Study Desk

I will say to one of the girls, ‘Please lower your jug, so that I can drink.' If she answers, ‘Yes, drink; and I will water your camels as well,' then let her be the one you intend for your servant Yitz'chak. This is how I will know that you have shown grace to my master."

So the man went inside, and while the camels were being unloaded and provided straw and fodder, water was brought for him to wash his feet and the feet of the men with him.

Adonai has greatly blessed my master, so that he has grown wealthy. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys.

"So today, I came to the spring and said, ‘ Adonai , God of my master Avraham, if you are causing my trip to succeed in its purpose,

she immediately lowered the jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well.' So I drank, and she had the camels drink too.

"So now if you people intend to show grace and truth to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me, so that I can turn elsewhere."

So they sent their sister Rivkah away, with her nurse, Avraham's servant and his men.

Then Rivkah and her maids mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rivkah and went on his way.

Yishma‘el's sons lived between Havilah and Shur, near Egypt as you go toward Ashur; he settled near all his kinsmen. Haftarah Hayyei-Sarah: M'lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 1:1–31 B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Hayyei-Sarah: Mattityahu (Matthew) 8:19–22; 27:3–10; Luke 9:57–62 Here is the history of Yitz'chak, Avraham's son. Avraham fathered Yitz'chak. Yitz'chak was forty years old when he took Rivkah, the daughter of B'tu'el the Arami from Paddan-Aram and sister of Lavan the Arami, to be his wife. Yitz'chak prayed to Adonai on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. Adonai heeded his prayer, and Rivkah became pregnant. The children fought with each other inside her so much that she said, "If it's going to be like this, why go on living?" So she went to inquire of Adonai , who answered her, "There are two nations in your womb. From birth they will be two rival peoples. One of these peoples will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger." When the time for her delivery came, there were twins in her womb. The first to come out was reddish and covered all over with hair, like a coat; so they named him ‘Esav [completely formed, that is, having hair already]. Then his brother emerged, with his hand holding ‘Esav's heel, so he was called Ya‘akov [he catches by the heel, he supplants]. Yitz'chak was sixty years old when she bore them. The boys grew; and ‘Esav became a skillful hunter, an outdoorsman; while Ya‘akov was a quiet man who stayed in the tents. Yitz'chak favored ‘Esav, because he had a taste for game; Rivkah favored Ya‘akov. One day when Ya‘akov had cooked some stew, ‘Esav came in from the open country, exhausted, and said to Ya‘akov, "Please! Let me gulp down some of that red stuff — that red stuff! I'm exhausted!" (This is why he was called Edom [red].) Ya‘akov answered, "First sell me your rights as the firstborn." "Look, I'm about to die!" said ‘Esav. "What use to me are my rights as the firstborn?" Ya‘akov said, "First, swear to me!" So he swore to him, thus selling his birthright to Ya‘akov. Then Ya‘akov gave him bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank, got up and went on his way. Thus ‘Esav showed how little he valued his birthright.

The children fought with each other inside her so much that she said, "If it's going to be like this, why go on living?" So she went to inquire of Adonai ,

The first to come out was reddish and covered all over with hair, like a coat; so they named him ‘Esav [completely formed, that is, having hair already].

Then his brother emerged, with his hand holding ‘Esav's heel, so he was called Ya‘akov [he catches by the heel, he supplants]. Yitz'chak was sixty years old when she bore them.

Ya‘akov said, "First, swear to me!" So he swore to him, thus selling his birthright to Ya‘akov.

(ii) So Yitz'chak settled in G'rar.

Avimelekh summoned Yitz'chak and said, "So she is your wife, after all! How come you said, ‘She is my sister'?" Yitz'chak responded, "Because I thought, ‘I could get killed because of her.'"

So Yitz'chak left, set up camp in Vadi G'rar and lived there.

But the herdsmen of G'rar quarreled with Yitz'chak's herdsmen, claiming, "That water is ours!" So he called the well ‘Esek [quarrel], because they quarreled with him.

They dug another well and quarreled over that one too. So he called it Sitnah [enmity].

He went away from there and dug another well, and over that one they didn't quarrel. So he called it Rechovot [wide open spaces] and said, "Because now Adonai has made room for us, and we will be productive in the land."

They answered, "We saw very clearly that Adonai has been with you; so we said, ‘Let there be an oath between us: let's make a pact between ourselves and you