Daily Chumash & Rashi Sheiyni Chayeh Sarah – Avraham appoints Eliezer to find a wife for his son Yitzchak

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Summary of Text

Sheiyni

  • The fields, and its cave, and all its trees now belong to Avraham. Its sale was witnessed by all of Bnei Cheis. Avraham then buried his wife Sara in Mearas Hamachpeilah, which is in Chevron.

 

  1. Avraham appoints Eliezer to find a wife for his son Yitzchak:
  • Avraham was old and was blessed with everything.
  • Avraham asked his servant Eliezer to place his hand under his thigh and swear that he would not take for his son Yitzchak as a wife, a woman from Canaan, and that rather he will take for him a wife from Avraham’s family.
  • Eliezer asks Avraham if he should bring Yitzchak to his birthplace, in the event that the girl does not want to come to live in Eretz Canaan. Avraham replies with a stern warning to Eliezer that he is not to bring Yitzchak to his birthplace, and that Hashem will send his angel before him to help him succeed in bringing back a wife for Yitzchak. If, however, you should prove unsuccessful, nevertheless, do not bring Yitzchak to that land.
  • Eliezer placed his hand under Avraham’s thigh and swore to fulfill his request.

Rashi Q&A – Bereishit 23:17–20

Q: What does “וַיָּקָם שְׂדֵה עֶפְרוֹן” mean?
A: The field “arose” in status—it passed from an ordinary person to a king. Simply, it means the field was legally confirmed as Avraham’s purchase.

 

Q: Why mention “בְּכֹל בָּאֵי שַׁעַר עִירוֹ”?
A: To show the transaction was public and legally binding before all who came to the city gate.

 

Q: Who was buried in Machpelah?
A: Sarah was buried there, and later the patriarchs and matriarchs.

 

Bereishit 24:1–9 – Avraham’s Oath

Q: What does “בֵּרַךְ אֶת־אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל” mean?
A: Hashem blessed Avraham “with everything.” The gematria of “בַּכֹּל” equals “בֵּן” (son), hinting that Avraham had a son and now needed to find him a wife.

 

Q: Why did Avraham ask Eliezer to place his hand under his thigh?
A: An oath requires holding a mitzvah object. Circumcision was Avraham’s first mitzvah, precious to him, so he used it for the oath.

 

Q: Why did Avraham forbid taking a wife from Canaan?
A: Because of their corrupt ways; he wanted a wife from his family.

 

Q: Why did Avraham say “God of heaven and earth” now, but earlier only “God of heaven”?
A: Before Avraham publicized Hashem’s name, He was known only in heaven. Now, Avraham had made Him known on earth.

 

Q: What does “וַאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר־לִי” mean?
A: “Who spoke concerning me”—every לִי after דִבֶּר means “about me,” not “to me.”

 

Q: What limitation does “רַק אֶת־בְּנִי” imply?
A: Yitzchak must not return to Charan, though Yaakov later will.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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