Difference between revisions of "Devar/5769/Chayei Sarah"
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< Devar | 5769
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{{heb|קשה להבין: הרי הוא גר בשלווה בכנען, והנו בן ברית עם ענר אשכול וממרא -- אם כן, סיבתו אינה עקב חשש לאיבה. ואם מפני שתושבי הארץ עובדים עבודה זרה, הרי שכל משפחתו של אברהם עובדי עבודה זרה הם!}} | {{heb|קשה להבין: הרי הוא גר בשלווה בכנען, והנו בן ברית עם ענר אשכול וממרא -- אם כן, סיבתו אינה עקב חשש לאיבה. ואם מפני שתושבי הארץ עובדים עבודה זרה, הרי שכל משפחתו של אברהם עובדי עבודה זרה הם!}} | ||
| − | {{heb|אלא שיודע שאם ייקח אישה לבנו מבין הכנעניים, יהיה קשה להוציאה מטעותה אל דת האמת, מפני שכל סביבתה עודבים את העבודה שמוכרת לה. ואילו בת מארץ מולדתו לא תמצא חברות העובדות אותה עבודה שהיא מכירה, בארץ כנען, ויהיה קל יותר | + | {{heb|אלא שיודע שאם ייקח אישה לבנו מבין הכנעניים, יהיה קשה להוציאה מטעותה אל דת האמת, מפני שכל סביבתה עודבים את העבודה שמוכרת לה. ואילו בת מארץ מולדתו לא תמצא חברות העובדות אותה עבודה שהיא מכירה, בארץ כנען, ויהיה קל יותר להוליכה בדרך האמת.}} |
{{heb|למה הוא דואג כל-כך לאישה הגונה לבנו? המדרש מסביר: '''לא טוב {{hcite|p/pt/pt0102.htm#18|בראשית ב:יח}}: תני רבי יעקב 'כל שאין לו אשה שרוי בלא טובה, בלא עזר, בלא שמחה, בלא ברכה, בלא כפרה' ''' <small>[http://www.tsel.org/torah/midrashraba/breshit.html מדרש רבה בראשית יז:ב]</small> -- וראה שאר המדרש שם. אברהם יודע שבנו יזדקק ל"עזר כנגדו", ורק אישה הגונה תעזור לו כראוי.}} | {{heb|למה הוא דואג כל-כך לאישה הגונה לבנו? המדרש מסביר: '''לא טוב {{hcite|p/pt/pt0102.htm#18|בראשית ב:יח}}: תני רבי יעקב 'כל שאין לו אשה שרוי בלא טובה, בלא עזר, בלא שמחה, בלא ברכה, בלא כפרה' ''' <small>[http://www.tsel.org/torah/midrashraba/breshit.html מדרש רבה בראשית יז:ב]</small> -- וראה שאר המדרש שם. אברהם יודע שבנו יזדקק ל"עזר כנגדו", ורק אישה הגונה תעזור לו כראוי.}} | ||
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{{pasuq| thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell<br> But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son, even for Isaac. |p/pt/pt0124.htm#3|Gen 24:3,4}} | {{pasuq| thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell<br> But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son, even for Isaac. |p/pt/pt0124.htm#3|Gen 24:3,4}} | ||
| − | Abraham commands his servant Eliezer to find a wife for his | + | Abraham commands his servant Eliezer to find a wife for his son. And he makes him swear an oath that he will find a wife ''specifically'' from the land of Abraham's birth, and not from among the women of the land of Canaan. |
| − | It is difficult to understand: Abraham lives in peace in Canaan, and indeed he has covenants with Aner, | + | It is difficult to understand: Abraham lives in peace in Canaan, and indeed he has covenants with Aner, Eshcol and Mamre -- so his reason cannot have anything to do with enmity. And were it because the local residents are idolators, all of Abraham's family are idolators! |
| − | Rather, he knows that if he takes a wife for his son from the Canaanites, it will be difficult to wean her away from idolatry and lead her to the true faith, because all her neighbors are idolators who worship in a way she is familiar. Whereas a woman from Abrahams ancestral home will not find friends who worship the idols with which she is familiar, in Canaan, and so it will be much easier to | + | Rather, he knows that if he takes a wife for his son from the Canaanites, it will be difficult to wean her away from idolatry and lead her to the true faith, because all her neighbors are idolators who worship in a way she is familiar. Whereas a woman from Abrahams ancestral home will not find friends who worship the idols with which she is familiar, in Canaan, and so it will be much easier to lead her on the right path. |
| − | Why does he worry so much about a proper wife for his son? The midrash explains: '''It is not good {{hcite|p/pt/pt0102.htm#18|Gen 2:18}}: Rabbi Yaaqov taught, 'Whoever does not have a wife, dwells without goodness, without help, without happiness, without blessing and without atonement' ''' <small>[http://www.tsel.org/torah/midrashraba/breshit.html Midrash Rabba Bereshit 17:2]</small> -- and see the rest of the midrash | + | Why does he worry so much about a proper wife for his son? The midrash explains: '''It is not good {{hcite|p/pt/pt0102.htm#18|Gen 2:18}}: Rabbi Yaaqov taught, 'Whoever does not have a wife, dwells without goodness, without help, without happiness, without blessing and without atonement' ''' <small>[http://www.tsel.org/torah/midrashraba/breshit.html Midrash Rabba Bereshit 17:2]</small> -- and see the rest of the midrash there. Abraham knows that his son will require a "helpmate", and only a proper wife will help him as required. |
From here we learn how important a good and proper match is, and to what extent one must exert himself to find a "helpmate". | From here we learn how important a good and proper match is, and to what extent one must exert himself to find a "helpmate". | ||
Revision as of 10:03, 21 November 2008
עברית
כִּי אֶל-אַרְצִי וְאֶל-מוֹלַדְתִּי, תֵּלֵךְ; וְלָקַחְתָּ אִשָּׁה, לִבְנִי לְיִצְחָק (בראשית כד:ג,ד)
English
thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell
But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son, even for Isaac. (Gen 24:3,4)
Abraham commands his servant Eliezer to find a wife for his son. And he makes him swear an oath that he will find a wife specifically from the land of Abraham's birth, and not from among the women of the land of Canaan.
It is difficult to understand: Abraham lives in peace in Canaan, and indeed he has covenants with Aner, Eshcol and Mamre -- so his reason cannot have anything to do with enmity. And were it because the local residents are idolators, all of Abraham's family are idolators!
Rather, he knows that if he takes a wife for his son from the Canaanites, it will be difficult to wean her away from idolatry and lead her to the true faith, because all her neighbors are idolators who worship in a way she is familiar. Whereas a woman from Abrahams ancestral home will not find friends who worship the idols with which she is familiar, in Canaan, and so it will be much easier to lead her on the right path.
Why does he worry so much about a proper wife for his son? The midrash explains: It is not good (Gen 2:18): Rabbi Yaaqov taught, 'Whoever does not have a wife, dwells without goodness, without help, without happiness, without blessing and without atonement' Midrash Rabba Bereshit 17:2 -- and see the rest of the midrash there. Abraham knows that his son will require a "helpmate", and only a proper wife will help him as required.
From here we learn how important a good and proper match is, and to what extent one must exert himself to find a "helpmate".
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