page_title: Chayei Sarah
section_title: Genesis chapter 24
hierarchical_section_title: Chayei Sarah / In classical rabbinic interpretation / Genesis chapter 24
caption_attribution_description: العربية: 24 change me! الكتاب المقدس التوضيح من الكتاب من الفصل Беларуская (тарашкевіца)‎: Біблійная ілюстрацыя да Кнігі Роду, разьдзел 24 Deutsch: Biblische Darstellung Buch change me! Kapitel 24 Ελληνικά: Βιβλική εικονογράφηση του βιβλίου της change me! Κεφάλαιο 24 English: Biblical illustration of Book of Genesis Chapter 24 Español: Ilustración bíblica de libro del change me!, capítulo 24 Français&#160;: Illustration biblique du livre de la Genèse chapitre 24 עברית: 24 האיור המקראי של change me! פרק हिन्दी: {{{hi}}} अध्याय change me! की पुस्तक की बाइबिल चित्रण Bahasa Indonesia: Ilustrasi Alkitab dari Kitab Kejadian pasal 24 Italiano: Illustrazione biblica del libro della change me! Capitolo 24 日本語: change me!24章の本の聖書の実例 Jawa: Ilustrasi Alkitab saking Kitab Purwaning Dumadi pasal 24 한국어: change me! 24 장 장부의 성경 그림 Bahasa Melayu: Ilustrasi Alkitab dari Kitab Kejadian pasal 24 Nederlands: Bijbelse illustratie van change me! hoofdstuk 24 Português: Ilustração bíblica do Livro de change me!, capítulo 24 Русский: Библейские иллюстрации Книга Бытие Глава 24 中文: 圣经change me!第24章的书籍插图
context_page_description: Chayei Sarah, Chaye Sarah, Hayye Sarah, or Hayyei Sara, is the fifth weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes Genesis 23:1–25:18. The parashah tells the stories of Abraham's negotiations to purchase a burial place for his wife Sarah and his servant's mission to find a wife for Abraham's son Isaac.
  The parashah is made up of 5,314 Hebrew letters, 1,402 Hebrew words, 105 verses, and 171 lines in a Torah Scroll. Jews read it on the fifth Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in November, or on rare occasion in late October.
context_section_description: The Mishnah and Tosefta deduced from Genesis 24:1 that God blessed Abraham in his old age because (as the Mishnah deduced from Genesis 26:5) he kept the entire Torah even before it was revealed. And the Tosefta deduced from the contrast between the plenty indicated in Genesis 24:1 and the famine indicated in Genesis 26:1 that God gave the people food and drink and a glimpse of the world to come while the righteous Abraham was alive, so that the people might understand how much they had lost when he was gone.
  Rabbi Hama ben Hanina taught that our ancestors were never without a scholars' council. Abraham was an elder and a member of the scholars' council, as Genesis 24:1 says, "And Abraham was an elder (זָקֵן, zaken) well stricken in age." Eliezer, Abraham's servant, was an elder and a member of the scholars' council, as Genesis 24:2 says, "And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all he had," which Rabbi Eleazar explained to mean that he ruled over — and thus knew and had control of — the Torah of his master. Isaac was an elder and a member of the scholars' council, as Genesis 27:1 says: "And it came to pass when Isaac was an elder (זָקֵן, zaken)." Jacob was an elder and a member of the scholars' council, as Genesis 48:10 says, "Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age (זֹּקֶן, zoken)." In Egypt they had the scholars' council, as Exodus 3:16 says, "Go and gather the elders of Israel together." And in the Wilderness, they had the scholars' council, as in Numbers 11:16, God directed Moses to "Gather . . . 70 men of the elders of Israel."
  The Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer identified the unnamed steward of Abraham's household in Genesis 24:2 with Abraham's servant Eliezer introduced in Genesis 15:2. The Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer told that when Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees, all the magnates of the kingdom gave him gifts, and Nimrod gave Abraham Nimrod's first-born son Eliezer as a perpetual slave. After Eliezer had dealt kindly with Isaac, he set Eliezer free, and God gave Eliezer his reward in this world by raising him up to become a king — Og, king of Bashan.
  The Tosefta reported that Jewish judicial proceedings adopted the oath that Abraham imposed in Genesis 24:3. And Rav Judah said that Rav said that the judge adjures the witness with the oath stated in Genesis 24:3, "And I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven." Ravina explained that this accorded with the view of Rabbi Haninah bar Idi, who said that Jewish judicial proceedings require swearing by the Name of God. Rav Ashi replied that one might even say that it accorded with the view of the Rabbis, who said that a witness can be adjured with a Substitute for the Name of God. They concluded that the witness needs to hold something sacred in his hand, as Abraham's servant did when in Genesis 24:9 he put his hand under Abraham's thigh and held Abraham's circumcision. Rava said that a judge who adjures by "the Lord God of heaven" without having the witness hold a sacred object errs and has to repeat the swearing correctly. Rav Papa said that a judge who adjures with tefillin errs and has to repeat the swearing. The law follows Rava, but not Rav Papa, as tefillin are considered sacred.
  Rabbi Haggai observed in Rabbi Isaac's name that Abraham prophesied in Genesis 24:7 when he said, “He will send His angel before you.” Rabbi Haggai taught in Rabbi Isaac's name that even thought Abraham was capable of prophesy, he still needed God's kindness, as Genesis 24:12 reports Abraham's servant praying, “And show kindness to my master Abraham.” Rabbi Haggai concluded in Rabbi Isaac's name that all need God's kindness.
  Reading the report of Genesis 24:10, "And the servant took ten camels, of the camels of his master," a Midrash noted that mention that they were "of the camels of his master" is apparently superfluous. The Midrash explained that Abraham's camels were distinguishable wherever they went, because they were led out muzzled so as not to graze in other people's fields.
  Reading the report of Genesis 24:10 that Abraham's servant had "all the go
caption: The servant prayed that the Lord would help him. (1984 illustration by Jim Padgett, courtesy of Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing)
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