Page 32 - HaMizrachiChayei Sarah AUS 2020

CHAYEI SARAH READING

Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

BETWEEN HEA VEN AND EAR TH

n Parashat Chayei Sarah, Avraham Heavens, but He also oversees what to a thematic connection between
sends his servant to his ‘home- happens on earth. However, when the purpose of Creation and G-d’s
Itown’ of Charan in search of a Avraham later explains to Eliezer how involvement in the process of Am Yis-
wife for his son Yitzchak. To guaran- G-d had earlier spoken to him, it is rael becoming a Nation to serve Him.
tee that Eliezer will faithfully fulfill sufficient for Avraham to mention
that mission, Avraham makes his only ‘the G-d of the Heavens.’ Elokei HaShamayim
servant take an oath in the Name of:
“Hashem, the G-d of the Heavens, and Seforno explains that Avraham must Rashi differentiates between Man’s
the G-d of the Earth.” impress upon his servant the severity perception of G-d before Avraham
of this oath. To assure his servant will was chosen and Man’s perception
However, two verses later, when Avra- keep it, he reminds him that G-d con- of G-d now. Back when G-d first
ham must allay Eliezer’s fear that the trols not only the matters of the ’earth’ commanded Avraham to leave his
wife he finds may prefer to stay in – and hence his fate in ‘this world’ – homeland, no one on earth had yet
Charan, he promises his servant that: but also the matters of ’heaven,’ which recognized G-d. Hence His Kingdom
“Hashem, the G-d of the Heavens, implies his fate in the world to come. was only in Heaven, as reflected in
who had taken him [Avraham] from By this statement, Avraham warns his 24:7. But now, when Avraham sends
his homeland...” will send an ‘angel’ to servant that should he break this oath, Eliezer on his mission (see 24:3), he
assist him. he could expect not only punishment had already begun to proclaim G-d’s
in this world but also in the world to
The classical commentators are come! Name to the public, hence Hashem
troubled by two problems. First of can now be referred to as both Elokei
all, Avraham’s description of G-d as Ibn Ezra relates to the fact that Avra- haShamayim and Elokei haAretz.
“Hashem, the G-d of the Heavens and ham is sending his servant on a mis-
the G-d of the Earth” seems to imply sion to find a wife. Even though find- Just as our forefathers referred to G-d
there may be multiple gods, i.e. one ing a spouse may appear to Eliezer in different ways based on the context
of the heavens and one of the earth! as a mundane event taking place on of their relationship with Him, we also
Why couldn’t Avraham simply have ‘earth’, Avraham must convince Eliezer refer to G-d in many different ways in
stated “Hashem, the G-d of ‘heaven that this marriage has been decided the 19 blessings of the daily Amidah –
and earth’”? upon in the ‘heavens.’ reflecting His various attributes in our
relationship with Him. Next time you
Secondly, why does Avraham ‘shorten’ Finally, Ramban offers a very ‘Zion- daven, take note!
his second description of G-d to istic’ explanation. Unlike the other
simply “the G-d of the Heavens,” with- commentators who understand aretz
out mentioning ‘the earth’ at all? as referring to the ‘earth,’ i.e. to events
taking place down here on earth,
Heavens ‘and’ Earth Ramban understands aretz as refer-
ring to the Land of Israel. Therefore,
Radak offers a philosophical explana- because his servant is now leaving
tion, claiming that Avraham is wor- Eretz Yisrael, Avraham adds spe-
ried that his servant – even though cifically the phrase Elokei haAretz
he believes in ‘the G-d of the heavens’ to the standard phrase of Elokei
– may not believe G-d’s Providence haShamayim.
extends over mundane matters ‘down
on earth’ as well. Therefore, Avraham One might also suggest that by using
emphasizes this point in his opening these two phrases to describe G-d, Rabbi Menachem Leibtag is an interna-
statement, that He is not only the Avraham may be alluding to the open- tionally acclaimed Tanach scholar and
G-d overseeing what happens in the ing line of Sefer Bereishit, and hence online Jewish education pioneer.

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