1. ISAAC … MARRIED REBECCA …’ (24:67)
Rebecca. One of the founding mothers of the Jewish People.
Married to Isaac. Abraham’s son. The first Jewish child.
What do we know about her? What made her the right person?
The Torah stresses one thing.
That she did chessed. Showed great kindness and compassion.
To total strangers.
And chessed is central in Jewish tradition.
Especially in marriage.
Because marriage is about a lot of things.
Companionship. Love. And common goals.
But its foundation is chessed.
A successful marriage requires the ability to get beyond yourself.
It’s about really caring.
About making our spouse’s needs, our needs.
_**An everyday example:**_
My spouse comes home from a hard day’s work. And tells me about it at dinner.
There are a few ways I can respond.
Like I might keep reading the paper.
… While throwing in an occasional: ‘…uh huh’.
Because I’m not really interested.
_… Definitely not the right response._
Or I may do better. I can stop what I am doing.
And pay attention.
Because I know it’s important to my spouse.
So it’s important to me.
… Definitely much better.
_But still not the best._
The Torah’s ideal? That our relationship be so deep that I care about it as if it was about me.
Because it really is.
2. ELIEZER PRAYED: ‘G-D … BE WITH ME TODAY …’ (24:12)
‘Bashert’. It’s a pretty well known Yiddish expression. It means something like ‘predestined’. And it expresses the traditional Jewish belief that “marriages are made in heaven”. That G-d is in the background “pulling the strings”.
… Abraham’s servant Eliezer is sent to find a wife for Isaac. And he asks for G-d’s help.
That G-d lead him to a woman who excels in chessed. Acts of kindness.
And Jewish tradition says that there was more to it.
That when Eliezer met Rebecca it looked like G-d really was pulling the strings!
They tell us that Eliezer even saw miracles happening for her.
Things like: “The waters of the well rose in her honor when Rebecca came to the well”!
… Pretty impressive stuff.
But to Eliezer, trained in the ways of Abraham, it still wasn’t enough. The bottom line was still her chessed. Her kind nature and kind acts.
… And that’s such a Jewish attitude!
“Wow! That was an impressive miracle!
… But let’s see if she does chessed!
Because if she doesn’t?
I don’t know how to explain the miracle. But one thing I do know.
… She isn’t really spiritual”!
3. JOKE OF THE WEEK: “IT WAS JUST MEANT TO BE
A fellow was just about ready to start his diet. Ready to swear off things like his daily stop at the bakery for the sweet roles in the window.
… Well, he was almost ready. But he still needed a little help.
So he makes a deal with himself: “Let’s leave it up to G-d.
I’ll just drive down the street. And I’ll see what happens. If I get a spot by the bakery, I guess it’s okay. I’ll buy one. If not? Then I absolutely won’t.”
He drives down the busy street … and it was pretty amazing. There was just no way to ignore the Divine providence. He found a spot directly in front of the store!
… And it only took him four trips around the block until he found it.