Parshat Chayei Sarah 5781
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha that Avraham sends Eliezer back to his homeland to find a wife for his son Yitzchak. Eliezer meets Rivka at the well and she runs home to tell her family. Eliezer is brought to the house of Besuel where he relates his story in great detail. In his telling over what transpired he says (Chapter 24, Pasuk 42), Va’Avo Hayom el Ha’Ayin, and I came today to the well. Rashi comments, today I left and today I arrived, teaching us that Kaftza Lo Ha’Aretz. The land miraculously “jumped” and brought him to his faraway destination on the same day.
The Sfas Emes asks, why was it essential that Eliezer experience Kefitzas Ha’Derech? Would it have been so terrible if Eliezer would have arrived a few days later? What was the point of this miracle?
The Sfas Emes quotes the Medrash Rabbah on Shmos (1,32) which teaches that three people, Yitzchak, Yaakov, and Moshe, were matched up at the well. This is because the flowing waters of the well represent Torah Shebe’alpeh. And these three great leaders of our nation needed to meet their wives at a place symbolizing the eternity of our people. And the place that represents the ongoing flow of the waters of Torah Shebe’alpeh is Eretz Yisrael.
All three of the aforementioned matches took place at a well in Chutz La’Aretz. When Rashi quotes the Chazal which states Kaftza Lo Ha’Aretz, he is not commenting necessarily on time. As the Sfas Emes asks, Eliezer could have theoretically arrived a few days later. The emphasis of Kaftza Lo Ha’Aretz is that Eliezer brought Eretz Yisrael with him to Chutz La’Aretz. Eretz Yisrael “jumped” to the land of Avraham’s fathers in order to give the shidduch with Rivka its proper meaning and premonition. Eretz Yisrael, the land of Torah, was the proper place for this match to take place.
According to Rashi (Chapter 24, Pasuk 39), when Eliezer was told to search for a wife for Yitzchak, he wanted to marry off his own daughter to Yitzchak. Avraham told him that as a slave he was cursed and Eiyn Arur Medabek B’Baruch. It wasn’t possible for one who was cursed to cling to one who was blessed.
Later on, when Eliezer is greeted by Lavan (Chapter 24, Pasuk 31), he says to him, Bo Baruch Hashem. The Medrash Rabbah on our parsha (60,7) teaches on these words that since Eliezer served his master faithfully, Yatza Mi’Clal Arur Le’Clal Baruch. Eliezer left the status of one who is cursed, and entered the status of one who is blessed. And where did this change in status take place? At the well, as the pasuk says (Pasuk 29), Vayaratz Lavan el Ha’Ish Ha’Chutza el Ha’Ayin. The same well which was the manifestation of Eretz Yisrael in Chutz La’Aretz was the place where Eliezer, through his dedicated service to his master, went from cursed to the high level of one who is blessed.
Rashi adds a comment where Eliezer relates the story of arriving at the well, Yafeh Sichasan shel Avdei Avos Mi’Torasam shel Banim. Greater is the conversation of the slaves of our forefathers, which is brought in great detail in our parsha, than the Torah of the sons, which is often brought briefly and only reference. The Sfas Emes teaches that these words of Chazal are referring to the two relationships we have with Hashem. We are slaves to our master, and this relationship is best fulfilled by prayer. As it says later in our parsha (Chapter 24, Pasuk 63), Vayetzei Yitzchak La’Suach Ba’Sadeh; Sichasan is referring to prayer. And the other relationship we have with Hashem is as sons to our father and this relationship is best expressed by studying Torah; we are like sons in the treasure house of our father.
If so, the words of Rashi are praising being slaves over being sons, and prayer over Torah study. Surely the intimacy of a son to his father is preferable than being a slave to a master! And the Gemara in Shabbos 10A refers to prayer as Chayei Sha’ah and Torah study as Chayei Olam.
The Sfas Emes says we need to understand these words of Chazal as we do the Mishnah in Avos (Chapter 4, Mishnah 17) Yafah Sha’ah Achas shel Teshuva U’Ma’asim Tovim Ba’Olam Hazeh Mi’Kol Chayei Olam Haba. One moment of Teshuva and mitzvos in this world is greater than life in the world to come. But how could this be? Certainly our entire goal is to reach Olam Haba; Olam Hazeh is only a Prozdor, a passageway. Rather, Chazal are stressing the importance of the process. It is critical to use our time well in this world and accomplish mitzvos, for without that we can’t reach the world to come.
Similarly, we can’t have the intimate relationship with Hashem as sons to a father without the previous step of being slaves. We must first be slaves, and like Eliezer, serve our Master faithfully, and only then caln we transition and become intimate sons to our Father. We need to pray and know we are dependent on Hashem before we can sit and learn His Torah. And just as Eliezer transitioned from slave to blessed, we constantly transition and retain the balance between slave and son.
Eliezer brought Eretz Yisrael to Chutz La’Aretz. We do the same when we bring in Shabbos and transition from the mundane of the week to the sublime of Shabbos. And on Shabbos we say U’Fros Aleinu Succas Shelomecha. We take the holiness of Shabbos and spread it over all places. Though Shabbos is essentially a holiness of time, it is also a holiness of place. We make it Shabbos everywhere. And just as Eliezer brought the well, the Torah Shebe’alpeh of Eretz Yisrael, to Chutz La’Aretz, we transition from slave to son and from prayer to Torah, and bring in the holiness of Shabbos, regardless of where we are.
Good Shabbos
Print this article