On Shabbat, we read the first and only feminist parasha in the Torah. A parasha that is even called by the full and explicit name of a woman. And not only that, it tells the story of her life – the life of Sarah.
Five Torah sections are named after a man and only one is named after a woman.
But the interesting thing is that even though she is the first prophetess, the wife of the father of the nation, the most beautiful woman - even at the age of 127, she looked stunning, as the Torah itself testifies - most of the parasha does not deal with her at all.
The parsha of Chayei Sarai does not deal with Sarah. With the exception of one verse at the beginning, it deals with her burial, the wedding of her son, and the passing of her righteous husband.
True, the Torah states that her husband – Abraham our father – eulogized her. Perhaps this is where the answer to this question lies.
Our father Abraham tells the story of her life. The Midrash says that Abraham was the first to say "A woman of valor." King Solomon, peace be upon him, placed the chapter at the end of the Book of Proverbs, as a seal for all the words of wisdom that appear in it.
If you pay attention, you can see that the entire chapter is written as an "eulogy," as words of praise for a woman who has passed away.
He refers to Sarah - and here is an example: "Who can find a woman of valor, this is Sarah. For you are a beautiful woman.".
Want more? Here is another example: "Her husband's heart trusts in her - please say, 'You are my sister.'" And there are many more examples that illustrate that this chapter, which tells the story of her life, was spoken by our first father over her grave. Hence the name of the parasha that contains the "life" of Sarah.
Each one sent
Our mother Sarah was the first missionary in this physical world. She, together with Abraham, engaged in the "work of missionary work," as the Torah testifies about them: "And all the souls that they had made in Haran." Abraham converts the people and Sarah the women...
It is true that the parasha is not about her, but if you look closely at the parasha, you will discover that it all revolves around her life. Even the "shiduch" for her son Isaac ends with "And Sarah his mother brought the tent" - that same tent over which a cloud was tied; that same tent where the blessing was recited in the mass and a lamp was lit in it from Shabbat to Shabbat.
In fact, our mother Sarah lives among us to this day. All the women of the Jewish people received from her the strength to fulfill their mission in the world.
Actress/host Eden Harel, who publicly announced that she observes Shabbat, also drew her strength from Sarah. Reality TV refugee Yana Yosef, who "accidentally" told an interviewer that she observes the purity of the family, also fulfilled her mission by virtue of the first mother.
Like her, there is a long line of dear women who spread the light of Torah intentionally or by "accident." Rebbetzin Lisa and the singer Hedva, who in their own way work to bring the white women of Israel closer to God, draw their strength from that first Hebrew mother, who was already engaged in mission, thousands of years ago.
And it is - to publicize to the world the fact that "there is a Creator for the world." That there is someone who leads all of creation.
Yes. You'd be surprised. Even someone who doesn't fully observe Torah and mitzvot (yet), can fulfill this mission. All the more so, and even more so, the son of a son of a son, an ultra-Orthodox woman who observes Torah and mitzvot, both light and heavy. And it's easy, very easy. Every time we go outside, into public, and behave as a kosher daughter of Israel, we are already fulfilling our mission in this world and sanctifying heaven there in public.
Matchmaker or messenger?
In this week's parashah we encounter the world's first 'matchmaking'.
We learn about Eliezer's actions and understand what was required of him to bring the right match for his employer's son. Since Eliezer was Abraham's messenger and a messenger for a man like him, I wanted to emphasize the difference between a matchmaker and a messenger.
It turns out that the matchmaker has a financial interest. So his position is biased in some way. Not only the matchmaker, in fact everyone has a personal bias. Even the doctor who prescribes us a medicine is biased by the pharmaceutical companies, and it is likely that he has an interest in one drug or another.
The media that surrounds us on all sides is also tainted with vested interests. There is no one today who does not recognize the interests of Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel Hayom, etc. They, like the matchmaker, try to match us with information for a specific purpose, beyond the pure business purpose.
A messenger is supposed to be disinterested.
The only interest that guides him is the fulfillment of the mission and the will of the messenger. The messenger must be an empty vessel. On the one hand, he must have a clear agenda and be faithful to the path he represents. On the other hand, he must be indifferent to his messenger. To act according to his will without appeals and without reproaches.
From this it is clear that when you are sent to do a certain mission, it does not matter whether you fail or succeed, because you are only carrying out and making all the efforts for success, but the results are not in your hands.
Not thinking about the results
From the parsha we learn a lot about the laws of emissaries. The Parsha of Chai Sarah defines the concept of emissary halakhically. For example, an emissary can sanctify a woman for his emissary, and the woman is indeed considered sanctified from a halakhic perspective, since "a man's emissary is like him." The emissary is part of the emissary and is completely separate from him.
And since we've already discussed the essence of a messenger and his definition as the long arm of the messenger - here's a story:
Once, one of his emissaries arrived at the Lubavitcher Rebbe in one of the United States. He complained that he had taken great trouble and invested a great deal in organizing a family purification event. He found a place, sent out invitations, hired lighting and amplification. He invited a distinguished speaker and prepared sumptuous refreshments, but that evening the sky darkened and the stormy weather kept all the guests at home.
Except for one who made the effort and got there.
Needless to say, his great sorrow, which he shared with the Rebbe – the messenger.
The Rebbe smiled brightly at him and said, "Even our Master Moses had only one mother." That woman who had arrived was the one for whom he had to go to all the trouble. She was the one who, thanks to his activity and mission, would bring a Jewish child into the world in holiness and purity.
We are not contractors of successes. We are contractors of actions. Our job is to do. To do everything we can so that another Jewish soul can come closer to the Creator of the world. We must leave the results in the hands of God, the Almighty.
As I write these lines, the Chabad World Shluchim Convention is taking place in New York. It is held every year. This Shabbat – Shabbat Chai Sarah – is the Shabbat of the wives of the Shluchim. The Shluchim who continue to fill the place of the husbands, the Shluchim, in the place of their Shluchim.
This gathering represents millions of Jews around the globe. The thousands of emissaries are the ambassadors of all those thousands of communities and millions of Jews who are connected to them, some more and some even more. The gathering is intended to give them strength for another year of work and to produce good decisions to increase and expand the work of emissaries whose goal is to prepare the entire world for the coming of our righteous Messiah, immediately and truly.
• Part of the column is based on the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The writer is the owner of ""My choice"", event host, lecturer and radio broadcaster: [email protected]
Miri's website: http://www.miri-mychoice.co.il/
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