Parashat Chayei Sarah

Well, well, well!

I love this parashah! Chayei Sarah is filled with pathos and romance, from Avraham’s purchase of Me’arat HaMachpelah as a final resting place for his beloved wife, Sarah, to Eliezer’s search for a suitable wife for Yitzchak. The almost uncharacteristic detail in this parashah enriches the stories it tells and fleshes out the personalities of our ancestors in subtle, but meaningful ways. In particular, Rivka captures my attention. I am mesmerized by her vitality and her initiative. A string of verbs describes her actions assisting Eliezer and his camels similar to the language used to portray Avraham’s haste to help his guests in last week’s parashah. She clearly models the same attitude toward chesed (kindness) that Avraham demonstrates and is thus a worthy and appropriate choice as Yitzchak’s wife. She also serves as an amazing example of how one can cultivate his or her own Jewish values (although that term is somewhat of an anachronism) even in the midst of an environment espousing conflicting values.

So, with that introduction, Rivka will be the focus of this week’s Shabbat experience. We will be having Shabbat dinner at home, but are invited out to lunch. The description below is for Shabbat dinner, then.

Two major images from the Rivka story will take center stage at our Shabbat table. The first image: Gems and gifts to commemorate the beautiful jewelry Eliezer brought to Rivka to woo her on Yitzcahk's behalf. Again, this time of year on the secular calendar proves a boon to a parashah mom who seeks inexpensive jewels and such. The crafts store has tons of pearl garlands, gold and silver beaded garlands, and glittery “holiday” picks that look like gift boxes. I will string the garlands around the table and then I will use the holiday picks to form napkin rings. I also have a bunch of large faux jewels that can decorate the table. The jewelry motif would not be complete without Paskesz candy necklaces and bracelets. Too bad they don’t make nose rings!

The second image will inform several of the menu items for this Shabbat. Rivka exhibits her tremendous chesed and z’rizut, alertness and initiative to do a mitzvah, by running and drawing water from a well for Eliezer and his caravan of thirsty camels. The well serves as a powerful metaphor for life, vitality, and, ultimately, for Torah, What a great challenge for our Shabbat table! I will try to form a well out of a challah roll and fill the well with a vegetable dip and/or hummus. I will try to do something similar with thick crusty rolls to serve soup. As a side dish, puff pastry shells (a.k.a patty shells) will play the well role, filled with a mixture of sauteed vegetables. The well will reappear at the end of the meal in the form of a small watermelon cut to look like a well. I found a web site that gives step by step instructions for one of these. I plan to make mine a bit less elaborate, but I'll follow the general strategies. To accompany our well, we will have camel shaped cookies. (We’re also bringing a batch of camel cookies to our hosts for lunch along with some silver chocolate coins, as a nod to the 400 silver shekel that Avraham paid for Me’arat HaMachpelah.)

Finally, to reinforce Rivka’s traits of chesed and z’rizut, I’m devising a few friendly competitions for the Shabbat table (who can set the table the quickest, who can serve the most items, who can clear her/his place setting first, etc.).

And for next year, G-d willing, when we revisit this parashah, I have the challenge of thinking about Me’arat HaMachpelah (and why caves and wells seem to be inversions of each other), Kiryat Arba, Yitzchak’s davening in the fields, and Rivka entering Sarah’s tent. I could also prepare "Sheva Brachot" for Rivka and Yitzchak. Some food for thought!

Have a Shabbat Shalom!

© Tammie Rapps 2008