RR Parshah Chayei Sarah. Genesis 23-25. By Jeffery Freeman

Shabbat Shalom,

The name comes from Genesis 23:1 Now Sarah’s life (Chayei Sarah) was 127 years – the years of Sarah’s life.
 
Contained in Chayei Sarah, Abraham purchases the Cave of Machpelah for Sarah’s burial, Abraham sends his servant to obtain a wife for Isaac, a second wife and more children for Abraham, and Abraham’s death and burial with Sarah.
 
The Torah Portion this week contains one of my favorite passages – Genesis 24:64-67:
 
Rebekah also lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac. Then she fell off her camel. Then she said to the servant, “Who is that man there who is walking in the field – to meet us.” The servant said, “He is my master.” So, she took the veil and covered herself. Then the servant recounted to Isaac all the things he had done. Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother, took Rebekah and she became his wife - and he loved her.
 
Rebekah probably didn’t exactly “fall” off her camel, although that is the literal translation of v’tippol (from nfal). Idiomatically, this means something like “get off in a hurry,” or “jumped down.” But that’s not the most important part of this passage. Look at how Isaac and Rebekah were married, specifically the order of events – Isaac met Rebekah, she became Isaac’s wife, and he loved her.
 
This is not the way we would expect things to happen, at least not in today’s “enlightened” society. We would certainly expect love before marriage at the very least. Many opt for an even more dangerous and biblically incorrect premarital arrangement – that of living together for months or even years before finally committing to marriage.
 
Today most marriages are based on the couples’ passionate love for each other, before they marry. This love is too often based on physical attraction, emotion, anticipation, the joys of the dating game, or even the excitement of the chase. Too often these passions fade as the reality of a joined life overshadows the independence of the past or the strategies of the relationship as they change from the dating game to that of a shared life.
 
Yet this is not how the LORD ordained marriage. A Godly marriage is not two individuals joined together in a limited liability partnership or Joint Venture, working together so long as their individual interests are served by the partnership. Rather a Godly marriage is one based on a permanent and inseparable combining of two beings into one. Like putting a tablespoon of food coloring into a glass of water…try getting them apart once combined!
 
Genesis 2:24 This is why a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.
 
Matthew 19: 4-6 “Haven’t you read?” He answered. “He who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So, they are no longer two, but one flesh.”
 
When you marry another, your love should grow every day. Oh, the passions of youth may pass, but that should be replaced by a deep and abiding love – a God centered love growing in depth and beauty and strength as the years fade away.
 
Proverbs 18:22 Whoever finds a wife finds good and receives favor from the LORD.
 
My wife and I celebrated 45 years of wonderfully amazing marriage this year. Over the last 45 years our love has matured, developed, and grown. While it may no longer be the new love of a bright morning sunrise, full of hope, promise and wonder of a new beginning, it has grown into the love of a warm, comfortable, and beautiful summer sunset reflecting a shared life of caring for each other, raising our family, and the joining of two souls just as God intended… two individuals becoming one, not just in the flesh, but also in spirit.
 
Oh, here is something quite interesting about the comparison I used – the sunrise and sunset – unless you know the cardinal directions or have some other reference point, a photograph or painting of a sunset or sunrise is often indistinguishable one from the other. At the very heart of it, that’s precisely how a God-centered marriage should be! It should be as beautiful, colorful, and as full of God’s promise from when first joined together under God until God’s purpose is fulfilled and one is called home to the LORD.
 
Deuteronomy 5:12 Observe Yom Shabbat to keep it holy, as ADONAI your God commanded you.
 
I know, some may be thinking what does keeping Shabbat holy have to do with the life of Sarah reading or a God-centered marriage? Well, two important parts of the traditional Erev Shabbat opening readings marking the start of Shabbat are the wife reading Psalm 112 – Blessed is the Righteous Man to her husband, and the husband reading Proverbs 31:10-31 – Eishet Chayil - A Woman of Valor to his wife.
 
The opening verses of each are:
 
Psalm 112:1 Halleluyah! Happy is the man who fears ADONAI, who delights greatly in his mitzvot.
 
Proverbs 31:10-11 An accomplished woman who can find? Her value is far beyond rubies. Her husband’s heart trusts in her, and he lacks nothing valuable.
 
These two bits of Scripture read each week remind us to truly love and appreciate our spouses the way God intended… the way that Isaac exemplified in his love for Rebekah. Take time to appreciate and show your love for your spouse.
 
Shabbat Shalom!

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sat      07-Nov-2026            27th of Cheshvan, 5787 Parashat Chayei Sara
Ge 25:12-18              1 Ki 1:1-31                                        Gal 4:21-31