Parshat Chayei Sarah

This weeks post is taken from the shiur I delivered last night to our Parshah and Poker group here at MJC.

פרשה and Poker – פרשת חיי שרה

Rabbi Josh Hearshen

Welcome to Midway Jewish Center’s first פרשה and Poker night. We are hoping to grow this program into a regular monthly study group that gathers for תורה, socializing and fun. The program is simple: People RSVP and pay $10 to play. We study for 45 minutes, and then we play poker for the remainder of the night, until there is a winner. The winner will receive a gift certificate. The money that you paid at the beginning will be donated to a pre-determined charity. Tonight we are donating to Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.

Questions:

• How do you decide when you have enough money?
• What does it mean to be wealthy?
• What does it mean to be happy?

Text 1

פרקי אבות ד:א

א בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר, אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיט), מִכָּל מְלַמְּדַי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי כִּי עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שִׂיחָה לִּי. אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר, הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי טז), טוֹב אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם מִגִּבּוֹר וּמשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ מִלֹּכֵד עִיר. אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר הַשָמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קכח), יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ. אַשְׁרֶיךָ, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וְטוֹב לָךְ, לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. אֵיזֶהוּ מְכֻבָּד, הַמְכַבֵּד אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א ב), כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד וּבֹזַי יֵקָלוּ:

Ben Zoma said: Who is wise? He who learns from every man, as it is said (Ps. 119:99): "From all my teachers have I gained understanding." Who is mighty? He who conquers his passions, as it is said (Prov. 16:32): "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." Who is wealthy? He who rejoices in his portion, as it is said (Ps. 128:2) "When you eat the labor of your hands, happy shall you be, and it shall be well with you." Happy shall you be - in this world; and shall be well with you - in the world-to-come. Who is honored? He who honors others, as it is said, (l Sam. 2:30): "for them who honor Me I will honor, and they who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. "

1. What is בן זומא saying here?

2. How does this משנה define wealth?

3. Is it odd that happiness and wealth seem to be interchangeable here?

4. How do we live by this?

Now for some text from the פרשה…

בראשית כד

א וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים וַֽיהוָֹה בֵּרַךְ אֶת־אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּֽל: ב וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֶל־עַבְדּוֹ זְקַן בֵּיתוֹ הַמּשֵׁל בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ שִׂים־נָא יָֽדְךָ תַּחַת יְרֵכִֽי: ג וְאַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ בַּֽיהוָֹה אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וֵֽאלֹהֵי הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־תִקַּח אִשָּׁה לִבְנִי מִבְּנוֹת הַֽכְּנַֽעֲנִי אֲשֶׁר אָֽנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ: ד כִּי אֶל־אַרְצִי וְאֶל־מֽוֹלַדְתִּי תֵּלֵךְ וְלָֽקַחְתָּ אִשָּׁה לִבְנִי לְיִצְחָֽק: ה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הָעֶבֶד אוּלַי לֹֽא־תֹאבֶה הָֽאִשָּׁה לָלֶכֶת אַֽחֲרַי אֶל־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת הֶֽהָשֵׁב אָשִׁיב אֶת־בִּנְךָ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יָצָאתָ מִשָּֽׁם: ו וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַבְרָהָם הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן־תָּשִׁיב אֶת־בְּנִי שָֽׁמָּה: ז יְהוָֹה | אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם אֲשֶׁר לְקָחַנִי מִבֵּית אָבִי וּמֵאֶרֶץ מֽוֹלַדְתִּי וַֽאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר־לִי וַֽאֲשֶׁר נִֽשְׁבַּֽע־לִי לֵאמֹר לְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת הוּא יִשְׁלַח מַלְאָכוֹ לְפָנֶיךָ וְלָֽקַחְתָּ אִשָּׁה לִבְנִי מִשָּֽׁם: ח וְאִם־לֹא תֹאבֶה הָֽאִשָּׁה לָלֶכֶת אַֽחֲרֶיךָ וְנִקִּיתָ מִשְּׁבֻֽעָתִי זֹאת רַק אֶת־בְּנִי לֹא תָשֵׁב שָֽׁמָּה: ט וַיָּשֶׂם הָעֶבֶד אֶת־יָדוֹ תַּחַת יֶרֶךְ אַבְרָהָם אֲדֹנָיו וַיִּשָּׁבַֽע לוֹ עַל־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּֽה:

1. And Abraham was old, and well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2. And Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, Put, I beg you, your hand under my thigh; 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 live; 4. But you shall go to my country, and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac. 5. And the servant said to him, Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land; must I need bring your son again to the land from where you came? 6. And Abraham said to him, Beware that you bring not my son there again. 7. The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, To your seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8. And if the woman will not be willing to follow you, then you shall be free from this my oath; only bring not my son there again. 9. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning that matter.

Now some of My Questions:

• What is this narrative about?
• How does אברהם try to kill his son and then try to find him a wife?
• Why does he care so much?

Commentary

And Abraham was old...and Hashem had blessed him in all things (Genesis 24:1)

To be content with one's lot one must have reached old age. Because young people always want more than they have, no matter how much it may be. Only when one has reached old age does he realize that whatever he possesses is enough. And this realization is in itself a blessing--the blessing of בכל(Bachol).

Source: Tiferet Uziel

1. How is this text different from the פרקי אבות one?

2. Does age matter in this discussion?

3. Seeing as we are all at different places in our lives, how do we incorporate this into our lives?

Putting it to use

1. How will you change because of this?

2. How will you remain the same?