Chayei Sarah
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha how Eliezer finds a wife for Yitzchak. The Torah spends much time teaching the details of how he found Rivka and came to her house and explained who he was to her family. Rashi comments on the fact that the Torah details this information and teaches (Chapter 24, Pasuk 42) in the name of Rabbi Acha, Yafeh Sichasan shel Avdei Avos M’Torasan shel Banim. Greater is the conversations of the slaves of the forefathers than the Torah of the children. This portion regarding Eliezer the slave of Avraham is repeated twice, while many significant halachot are not explicitly mentioned but only hinted at. What is the reason for this discrepancy?
The Sfas Emes teaches that this statement of Chazal has a much deeper meaning. There are two distinct relationships that Clal Yisrael has with Hashem. One is the Adon/Eved relationship; we are like slaves to Hashem our master. This relationship emphasizes our distance and dependence and the medium through which this relationship is expressed is prayer. The word “sichah” mentioned in the Rashi doesn’t mean conversation, but rather is to be understood as prayer, as we read in later in the parsha, (Chapter 24, Pasuk 63), Vayeitzei Yitzchak La’Su’ach Ba’Sadeh. Chazal understand that Yitzchak was praying and derive from here that he established the afternoon prayer, Tefillas Mincha.
The other relationship we have with Gd is the Av/Ben relationship, where we relate to Hashem like a son to his father. This expresses our closeness and connection to Hashem, and is best expressed through the Torah. The Torah is a gift given to us in order to establish closeness and intimacy between Gd and His people. We see this idea in the bracha in Shemoneh Esrei, Hashiveinu Avinu L’Sorasecha, V’Karveinu Malkeinu L’Avodasecha. We beseech Gd our father to return us to the Torah. When mentioning Torah, we view Hashem as our father. And when we speak of service and prayer, V’Karveinu Malkeinu L’Avodasecha, our relationship is that of subjects to the king.
If we apply this understanding to the words of Rashi, Yafeh Sichasan shel Avdei Avos M’Torasan shel Banim, it appears that Chazal are praising the relationship of distance over that of closeness. Surely it should be the other way around.
The Sfas Emes understands the Rashi in a similar vein to the words of Rabbi Yaakov in Avos (4, 22). Yafah Sha’ah Achas B’Teshuvah U’Ma’asim Tovim Ba’Olam Hazeh, M’Kol Chayei OIam Habah. One moment of Teshuvah and good deeds in this world is greater than the life in the world to come. This is because doing mitzvoth is the only way to enter the world to come and this can only be achieved in Olam Hazeh. These words parallel the previous Mishnah where Rabbi Yaakov describes Olam Hazeh as a corridor to Olam Habah. Though Olam Habah is our ultimate destination and Olam Hazeh is only a means to get there, the Tanah praises Olam Hazeh as the place of preparation and the means through which to achieve this goal. His words are not praisning Olam Hazeh itself, but rather Teshuva and Ma’asim Tovim, the means to the end.
The same is true of the words of Rashi in our parsha. Being a slave is the prerequisite to developing the closeness and intimacy of the son. As Chazal teach in Avos in an earlier Mishnah (3, 11) one’s fear of Gd must come before his wisdom. Only when one has a properly developed fear of Gd and an understanding of his distance from Hashem can he develop closeness through the wisdom of Torah.
Rashi is praising the process of preparation. Yafeh Sichasan shel Avdei Avos M’Torasan shel Banim means that the service of a Jew is greater than the intimacy of Torah because this the direction of growth and how the process is developed. It can’t work the other way around.
Rashi teaches (Chapter 24, Pasuk 39) that Eliezer was a slave and therefore cursed. He couldn’t make a shidduch with Avraham. Yet Chazal teach in the Medrash Rabbah (60,7) that since Eliezer served Avraham faithfully he went out from the status of being cursed and instead became blessed. This expresses the same principle. Being a slave is a stepping stone to a closer, more intimate level. And this is why Yafeh Sichasan shel Avdei Avos M’Torasan shel Banim.
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