n° 802 Shabbat Shalom Newsletter November 3, 2018 25 Cheshvan, 5779 Shabbat Chaye Sarah h∂rDc yE¥yAj Genesis 23:1-25:18 NEWS Our Sincere Condolences to the family members, Let’s Pray together We pray every and the Jewish community of Pittsburgh, week for the Jewish Pennsylvania Friendship Ministry. In these troubling times we pray that G-d, A Terrible Tragedy in Pittsburgh the Creator of all mankind; the G-d of Abra- I suggest our s you are no doubt already sadly aware that on October 27, a gunman shout- ham, Isaac and Jacob heal our wounded hearts partners to pray on ing “All Jews must die!” Opened fire and comfort the broken in spirit. We pray for on a Jewish congregation gathered to cele- the Pittsburgh community, in particular the November 3-10, for A Tree of Life Synagogue community. We pray brate Shabbat at the Tree of Life Synagogue in the Shalom of the Almighty be upon you Cristiano Silva, who Pittsburgh. Media are reporting eleven people dead, multiple more injured in a scene of car- during this difficult time. is the pastor of the nage being described as “horrific.” Let’s pray Antisemitism is growing everywhere in the for the families and the survivors. world. Just in the United States of American, Jewish Adventist We, the members of the World Jewish-Ad- 1,986 Anti-Semitic acts have been recorded Friendship Ministry ventist Friendship Center, wish to convey our during the year 2017, when we compare this sincerest condolences and deep sorrow to the number to 2016 we see a growth of 57%. in Florianópolis, family members, relatives and friends of the We cannot accept any violation of religious liberty and violence against any religious group. Brazil. Even though Jewish Community of Pittsburgh along with the law enforcement officers who paid the As for the World Jewish Adventist Friendship Florianópolis has highest price while in the line of duty. We Center, working to promote friendship and deeply regret that words are so inadequate to understanding with our Jewish brethren is ter- a small Jewish bring comfort and healing to broken hearts rified by this horrific shooting, which is not community, the and wounded communities. And we deplore acceptable at all. that words have so much power to incite such We call each Seventh-day Adventist in the ministry of this acts as violence and hate. world to stand firm against Antisemitism We are against every form of and all ethnic and to promote love. Antisemitism is a crime Jewish-Adventist and anti-Semitic hate speech, attacks and/or against humanity and a sin against G-d. The congregation is very violence. Hebrew Bible as well as the teaching of Yesh- We believe that all attacks on and in plac- ua invite us to love: “Hear O Israel, the L-RD well appreciated. es of worship are outrages against conscience, our G-d, the L-RD is one. Love Hashem your faith, humanity and G-d Himself. G-d with all your heart and with all your soul Let’s pray for pastor We stand firmly in solidarity with all who do and with all your strength.” And “love your Cristiano Silva, his not condone the acts of violence perpetrated neighbor as yourself. I am Hashem.” (Deuter- upon all the victims in the horrific shootings onomy 6:4–5; Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:29- ministry and his on October 27, 2018, and we affirm our belief 31). This statement is published in our web- that our world needs more bridge-builders and sites: www.jewishadventist.org and https:// family. fewer dividing walls between our communities. wjafc.globalmissioncenters.org/ English Edition: A weekly Journal of information and training published by the Richard-Amram Elofer Emails: Russian Edition: World Jewish Adventist Friendship Center Alexandra Obrevko English: [email protected] French Edition: Under the umbrella of the Russian: [email protected] Sabine Baris French: [email protected] Portuguese Edition: General Conference —Office of Adventist Mission Carlos Muniz Portuguese: [email protected] Dutch Edition: https://wjafc.globalmissioncenters.org/ Dutch: [email protected] Hubert Paulleta Richard-Amram Elofer Hubert Paulleta Sabine Baris Alexandra Obrevko Carlos Muniz Editor Deutch Translation French Translation Russian Translation Portuguese Translation “G-d, the L-rd of heaven, took me away Avraham & Machpelah from my father’s house and the land of spoken about this word in our previous fter the death of Sarah, Avraham my birth. He spoke to me and made an comment. It does not mean only “old” wanted to buy a property in the oath. ‘To your offspring I will give this but “wise,” “uplifted,” “very experienced.” land of Canaan. If this land is to land.’ He will send His angel before Eliezer is also presented as Moshel, in our beA the land of G-d’s people, the descen- you, and you will indeed find a wife translation it is written “managed” but a dants of Avraham, he must give example there for my son.” (Genesis 24:7) moshel is much more than a “manager, ” and started to buried his relative to this it is a “ruler,” a “governor,” “L-rd,” “su- land. To buy this first ever property bought zerain.” He really was the ruler or gov- by G-d’s people in Canaan he went to the © freebibleimages.org bah 59:9) both world, that means the ernor of all the possession of Avraham. leaders of the bnei Chet the “son of Chet”, as I conceived in one night.” [Midrash world of today and the Olam Haba’a the Eliezer was the servant that Avraham translated in our text as the “Hittites”. Rabbah 45:4] One can understand, and “world-to-come”. could trust the most. No one was trusted The Torah states: “Avraham rose and perhaps even sympathize with the po- For the Jewish tradition this world is as Eliezer was. bowed Le’am ha’aretz libnei-chet which sition of Hagar. She believed that she full of values and it always recogniz- Avraham instructed Eliezer: “so that I is translated “to the Hittites, the people was born to lead, but that the search for es the value of this world besides that may make you take an oath by Adonai, of the land.” (Genesis 23:7) the people of truth had led her away from her father’s of the next. The sages of Israel declare the G-d of heaven and the G-d of earth, the land or Am Ha’aretz does not refers pagan world. Avraham’s genius enrap- “One hour of repentance and good that you will not take a wife for my son to the common people, as Rabbi Hirsch tured her, and she came to believe that it deeds in this world is worth more than from among the daughters of the Canaan- put it, but to the people’s representatives, was better for her to serve in that house the whole life in the world-to-come, ites among whom I am dwelling.” (Gen- who are authorized and duty-bound to than to rule Egypt. But now she was not willing to diminish the value of the esis 24:3). Avraham, in his deep wisdom punish those who violate the law. Who given the opportunity to rule in Avra- world-to-come, it adds that one hour of understood that children inherit certain are authorized to grant aliens the right to ham’s house; she believed that she had spiritual bliss in the world-to-come is characteristics from their parents, reject- acquire land in perpetuity. Accordingly, received a divine sign that she, who was worth more than the whole life in this ed the daughters of Canaan, preferring the bnei Chet would means “for the sons born to be queen, would indeed be the Parasha for world” (Pirke Avot 4:17). an Aramean woman for his son. Even of Chet,” the council that represents the queen — of Avraham’s nascent move- though the Canaanites were idolaters, whole population. ment. Hagar’s mistake was in assuming Zaken in the Jewish tradition, is the one this Week it was not the first reason for Avraham’s that Avraham alone led the people, that who has impressed this world with the decision, but much more for their moral he alone was a spiritual giant. What stamp of G-dliness. It is said also “The Chaye Sarah Hagar’s biography degeneracy. Avraham wanted for Ytzchak abbi Simeon bar Yohai said: she failed to recognize was that it was righteous prepare the world to be the a wife who would be fitting as a mother h∂rDc yE¥yAj “Hagar was Pharaoh’s daugh- a partnership, the combination of G-d, home of the Divine” (Yalchut Shimoni, of all Israel. The nation whose prominent ter. When Pharaoh saw what Avraham and Sarah, which was the ba- Bereshit, 27). Rabbi Hirsch comparing characteristics are mercy, righteousness was done on Sarah’s behalf in his own sis for the great spiritual movement she Avraham to Eliezer, said: “Just as Avra- R herself had become a part of. ham had become zaken and had attained and Chesed (love). Idolatry is an intellec- house, he took his daughter and gave Parasha Overview: tual error, and can be corrected, but moral her to Sarah, saying, ‘Better let my Avraham continues to love Hagar spiritual perfection by G-d’s guidance, degeneracy “takes hold of the whole indi- daughter be a handmaid in this house even after she had to leave Avraham’s so had Eliezer become wise and uplifted Genesis 23:1-25:18 vidual, heat and soul.” Even someone as than a mistress in another house’” [Mi- house.