Overview
of the Torah Reading
To be read on Shabbat Chayei Sara, 24 Cheshvan 5786/Nov.15,
2025
Torah: Genesis 23:1-25:18; Haftorah: Kings I 1:1-31 (because
the first verse is like Gen. 24:1)
Chayei Sara is
the 5th Reading out of 12 in Genesis and it contains 5314
letters, in 1402 words, in 105 verses
Sarah died at the
age of 127. Avraham bought the Cave of Machpelah. Avraham sent his servant
to look for a wife for his son, making him swear not to bring back a
Canaanite bride. The servant left for Charan, and arriving at the well,
asked G-d to give him a sign. Rivkah arrived to draw water. The servant
asked if he may have some, and after he drank she drew more water for
his camels. The servant spent the night in her father's house. Her family
agreed to let Rivkah marry Yitzchak. Avraham remarried Keturah, who
bore him six sons. Avraham died at the age of 175, and was buried in
the Cave of Machpelah, next to Sarah. Ishmael had twelve sons, each
princes for their nations. He died at the age of 137. His descendants
lived along the border of Egypt all the way to Assyria
An
Essay from
Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, Director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
In our
Torah portion, Chayei Sara, we read, "And Avraham was old, advanced
in years." [Bereishit/Genesis 24:1]. The Midrash [Bereishit 59:6]
interprets this as, "There is a person who is old but not advanced
in years; while others are advanced in years but not old. With Avraham,
the oldness is parallel to the advanced years and advanced years is
parallel to the oldness." The simple interpretation of this statement
is that a person can appear old even though he is still young, and a
person can appear young even though he is already old. With Avraham
his oldness matched his years.
If this is the meaning of the verse, the greatness of the praise for
Avraham is not so clear. These qualities of "oldness" and
"advanced in years" are peripheral to the greatness of Avraham
, of whom the prophets said "One [unique] was Avraham" [Yechezkel/Ezekiel
33:24). The Sages tell us that "He was the first to begin to illuminate
[Divinity in the world]" [Shemot Raba 15:26 Bereishit Raba 2:3]
and from whom the period of "Two thousand years of Torah"
began [Talmud. Avodah Zara 9:1 - see footnote 1]. We can learn some
very deep teachings here.
The Sages teach, "Old refers to one who has acquired wisdom"
[Talmud. Kiddushin 32:2]. "Advanced in years" means that one
has "brought all the days of his life with him" [Zohar. Part
1. 124:1]. This means that the term "old" [meaning "who
has acquired wisdom"] refers to a person's personal perfection,
that he acquired wisdom and knowledge for himself, for his spiritual
development. "Advanced in years" refers to the person's actions
in the world - what we have accomplished in life.
These two qualities are represented in the main areas of Jewish life
- Torah study, fulfillment of the mitzvot [commandments] and forging
one's relationship with the Giver of the Torah and the Commander of
the Mitzvot. Torah study leads to the perfection of our inner self,
the acquisition of Torah wisdom and knowledge. Mitzvot are the influence
the soul exerts on the world, sanctifying the mundane reality into a
place of revealed holiness.
"One [unique] was Avraham," means that he achieved perfection
in both areas. He was a man of Torah learning and also influenced the
world, as it is said: "And the nations will be blessed through
your seed." [Ibid. 22:18]. His service of G-d was so perfect that
he is referred to as a "chariot for G-d" [1]. He searched
for G-d in his youth and fulfilled, to the letter, everything that G-d
asked of him - without question.
The verse, "And Avraham was old, advanced in years", teaches
us we need both Torah and mitzvot in order to serve G-d completely and
fulfill our mission as a Jew. A person who is perfect in Torah but does
not act positively in the world - his soul perfection is incomplete.
Likewise a person who acts positively in the world but does not have
Torah knowledge. Avraham is our example of a person who achieved perfection
in both areas.
As we all know, these two areas are not onl very different, they are
sometimes contradictory. The time and energy invested in one area is
often to the detriment in the other. Avraham's greatness was that he
attained perfection in both areas.
From the above, we can understand why the period of "Two thousand
years of Torah" (that followed two thousand years of chaos and
preceded two thousand years of Mashiach) [2] began with Avraham.
When G-d came down on Mount Sinai to give the Torah, the Jewish experience
changed totally. Since then we have the ability to combine heaven (G-d)
and earth (Mount Sinai). To integrate Divine holiness with the material
and physical world. This was not possible before then.
The righteous people who preceded Avraham during the "two thousand
years of chaos" either engaged in building their personal perfection
(like Shet [3]), or they devoted themselves to influencing the world
(like Noach). Avraham was the first to combine both paths to spiritual
perfection.
Avraham was our forefather. His actions serve as a guide for every one
of us. Some believe that they should forget their personal situation
and only engage in influencing their surroundings. Others think that
the main thing is self-correction, while the state of their environment
is not their concern. The correct path is that of our father Avraham.
The Jewish way is to work towards self-correction at the same time as
bringing the entire world to its rectification.
Avraham's greatness lay in the fact that he encompassed the work of
"elder" and that of "advanced in years." He was
complete both in his personal acquisitions and in what he was required
to do and accomplish in the world.
[Adapted from Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. Likkutei Sichot ("Collected
Talks") Volume 3. Page 773 in Shulchan Shabbat pages 142-143]
For
last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this week's Reading, see the archive.
FROM
THE SAGES OF KABBALAH ON KabbalaOnline.org
Specifically,
for an overview of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary
Kabbalists, and more,
click to Chayei
Sara
one sample:
Contemporary
Kabbalists
The Complete
Joy of Sarah
.jpg)
Adapted
by Yosef Marcus from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Sarah
remained selfless even while experiencing otherness. This allowed her
to "descend" to Egypt and "ascend" unscathed. Not
only is she not adversely affected by the impurity of Egypt, she and
Abraham manage to leave there heavy with cattle, silver and gold - an
allusion to the sparks of holiness that they had elevated through their
descent.
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