapter 23
A midrashMidrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
noted that recorded that “the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years” rather than “one-hundred-twenty-seven years,” and deduced that as the righteous are whole and unblemished by sin, so are their years reported whole in the Bible. Thus the midrash taught that at the age of 20, Sarah was as at the age of seven in beauty, and at the age of 100, she was as at the age of 20 in sin (the age below which Providence does not punish for sin). (Genesis Rabbah 58:1.)
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana interpreted the words, "The sun rises, and the sun sets," in Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes
The Book of Ecclesiastes, called , is a book of the Hebrew Bible. The English name derives from the Greek translation of the Hebrew title.The main speaker in the book, identified by the name or title Qoheleth , introduces himself as "son of David, king in Jerusalem." The work consists of personal...
to teach that before God causes the sun of one righteous person to set, God causes the sun of another righteous person to rise. Thus a midrash taught that before God allowed Sarah's sun to set, God caused Rebekah's sun to rise. Thus first says, "Behold, Milcah, she also has borne children . . . and Bethuel begot Rebekah," and after that, says, "and the lifetime of Sarah was a hundred years . . . ." (Genesis Rabbah 58:2.)
Once while lecturing, Rabbi Akiba asked why Esther
Esther
Esther , born Hadassah, is the eponymous heroine of the Biblical Book of Esther.According to the Bible, she was a Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus...
deserved to reign over 127 provinces (as indicated by Esther
Book of Esther
The Book of Esther is a book in the Ketuvim , the third section of the Jewish Tanakh and is part of the Christian Old Testament. The Book of Esther or the Megillah is the basis for the Jewish celebration of Purim...
). Rabbi Akiba taught that the reason was this: Let Esther, the descendant of Sarah, who lived 127 years (as reports), come and reign over 127 provinces. (Genesis Rabbah 58:3.)
Noting that reports that "Sarah died in Kiriath-arba," literally, “city of four,” a midrash taught that the city had four names — Eshcol, Mamre, Kiriath-arba, and Hebron. Midrash taught that it was called Kiriath-arba because four righteous men dwelt there — Aner, Eshcol, Mamre, and Abraham; four righteous men were circumcised there — Abraham, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; four righteous men were buried there — Adam
Adam
Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...
, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and four matriarchs were buried there — Eve
Eve
Eve is the first woman created by God in the Book of Genesis.Eve may also refer to:-People:*Eve , a common given name and surname*Eve , American recording artist and actress-Places:...
, Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah. (Genesis Rabbah 58:4.)
Moriah
Moriah is the name given to a mountain range by the Book of Genesis, in which context it is giv. the location of the sacrifice of Isaac. Traditionally Moriah has been interpreted as the name of the specific mountain at which this occurred, rather than just the name of the range...
and the binding of Isaac
Binding of Isaac
The Binding of Isaac Akedah or Akeidat Yitzchak in Hebrew and Dhabih in Arabic, is a story from the Hebrew Bible in which God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah...
. The midrash told that at the very moment in that the angel of the Lord stayed Abraham from sacrificing Isaac, the Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
appeared to Sarah in the guise of Isaac. When Sarah saw him, she asked what Abraham had done to him. He told Sarah that Abraham had taken him to a mountain, built an altar, placed wood upon it, tied him down on it, and took a knife to slaughter him, and had God not told him not to lay a hand on him, Abraham would have slaughtered him. And as soon as he finished speaking, Sarah’s soul departed. (Midrash Tanhuma
Tanhuma
Midrash Tanhuma is the name given to three different collections of Pentateuch haggadot; two are extant, while the third is known only through citations. These midrashim, although bearing the name of R. Tanḥuma, must not be regarded as having been written or edited by him...
Vayeira 23.)
The Gemara
Gemara
The Gemara is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah. After the Mishnah was published by Rabbi Judah the Prince The Gemara (also transliterated Gemora or, less commonly, Gemorra; from Aramaic גמרא gamar; literally, "[to] study" or "learning by...
deduced from the use of the verb "came" in the account of "And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her," that Abraham delayed Sarah's funeral until he could travel to where her body lay. The Gemara further taught that Sarah would have been pleased that Abraham delayed her funeral so that he could eulogize her. (Babylonian Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
Sanhedrin 46b.)
Rav Ashi deduced from that as long as a person has the obligation to bury a body, it is as if the corpse lay before the person. says: "And Abraham rose up from before his dead," indicating that he departed from the presence of Sarah's body. And then says: "that I may bury my dead out of my sight," showing that Abraham still spoke as if Sarah's corpse were lying before him. (And this status affects a person's obligation to perform other commandments.) (Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 18a.) Similarly, Rabbi Johanan
Yochanan bar Nafcha
Rabbi Yochanan ;...
taught that we learn from the words, “And Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke,” in that one whose dead lies before him is exempt from reciting the Shema
Shema Yisrael
Shema Yisrael are the first two words of a section of the Torah that is a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services...
(as the verse implies that until Sarah’s burial, Abraham did nothing but make arrangements for it). (Genesis Rabbah 58:6.)
Book of Job
The Book of Job , commonly referred to simply as Job, is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. It relates the story of Job, his trials at the hands of Satan, his discussions with friends on the origins and nature of his suffering, his challenge to God, and finally a response from God. The book is a...
to teach that Abraham’s patience in receiving the Promised Land even in the face of the need to buy land to bury his wife in showed faith comparable to that of Job
Job (Biblical figure)
Job is the central character of the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible. Job is listed as a prophet of God in the Qur'an.- Book of Job :The Book of Job begins with an introduction to Job's character — he is described as a blessed man who lives righteously...
. begins: “Now one day the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came among them. And the Lord said to Satan: ‘From where do you come?’ Then Satan answered. . . .” The Gemara taught that Satan then told God: “Sovereign of the Universe, I have traversed the whole world and found none so faithful as Your servant Abraham. For You said to him, ‘Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for to you will I give it’ , and even so, when he was unable to find any place in which to bury Sarah until he bought one for 400 shekels of silver, he did not complain against Your ways.” Only then did God say to Satan the words of “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is none like him in the earth . . . .” (Babylonian Talmud Bava Batra 15b.)
Rabbi Berekiah
Rabbi Berekiah
R. Berekiah was a Jewish Amora sage of the Land of Israel, of the fourth generation of the Amora era. He is known for his work on the Aggadah, and there are many of his statements there, and many statements he delivered in the authority of other sages....
and Rabbi Helbo taught in the name of Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman
Samuel ben Nahman
Samuel ben Nahman or Samuel Nahmani was a rabbi of the Talmud, known as an amora, who lived in the Land of Israel from the beginning of the 3rd century until the beginning of the 4th century. He was a pupil of R. Jonathan ben Eleazar and one of the most famous haggadists of his time...
that the Valley of Siddim
Vale of Siddim
Vale of Siddim or Valley of Siddim is a Hebrew bible place name mentioned in the book of Genesis Chapter 14....
(mentioned in in connection with the battle between the four kings and the five kings) was called the Valley of Shaveh (which means "as one") because there all the peoples of the world agreed as one, felled cedars, erected a large dais for Abraham, set him on top, and praised him, saying (in the words of ) "Hear us, my lord: you are a prince of God among us." They told Abraham that he was king over them and a god to them. But Abraham replied that the world did not lack its King, and the world did not lack its God. (Genesis Rabbah 42:5.)
A midrash taught that Abraham said (beginning with the words of and ), "'Here I am' — ready for priesthood, ready for kingship" (ready to serve God in whatever role God chose), and Abraham attained both priesthood and kingship. He attained priesthood, as says, "The Lord has sworn, and will not repent: 'You are a priest forever after the manner of Melchizedek." And he attained kingship, as says, "You are a mighty prince among us." (Genesis Rabbah 55:6.)
Rav
Abba Arika
Abba Arika was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the 3rd century who established at Sura the systematic study of the rabbinic traditions, which, using the Mishnah as text, led to the compilation of the Talmud...
and Samuel
Samuel of Nehardea
Samuel of Nehardea or Samuel bar Abba was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an Amora of the first generation; son of Abba bar Abba and head of the Yeshiva at Nehardea. He was a teacher of halakha, judge, physician, and astronomer. He was born about 165 at Nehardea, in Babylonia...
differed as to its meaning of “Machpelah” — meaning “double cave” — in One held that the cave consisted of two chambers one within the other, and the other held that it consisted of a lower and upper chamber. According to one, the term “double cave” meant that it was the burial place of multiple couples — Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah. (Babylonian Talmud Eruvin 53a.)
The Gemara deduced from the use of the term “take” in that “taking” means by monetary exchange. And thus the Gemara deduced that money effects betrothal by noting the common use of “take” in and in Deuteronomy in the words, “If any man take a wife.” (Babylonian Talmud Kiddushin 2a–b, 4b.)
The Mishnah
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
attributed to Abraham a good eye (a magnanimous spirit in financial matters, based, for example, on Abraham's generous and ungrudging nature in his dealings with Ephron the Hittite in ). (Mishnah Avot 5:19.)
Rabbi Haninah taught that every time the Torah refers to silver coin without any qualification, it means a sela (shekel
Shekel
Shekel , is any of several ancient units of weight or of currency. The first usage is from Mesopotamia around 3000 BC. Initially, it may have referred to a weight of barley...
), except for the silver coin that cites in the transaction with Ephron. For although mentions the coinage without qualification, it means centenaria (worth 100 shekels each), because says: "400 shekels of silver current money with the merchant" (implying that wherever there were merchants, these shekels had to be accepted as such), and there is a place where they call centenaria "shekels." (Babylonian Talmud Bekhorot 50a.)
Rav Judah
Judah ben Ezekiel
Judah ben Ezekiel , was a Babylonian amora of the 2nd generation. He was the most prominent disciple of Rav , in whose house he often stayed, and whose son Hiyya was his pupil...
said in the name of Rav that which says, "So the field of Efron which was in Machpelah . . . and all the trees that were in the field that were in the border thereof," indicates that Abraham in buying the field acquired all the small trees that were identified by their surrounding boundary. But the purchase did not include those large, distinctive trees that did not require a surrounding boundary for people to know to whom they belonged. And Rav Mesharsheya deduced from that one who buys a field also gains title to the border strips and the trees on these strips surrounding the field. (Babylonian Talmud Bava Batra 69b.)
Genesis chapter 24
The Mishnah and ToseftaTosefta
The Tosefta is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the period of the Mishnah.-Overview:...
deduced from that God blessed Abraham in his old age because (as the Mishnah deduced from ) he kept the entire Torah even before it was revealed. (Mishnah Kiddushin 4:14; Tosefta Kiddushin 5:17.) And the Tosefta deduced from the contrast between the plenty indicated in and the famine indicated in that God gave the people food and drink and a glimpse of the world to come while the righteous Abraham was alive, so that the people might understand what it had lost when he was gone. (Tosefta Sotah 10:5.)
Rabbi Hama ben Hanina taught that our ancestors were never without a scholars’ council. Abraham was an elder and a member of the scholars’ council, as says, “And Abraham was an elder well stricken in age.” Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, was an elder and a member of the scholars’ council, as says, “And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all he had,” which Rabbi Eleazar explained to mean that he ruled over — and thus knew and had control of — the Torah of his master. Isaac
Isaac
Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible, was the only son Abraham had with his wife Sarah, and was the father of Jacob and Esau. Isaac was one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites...
was an elder and a member of the scholars’ council, as says: “And it came to pass when Isaac was an elder .” Jacob was an elder and a member of the scholars’ council, as says, “Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age .” In Egypt they had the scholars’ council, as says, “Go and gather the elders of Israel together.” And in the Wilderness, they had the scholars’ council, as in God directed Moses to “Gather . . . 70 men of the elders of Israel.” (Babylonian Talmud Yoma 28b.)
The Tosefta reported that Jewish judicial proceedings adopted the oath that Abraham imposed in (Tosefta Sotah 7:3.) And Rav Judah said that Rav said that the judge adjures the witness with the oath stated in “And I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven.” Ravina
Ravina I
Ravina I was a Jewish Talmudist, and rabbi, accounted as an Amora sage of the 5th and 6th generation of the Amora era. He began the process of compiling the Talmud with Rav Ashi. He died in 421. The Talmud was ultimately completed by his nephew Ravina II....
explained that this accorded with the view of Rabbi Haninah bar Idi, who said that Jewish judicial proceedings require swearing by the Name of God. Rav Ashi replied that one might even say that it accorded with the view of the Rabbis, who said that a witness can be adjured with a Substitute for the Name of God. They concluded that the witness needs to hold something sacred in his hand, as Abraham’s servant did when in he put his hand under Abraham’s thigh and held Abraham’s circumcision. Rava
Rava (amora)
For the third generation Amora sage of Babylon, with a similar name, see: Joseph b. Hama .Abba ben Joseph bar Ḥama, who is exclusively referred to in the Talmud by the name Rava , was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora, born in 270. He is one of the most often-cited Rabbis...
said that a judge who adjures by “the Lord God of heaven” without having the witness hold a sacred object errs and has to repeat the swearing correctly. Rav Papa
Rav Papa
For the Amora sages of the Land of Israel,of the 3d Amoraic generetion, see Hanina b. Papi or Hanina ben Pappa.For another Babylonian Amora sage of the 5th Amoraic generetion, see Rav Papi....
said that a judge who adjures with tefillin
Tefillin
Tefillin also called phylacteries are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form , it is loosely used as a singular as...
errs and has to repeat the swearing. The law follows Rava, but not Rav Papa, as tefillin are considered sacred. (Babylonian Talmud Shevuot 38b.)
Reading the report of that Abraham’s servant had “all the goods of his master's in his hand,” Rabbi Helbo explained that this was a deed of gift (made by Abraham of all his wealth to Isaac, so that a bride would be more eager to marry him). (Genesis Rabbah 59:11.)
Rabbi Jonathan
Rabbi Jonathan was a Palestinian tanna of the 2nd century and schoolfellow of R. Josiah, apart from whom he is rarely quoted. Jonathan is generally so cited without further designation; but there is ample reason for identifying him with the less frequently occurring Jonathan b. Joseph Rabbi...
that Abraham’s servant Eliezer made an improper request when in he asked God to grant that the young woman whom he would ask to draw water for him and who replied by offering also to water his camels might be the one whom God had decreed for Isaac. Rabbi Samuel asked what would have happened if she had happened to be lame or blind, and concluded that Eliezer was fortunate that Providence answered him by sending Rebekah to meet him. Rabbi Samuel compared Eliezer’s request to the improvident oaths that Saul
Saul
-People:Saul is a given/first name in English, the Anglicized form of the Hebrew name Shaul from the Hebrew Bible:* Saul , including people with this given namein the Bible:* Saul , a king of Edom...
made in 1 Samuel
Books of Samuel
The Books of Samuel in the Jewish bible are part of the Former Prophets, , a theological history of the Israelites affirming and explaining the Torah under the guidance of the prophets.Samuel begins by telling how the prophet Samuel is chosen by...
when he promised his daughter to the man who would kill Goliath and that Jephthah made in Judges
Book of Judges
The Book of Judges is the seventh book of the Hebrew bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its title describes its contents: it contains the history of Biblical judges, divinely inspired prophets whose direct knowledge of Yahweh allows them to act as decision-makers for the Israelites, as...
when he promised to sacrifice whatever came out of his house to meet him on his return. (Babylonian Talmud Taanit 4a.) And Rav cited Eliezer’s request in along with the omen sought by Jonathan
David and Jonathan
David and Jonathan were heroic figures of the Kingdom of Israel, whose covenant was recorded favourably in the books of Samuel. Jonathan was the son of Saul, king of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and David was the son of Jesse of Bethlehem and Jonathan's presumed rival for the crown...
in as forms of improper acts of divination. (Babylonian Talmud Chullin 95b.)
Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai taught that God answered three men even while their petition was still on their lips: Abraham’s servant Eliezer, Moses, and Solomon
Solomon
Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
. With regard to Eliezer, reports: “And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out.” With regard to Moses, Numbers
Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
reports: “And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground did cleave asunder.” And with regard to Solomon, 2 Chronicles
Books of Chronicles
The Books of Chronicles are part of the Hebrew Bible. In the Masoretic Text, it appears as the first or last book of the Ketuvim . Chronicles largely parallels the Davidic narratives in the Books of Samuel and the Books of Kings...
reports: “Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven.” (Genesis Rabbah 60:4.)
Rav Nahman bar Isaac
Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak
Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak or Rabh Naħman bar Yişħaq in actual Talmudic and Classical Hebrew was an amora who lived in Babylonia. He was a disciple of Abaye and Rava and the dean of the yeshiva at Pumbedita....
cited a Tanna that interpreted to teach that Rebekah was virgin between the ages of 12 and 12½ (a naarah) when Abraham’s servant encountered her. (Babylonian Talmud Yevamot 61b.)
Aram-Naharaim
Aram-Naharaim is a region that is mentioned five times in the Hebrew Bible. It is commonly identified with Nahrima mentioned in three tablets of the Amarna correspondence as a geographical description of the kingdom of Mitanni...
. The Rabbis thus taught that the earth shrank to speed Eliezer’s journey, as it would again for Jacob (as implied in ) and Abishai the son of Zeruiah
Zeruiah
Zeruiah , daughter of King Nahash and stepdaughter of Jesse of the Tribe of Judah, was an older sister of King David. Zeruiah had three sons, Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, all of whom were soldiers in David's army.Very little is told of her...
. (Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 95a–b.)
Rabbi Isaac called Bethuel a wicked man. (Babylonian Talmud Yevamot 64a; see also Genesis Rabbah 60:12 (wicked); 63:4 (a rogue); Leviticus Rabbah
Leviticus Rabbah
Leviticus Rabbah, Vayikrah Rabbah, or Wayiqra Rabbah is a homiletic midrash to the Biblical book of Leviticus . It is referred to by Nathan ben Jehiel in his Aruk as well as by Rashi in his commentaries on , and elsewhere. According to Leopold Zunz, Hai Gaon and Nissim knew and made use of it...
23:1 (a deceiver); Song of Songs Rabbah
Shir ha-Shirim Rabbah
Shir ha-Shirim Rabbah is a Haggadic midrash on Canticles, quoted by Rashi under the title "Midrash Shir ha-Shirim" . It is called also "Agadat Ḥazita", from its initial word "Ḥazita" , or "Midrash Ḥazita" Shir ha-Shirim Rabbah (Hebrew: שיר השירים רבה) is a Haggadic midrash on Canticles, quoted by...
2:4 (a trickster).) A midrash identified Bethuel as a king. (Numbers Rabbah
Numbers Rabbah
Numbers Rabbah is a religious text holy to classical Judaism. It is a midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletic interpretations of the book of Numbers ....
14:11.)
Rav in the name of Rabbi Reuben ben Estrobile cited Laban’s and Bethuel’s response to Abraham’s servant that “The matter was decreed by the Lord” in as a proof text for the proposition that God destines a woman and a man for each other in marriage. (Babylonian Talmud Mo'ed Katan 18b; see also Genesis Rabbah 68:3.) Rabbi Joshua ben Rabbi Nehemiah in the name of Rabbi Haninah ben Isaac said that the decree with regard to Rebekah that Laban and Bethuel acknowledged came from Mount Moriah
Moriah
Moriah is the name given to a mountain range by the Book of Genesis, in which context it is giv. the location of the sacrifice of Isaac. Traditionally Moriah has been interpreted as the name of the specific mountain at which this occurred, rather than just the name of the range...
. (Genesis Rabbah 60:10.)
Noting that reports that the next day, Rebekah’s “brother and her mother said, ‘Let the maiden remain with us some ten days’” , the Rabbis asked where Bethuel was. The midrash concluded that Bethuel wished to hinder Rebekah’s marriage, and so he was smitten during the night. (Genesis Rabbah 60:12.) The Rabbis said that Abraham’s servant did not disclose Bethuel’s fate to Isaac. (Genesis Rabbah 60:15.)
Rav Hisda
Rav Chisda
Rav Chisda was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the third generation , mentioned frequently in the Talmud.-Youth:...
interpreted the word “days” in to mean “a year.” says, “And her brother and her mother said: ‘Let the maiden abide with us yamim, at the least ten.” The Gemara reasoned that if , yamim, in means “days” and thus to imply “two days” (as the plural implies more than one), then would report Rebekah’s brother and mother suggesting first two days, and then when Eliezer said that that was too long, nonsensically suggesting ten days. The Gemara thus deduced that , yamim, must mean “a year,” as Leviticus implies when it says, “if a man sells a house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; for a full year shall he have the right of redemption.” Thus might mean, “Let the maiden abide with us a year, or at the least ten months.” The Gemara then suggested that , yamim, might mean “a month,” as suggests when it uses the phrase “a month of days .” The Gemara concluded, however, that , yamim, means “a month” only when the term “month” is specifically mentioned, but otherwise means either “days” (at least two) or “a year.” (Babylonian Talmud Ketubot 57b.) Similarly, the Mishnah taught that they allowed a virgin 12 months to prepare for her wedding after her fiancé told her to prepare. (Mishnah Ketubot 5:2; Babylonian Talmud Ketubot 57a.)
A midrash noted that in Rebekah’s brother and mother asked Rebekah if she assented to going with Abraham’s servant to marry Isaac. The midrash deduced from this inquiry that a fatherless maiden may not be given in marriage without her consent. (Genesis Rabbah 60:12.)
Rabbi Joshua ben Levi
Joshua ben Levi
Joshua ben Levi or Yehoshua ben Levi was an amora who lived in the land of Israel of the first half of the third century. He headed the school of Lydda in the southern Land of Israel. He was an elder contemporary of Johanan bar Nappaha and Resh Lakish, who presided over the school in Tiberias...
(according to the Jerusalem Talmud
Jerusalem Talmud
The Jerusalem Talmud, talmud meaning "instruction", "learning", , is a collection of Rabbinic notes on the 2nd-century Mishnah which was compiled in the Land of Israel during the 4th-5th century. The voluminous text is also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud de-Eretz Yisrael...
) or a Baraita
Baraita
Baraita designates a tradition in the Jewish oral law not incorporated in the Mishnah. "Baraita" thus refers to teachings "outside" of the six orders of the Mishnah...
in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yose the son of Rabbi Chaninah (according to the Babylonian Talmud) said that the three daily prayers derived from the Patriarchs
Patriarchs (Bible)
The Patriarchs of the Bible, when narrowly defined, are Abraham, the ancestor of all the Abrahamic nations; his son Isaac, the ancestor of the nations surrounding Israel/Judah; and Isaac's son Jacob, also named Israel, the ancestor of the Israelites...
, and cited for the proposition that Jews derived the afternoon prayer from Isaac, arguing that within the meaning of “speak” meant “pray,” just as it did in Psalm
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
(Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 43a; Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 26b.)
Genesis chapter 25
Rabbi Judah said that Keturah was another name for HagarHagar
-People:* Hagar , handmaid of Sarah and mother of Abraham's son Ishmael* Hagar Finer, Israeli WIBF bantamweight champion* Albert Hagar, Canadian politician* Mandy Hagar, New Zealand children's author...
. (Genesis Rabbah 61:4.)
Rabbi Hama son of Rabbi Haninah taught that shows God comforting the mourning Isaac, and thus demonstrates one of God’s attributes that humans should emulate. Rabbi Hama son of Rabbi Haninah asked what means in the text, “You shall walk after the Lord your God.” How can a human being walk after God, when says, “[T]he Lord your God is a devouring fire”? Rabbi Hama son of Rabbi Haninah explained that the command to walk after God means to walk after the attributes of God. As God clothes the naked — for says, “And the Lord God made for Adam
Adam
Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...
and for his wife coats of skin, and clothed them” — so should we also clothe the naked. God visited the sick — for says, “And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre
Mamre
Mamre , full Hebrew name Elonei Mamre , refers to a Canaanite cultic shrine dedicated to the supreme, sky god of the Canaanite pantheon, El. Talmudic sources refer to the site as Beth Ilanim or Botnah. it was one of the three most important "fairs", market place or caravanserai, in Palestine...
” (after Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
was circumcised in ) — so should we also visit the sick. God comforted mourners — for says, “And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son” — so should we also comfort mourners. God buried the dead — for says, “And He buried him in the valley” — so should we also bury the dead. (Babylonian Talmud Sotah 14a.) Similarly, the Sifre
Sifre
Sifre refers to either of two works of Midrash halakhah, or classical Jewish legal Biblical exegesis, based on the biblical books of Bamidbar and Devarim .- The Talmudic-Era Sifre :The title "Sifre debe Rab" is used by R. Hananeel on Sheb. 37b, Alfasi on Pes...
on taught that to walk in God’s ways means to be (in the words of ) “merciful and gracious.” (Sifre to Deuteronomy 49:1.)
Commandments
According to MaimonidesMaimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
and Sefer ha-Chinuch
Sefer ha-Chinuch
The Sefer ha-Chinuch , often simply "the Chinuch" is a work which systematically discusses the 613 commandments of the Torah. It was published anonymously in 13th century Spain...
, there are no commandments
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
in the parshah. (Maimonides. Mishneh Torah
Mishneh Torah
The Mishneh Torah subtitled Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka is a code of Jewish religious law authored by Maimonides , one of history's foremost rabbis...
. Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt, 1170–1180. Reprinted in Maimonides. The Commandments: Sefer Ha-Mitzvoth of Maimonides. Translated by Charles B. Chavel, 2 vols. London: Soncino Press, 1967. ISBN 0-900689-71-4. Sefer HaHinnuch: The Book of [Mitzvah] Education. Translated by Charles Wengrov, 1:87. Jerusalem: Feldheim Pub., 1991. ISBN 0-87306-179-9.)
Haftarah
The haftarahHaftarah
The haftarah or haftoroh is a series of selections from the books of Nevi'im of the Hebrew Bible that is publicly read in synagogue as part of Jewish religious practice...
for the parshah is:
- for Ashkenazi JewsAshkenazi JewsAshkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
, Sephardi JewsSephardi JewsSephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
, and Dardai communities: - for Yemenite JewsYemenite JewsYemenite Jews are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors lived, in Yemen . Between June 1949 and September 1950, the overwhelming majority of Yemen's Jewish population was transported to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet...
: - for Karaite JewsKaraite JudaismKaraite Judaism or Karaism is a Jewish movement characterized by the recognition of the Tanakh alone as its supreme legal authority in Halakhah, as well as in theology...
: - for Italian Jews:
In the liturgy
In the Blessing after Meals (Birkat HamazonBirkat Hamazon
Birkat Hamazon or Birkath Hammazon, , known in English as the Grace After Meals, , is a set of Hebrew blessings that Jewish Law prescribes following a meal that includes bread or matzoh made from one or all of wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt...
), at the close of the fourth blessing (of thanks for God’s goodness), Jews allude to God’s blessing of the Patriarchs
Patriarchs (Bible)
The Patriarchs of the Bible, when narrowly defined, are Abraham, the ancestor of all the Abrahamic nations; his son Isaac, the ancestor of the nations surrounding Israel/Judah; and Isaac's son Jacob, also named Israel, the ancestor of the Israelites...
described in , and . (Menachem Davis. The Schottenstein Edition Siddur for the Sabbath and Festivals with an Interlinear Translation, 172. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2002. ISBN 1-57819-697-3. Reuven Hammer. Or Hadash: A Commentary on Siddur Sim Shalom
Siddur Sim Shalom
Siddur Sim Shalom may refer to any siddur in a family of siddurim, Jewish prayerbooks, and related commentaries on these siddurim, published by the Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism....
for Shabbat and Festivals, 342. New York: The Rabbinical Assembly, 2003. ISBN 0-916219-20-8.)
The Sages deduced from Isaac’s “meditation . . . toward evening” in that Isaac began the practice of the afternoon Mincha prayer service. (Hammer at 1.)
The Weekly Maqam
In the Weekly Maqam, Sephardi Jews each week base the songs of the services on the content of that week's parasha. For parshah Chayei Sarah, Sephardi Jews apply Maqam Hijaz, the maqam that expresses mourning and sadness. This maqam is appropriate here, because it is the parshah that contains the deaths of both Sarah and Abraham.Biblical
(courtship at the well).- Exodus (courtship at the well).
Classical rabbinic
- MishnahMishnahThe Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
: Kiddushin 4:14; Avot 5:19. Land of Israel, circa 200 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., The Mishnah: A New Translation. Translated by Jacob NeusnerJacob NeusnerJacob Neusner is an American academic scholar of Judaism who lives in Rhinebeck, New York.-Biography:Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Neusner was educated at Harvard University, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America , the University of Oxford, and Columbia University.Neusner is often celebrated...
. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-300-05022-4. - ToseftaToseftaThe Tosefta is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the period of the Mishnah.-Overview:...
: Sotah 7:3, 10:5; Kiddushin 5:17. Land of Israel, circa 300 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., The Tosefta: Translated from the Hebrew, with a New Introduction. Translated by Jacob Neusner. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Pub., 2002. ISBN 1-56563-642-2. - Jerusalem TalmudJerusalem TalmudThe Jerusalem Talmud, talmud meaning "instruction", "learning", , is a collection of Rabbinic notes on the 2nd-century Mishnah which was compiled in the Land of Israel during the 4th-5th century. The voluminous text is also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud de-Eretz Yisrael...
: Berakhot 43a; Orlah 9b. Land of Israel, circa 400 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., Talmud Yerushalmi. Edited by Chaim Malinowitz, Yisroel Simcha Schorr, and Mordechai Marcus, vols. 1, 12. Brooklyn: Mesorah Pubs., 2005–2009. - Genesis Rabbah 8:13; 38:10; 42:5; 45:9; 48:16; 55:6; 58:1–62:5; 65:9; 66:4; 68:2–4, 9; 70:12; 79:7; 85:7; 96; 97. Land of Israel, 5th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., Midrash Rabbah: Genesis. Translated by H. Freedman and Maurice Simon. London: Soncino Press, 1939. ISBN 0-900689-38-2.
- Leviticus RabbahLeviticus RabbahLeviticus Rabbah, Vayikrah Rabbah, or Wayiqra Rabbah is a homiletic midrash to the Biblical book of Leviticus . It is referred to by Nathan ben Jehiel in his Aruk as well as by Rashi in his commentaries on , and elsewhere. According to Leopold Zunz, Hai Gaon and Nissim knew and made use of it...
19:5; 20:11; 30:10; 37:4. Land of Israel, 5th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., Midrash Rabbah: Leviticus. Translated by H. Freedman and Maurice Simon. London: Soncino Press, 1939. ISBN 0-900689-38-2.
- Babylonian TalmudTalmudThe Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
: Berakhot 18a, 26b, 61a; Shabbat 62b, 77a; Eruvin 18b, 53a; Pesachim 3a; Yoma 28b; Taanit 4a; Megillah 17a; Moed Katan 18b; Yevamot 61b; Ketubot 57b; Nedarim 41b; Sotah 5a, 14a; Gittin 76a; Kiddushin 2a, 4b, 82a; Bava Kamma 92b; Bava Metzia 87a; Bava Batra 16b, 69b, 141a; Sanhedrin 46b, 59b, 91a, 95a, 107b; Shevuot 38b; Avodah Zarah 7b; Zevachim 62b; Chullin 95b, 120a; Bekhorot 50a. Babylonia, 6th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., Talmud Bavli. Edited by Yisroel Simcha Schorr, Chaim Malinowitz, and Mordechai Marcus, 72 vols. Brooklyn: Mesorah Pubs., 2006.
Medieval
- Deuteronomy RabbahDeuteronomy RabbahDeuteronomy Rabbah is an aggadic midrash or homiletic commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy. Unlike Bereshit Rabbah, the Midrash to Deuteronomy which has been included in the collection of the Midrash Rabbot in the ordinary editions does not contain running commentaries on the text of the Bible,...
2:11; 9:4; 11:1. Land of Israel, 9th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., Midrash Rabbah: Deuteronomy. Translated by H. Freedman and Maurice Simon. London: Soncino Press, 1939. ISBN 0-900689-38-2. - Exodus RabbahExodus RabbahExodus Rabbah is the midrash to Exodus, containing in the printed editions 52 parashiyyot. It is not uniform in its composition.- Structure :In parashiyyot i.-xiv...
1:32; 31:17; 32:9. 10th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., Midrash Rabbah: Exodus. Translated by S. M. Lehrman. London: Soncino Press, 1939. ISBN 0-900689-38-2. - Song of Songs RabbahShir ha-Shirim RabbahShir ha-Shirim Rabbah is a Haggadic midrash on Canticles, quoted by Rashi under the title "Midrash Shir ha-Shirim" . It is called also "Agadat Ḥazita", from its initial word "Ḥazita" , or "Midrash Ḥazita" Shir ha-Shirim Rabbah (Hebrew: שיר השירים רבה) is a Haggadic midrash on Canticles, quoted by...
2:41; 3:8. - Ruth RabbahRuth RabbahRuth Rabbah is an haggadic and homiletic interpretation of the Book of Ruth, which, like that of the four other scrolls , is included in the Midrash Rabbot. This midrash, divided into eight chapters or sections , covers the whole text of the Biblical book, interpreting it verse by verse, now in...
4:3; 7:12. - Lamentations RabbahLamentations RabbahThe Midrash on Lamentations or Eichah Rabbah , like Bereshit Rabbah and the Pesiḳta ascribed to Rab Kahana, belongs to the oldest works of the Midrashic literature. It begins with 36 consecutive proems forming a separate collection, certainly made by the author of the Midrash...
1:19. - Ecclesiastes RabbahEcclesiastes RabbahEcclesiastes Rabbah or Kohelet Rabbah is an haggadic commentary on Ecclesiastes, included in the collection of the Midrash Rabbot. It follows the Biblical book verse by verse, only a few verses remaining without comment. In the list of the old sedarim for the Bible four sedarim are assigned to...
2:30. - Esther RabbahEsther RabbahEsther Rabbah is the midrash to the Book of Esther in the current Midrash editions. From its plan and scope it is apparently an incomplete collection from the rich haggadic material furnished by the comments on the scroll of Esther, which has been read since early times at the public service on...
2:9. - Solomon ibn GabirolSolomon ibn GabirolSolomon ibn Gabirol, also Solomon ben Judah , was an Andalucian Hebrew poet and Jewish philosopher with a Neoplatonic bent. He was born in Málaga about 1021; died about 1058 in Valencia.-Biography:...
. A Crown for the King, 16:199–200; 22:269–70. Spain, 11th Century. Translated by David R. Slavitt, 28–29, 36–37. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-19-511962-2.
- RashiRashiShlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
. Commentary. Genesis 23–25. TroyesTroyesTroyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
, France, late 11th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., Rashi. The Torah: With Rashi’s Commentary Translated, Annotated, and Elucidated. Translated and annotated by Yisrael Isser Zvi Herczeg, 1:241–70. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-89906-026-9. - Numbers RabbahNumbers RabbahNumbers Rabbah is a religious text holy to classical Judaism. It is a midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletic interpretations of the book of Numbers ....
2:1, 26; 10:5; 14:10–11; 15:12; 19:32; 21:20. 12th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., Midrash Rabbah: Numbers. Translated by Judah J. Slotki. London: Soncino Press, 1939. ISBN 0-900689-38-2. - ZoharZoharThe Zohar is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah and scriptural interpretations as well as material on Mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology...
1:21a, 50a, 100b, 103a, 121a–34a, 135b, 141a, 142a, 181b, 187a, 223a, 224a; 2:39b, 236a; 3:103a, 148b, 158a; Raya Mehemna 60a. Spain, late 13th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., The Zohar. Translated by Harry Sperling and Maurice Simon. 5 vols. London: Soncino Press, 1934.
Modern
- Emily DickinsonEmily DickinsonEmily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life...
. Poem 506 (He touched me, so I live to know). 1862. In The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. Edited by Thomas H. Johnson, 246. New York: Little, Brown & Co., 1960. ISBN 0-316-18414-4.
- Thomas MannThomas MannThomas Mann was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and 1929 Nobel Prize laureate, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual...
. Joseph and His BrothersJoseph and His BrothersJoseph and His Brothers is a four-part novel by Thomas Mann, written over the course of 16 years. Mann retells the familiar stories of Genesis, from Jacob to Joseph , setting it in the historical context of the Amarna Period...
. Translated by John E. WoodsJohn E. WoodsJohn E. Woods is a translator who specializes in translating German literature, since about 1978. His work includes much of the fictional prose of Arno Schmidt and the works of contemporary authors such as Ingo Schulze and Christoph Ransmayr...
, 11, 58, 93–94, 100, 127–28, 130, 133–34, 173, 185, 187, 203, 339–43, 353–54, 394–95, 476–77, 492–93, 496–98, 623, 779, 806. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. ISBN 1-4000-4001-9. Originally published as Joseph und seine Brüder. Stockholm: Bermann-Fischer Verlag, 1943. - Martin BuberMartin BuberMartin Buber was an Austrian-born Jewish philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a form of religious existentialism centered on the distinction between the I-Thou relationship and the I-It relationship....
. On the Bible: Eighteen studies, 22–43. New York: Schocken Books, 1968. - R. David Freedman. “‘Put Your Hand Under My Thigh’—The Patriarchal Oath.” Biblical Archaeology ReviewBiblical Archaeology ReviewBiblical Archaeology Review is a publication that seeks to connect the academic study of archaeology to a broad general audience seeking to understand the world of the Bible and the Near and Middle East . Covering both the Old and New Testaments, BAR presents the latest discoveries and...
2 (2) (June 1976). - Marc Gellman. “Rebekah and the Camel Who Made No Noise.” In Does God Have a Big Toe? Stories About Stories in the Bible, 53–56. New York: HarperCollins, 1989. ISBN 0-06-022432-0.
- Aaron WildavskyAaron WildavskyAaron Wildavsky was an American political scientist known for his pioneering work in public policy, government budgeting, and risk management....
. Assimilation versus Separation: Joseph the Administrator and the Politics of Religion in Biblical Israel, 6–7. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 1993. ISBN 1-56000-081-3. - Joseph TelushkinJoseph TelushkinJoseph Telushkin is an American rabbi, lecturer, and author.-Biography:Telushkin attended the Yeshiva of Flatbush, was ordained at Yeshiva University, and studied Jewish history at Columbia University....
. The Ten Commandments of Character: Essential Advice for Living an Honorable, Ethical, Honest Life, 50–51. New York: Bell Tower, 2003. ISBN 1-4000-4509-6. - Suzanne A. Brody. “Rebecca’s Goodbye.” In Dancing in the White Spaces: The Yearly Torah Cycle and More Poems, 66. Shelbyville, Kentucky: Wasteland Press, 2007. ISBN 1-60047-112-9.
- Esther JungreisEsther JungreisEsther Jungreis is the founder of the international Hineni movement in America. A Holocaust survivor, she has made it her life's mission to bring back Jews to Orthodox Judaism.-Biography:...
. Life Is a Test, 130, 134. Brooklyn: Shaar Press, 2007. ISBN 1-4226-0609-0.
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