Page 35 - HaMizrachiChayei Sarah AUS 2020

CHAYEI SARAH READING

Rabbi Ari Kahn Rabbi Stewart Weiss

Roses and Thorns

hile our parasha is named love for His people. But I suggest it goes She recognized Ya’akov’s inherent
for Sarah – a fitting final much deeper than that. spiritual goodness and was adept in
Wtribute to her remarkable protecting him, securing his future by
life – we are now introduced to the next Yitzchak was a pure soul, innocent, arranging for him to receive the bechora
heroine, Rivka. Her uniqueness and role unassuming, a mass of concentrated (birthright). Her tough upbringing,
in Jewish history and her personality Kedusha. He closed his eyes to the including her determination to force-
type – which is an eternal, integral world at large and was content to stand fully speak up when necessary – as she
part of our national DNA – is hard to off to the side and pray on his own. He did vis-a-vis her family when Eliezer
decipher. Who was she? What special had no real street smarts to aid him in visited – served her, and ultimately all
characteristics did she have that affect dealing with others (in particular, with of us, in good stead.
us all to this day? his own son Esav). Yitzchak, more often In a similar fashion, the nations
than not, merely mimicked the actions
We might be tempted to say that Rivka of the world actually serve to
was simply a ‘replacement’ for Sarah, of his father, going where he had gone, “protect” us. They provide
as the pasuk tells us that Yitzchak was digging the same wells, even using the the point-counterpoint that justifies our
“comforted for his mother” when he exact same names for those wells his existence, in a sense. We are meant to
married Rivka. There is precious little father had previously chosen. reflect the light of G-d as we emulate
interaction in the text between husband His ways and positively influence and
and wife; Rivka even consults Shem “” While we may not refine the moral behavior of those
when she experiences difficulty with like thorns, and around us, bringing a sense of splendor
her pregnancy, rather than Yitzchak, to them, just as every thorn bush takes
who is certainly the greater prophet. certainly don’t its glory from the rose within.
appreciate being At the same time, like Rivka, when the
Perhaps a clue to Rivka’s uniqueness
is found in the way Chazal character- pricked by them, occasion calls for it we have to be tough,
resilient and ‘thorny’ in our stubborn
ize her, calling her a “rose among the they actually serve determination to protect ourselves and
thorns,” alluding to the pasuk in Shir to protect the rose. guard our unique way of life. To be holy,
HaShirim 2:2. At first glance, this would but also hard-nosed. If we succeed in
seem to mean that Rivka was a stunning Perhaps this is why next week’s para- doing that, our future will indeed be
thing of beauty surrounded by “thorns,” sha begins, almost redundantly: “These rosy.
(i.e. her idolatrous family), just as Israel are the generations of Yitzchak the
is also a handsome nation surrounded son of Avraham; Avraham gave birth
by problematic neighbors.
to Yitzchak.” The one was a copy of
But hold on a second. While we may the other, in more than just physical
not like thorns, and certainly don’t appearance.
appreciate being pricked by them, they
actually serve to protect the rose! So Rivka was different. She was con-
how, exactly, was Rivka protected by fident and independent. Grow-
her family, and how are we, today, “pro- ing up in the same house with
tected” by our own “thorny” neighbors? con-artist Lavan, she had seen it all.
The simple explanation is that we, like She could not be fooled by outward
Rivka, look good in comparison to what appearances; she could spot a fake or
is around us and thus the thorniness of phony a mile away. And she knew how Rabbi Stewart Weiss is director of the
others works in our favor, evoking G-d’s to expertly play the game to win. Jewish Outreach Center of Ra’anana.

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