Parsha Short Talks - Chayei Sora

 Abraham’s wife Sarah died in Kiryat Arba. It compelled Abraham to find a place for her burial. The place that Abraham selected was called Machpelah. The property that Abraham wanted was owned by Efron. So, Abraham went to him and negotiated for the property. However, Efron said to Abraham that he would grant him the property at no cost. Abraham thanked Efron for his generosity, but insisted on paying for the property, as he was concerned about empty promises. Abraham made a generous offer to the owner immediately.

There is an old expression. When things look too good to be true, they probably are not. When Abraham offered to pay for the property, he immediately realized that Efron was not that magnanimous. So, he quickly made a deal. What we can learn from this story is that when money is involved, grhttps://youtu.be/89wm8vXWR_oeed follows. My mother used to keep a record of gifts that were received for birthdays, anniversaries, and other gift-giving events. She always wanted to make sure that she did not give more than what the family received. Her gift-giving became more of an obligation than something given through her heart. It is unfortunate that when money becomes involved, the attitude can change.

If you wish to give a gift to someone you know or love, the gift should be done from the heart and you should not expect something in return. Certainly, keeping a list of who gave you and its value diminishes the generosity of the giver, but also will diminish your generosity. God gives us gifts from the heart. That is, he does not keep a scorecard of values that he has given us versus the value of gifts that we give to Him. So hopefully in your life you’ll be more concerned about making people happy than what reciprocal gift you may get.

When Sarah died Abraham needed to find a place to bury her. He decided on a cave named Machpelah. This territory was owned by a man named Efron. They negotiated the cost of the territory in a public place. Efron offered the cave to Abraham at no cost. Abraham understood his negotiating partner well. He knew that when they were out of the public arena that Efron was going to want a large sum of money for the property. The once gift now cost 400 silver shekels. A public commitment or announcement tends to change dramatically when it becomes just between you and me, that is in private.

This reminds me of when the movie the passion of the Christ was released. The local Christian radio station went to the theater where the movie was playing and talked to people as they came out. Many were in tears and almost every person said they were now going to do something for Christ. As the days and weeks passed, those people who made that offer went back into the silence of apathy. It is easy to make a public offering, but it is sometimes very difficult to follow through when in the privacy of your own life. What we learn from this situation is that public declarations are generally meaningless. Hopefully, if you ever make a public declaration, you will remember this story and be ready to follow through with it completely.

The Torah tells us that Abraham relied on Eliezer to find a wife for his son Isaac. Eliezer was the elder of the tribe and oversaw all of Abraham’s possessions. Therefore, Abraham trusted him to find a proper wife for his son. Eliezer had to make an unbiased decision about Isaac’s wife. The criteria for the objective and unbiased decision was the ability to have total power over any influencing impeachment. Eliezer ruled over all of Abraham’s possessions, however, they did not rule over him.

A question that we must ask ourselves is, do you rule over materialism, or does it rule over us you. Does the desire for the latest gadget, car, or most exquisite piece of jewelry ruling over you and control your life? Or are we like Eliezer and in control of our material desires? Do we approach the beauties of stories in the Torah with the attitude of spirituality? Before we set our goals and our rules, we ascertain that we have goals for both materialism and spirituality. We must become like Eliezer who did not let materialism rule his life. He could have run off with Abraham’s wealth. He would have been a rich man in the city of Haran. However, his spirituality was more important. He was a truly honest and God-fearing man.

The story of Eliezer getting a wife for Isaac is about kindness. Eliezer’s plan was to arrive in the city of Haran and visit a well because he and his ten camels would need a drink. He figured that the first girl that offered him kindness would be the right one for Isaac. Indeed, Rebecca appeared and offered him a drink of water. In those days, it was the women who drew the water from the well. Not only did Rebecca give him a drink of water, but she also drew water for the camels.

Camels usually drink between 30 and 50 gallons of water in 10 minutes. That would mean Rebecca drew between 300 and 500 gallons of water. Rebecca offered the water and drew it from the well without complaint. Eliezer was impressed and on the spot he determined he found the perfect girl to become Isaac’s wife.

This is an example of random kindness. Certainly, Rebecca did not have to draw the water for the camels. Her culture dictated that the water be drawn for the stranger. However, she could not stop there. She knew the camels needed water as well. Therefore, she drew out enough water for the camels.

It is through kindness that we receive the greatest blessings from the LORD. For Rebecka, she became a grandparent to a great nation. Next time you show kindness, remember Rebekah and do more. You will not regret it.

 When Abraham sought a wife for his son, Isaac, called on his trusted loyal servant Eliezer. Before sending him out, the Torah tells us that Abraham told him not to select a girl from Canaan for Isaac. Instead, he instructed him to go toward the city of Haran and find a girl who was part of his family. So, Eliezer went to Abraham’s hometown. Eliezer swore to Abraham that he would find a girl for Isaac from Abraham’s hometown.

How often do you cancel your plans or change what you’re doing today based on what a meteorologist tells you? Now we know that being a weather person is expected to only be right half of the time. Why would you place your full trust in a weather report when you know that half the time it will be wrong? Would you buy stocks and bonds or invest in real estate without consulting a financial advisor? I’m sure there are some people out there that would do that. If you want your investments to be fruitful and grow, you should talk to an experienced and educated person in that area.

If you want your spirituality to grow, what is the best way to do this? You can find assistance from someone who has experience in helping others find spirituality. Another place to look is the pages of the Bible. Inside the book of Genesis, you will find many examples of how to increase your spirituality. Gaining material like stocks and bonds are very nice and may give you an easy life, however it is one’s spirituality that it is most important to develop. You can do both at the same time. Seek a mentor who can help you understand God’s word and develop a plan that will bring you to the next higher spiritual level.

Name order makes a big difference in the Bible. In Genesis chapter 25 verses eight and nine, we read that Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham in the cave of Machpaleh. Abraham purchased this cave to bury his wife, Sarah. The Bible tells us that Abraham and Sarah rested there in peace for their eternity. Why is it that the Bible says Isaac and Ishmael buried their father as opposed to Ishmael and Isaac? After all, Ishmael was firstborn, and Isaac was the second born. They did this to tell us of the order of procession. It is Isaac and his descendants that receive the glory that was given by God on Abraham. We also learn from this story that Isaac and Ishmael were not trying to kill each other but acted like brothers when it was time to bury their father.

What’s important about this passage is that Ishmael was a crazy man, in that he was rude and demanding. When he lived in Abraham’s tents, he was more concerned about himself than he was about the other members of the tribe. Ishmael had no respect for other people than himself. However, Ishmael learned it was more important to treat people well. The blessings from God came to him by showing kindness to others. Ishmael showed kindness to Isaac. That is what we are being told when the Torah says that Isaac and Ishmael buried their father.

Are you kind to other people? The hardest part is to be kind to someone who is mean or rude to you. This is a quality that would be wonderful if every person in the world has. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Therefore, you have to look at yourself and say how can I spread kindness because if you do spread kindness; it is contagious and that others will become kind also.