Study Desk

Avraham got the point of what ‘Efron had said, so he weighed out for ‘Efron the amount of money he had specified in the presence of the sons of Het, 400 silver shekels of the weight accepted among merchants [ten pounds].

because I want you to swear by Adonai , God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not choose a wife for my son from among the women of the Kena‘ani, among whom I am living;

but that you will go to my homeland, to my kinsmen, to choose a wife for my son Yitz'chak."

Adonai , the God of heaven — who took me away from my father's house and away from the land I was born in, who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘I will give this land to your descendants' — he will send his angel ahead of you; and you are to bring a wife for my son from there.

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."

When she was through letting him drink, she said, "I will also draw water for your camels until they have drunk their fill."

She quickly emptied her jug into the trough, then ran again to the well to draw water, and kept on drawing water for all his camels.

and asked, "Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?"

adding, "We have plenty of straw and fodder, and room for staying overnight."

(iv) Then he said, "Blessed be Adonai , God of my master Avraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love for my master; because Adonai has guided me to the house of my master's kinsmen."

"Come on in," he said, "you whom Adonai has blessed! Why are you standing outside when I have made room in the house and prepared a place for the camels?"

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.

My master made me swear, saying, ‘You are not to choose a wife for my son from among the women of the Kena‘ani, among whom I am living;

rather, you are to go to my father's house, to my kinsmen, to choose a wife for my son.'

Avraham answered me, ‘ Adonai , in whose presence I live, will send his angel with you to make your trip successful; and you are to pick a wife for my son from my kinsmen in my father's house;

If she answers, "Yes, drink; and I will water your camels as well," then let her be the woman you intend for my master's son.'

bowed my head, prostrated myself before Adonai and blessed Adonai , God of my master Avraham, for having led me in the right way to obtain my master's brother's [grand]daughter for his son.

Then Yitz'chak brought her into his mother Sarah's tent and took Rivkah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. Thus was Yitz'chak comforted for the loss of his mother.

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.

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.