Chassidut on the Torah
The week of Parshas Chayei Sarah, 5762
This
Dvar Torah is dedicated in honor of the birth of Tehilla Esther Mishkin,
by
her grandparents, Phil & Connie Beinhaker
Overview
Sarah died at the age of 127.
Avraham bought the Cave of Machpelah. Avraham sent his servant to look for a
wife for his son, making him swear not to bring back a wife from the daughters
of the Canaanites. The servant left for Charan, and arriving at the well, he
asked G-d to give him a sign. Rivkah appeared to collect water. The servant
asked if he may have some, and after he drank she drew more water for his
camels. The servant spent the night in her father’s house. Her family agreed to
let Rivkah marry Yitzchak. Avraham remarried Keturah, who bore him six sons.
Avraham died at the age of 175, and was buried in the Cave of Machpelah, next
to Sarah. Ishmael had twelve sons, each princes for their nations. He died at
the age of 137. His descendants lived in the land on the border of Egypt all
the way to Assyria.
Insights:
There is a puzzling account in Chayei Sarah that has always bothered me: The Torah is from G-d. Not a word is wasted. Partly for the sake of conciseness, some of the most basic Torah concepts are given over only as hints. And yet we find that that the Torah twice relays the story of Avraham’s servant’s mission to find a wife for Yitzchak. Our Rabbis (see Rashi) taught from this, “Greater are the mundane conversations of our forefathers’ servants, than the actual Torah of their (the forefathers’) descendants.” This preference seems very surprising!
The Rebbe provides the answer based on a fundamental Chassidic concept. There is a great difference between G-d’s use of language as it relates to the creation of the world (what is known as the ‘ten utterances’), and the language He uses in the Torah—His will and wisdom. Since the world vis-à-vis G-d is like a glimmer of light, a fleeting thought, something that is not of true Divine substance. Therefore, His involvement in creation has a connotation of touching on what we would call, for Him, ‘mundane’. For this reason, G-d ‘must’ constantly be attentive, continually maintaining these ten utterances, because if not, they would return to naught and the world would cease to exist. This is the source of the Rabbinic saying (from the morning prayers), “In G-d’s goodness, He renews the world each instant”. Now, here is the point: The world must merit G-d’s continued attention to these ten utterances.
We can understand this further through the statement from the Mishna, (Avos 2/5) “Know what is above from you.” We are told to know that there is a transcendent spiritual reality that affects us. The Maggid of Mezrich revises how this statement is read: “Know what is above, IS FROM YOU!” What derives from Above to affect the world around us, is a result of what we do here on this physical plane. Similarly, if we want G-d to involve Himself to the level of ‘mundane conversations’, and maintain the world, we must act likewise. We also have to burst through the limitations of our natural inclinations, constantly making sure our life (even the most mundane activities) is attuned to the Torah and its commandments. This is described by the well-known expressions (Avos 2/12), “All of your actions must be for the sake of Heaven” and “Know Him in all of your ways” (Dvarim).
Eliezer demonstrated this kind of total absorption and involvement. Even though he was dealing with worldly tasks and evil individuals who were not spiritually attuned, nevertheless, he did not forget his mission, even for an instant. He was always ‘the servant of Avraham’, constantly focused on his goal. His whole identity was imbued with his being a ‘servant’ on a mission.
The Torah is teaching us this important lesson. Not only does G-d want our mundane activities to be for the sake of Heaven, and thereby be elevated. Sometimes, these worldly activities, performed with the proper focus, have the potential to have a greater affect than the study of Torah and doing actual mitzvahs! Why? Because through them we ‘cause’ G-d to remember His mission and continue to maintain the world. Yes, they seem inferior (even the source of the teaching is from a ‘servant of our forefather…’), and are not Torah; however, these activities are what draw G-d’s divine energy below and continuously create the world.
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul