Religious Pluralism | Parashat Hashavua-- The Weekly Torah Portion

By Rabbi Amy Levin

THE PEACE WE OWE TO AVRAHAM

Parashat Chayei Sarah (Genesis 23:1 - 25:18)

21-22 November 1997 22 Heshvan 5758

The name of every parasha is taken from the first few significant words of the parsha's first verse. Parashat Chayei Sarah opens with the words: "Vayihyu chayei Sarah" ("And so was the life of Sarah"). Ironically, the words "the life of Sarah" actually begin the account of her death.

Parashat Chayei Sarah, which opens with the death of Sarah, is a parasha of transition. Each of the members of Avraham's family undergoes a fundamental transition: Sarah dies, Yitzhak and Rivkah meet and marry, Avraham dies, Yitzhak is acknowledged as the next in the chain of covenanted patriarchs, and Yishmael comes to bury his father and himself becomes the father of nations.

For all the fundamental human experiences that this clan undergoes in a few short chapters, there is precious little communication among its members:. Avraham and Yitzhak never speak again after the traumatic events on Mount Moriah; The last words between Avraham and Sarah are over the banishment of Hagar (for the second time!) and Yishmael to the desert. There is not one word of dialogue recorded in the Torah between Sarah and her precious son, Yitzhak. There is also no conversation recorded between the half-brothers Yitzhak and Yishmael. Indeed, Avraham's faithful servant Eliezer is the star of this parasha -- he speaks with everyone!

A psychologist studying the family dynamics of Avraham's clan might categorize this family as dysfunctional -- but for all their silence the family of Avraham does achieve some appropriate and even impressive interaction. Due honor is paid to both Sarah and Avraham after their deaths; Yitzhak truly loves his Rivkah; and the half-brothers Yitzhak and Yishmael apparently find a way to work in harmony when the situation demands.

Avraham's grief over Sarah's death is described in few words -- but in powerful words. We are convinced his grief is genuine. (23: 2-3). Yitzhak is not consoled for the loss of his mother until Rivkah comes into his life (24: 67).

In my opinion, the most powerful moment of the entire parasha is contained in one verse: "His [Avraham's] sons Yitzhak and Yishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah . . . . (25:9). How significant, after all the jealousy, banishment, competition, that these two half-brother are named in the same breath -- and come together to bury their father.

The moment is fitting tribute to Avraham -- for aside from his unshakeable faith in God, his other great attribute was as a seeker of peace and compromise. He made peace with Lot (13: 7-9). He bargained for the lives of the inhabitants of S'dom and Amorrah (18: 23-33). He made peace with Avimelech (21: 22-32). He wanted to resist sending Hagar and Yishmael into the wilderness (21:11). Aside from his successful military campaign against the kings who invaded from the east, we see Avraham as a gentle man, avoiding conflict and treasuring life.

I cannot help but sense the spirit of Avraham inspiring his two sons to seek peace themselves -- between the two of them, and in their relations with others. For all the animosity that their births and subsequent histories could have engendered, we hear of no conflict between the brothers themselves -- and according to the Torah itself, they came together in quiet dignity to bury the father who loved them both.

In these times, when peace between the children of Yitzhak and the children of Yishmael seems so tantalizingly close and then so heartbreakingly far, we must all seek to be imbued with the spirit of our ancestor Avraham, the seeker of peace and compromise.

The Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals) is one of the most beautiful pieces of liturgy we have. We express our gratitude for the abundance of blessings God has bestowed on us -- sustenance, land, a spiritual center, hope for the future. There is a section of the Birkat Hamazon in which we ask God, in His aspect of the Merciful One, to provide us with His continued guidance, with an honorable living, with the freedom of spirit we need to serve Him, and for His ultimate deliverance. There is room here, I think, for one more request -- one that we owe to our peace-seeking patriarch, Avraham:

Harachman, hu yashkin shalom bein b'nai Yitzhak u'b'nai Yishmael.

May the Merciful One cause peace to reside among the children of Yitzhak and the children of Yishmael.

Shabbat Shalom

(For another take on the question of the two sons meetiong at Abraham's funeral, see Rabbi Arthur Waskow's piece)

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Amy Levin has served as rabbi of the Masorti (Conservative) Family Congregation of Beit Ha-Kerem, Jerusalem, since September 1995. She is one of the first women to study in the rabbinical school of the Masorti/Conservative Seminary of Judaic Studies in Jerusalem. In addition to her congregational work, Amy teaches Talmud at Hebrew Union College's new Liberal Yeshiva -- a program designed to introduce English speakers to the basic texts and concepts of the Jewish tradition. Amy made aliyah in 1981 and is the mother of two wonderful teenagers.