Two Minute Torah Podcast

Haye Sarah 5769 by Rabbi Ed Romm

Shalom, my name is Rabbi Ed Romm, Director of Education and Campus Programs for the United Synagogue Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center For Conservative Judaism in Israel. Welcome to KOACH’s Two-Minute Torah; a project of the College Department of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

Parshat Haye Sarah starts off with the death of Sarah and the acquisition of a burial cave. We learn how Avraham purchases "Maarat Hamachpelah", the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron, which will eventually become the burial site for the Avot and Imahot in our tradition.

After Sarah is buried, Avraham turns his attention to finding a wife for his son Yitzchak.

We learn in Genesis 24:2-4, "And Avraham said to the senior servant of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, "put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of Heaven and the God of Earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of Canaanites among whom I dwell, but will go to the land of my birth and get a wife for my son Isaac."

Why does Avraham insist on not finding a wife for Yitzchak from among the local Canaanite women? Ham, one of Noach's sons, is regarded as the father of the Canaanites. The Canaanites were idolaters and had a reputation for being immoral, evil, and despicable.

What was so special about a girl from the "old country"? They too were worshipers of idols. Why the rejection of a local Canaanite girl? . Avraham was seeking for his son, a wife with 'midot tovot", good qualities. While beliefs of people can change, the true essence of a person is what you are inside.

Shabbat Shalom.