Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Abraham called himself a foreigner in the very land God gave him. Centuries later, a rabbi's strange reply to a simple question revealed the truth to Abraham's claim. What was that truth? Stick around and find out in this week's five Minute Torah Shalom and Blessings from Shalom Macon, the place where disciples of Yeshua learn, connect and grow. I'm Darren, and before I get into the five minutes of my five Minute Torah commentary, let's cover a few quick facts about this week's Torah portion. This week we are studying the fifth portion of the new Torah cycle. We are in the portion of chaye sera Genesis 23:1 through 25:18. And here are the three things that you need to know about it. Number one. The death of Sarah, 127 years young. Despite the title the Life of Sarah, this portion begins not with her life but with her death. Sarah passes away at 127 years young, and the Torah records her age in a unique way. 100 years, 20 years and 7 years. Rashi explains that this phrasing teaches us something remarkable. At 100 she is as innocent as she was at 20. And at 20 she was as beautiful as she was at 7.
[00:01:21] Number two. The Cave of Machpelah. A long term investment.
[00:01:25] Sarah dies in Kiryat Arban, that is Hebron, and Abraham seeks a proper place to bury her. He negotiates with Ephron the Hittite, for the cave of Machpelah at the edge of Ephron's field. Ephron feigns friendship. What's 400 silver shekels between us? What's a million dollars between me and you? But the price was anything but cheap. Still, Abraham pays in full, without complaint and buries his beloved wife in the cave of Machpelah, a resting place that would become Israel's first permanent foothold in the land. Number three, True love. Isaac and Rebecca wove twu wove or love? True love. After Sarah's passing, Abraham knows it's time for Isaac to marry and continue the covenantal line. He sends his servant, traditionally understood as Eliezer of Damascus, back to his homeland to find a bride from among his kin, not the Canaanites. Eliezer prays for a clear sign, and God answers. When Rebekah, the granddaughter of Abraham's brother Nahor, offers water to both him and his camels. With her family's blessing, Rebekah journeys back to Canaan and becomes Isaac's wife, the beginning of a love story that would shape a nation. Hey, Hanukkah is just a month away if you want to have a great family experience for Hanukkah, be sure to pick up a copy of Eight Lights, my Hanukkah how to and Devotional that will make each night of Hanukkah a night to remember. It has a five star rating on Amazon with over reviews. If you want to have fun and learn to be a better disciple of our Master Yeshua, then be sure to check out my book 8 lights using the link below. This week's Torah commentary is called Strangers and Aliens and comes from my book 5 Minute Torah Volume 1. Although haye sera means the life of Sarah, as we said earlier, this Torah portion actually begins with her dying at 127 years old. Once we are given this information, the Torah recounts the process of by which her husband Abraham procured a burial location for her. It details the dialogue between Abraham and the local Canaanites, the location of the burial site, the name of the seller, the selling price, and the transaction details. In this dialogue between Abraham and Ephron, the Hittite Abraham petitioned with the local population by saying, I'm a sojourner and a foreigner among you. This is Genesis 23:4. Why does Abraham say this and what is the significance? Let's explore its implications. Sarah died in Hebron, and that's where Abraham sought to purchase a tomb for the land the Lord promised. Abraham extends from the Nile river down in Egypt to the Euphrates that flows through modern day Syria and Iraq. This is Genesis 15, verses 18 through 20. Before Sarah's passing, Abraham had been dwelling in Beersheba, which is about 45 miles southwest of Jerusalem. As a cross crow flies if we think about Abraham's location when he was speaking, he was within the land that God had promised him and was already dwelling in the region. If this is the case, why does he claim that he is merely a sojourner and a foreigner? Shouldn't he have told his audience that he was taking up permanent residence among them? The Lubavature Rebbe resolves this by understanding Abraham's words to be more of a statement of spiritual identity. They remind us that we are merely sojourners in this physical world and naturally long for our true home. Although Abraham was a permanent resident of Canaan, he still considered himself to be a sojourner because he had not yet reached his final destination, the world to come. As we learned in our previous portion, the deeds of the fathers are the portents or the signposts for the children. This means that the actions of our fathers have a significant bearing on on how things play out in our own lives. The actions of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in particular, have a great effect upon us. If we are spiritually in tune, we will follow the pattern of their successes. If we are spiritually dull, however, we will follow their shortcomings. Abraham longed for the day in which God's presence will be made manifest on earth, and he considered his days to be merely sojourning until that time. Shouldn't it be fitting for his children to do likewise? A story is told about the Chofetzkayim. This is Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, in which a wealthy Jew from America who had been deeply touched by his teachings, traveled all the way to Radin, Poland, to visit the great Tzaddik in his home. Upon entering his home, he was not only shocked, but also appalled by the condition of his dwellings, particularly the lack of furnishings. There were no chairs, no table, no bed, etc. The Chovez Chaim simply sat at a wooden crate with a candle, where he learned Torah. Where is your furniture? The man asks. Where is yours? The Tzadik replied. That's a ridiculous question. I'm merely traveling from far away. Why would I carry all of my furniture with me? Retorted the visitor. The same is true for me, the Chobotz Chaim replied. I'm only passing through this world. Carrying my possessions with me on this journey would be too cumbersome. They are waiting for me at the end of my journey. The apostles took this position as well. Peter urged his disciples to consider themselves as sojourners in this life so that they would not succumb to the enticements of this world. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles, to abstain from the passions of the flesh which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable and so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. This is First Peter, chapter 2, verses 11 and 12.
[00:07:16] We must always remember that this life is not permanent. As Peter reminds us, we are merely sojourners in this life. However, sometimes we forget. We believe that we have arrived at our final destination. But by investing too heavily in the trappings of this life, often we try to fill the spiritual void with the material things of this world. However, if we are truly sons and daughters of Abraham, then we should be living with a similar perspective to Abraham. It's time we reassess our purpose in this life. Have we forgotten that we are merely sojourners? Are we using the time, the energy, and the resources we've been given to live for a higher purpose? Or have we settled for less than what we were created for? As long as we view this life as our home, we will never be able to elevate the holiness of this world and create a dwelling place for God's presence. If we are honest with ourselves, based on how we've been living our lives up to this point, can we say I am a sojourner and a foreigner among you? Or have we become a permanent resident in this world? It's not too late to change our perspective and get busy. What will it take for you to give up your comforts and begin the journey anew? I hope this teaching has encouraged you. I would love to hear from you. Which five minute tour episode has meant the most to you? Let me know in the comments below.
