Midreshet Amit

• LIVE TORAH:
• Academic Program
• Yimei Iyun
• FAQ
• Recent Shiurim
• View by Parsha
• View By Chag
• Search Database
• Ask the Rav

This week’s parasha is Parashat Chayei Sarah. Rabbi Shraga Simmons points out an anomaly about the parasha’s name. It is called Chayei Sarah - the Life of Sarah, even though the parasha is about her death and burial. Rabbi Simmons suggests that the name is in fact fitting because it is precisely now, at the end of her life, that we can reflect back on her entire life and appreciate what an incredible role model Sarah was. Her life was very challenging and she went through many hardships, but somehow she always managed to find the positive in every situation. She took all the negatives in her life, such as many years of childlessness, and used them as opportunities to grow. We learn from her that if you’re not on your way up growing, you’re on your way down. We learn from Sarah proper morals and values for how to live our own lives.

We see more of this theme of values in another area of the parasha. When Avraham sends Eliezer to find a wife for Yitzchak, he makes Eliezer swear that he won’t take a girl from Canaan. Rabbi Eli Scheller makes a very interesting point about this. We know of Eliezer as Avraham’s main servant and right-hand man. Avraham trusted Eliezer with all of his wealth and fortune. So why did Avraham make Eliezer swear not to find Yitzchak a wife from Canaan? Didn’t he trust him? We learn from Avraham what our priorities ought to be. Usually people are quicker to trust others with spiritual things more than with financial matters and money. Before someone goes into a business deal, they research and question every aspect of the deal, but before deciding if a restaurant is kosher, often one will blindly rely upon having heard that it is or upon having seen someone else eat there. Here, Avraham shows us by example that really it should be the opposite. Avraham trusted Eliezer with all of his money and possessions, but when it came to spiritual things like finding a wife for Yitzchak, he was reluctant to trust him, and made him swear to avoid Canaanite women.

This parasha has many lessons in morals and the way to live our lives. That’s exactly what Sarah’s life was about, constantly growing and having the right morals through it all. This week we should think about our own values and what’s important to us. We should all try to work up to the point of holding spiritual things in high priority, just like Sarah and Avraham did.