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Chayei Sarah 5771—October 25, 2010
B”H
~~~
Curriculum:
1. Class Summary
2. Sources
3. Bibliography
4. Questions and Exercises
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Chayei Sarah 5771—October 25, 2010
1. Class Summary:
We learned last week about the ambivalence and deep psychological conflict expressed by the
cantorial shalsheles note. There is a shalsheles in Vayeira, and now there is another one in
Chayei Sarah. In Vayeira, the torn character, the owner of the shalsheles, was Lot, in Chayei
Sarah it is Eliezer, the servant of Abraham.
Eliezer was sent by Abraham to Charan (modern day north-Syria) to bring back a wife for his
only son Isaac. In this monumental marriage, the first Jewish shidduch, the entire Jewish future
lay. Eliezer is given only one requirement: The girl must be a relative of Abraham. It is here that
Eliezer is torn, because he too has a daughter, and as Abraham’s faithful and devoted servant,
he can dream of nothing greater than Isaac becoming his son-in-law. But Eliezer is not a relative
of Abraham; on the contrary he is a descendant of Canaan, the son that Noah who was cursed.
However hope is not lost. Abraham tells Eliezer that if the girl in Charan refuses to return to
Israel, the condition is off, he is not responsible to fulfill his oath and bring a girl from Charan.
It is therefore with mixed emotions that Eliezer embarks on his mission. His selfless devotion to
Abraham wants him to succeed, but his own selfish hopes for his daughter seek his own failure.
Yet, unlike Lot, Eliezer overcomes his inner inhibitions and succeeds in the mission placed upon
him. Whereas Lot became paralyzed and had to be dragged out of Sodom, Eliezer smoothly and
confidently succeeds remarkably well. It is clear that unlike Lot, Eliezer has resolved his own
ambivalence and overcame his inner inhibitions. How?
A powerful Chassidic insight teaches us the key to this type of self-transcendence. It also allows
us to discover the patterns of psychoanalysis so prevalent in the book of Genesis.
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Chayei Sarah 5771—October 25, 2010
2. Sources:
1. Genesis חיי שרה.1
24:5 ה,כד
5. And the servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will ,תֹאבֶ ה הָ ִא ָשה- אּולַי ֹלא, הָ עֶ בֶ ד,וַ יֹאמֶ ר אֵ לָיו
not wish to go after me to this land. Shall I return your
son to the land from which you came?"
ָארץ הַ זֹאת; הֶ הָ ֵשב אָ ִשיב
ֶ ָה-ָללֶכֶ ת ַאחֲ ַרי אֶ ל
.יָצָ אתָ ִמ ָשם-ָארץ אֲ ֶשר
ֶ ָה- אֶ ל,בִ נְָך-אֶ ת
2. Genesis חיי שרה.2
24:39 לט,כד
39. And I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will . ַאחֲ ָרי,תֵ לְֵך הָ ִא ָשה- אֺ לַי ֹלא:אֲ ֹדנִי- אֶ ל,וָ אֹמַ ר
not follow me?'
3. Rashi רש"י.3
Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzchak, France, 1040-1105 ד'תתס"ה- ד'ת"ת, צרפת,רבי שלמה בן יצחק
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Chayei Sarah 5771—October 25, 2010
6. Rashi רש"י.6
Genesis, 24:12 מב,חיי שרה כד
Rabbi Acha said: The ordinary conversation of the יפה שיחתן של עבדי אבות:אמר רבי אחא
servants of the Patriarchs is more beloved before the
Omnipresent than the Torah of their sons, for the
שהרי פרשה,לפני המקום מתורתן של בנים
section dealing with Eliezer is repeated in the Torah, והרבה גופי תורה,של אליעזר כפולה בתורה
whereas many fundamentals of the Torah were given .לא נתנו אלא ברמיזה
only through allusions.
: מקורות.3
חידושי הרי"ם ושפת אמת לפרשת חיי שרה
)שיחת שבת פרשת חיי שרה ה'תשל"ו (לכ"ק אדמו"ר מליובאוויטש
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Chayei Sarah 5771—October 25, 2010
1. Did Abraham’s servant Eliezer go on his mission to find a wife for Isaac wholeheartedly?
Why?
2. What are the two biblical hints for this? One is a missing letter, and one is a rare musical
note.
4. How did he discover the truth about himself? And what did that accomplish?
5. Why does the Torah repeat the story of Eliezer with such great detail?
8. Can you be considered a “Servant of Abraham” when part of you wants to undermine his
mission?
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