The Beautiful Sarah, wife of Abraham
A KOL HA’TOR Presentation
Weekly Bible Reading #5
Year 5773 (2012/2013) – 10 November 2012
Parashat Chayei Sarah meaning: (The life of Sarah)
Genesis 23:1 - 25:18
Haftarah: I Kings 1:1 - 1:31
Tracing the context with our previous 4 Parashot, this Parashah opens with the death of Sarah.
When Abraham returned home, to inform Sarah of the joyful saving of Yitzchak’s life, she had passed away – probably because of Yitzchak’s presumed death! (Oral Torah).
Abraham, at a very high age, is now left with his only son Yitzchak and the Divine Promise of multitudes, nations and kings to become his descendants who would inherit the Promised Land shown to Abraham from Mt Kabir, the Mt. of Blessings.
Yitzchak is not yet married, so Abraham sends his servant, Eliezer, to the land of his birth where his family still lived, to find Yitzchak a wife from amongst Abraham’s relatives. With G-d’s guidance, the servant locates Rivkah (Rebecca) from amongst Abraham’s relatives, a beautiful young woman who possesses the kindness that a mother of G-d’s Elect should have and who is prepared to accompany the servant back to Abraham’s household.
Genesis 24:59 – “So they (Rivkah’s mother and relatives) sent (her) on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men. And they blessed Rivkah and said to her, “Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the cities of their enemies.”
This is our hint to follow the Abrahamic Blessing in the genealogy of Abraham, i.e. the Promise of an elected people through whom the Creator would fulfill His Original Intention of creating a breed of people worthy of becoming co-rulers with Him in His Universal Kingdom. For this sake He would persist with the creation of humanity who, being created with a free choice between Good and Evil, so much disappointed Him by choosing evil. It was for the sake of the few righteous people amongst the masses that G-d refrained from destroying His entire Creation.
This election thus runs through Yitzchak, the only remaining son of Abraham, when he was commanded by G-d to sacrifice Yitzchak. God honored Abraham’s immovable faith in His Promise of a great decadency even if Yitzchak had to die, and provided Abraham, at the last moment, with a sacrificial animal in place of Yitzchak.
In our recent additional commentaries to Parashat Va’yerah and Parashat Noach, we pointed to the fulfillment of these Parashot in the then current news. We construed that the devastating damage of Super Storm Sandy on the East Coast of America could well be a foreboding of G-d’s wrath (as with hurricane Katrina) on the arrogant leader of the USA, Obama, who opposes the settlement of Jews in their Land of Divine Promise.
The recent re-election of Obama in the same week of Parashat Chayei Sarah and its relevant Haftarah in I Kings 1:1-31 may be no co-incidence. In this Haftarah we read of AdoniYah (‘My Lord is HaShem’), a servant of King David, who in the David’s old age declared himself king of Israel ahead of King Solomon, David’s choice.
Commentaries on Obama’s re-election this week abounded with scary predictions that Obama would now exalt himself as the ‘little horn’ of the prophetic book of Daniel who would exalt himself to the Throne of G-d.
Daniel 7:8-11; 21-23; 25-27 – “… there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; … This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully. Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking…this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this. So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: …a king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.
He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.”
Clearly an ‘End Time’ Prophecy – for the days that we have now come to, according to many commentators: Jewish, Christian and even secular!
Can it be co-incidence, once again, that our Haftarah in an eerie way is echoed in the current News Events around us? That Obama could be an anti-type of AdoniYah (‘My Lord is HaShem’)? The self-appointed replacement of King David, exalting himself to G-d? (We have recently also reviewed Obama’s audacious claims to control and turn around the current threatening rising of the oceans!)
There are far too many similarities here to make it “co-incidence.” We are facing the “End Times”, Israel is facing the threat of nuclear destruction by a modern Hitler; the rulers of the world oppose the settlement of the Land of Israel by the Divinely ordained heirs of Israel; ALL the nations of the world are ganging up against Jewish Jerusalem; the leader of the most powerful nation of the world, the USA, sides with the Arab enemies of Israel and “speaks great words against the Most High,” legalizing abortion and same sex marriage, rejecting the Law of HaShem.
And we are just touching on a host of signs. How much more do we need to be convinced of the opposing forces against the establishment of the Kingdom of the G-d of Israel?
Concluding confirmation from our Parashah
Kristal Nacht: The Vandalized Jewish Shops in Berlin,
Germany
Only hours earlier today, BEFORE this commentary was researched and formulated, we addressed an appeal to re-awakening 10-Israel to follow the example of Judah after the turn of the Holocaust to support their brothers in settling and developing of the Land and establishing themselves and their families.
10 November (the date of this current Parashah) was also the commemoration of Kristal Nacht – the start of the persecution of Jews by Hitler’s Death Machine; the birthday of Martin Luther who inspired Hitler to devise this Death Machine against G-d’s People.
This commemoration led us to a video from the early 60’s with the title “Memo to Eichmann” (one of Hitler’s butchers of Jews).
We are facing and promoting another Return today, an even more stupendous Return – that of the totally Lost and unidentified 10 Tribes of Israel, sent into oblivion 2800 years ago!
Inspired by Judah’s astounding example in Brotherhood and nationhood, we addressed a “Memo to Satan”, telling him that his time was over, that he had failed. We declared our victory over his lies, deceit, misrepresentations and imprisonment in paganism that he brought upon 10-Israel.
We offered Ten Tribers a similar opportunity and the means to follow the noble example of the Jews of the world who supported their brothers in the New Land, to support their Ten Triber brothers who are confronting the Impossible by returning to their heritage, to the Land of Israel.
We realize well how difficult it is to assist in this way. We are acquainted with all the reasons why it cannot be done. But, we are also acquainted with the sacrifices made by Jews over the 60 years and to this day. Not only by individuals who build entire hospital blocks in Israel as donations to the land, but also those who sponsor single wards, school class rooms – down to planting single trees for $5 a time! No assistance is too small. It only requires the dedication.
Eliezar, Abraham’s Servant meets Rebecca, Isaac’s future Wife – Painting Tiepolo Giovanni Battista
Now, behold this amazing confirmation for Ten Tribers from our current Parashah – a Parashah with very limited scope for topics and applications this week:
The source for this amazing revelation is: Ohr Someyach
Genesis 24:16-17 - “She descended to the spring, filled her jug and ascended. The servant ran towards her….”
Ohr Someyach – “Sometimes when we go to do a mitzvah, [or a good deed] all kinds of things seem to make it more difficult. Why is that? “In this week’s Torah portion Rashi explains that Eliezer [Abraham’s servant who went to his homeland to find a wife for Yitzchak] ran to Rivka [Rebecca] when he saw the water level rise as she came to water her camels.
The Ramban infers that the water rose by itself, because in verse 20, when [the second time, and as a kind deed which identified her as the right person to be a mother to HaShem’s elect] Rivka waters Eliezer’s camels, the Torah mentions that Rivka [Rebecca] ‘drew the waters’, whereas when watering her own camels, the verse doesn’t mention that she had to draw water, meaning that the extra effort of drawing the water was not required because the water came to her [the first time].
The question remains, however, why didn’t the waters rise to Rivka when she went to water Eliezer’s camels? Moreover, if Rivka merited supernatural help when watering her own camels, surely she should merit no less when doing a mitzvah?
When a person does a mitzvah [good deed], G-d helps him or her to do the mitzvah in the best possible way. When Rivka went to water her [own] camels, the water rose up to spare her the extra effort, but when she went to water Eliezer’s camels she did this with the intention to do the mitzvah of gemilut chasadim – performing an act of kindness. If G-d had brought up the water to meet her, this would have minimized her own involvement in the mitzvah.”
“G-d wanted Rivka’s [Rebecca’s] physical action to be as complete as the intention of her heart.” (Source: Based on Mayana Shel Torah)
In the same way, G-d wants 10-Israel’s physical action and assistance to their fellow brothers in the front lines of Return, to be as complete as the intentions of their hearts. HaShem looks upon the heart of man, the intention. This is how He measures righteousness.
This confirms our guidance in our letter this morning ‘Memo to Satan’ that Ten Tribers should NOT expect to be ‘carried’ Home by HaShem. What merits would that hold for YOUR worthiness for Return?
Only by putting one’s shoulder to the wheel, by spending sweat and support, can one display your own seriousness about His Cause; can one expect to find similar merit and assistance to Return.
OvadYah
Kol HaTor
You Might Want to Refer to the 2012-2013 Yearly Kol Ha’Tor Parashat Portion Reading Index for future Kol Ha’Tor Commentaries
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You might Want to Read Destination Yisra’el’s Kol Ha’tor Series on “Judah the Mechoqeck”
“Judah - The Lawgiver of God – Part One”
“Judah- The Lawgiver of God – Part Two”
To understand more about the Return of the 10 Tribes of Israel to their Homeland in Shomron (Samaria), Israel, Contact “Kol Ha’Tor”, the Voice of the Turtledove.
Here is a joint Orthodox Jewish and 10-Triber Mission to bring awareness of the imminent fulfillment of the Biblical Prophecies regarding the Redemption of all Israel (12 Tribes Re-conciled and Re-United). This super Event of all Times will entail Establishing the Shomron (the Ancient Bible Heartland of the Patriarchs) and the Judean Wilderness as part of the Land of Israel, and preparing the “Land” for the Return of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel and then the Redemption of All Israel.
For inquiries about Kol Ha Tor Ministries for the Lost Tribes of Israel, Visit – “Shomron Lives!”, a Spiritual Retreat and Guest House in Samaria, that hosts Shomron (Samaria) Tours to reacquaint the Returning Lost Tribers of the House of Israel.