Weekly Parsha

Shabbat Kiddush is sponsored by Mario, Yajaira and Deborah Sambrano. The Shabbat study is sponsored by Rafael and Zulay Mercado in honnor of their daughters and grandson. May HaShem Bless and keep you all in excellent health and happiness and all Good Things that would come from HaShem!

Genesis 23:1 - 25:18

Sarah dies at the age of 127. Avraham purchases a burial place for her in Hebron in the cave of Ma'arat HaMachpela. Avraham sends his servant, Eliezer, back to the "old country," his birthplace Charan, to find a wife for Yitzhak (Isaac). Eliezer makes what appear to be very strange conditions for the matrimonial candidate to fulfill in order to qualify for Yitzhak. Rivka (Rebecca) unknowingly meets the conditions. Eliezer succeeds in getting familial approval, though they were not too keen about Rivka leaving her native land.

Avraham marries Keturah and fathers six more sons. He sends them east (with the secrets of mysticism) before he dies at 175. Yitzhak and Ishmael bury Avraham near Sarah in the Ma'arat HaMachpela, the cave Avraham purchased in Hebron to bury Sarah. The portion ends with the listing of Ishmael's 12 sons and Ishmael dying at age 137.

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Dvar Torah
based on Love Your Neighbor by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

Avraham asked his trustworthy servant Eliezer to find a wife for Isaac. Eliezer journeys to Aram Naharayim, taking ten camels with him. Upon approaching the town, he neared a well and prayed to God:

"Let it come to pass that the maiden to whom I shall say: 'Incline your pitcher that I may drink,' and she shall say, 'Drink and I will give your camels to drink also,' she will be the one whom You have designated for Your servant, for Isaac; and thereby shall I know that You have shown kindness to my master" (Gen. 24:14).

Eliezer, the devoted servant of Avraham, had learned from his great master to appreciate the profound significance of helping others. Chesed is not merely a kind act, but a manifestation of one's belief in God. Doing chesed is an act of emulating Him whose kindness is without bounds.

Eliezer realized that the woman who would be deemed worthy of becoming a mother of the Jewish people must be the paragon of chesed. He therefore fashioned an appropriate test for determining the bride of Isaac to find someone who loved to do chesed, to help others and try to save them from bother under all circumstances.

And what happened? Rivka ran of her own volition to water the ten thirsty camels -- an act which she was not even asked to perform. This act of chesedindicated that she was worthy of being Avraham's daughter-in-law. Remember to look for kindness in choosing a spouse!

Compassion is language
the deaf can hear
and the blind can see.

SHABBAT SHALOM!