What is Shabbat Shalom? 
Jews all over the world read a portion of the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, in the synagogue every Shabbat morning. The cycle begins right after the Feast of Tabernacles and concludes the following year at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles. Traditionally, Jewish families discuss the Torah portion at their Shabbat Table, bringing new insights, each year, to the same inspirational words and stories that they have been reading for years. In this weekly column, Sondra Oster Baras, CFOIC Heartland's Israel Director, shares her personal reflections on the weekly Torah portion.
If you received this email from a friend and want Shabbat Shalom sent directly to your inbox, please use the link below to join our email list.
If you have friends who would enjoy reading this weekly Biblical thought, please use the link below to send it to your friends...
If you would like to support the brave men and women who have made their home in Biblical Israel; you can make a contribution to the ongoing work of CFOIC...
|
|
Chayei Sarah (Sarah's Life)
Genesis 23:1 - 25:18
This week's Torah reading opens with the death of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, in Hebron. (Genesis 23). Abraham mourns his wife and then immediately goes about the business of burying her. He approaches the Hittites, the native residents of Hebron, and identifies himself as a stranger and resident among them, a foreign resident in modern terms. He asks to purchase a piece of land to bury his wife. The Hittites, recognizing Abraham as an important man, offer to allow him to bury his wife in their land, for free. Abraham refuses their offer, however, and insists on purchasing the land at its full price. In fact, he knows exactly which piece of land he wants - the Cave of Machpela and its accompanying field. The purchase is a public affair, carried out at the gates to the city, in the presence of the Hittites.
The transaction is spelled out in great detail, with special emphasis placed on certain words and phrases. In verse 2, we learn that Sarah dies in "Kiryat Arba, that is Hebron in the Land of Canaan." In verse 17, the transaction is sealed and the location of the field and cave are spelled out: "the field of Ephron which is in the Machpela which is before Mamreh, the field and the cave which is in it and every tree which is in its surrounding borders." In verse 19, the location is spelled out again: "the cave of the field of Machpela before Mamre which is Hebron in the Land of Canaan." It is as if Scripture wants to make sure we realize that Kiryat Arba and Mamre are synonyms for Hebron and that this is in the Land of Canaan. The landmark is so important and its geography is so important - lest we forget!!
Another emphasis in this story is on the money that changes hands: Abraham insists on paying the "full price." (Verse 8). In verse 13, Abraham repeats the fact that he is giving money for the purchase. In verse 16, Abraham transfers "four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant."
It is almost as if Abraham knows that he had better make sure this transfer is done properly, according to the books, or the land will be taken from him. And the way Scripture records it, it is as if G-d wants to make sure we understand exactly where this purchase is - in Hebron, in the Land of Canaan. There is no mistaking it - this land was purchased by our forefather as a family burial plot. It is ours!
Isn't it amazing, therefore, that one of the most disputed places in Israel today is Hebron. Even as hundreds of Jews live in the old city of Hebron, and thousands of Jews live nearby in Kiryat Arba, and tens of thousands live in the surrounding hills of Judea, world opinion says that Hebron belongs to the Arabs. So much for world opinion.
For many years now, a wonderful tradition has developed in Hebron on the Shabbat when we read this Torah portion. Jews from all over Israel converge upon Hebron for this Shabbat. Every home in Kiryat Arba and Jewish Hebron opens its doors to friends and relatives. Teen-agers come from all over the country and sleep on the floors of schools and other public buildings. Shabbat meals are great gatherings and logistical nightmares. No one knows how everyone fits in, but somehow they do. On Shabbat morning, guests and residents alike stream to the Machpela Cave and there, on the very spot where Abraham buried his wife Sarah, the very place which Abraham purchased thousands of years ago, they read this chapter and praise G-d for His bounty. This Shabbat is Shabbat Hebron! Shabbat Shalom from Samaria, Sondra Sondra Baras Director, Israel Office
|
May 23 - June 2, 2011 Israel Tour
 With Pastor Gary Cristofaro,
First Assembly of God, Melbourne, FL
May 23rd - June 2nd, 2011
Eilat Extension
June 3rd- June 6th
Israel Host for the Tour: Sondra Oster Baras, Director,
CFOIC Heartland - Israel
Only CFOIC Heartland gives you the inside story of Israel!
Meet the people who are settling the Land of Israel. Listen to stories of faith and courage. Experience the Heartland of Biblical Israel like never before!
Click here for details!
Request your brochure today! today! |
| The Choosing of a Chosen People A 5 part series on Genesis by Sondra Oster Baras 
Watch the trailer here! Sondra Oster Baras, director of CFOIC Heartland's Israel office, takes you on a journey through the Book of Genesis, which lays the foundation for the creation of God's chosen people.
Order the DVD set... Each purchase of this DVD series goes 100% to support the Israel Office! |
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment