Torah Thoughts – Chaye Sarah

Thanksgiving is the time when many of us come together in our individual families. How nice to be together on a happy occasion and to have it on our calendars every year. In this week’s Torah portion, Chaye Sarah, Abraham finds out the hard way what it means to be alone, without family. The death of his wife Sarah leaves him searching for a sense of stability and security. He finds it in two ways in the portion. First, he does so by purchasing a family burial plot from Ephron the Hittite in the cave of Machpelah in Hebron. This ensures that future generations will have a place to bury their dead. Secondly, he empowers his trusted servant to seek out a wife for Isaac in Aram Naharaim in the city of Nahor. There the servant finds Rebecca and a pathway to future generations in the marriage of Isaac and Rebecca. By the end of the portion Abraham has completed his mission, passing away with the peace that his family is taken care of.

The journeys of our patriarchs and matriarchs are stark reminders of how much we really need one another. Do not take a simple Thanksgiving meal for granted. We all should find peace at our tables and among our family members.

Happy Thanksgiving and Shabbat Shalom,