Parshat Toledot; Genesis 25:19 –28:9 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger

Parshat Toledot is primarily focused on the life of Isaac. His parents, Abraham and Sarah are dead. His children Jacob and Esau are about to be born. The Jewish people’s story unfolds in Toledot as the text focuses on Isaac as patriarch of the next generation.

Embedded in this week’s story, following the birth of the children and the framing of the contention that will mark the relationship of Esau and Jacob, Isaac and Rebekkah repeat the journey taken by Abraham and Sarah. This journey to escape the effects of famine is not just a physical journey but it is a metaphysical journey. Isaac and Rebekkah have almost the exact same experience in the same city of Gerar as did his parents, Abraham and Sarah.

In the physical realm, Isaac portrays to the king, Abimelech, that Rebekkah is his sister and not his wife. Abraham did the same with Sarah in Genesis, chapter 20. Of course this caused in both cases problems as the king, fancied first Sarah and later Rebekkah. Abimelech is very upset when he discovers that these women are none other than wives, not sisters. Tradition teaches it is the same king who one would have thought would have learned his lesson! But that is exactly what this week’s parasha is about. Lessons learned and lessons not learned.

In the metaphysical realm we might look at this story in yet another way. We might see that Isaac now as patriarch of the next generation must walk in the footsteps of his father. He has to plumb the depths of his father’s experiences and make meaning for himself and his family and the traditions of his growing tribe. When confronted with similar moments in time, the choices that Isaac will make will not only shape him but shape generations to come. He has lessons to learn. Will Isaac learn from these lessons? Will he miss them and miss how they relate to incidents in his own life?

Though Isaac may once have fled from a father he may have feared, (See how in Genesis 22: 19 Isaac is not mentioned as returning with is father), he now meets him if only in re-living similar experiences. We learn about our ancestors when we have to grapple with similar decisions and incidents. We gain valuable insights into who they were and their character. What we could not understand as children or earlier in our lives, we understand differently when placed in similar situations. When we become parents, it is only then that we understand the feelings our parents must have had toward us. When we have to bury a parent or care for a sick spouse then we can only truly understand what an earlier generation must have gone through.

I believe this repetition of the story of Abimelech and the wives/sisters is a precursor for Isaac. By almost reliving the story of his father’s life, he will have to respond to many similar choices. Isaac was almost sacrificed on the altar by his father in response to the command of God. His father was fulfilling a divine call. Isaac will do the same to his son Esau when he gives Jacob the blessing even as he senses that Jacob is masquerading as Esau. And though Isaac won’t literally hold a knife over Esau’s head, he will sacrifice him and his future in a different way.

As parshat Toledot concludes Rebekkah remembering the prophecy about her children that the older will serve the younger, helps Jacob receive the blessing of Isaac. Even though it is manipulated and calculated, Jacob finagled the blessing from his father. Thus helping to fulfill the divine call and prophecy. Esau cries to his father “Have you but one blessing, Father? Bless me too, Father (27:36).

Isaac does indeed walk in his father’s footsteps. Perhaps more than he realized in his lifetime. But perhaps all of us walk in our parents’ footsteps more than we realize!

Parshat Chaye Sarah; Genesis 23:1 –25:18 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger

Is there really such a thing as love at first sight? In Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Blink” he discusses at great length how many decisions can be made in an instant. For all the comparing of pros and cons, for all the sorting through of risk benefit analysis, his theory is that many decisions can and should be made in the moment, by following our innate human ability to make snap judgments! He contends that really in the space of just about 2 seconds the human brain and sensory input helps us to make important decisions about others or the situation we are in. These are real assessments and Gladwell urges us to pay more attention to our well-honed human ability to sort through complex sets of information that he calls rapid cognition.

With this in mind one could assert that falling in love at first sight is indeed possible! Our torah portion this week alludes exactly to this kind of situation.
Following the death of Sarah, Abraham seeks to find a wife for his son and heir Isaac and sends off his servant Eliezer on such a mission. Eliezer duly deputized by Abraham returns to the land of Abraham’s family to seek a wife for Isaac rather than search among the local pagans.
Once there, Eliezer finds Rebecca, daughter of Nahor, brother of Abraham who kindly welcomes and serves water from the well to the weary traveler Eliezer. Although, Eliezer did not know that Rebecca was related to Abraham. Rebecca not only offers water to Eliezer but also to his camel, displaying the kind of hospitality and concern that our values of Abraham religious convictions.
Only after her kindnesses to him and his animal is the familial relationship revealed. Thus Rebecca would eventually leave her parent’s home and return to the land of Canaan with Eliezer to become Isaac’s bride.
The story continues in Chapter 24 of Genesis that while Isaac was out in the fields praying (according to the Midrash) he raised his eyes to see the camels coming from afar. And just then Rebecca raised her eyes and saw Isaac. In that moment, in literally the blink of an eye, seeing each other for the first time they became bonded. And as the text states, Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother he married Rebecca, she became his wife, and he loved her. One could say the fell love at first sight!
Isaac who mourned deeply the death of his mother Sarah, is consoled by Rebecca and starting his own family.
We may not readily rely on instantaneous decisions for every choice that we have to make. But it is comforting to know that even the patriarchs and matriarchs of our own tradition at times made important decisions affecting not only their own lives but really our whole tradition—in the blink of an eye!

Parshat Vayera; Genesis Chapter 18:1 – 22:24 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger

This week’s Torah portion Vayera has many familiar stories during the life of Abraham and Sarah. Not only is Isaac born but also the stories so familiar from the Rosh Hashanah Torah readings—the banishment of Hagar and Ishmael from Abraham’s house and the near sacrifice of Isaac, known as the Akeda are found in the portion this week.

But at the beginning of the parasha, we find a story of Abraham’s welcome and courage. He becomes the model of Jewish values and behavior in the way he welcomes visitors to his tent. Abraham, newly circumcised rushes to welcome the three divine visitors who were standing near him. Abraham insists upon sharing his lodging and food and making them feel at home.

He demonstrates his fearlessness in welcoming strangers into his midst and sets the stage for the story that follows where an entire town will be destroyed for its lack of welcome and hospitality to strangers.

Abraham in the heat of the day rustles up food and drink and bathes the traveler’s feet. He does this without any promise of reward. He does it out of the kindness of his heart. Last week, God blessed Abraham with the covenant and the promise that he would be blameless if he walked in the ways of the covenant. Here Abraham demonstrates this to these strangers who just happen to be divine messengers.

How interesting it is then that as the stories of this week’s portion unfold, Abraham’s nephew Lot also welcomes the divine strangers into his home. This is in contrast to the people of Sodom who show hatred, contempt and violence toward the strangers that Lot has taken in. Ultimately the city of Sodom is destroyed not for wanting to “know” the strangers sexually but for not welcoming them and learning about them in the way Abraham came to know them.

Hospitality is an art. One makes a guest at home through care, attention and yes, concern. Abraham showed this and Lot tried to show it to the strangers who came to call. Lot protected the divine messengers from the riotous crowd. But he did so at the expense of his own family. Is the torah trying to tell us what the boundaries are in welcoming the guest?

As we reflect on this episode it has been two weeks since we took down our sukkot. During that holiday we are to explicitly welcome visitors and strangers to our sukkah. We even welcome our ancestral guests through the idea of Ushpizin. Lest we forget that this concept of hospitality is not only for a holiday this week’s parasha reminds us that it is the general rule for all days. We welcome the visitor, make them feel at home and invite the stranger to dwell among us. These we learn from the courage of Abraham.

Lech Lecha; Genesis 12:1 –17:27 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger

This week’s Torah portion begins the journey of our patriarch and matriarch, Abram and Sarai toward a new life. The power of this portion of torah reverberates throughout our tradition, as this is truly the foundational story of our people’s beginning. Starting with Abram’s call to service of God and detailing the framework of a new covenantal relationship between God and Abram.

Throughout the portion the unique relation between God and Abram is explored. Abram hears God and has visions of God and experiences the connection to the Divine through the promise of his descendants. God promises Abram the sacred land of Eretz Yisrael. God promises Abram children and nations descendant from him. God promises Abram protection using the term Magen—shield. “I am a shield to you… (15:1)”

But this covenant is not just a one-way street. Abram also participates in this covenant through ceremonies and rituals of loyalty and obedience. Abram listens and follows God’s words, traveling from Haran to the south to Eretz Yisrael. Abram worships God at Beth-El. Abram participates in the ceremony between the pieces as a symbol of God’s promise to inherit the land. Later Abram’s name is changed from Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah. And finally, in this portion, Abraham experiences the covenant through the rite of circumcision for him and all the males of his household.

This covenant made between Abraham and Sarah and God takes it shape during this week’s weekly Torah reading.

Today this covenant remains in force for the Jewish people. Although we no longer offer sacrifices at Beth-El or walk between smoldering pieces of animal flesh to symbolize the covenant between God and our people. The rite of circumcision of Jewish males remains an important symbol of this eternal covenant. Even as circumcision comes under attack by some in the medical community, this powerful symbol of dedication remains a Jewish value for our male children.

But what for women? Feminists have long raised the question that since this powerful covenantal symbol inscribed in male flesh excludes women by definition, what might be a way to adequately and seriously make this eternal covenant come alive for women? Should the covenant be inscribed physically on women’s bodies? Or should there be some other way that women should be included in the covenantal promise?

If we turn to the Torah portion we find that Sarah is included in several way. First her name Sarai is changed, as is Abram’s. Sarai becomes Sarah she is thus included in the covenant. But the promises of God further include Sarah in the covenant by way of motherhood. Her ability to bear a child even though she is long past childbearing age includes her in a most unique way in this eternal covenant. The covenant is indeed in her flesh, through her ability to conceive even after menopause.
Does this mean that women are only included in the covenant with God through the ability to bear children? No I don’t think that is the correct reading. Motherhood is not the only avenue to being a part of the covenant of the Jewish people. But rather it is the potential. The possibility of bearing children embodied in women that includes us in the covenantal promises. Just as it was the miraculous possibility that Sarah could bear a child.

There needs to be special ceremonies that welcome girl children into the covenant with God. Just as a boy is welcomed in a brit milah ceremony, a girl child should be welcomed in a brit banot ceremony. Just as a boy has the potential to live a life of Torah, Chupah and Maasim Tovim—a life of study of Torah, A sacred relationship beneath the chupah and a life filled with acts of lovingkindness—so too our girl children should be blessed with the same potential.

All too often, new parents of boys make certain their new infants fulfill the mitzvah of brit milah, circumcision. But new parents of girls do nothing to welcome ritually their daughters to the covenant.

Lech Lecha calls us to a new land—as it calls Abram and Sarai to a new land. That land should be the land of inclusion of both men and women in the covenant as God meant it to be.

Parshat Noach; Genesis 6:9 –11:26 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger

In the second portion of the Torah we encounter the pre-history of the Jewish people. Noah and his family are not Jews. Judaism doesn’t really begin until the call to Abram by God in next week’s parasha- Lech Lecha. Yet, the Torah acknowledges the righteousness of Noah. It says he was “blameless in his age.” (6:9). Noah even walks with God. Surely one who is able to walk in the presence of God is a person of goodness and merit.

In many religious traditions only those who adhere to the tenets of that faith can be righteous or saved. There are many communities that condemn those who do not believe as they do. There are preachers who teach that only by accepting their brand or versions of faith will a person go to heaven or be granted Divine grace. But here in our sacred Scripture there is at the very beginnings of the text the acknowledgement that even those who are not of our faith can walk with God!

This has profound implications for our outlook upon other faith traditions and communities. Even as Judaism and its teachings and the commandments of God bind Jews to our covenant, our belief system recognizes that other peoples and other nations have their own pathways to the Divine. That while ours is good for us—their traditions are good for them. We don’t assert that they have no place in the world to come. We don’t try to proselytize or force our way of believing upon them.

Even as Judaism asserts our unique destiny as the Jewish people to live by the covenant God made with Abraham and Sarah and later with Moses and the people of Israel at Sinai, early on our Torah is not afraid to admit that other peoples have their unique relationships and destinies to fulfill. Noah, though not Jewish, lives by a set of ideals that causes him to rise above the violence and corruption that surround him. Jewish tradition teaches that Noah lived by a code of behavior and ethics. These are called the “Seven Laws of Noah," and since all humans are descended from Noah these special covenantal laws are then the obligation of all human beings. These seven laws as explained in the Talmud are:

Do not murder.
Do not steal.
Do not worship false gods.
Do not be sexually immoral.
Do not eat the limb of an animal before it is killed.
Do not curse God.
Set up courts and bring offenders to justice.

Maimonides, the great rabbinic teacher explains that any human being who faithfully observes these laws earns a proper place in heaven.

Thus while the Jewish people have their unique covenant to observe, non-Jews have one as well.

As we read the story of Noah this week we are reminded of the terrible price the world paid once for the violence and corruption that ate away at the soul of humanity. Noah’s inheritance to us is these seven simple laws for interacting in the world. Let us be reminded that perhaps the corruption and violence in our world could be abated if everyone began to fulfill the seven laws of Noah.