Sarah Flashcards
Why do Jews bury their dead asap?
Disgrace to let the dead body decompose.
What does “machpelah” mean and who is buried there?
Machpelah = double (lower and upper level)
4 couples: Adam and Eve Abraham and Sarah Isaac and Rebecca Jacob and Leah
Where is Rachel buried?
Road to Bethlehem
Who was Ephron and why did he offer to give the cave to Abraham?
A “nobody” until Abraham wanted to buy the cave from him. The cave was at the end of the field and probably not worth much, but gifting it to Abraham (the richest and most powerful man in the land) would have elevated Ephron’s reputation.
What are the places in the bible where Jews bought the land?
- Machpelah cave
- David’s purchase at the temple mount
- Hebron where Jacob buys a field
Why does Abraham ask Eliezer to “place your hand under my thigh” for the oath?
Circumcision: that’s the only miztvah directly from God that Abraham performed at the time.
Why does Abraham want to find Isaac a wife from Mesopotamia, his native land and birthplace, even though people there are also idol worshiper?
If you are going to convert someone, start with “family”. Also Mesopotamia’s people were not as “bad” as Canaan’s people.
Why isn’t Isaac not allowed to leave the land, according to tradition?
After the Akeida, Isaac becomes a sacred sacrifice, the holiest man alive.
Why did Eliezer ask “what if the girl doesn’t want to come back?”
Rabbis say Eliezer had a daughter and wanted to marry his daughter to Isaac.
Why is it a problem for Isaac to marry a Canaanite?
People could question God’s mandate. They could say Isaac and his descendants were allowed to occupy the land because of his Canaanite wife, not because of God.
What part of the torah repeats and why?
Eliezer’s story to Rebecca and Laban.
Comes to teach us that conversations of servants as important as greatest patriarchs/matriarchs, and that the Torah teaches us through differences between the texts.
Examples of changes:
1. Eliezer tells Laban and Rebecca’s mother that Abraham said to find a wife in “my father’s house, to my family” which is a lie.
How old was Rebecca according to madrish?
One tradition says she was 3 years old.
Why: the Rabbi’s wanted to be certain that she wasn’t defiled.
What’s the legend about Rebecca drawing water?
According to midrash: the well water rose up to her. She was a “miracle worker”.
If that’s the case, isn’t she qualified enough for Isaac, and why did Eliezer still have to test her?
Because even if you are a miracle worker, if you don’t have chesed, it doesn’t make a difference.
What is the connection between this week’s parsha intro (Sarah’s death) with the end of last week’s parsha?
The end of the last parsha (VaYerah) with the Akeida. Tradition says someone told Sarah that Abraham almost killed Isaac, and she died from that news.
Where else is 127 mentioned?
Megillah Ester:
The Midrash describes Rabbi Akiva as asking, “How did Esther merit to rule over 127 provinces?” He answered, “Let [Esther,] the descendant of Sarah who lived 127 years, come and rule over 127 provinces.”
Sarah is the only woman in the entire Torah whose age is recorded. Sarah’s 127 years are famous for having been used to their full potential. Every moment was purposeful and meaningful. Every year of fullness built yet another province, another domain, which her descendent Esther would inherit.
