Chayey Sarah
Lilluy Nishmas HR’R Mordechai Ben Chaim Dovid Z’L
105 Pasukim (verses), 2.5 Perakim (chapters)
1st Aliyah (Kohen)
Sarah lives until 127 years old; she dies in Chevron in Kiryat Arbah.
Avraham requests from the children of Ches to have Efron Ben Tzochar sell him the Meoras Hamachpelah.
Efron publicly makes it seem as if he is giving it to Avraham for free but the Pasuk attests that Avraham pays him 400 Shekalim for it.
2nd Aliyah (Levi)
Upon the completion of the purchase of the Meoras Hamachpelah, Avraham buries Sarah.
Avraham is old and Hashem has blessed Avraham with everything.
Avraham has Eliezer his servant (who is also the elder of his household) put his hand under Avraham’s thigh and swear that he will go and find a wife for Yitzchak from where Avraham is from and not from the daughters of Canaan.
Eliezer asks if the girl won’t agree to return with him, shall he take Yitzchak with him?
Avraham answers that Hashem who has helped and blessed him will send His Malach to help him.
Avraham adds that if the girl
does not consent to return with him, he is absolved from his oath but he should
not take Yitzchak there.
Eliezer swears to Avraham.
3rd Aliyah
Eliezer takes 10 camels full of everything good and goes to Nachor in Aram Naharayim.
Evening time Eliezer waits by a well with his camels.
Eliezer Davens to Hashem that the woman who offers to give him and his camels water should be the right one to marry Yitzchak.
When Eliezer asks Rivka for a drink, she automatically offers water for his camels as well.
Rivka is the daughter of Bisuel who is the son of Milkah the wife of Nachor; the latter is the brother of Avarahm.
Eliezer is astonished and is not sure if Hashem has sent her because she is the right one for Yitzchak.
After the camels drink, Eliezer gives Rivka a nose ring, 2 bracelets and 10 shekels all of which are gold.
Eliezer asks her who she is and if there is place for him to stay.
Rivka answers who she is and that there is place for him to stay.
Eliezer bows to Hashem and blesses Him for His kindness towards Avraham and for helping him find Avraham’s relatives.
4th Aliyah
Rivka runs to tell her mother’s household about what happened.
Upon seeing what Rivka received, Lavan, Rivka’s brother, runs to Eliezer and invites him to stay with them.
Eliezer and his camels are setup where to stay but he refuses to eat until he relays over the events that have occurred.
The Pasuk rehashes the entire story of how Hashem helped Eliezer find Rivka.
In this second version, Eliezer first asks Rivka who she is before he gives her gifts.
Eliezer ends off by saying that if they do not agree that Rivka may marry Yitzchak, then he’ll go on his way.
Lavan and his father Besuel reply that this is all from Hashem and that he is free to take Rivka for Yitzchak.
When Eliezer hears this he bows to Hashem.
5th Aliyah
Eliezer gives more gifts to Rivka such as silver, gold and garments; he gives fruits to her brother and her mother.
Lavan, Eliezer and those who are present eat and drink together.
The next morning Eliezer requests that he go on his way back to Avraham.
Lavan and his mother request that Rivka remain for a year or 10 months but Eliezer insists that they do not delay him.
They reply that Rivka should be consulted to decide what she should do; when asked, she immediately agrees to go.
Rivka and her nurse are escorted by everyone.
Rivka is blessed by her family to become many and her descendants should inherit the gate of her enemies.
Yitzchak is returning from Beer-Lachai-Roeey and goes out to the field to Daven and sees the camels returning.
Rivka sees Yitzchak and inquires who he is and when she finds out that it is Eliezer’s master, she covers herself with a veil.
Yitzchak is told of all the events.
Yitzchak marries Rivka and is
consoled over the loss of his mother.
6th Aliyah
Avraham marries Keturah and has more children.
They are Zimran, Yakshan, Medan, Midyan, Yishbak, Shuach.
The Pasuk then lists the descendants of these children.
Avraham sends these children away during his lifetime.
Avraham passes away at the age of 175 mature and content.
Yitzchak and Yishmael bury Avraham in the Meoras Hamachpelah in the fields of Ephron Ben Tzochar which faces Mamrey.
Saray is also buried there.
After Avraham’s death, Hashem blesses Yitzchak.
Yitzchak settles in Beer-Lachai-Roeey.
7th Aliyah
The Pasuk lists the descendants of Yishmael.
Yishmael dies at the age of 137.
Haftorah (Melachim(1) 1:1-32)
Dovid is old and his clothes do not keep him warm.
Avishag Hashunamis is chosen for the task to keep Dovid warm.
Dovid’s son, Adoniyah Ben Chagis, tries to usurp the throne from Dovid; he has 50 men run before him in a royal procession to show that he is king.
The Pasuk informs us that Adoniyah was good looking and that Dovid never disciplined him in his younger years.
Yoav and Avyasar the Kohen become loyal to Adoniyah.
Tzadok the Kohen, Benayahu Ben Yehoyada, Nosson the Navi, Shimmy, Reyi and the strong men are loyal to Dovid.
Adoniyah makes a large banquet with sport in celebration and invited everyone to attend except for Nosson the Navi, Benayahu Ben Yehoyada, the strong men and Shlomo.
Nosson tells Bat-Sheva and pretend to go and innocently ask Dovid why is Adoniyah succeeding Dovid if Shlomo was to succeed him; while she will be speaking, Nosson will come and verify what she is saying is true.
Bat-Sheva does as Nosson says; Nossom arrives and confirms to Dovid what she is saying is true.
Dovid summons Bat-Sheva back to him and swears to her that Shlomo will succeed him as king; Bat-Sheva prostrates herself in front of Dovid and wishes that he lives forever.
Parsha Nuggets
1) “Hashem blessed Avraham Bakol (with everything)” Pasuk 24:1
The Pasuk teaches us that the Torah guards a person from harm when he is young and gives him good hope when he is old. (Gemorah Kedushin 22a)
2) “Hashem blessed Avraham Bakol (with everything)” Pasuk 24:1
Eisav didn’t rebel during Avraham’s lifetime and Yishmael did Teshuva while Avraham was still living. (Gemorah Bava Basra 16b)
3) [Lavan asked Eliezer] “…Why do you stand outside; I cleared out the house and made place for the camels” Pasuk 24:31
The camels did not want to enter until Lavan cleared out his Avodah Zara. (Avos Derav Nossn Perek 28)
4) 3 people asked Hashem incorrectly (2 were answered nonetheless answered correctly. One was not answered correctly.) They are Eliezer (Berieshis 24:14), Yiftach (Shoftim 11), and Shaul. (Shmuel (1) 17).
Eliezer asked incorrectly because the girl could have been blind or lame. Nevertheless, he was answered correctly and Rivka was sent.
Shaul offered his daughter to whoever could kill Golyas. This could have resulted in a Mamzer or Eved (servant) marrying her. He was correctly answered in that Dovid kill Golyas.
Yiftach promised that if Hashem helped him defeat Amon that he would offer as a Korban the first thing that exited his house. His daughter was the first to exit his house. Obviously he was not correctly answered.
(Gemorah Taanis 4a)