Chayei Sara 2025/5786 - Kedushat Levi, Noam Elimelech & Ramban

(1) Sarah’s lifetime—the span of Sarah’s life—came to one hundred and twenty-seven years.

(1) ויהיו חיי שרה מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים AND THE LIFE OF SARAH WAS 127 YEARS (literally, 100 years, 20 years and 7 years) — The reason the word שנה is written at every term is to tell you that each term must be explained by itself as a complete number: at the age of one hundred she was as a woman of twenty as regards sin — for just as at the age of twenty one may regard her as having never sinned, since she had not then reached the age when she was subject to punishment, so, too, when she was one hundred years old she was sinless — and when she was twenty she was as beautiful as when she was seven (Genesis Rabbah 58:1).(2) שני חיי שרה THE YEARS OF SARAH’S LIFE — The word years is repeated and without a number to indicate that they were all equally good.

(1) ברך את אברהם בכל [THE LORD HAD] BLESSED ABRAHAM IN ALL THINGS — The numerical value of the word בכל is equal to that of בן (a son) — suggesting that God had blessed Abraham with a son and since he had a son he had to find him a wife.

(1) AND THE LORD HAD BLESSED ABRAHAM IN ALL THINGS. With length of days, wealth, honor and sons, these being all the things that men desire to have. If the interpretation that Abraham had a daughter named Bakkol1Our verse reads, and the Lord had blessed Abraham ba-kol (in all things). According to the Talmud ba-kol is a proper noun. Cf. Baba Batra 16b, “He (Abraham) had a daughter named Bakkol.” were correct, then Scripture should have read: and the Lord blessed Abraham “with” Bakkol.2If ba-kol is a proper noun then the preposition “with” is missing. Rather than reading ba-kol, the verse should have read, be-vakkol (with Bakkol).

(1) AND ABRAHAM WAS OLD, WELL STRICKEN IN AGE. Scripture reiterates [Abraham’s old age although it has already mentioned it]57Above, 18:11. in order to inform us of the reason that he adjured his servant. Thus Scripture says that because Abraham saw himself to be very old and he thought that if he will send the servant to the land of his origin, perhaps before the messenger would return, he will have gone to his long home,58Ecclesiastes 12:5. he therefore adjured his servant — whose counsel Isaac would follow since he ruled over all that he had59Verse 2 here. — that he should not take for him a wife from the daughters of Canaan.
In Bereshith Rabbah,6048:19. the Rabbis said: “Here61That is, above, 18:11, where Scripture says, Now Abraham and Sarah were old. it was old age combined with vitality; further on62That is, in the verse before us. it was old age without vitality.” By this the Rabbis wanted to explain that ba’im [literally: “coming” in days — mentioned above]57Above, 18:11. — means the beginning of the days of old age, as the word ba’im indicates the present, just as, ‘Haba’im’ (those that come) in at these gates.63Jeremiah 7:2. But here it says that he was very old for already he was ba bayamim [literally: “he had come in days” — past tense], just as: Thy brother ‘ba’ (came) with subtlety.64Further, 27:35.(2) AND THE ETERNAL HAD BLESSED ABRAHAM IN ALL THINGS. I.e., with riches, possessions, honor, longevity and children, which are all the treasures of man. Scripture mentions this in order to say that Abraham was perfect in every detail, lacking in no respect save seeing his son have children who would inherit his superior position and his honor. This was why he desired it.
Now our Rabbis have a wonderful insight into this verse. They said:65Baba Bathra 16b. “And the Eternal had blessed Abraham ‘bakol’ (in all things). Rabbi Meir said that Abraham was blessed in that he did not have a daughter. Rabbi Yehudah said that he did have a daughter. Acheirim66Literally “other ones,” other Rabbis besides those mentioned. Rabbi Meir is sometimes called by this name. Here, however, it could not refer to him since his opinion has already been stated. Acheirim here refers to anonymous authorities or to the opinion of Rabbi Meir’s master, Elisha ben Abuyah, who was also known as Acheir. See Chagigah 15a.say that he did have a daughter and her name was Bakol.”67The profounder meaning of this saying will be explained further in the text.

Rabbi Meir thus explained that Abraham did not have a daughter. This was a blessing for Abraham for he could not have married her except to the cursed sons of Canaan. If he were to send her to his country, she would also worship the idols as they did because a woman is subject to the authority of her husband. Indeed, Abraham did not want his worthy children from his wife Sarah to go outside the Land, and surely not that they worship the idols. Rabbi Yehudah, however, explained that Abraham did have a daughter since the Merciful One did not even cause him to lack a daughter, and that was the blessing implied by the expression, in all things, for he had everything that people desire, completely without exception. Then came Acheirim and mentioned the name of the daughter. Now truthfully, the intent of Acheirim and their controversy with Rabbi Yehudah were not merely to inform us of the name of this daughter. Far it be from them to expend the great and generalized blessing of Abraham on this matter, i.e., that Scripture is saying that G-d blessed him with one daughter with that name. However, Acheirim established a new interpretation on this verse, a very profound matter, and they explained with it one of the secrets of the Torah. Thus they said that the word bakol hints at a great matter, namely, that the Holy One, blessed be He, has an attribute called Kol (All), so called because it is the foundation of everything. It is with reference to this attribute that it says, I am the Eternal that maketh ‘Kol’ (all).68Isaiah 44:24. And this is also what Scripture says, And the profit of the earth is ‘bakol’ (in all),69Ecclesiastes 5:8. that is to say, the profit of the earth and the abundant goodness that is bestowed upon all that come into the world is on account of this attribute Kol. It is the eighth attribute of the thirteen attributes.70See Ramban Exodus 34:6. And there is another attribute called bath [literally “daughter”] that emanates from it, and with it He moves everything. This is “the Court of the Holy One, blessed be He,” that is hinted at in the word, Vahashem (And the Eternal), in all places. It is called kalah (bride) in the book of The Song of Songs because it is comprised of hakol (the All), and it is this attribute which the Sages have surnamed Knesseth Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) in many places because it is the gathering of hakol (the All). It was this attribute which was to Abraham as a bath because he was the man of kindness, and he conducted himself in accordance with it. This was why Acheirim said that this blessing with which Abraham had been blessed in all things does not allude either to his having begotten a daughter from his wife Sarah, as Rabbi Yehudah said, or not, as Rabbi Meir claimed, but instead it hints at a great matter, i.e., that he was blessed with an attribute called bath which is contained in the attribute Kol, and is therefore also called Kol, being analogous to the expression, For My name is in him.71Exodus 23:21. Thus Abraham was blessed in heaven and on earth. This is why he said, By the Eternal, the G-d of heaven and the G-d of the earth.72Verse 3 here.

This matter is to be found hinted at in the traditions of our Rabbis in many places. Thus they said in the Midrash Chazita:73Another name for the Midrash Rabbah on the Song of Songs. The name Chazita is derived from the first word in the verse with which this Midrash opens. ‘Chazita’ (Seest thou) a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings. (Proverbs 22:29.) The Midrash quoted is found ibid., 3:21. “Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai asked Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yosi, ‘Have you possibly heard from your father of the meaning of the verse, The crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him?’74Song of Songs 3:11. He said to him, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘How?’ He replied, ‘It is like a king who had an only daughter whom he loved very much, and he would call her “my daughter.” This did not completely express his love for her until he called her “my sister.” Still he was not satisfied until he called her “my mother.” In the same way, the Holy One, blessed be He, loved Israel in the beginning and called them “My daughter.” It is this which Scripture says, Hearken, O daughter, and consider.75Psalms 45:11. This did not completely express His love for them until He called them “My sister,” as it is said, Open to me, my sister, my love.76Song of Songs 5:2. Still He was not satisfied until He called them “My mother,” as it is said, Attend unto Me, O My people, ‘ule’umi’ (O My nation).77Isaiah 51:4. The word is written le’imi (O My mother).’ Then Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai arose and kissed him on his head, and he said to him, ‘Had I come to listen to this word of yours it would have been sufficient.’…”
Now, had the commentator who prides himself on his knowledge of the Torah’s secrets78Reference here is to Ibn Ezra who often prides himself on knowing the secrets of the Torah but who, in the case of this Midrash concerning Abraham’s having a daughter by the name of Bakol, criticizes the interpretation by commenting that if that were the case, the word bakol should have had an additional letter beth preceding it and meaning “and G-d blessed Abraham ‘with’ bakol.” known this, his lips would be dumb and not deride the words of our Rabbis. Therefore, I have written this in order to silence those who speak arrogantly against the righteous one.79See Psalms 31:19.

(62) Isaac had just come back from the vicinity of Beer-lahai-roi, for he was settled in the region of the Negeb.

(1) מבוא באר לחי ראי HE HAD JUST COME FROM THE WELL LACHAI-ROI— For he had gone there to bring Hagar back to Abraham that he might take her again as his wife (Genesis Rabbah 60:14).

(2) יושב בארץ הנגב FOR HE DWELT IN THE LAND OF THE SOUTH, near to that well, as it is said, (Genesis 20:1) “And Abraham journeyed from thence towards the land of the South and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur”, and the well was there, as is said, (Genesis 16:14) “behold it is between Kadesh and Bered’’.

(12) This is the line of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave, bore to Abraham.

‎Genesis 23,1. “The years of Sarah’s life were one hundred years, ‎etc.;” I believe, G’d willing, that I have understood the reason ‎why Sarah is the only woman in the Bible of whose age at the ‎time of her death we have been told. The Talmud Nedarim ‎‎64, in referring to Rachel’s outburst (Genesis 30,1) that unless her ‎husband Yaakov would give her children she considered herself as ‎‎“dead,” is quoted by Rashi on that verse saying that seeing ‎that a woman’s primary task in life is to mother children, any ‎woman who has not given birth to a live child is considered as ‎dead. We also know from Shabbat 156, that when G’d took ‎Avraham outside (Genesis 15,5) that He showed him that ‎according to the constellation of the stars, Sarai was not slated to ‎give birth to children. This ‎מזל‎, astrological prognosis of her life, ‎could be changed only due to merits she would acquire during the ‎years to come. She did indeed acquire such merits, as our sages ‎conclude from a comment they made in Shir Hashirim ‎Rabbah, 2,32 where the phenomenon of all the matriarchs ‎originally being barren is discussed. Among a variety of answers ‎offered there, one is that G’d was desirous of listening to their ‎praying to Him to be granted children, just as He is desirous of ‎listening to the prayers of the righteous, generally. In other ‎words, Sarah, (after a name change) both due to her merits and ‎her supplications, was “lifted” out of the limitations predicted for ‎her by a zodiac sign she had been born under, so that she could ‎conceive. When the Torah refers to her “life” as being 127 years ‎long, this means nothing less than that she had spent all these ‎years accumulating merits for the good deeds she performed. ‎Expressed somewhat differently, the Torah states that it was ‎Sarah, who with her good deeds gave “life” to her years.‎

An additional lesson to be derived from this unique verse in ‎the Torah, is that seeing that during all her years she cleaved to ‎the Holy name of Hashem, ‎י-ה-ו-ה‎, this fact is hinted at when ‎the Torah summarizes her life her by commencing with a word ‎containing these letters of G’d’s name. She was conscious at all ‎times that her life depended on that attribute of G’d and not, G’d ‎forbid, on the side of the emanations known popularly as the ‎‎sitra achara, “the left side.”‎

Genesis ‎24,1. “and Avraham had become old, while G’d had ‎blessed him in everything.” According to the Talmud Baba ‎Metzia 87 the concept of ”old age,” was unknown to mankind ‎until Avraham’s being described here in such terms. [According ‎to the Talmud, the statement refers to external features of elderly ‎people stamping them as having lived for many years. This was ‎why up until then anyone looking at Avraham or Yitzchok could ‎not be sure whether he was looking at the father or the son. ‎Ed.][If I understand the Talmud correctly, what is meant is ‎that when the Torah had described Adam as having begotten a ‎son in his own image (Genesis 5,3) as opposed to his first two ‎sons, the resemblance between fathers and sons continued ‎unabated until the time when Avraham was described as having ‎aged. Ed.]
The point the Talmud makes is that beneficial ‎largesse provided from the celestial regions for the lower regions ‎of the universe manifests itself in one of two ways. It may be ‎measured in terms familiar to us in this part of the universe, or it ‎may be described in terms of concepts applicable in the celestial ‎regions, seeing that these two domains each have their own set of ‎rules. When this beneficial largesse originates directly in the ‎celestial spheres close to the Creator, it had not become subject to ‎limitations applicable in the parts of the world we live in. [As an ‎example, we may distinguish between nourishment provided by ‎G’d through the earth giving its yield, when such nourishment is ‎subject to limitations that apply on our planet, whereas when G’d ‎fed the Jewish people with manna, such limitations did not apply, ‎as the manna originated directly in one of the seven layers of ‎heaven. Ed.] This latter method of benefiting from G’d’s largesse is ‎reserved exclusively for the Jewish people. The Jewish people ‎have become privy to this (on occasion) due to their having clung ‎to their Creator with such devotion.‎
The other nations sharing this planet with us, receive ‎whatever largesse G’d provides for them only through “nature,” ‎which “processes” such gifts from G’d before it reaches its ‎recipients. This is what is meant when the Torah wrote in Genesis ‎‎25,12-15 ‎ואלה תולדות ישמעאל שנים עשר נשיאים לאומתם‎, “and this is ‎the line of Ishmael, son of Avraham……12 chieftains, etc.” The ‎word: ‎לאומתם‎ is derived from ‎אמה‎, “mother;” when a mother ‎measures her son she uses measuring devices used in our parts of ‎the universe. The Torah (Genesis 25,13, and again in verse 16) ‎adds: ‎בשמותם לתולדותם‎ and ‎בחצריהם ובטירותם‎, “by their names, in ‎the order of their births, and by their villages and their ‎encampments;” these words describe the parameters within ‎which they were privy to G’d’s benevolent largesse. The contrast ‎with which the Torah describes a similar description of the ‎development of the Jewish people can be seen in the words ‎למשפחותם לבית אבותם‎, “according to their family, their respective ‎father’s house”. The word ‎אבותם‎ in this instance is derived from ‎אבה‎, as in ‎לא אבה יבמי‎, “he did not want to perform levirate ‎marriage with me.” (Deuteronomy 25.7) The word ‎אבה‎ is a ‎synonym for ‎רצון‎, “will, desire.” The widow describes that her ‎brother-in-law does not wish to fulfill the will of heaven in ‎maintaining his deceased brother’s name alive.
Let us ‎illustrate by an example more familiar to all of us. A potter ‎intends to create a vase of a certain shape and colour. Before ‎setting out to shape the clay he has a definite image of the ‎finished product in his mind’s eye. This image is known as ‎מחשבה‎, ‎or ‎אב הפעולה‎, “the father of the finished product.” The ‎רצון‎, the ‎will to create a vase, is called ‎אב‎, father, as it precedes even the ‎sculptor’s vision of the final shape and colour of the product is ‎about to embark on creating. The eventual product is known as ‎בני בנים‎, euphemism for “grandchildren.” [In relation to the ‎רצון‎ ‎the initial will to create something. Ed.]
Israel’s drawing down ‎G’d’s largesse to itself is somewhat similar. The process begins ‎with this celestial largesse entering the domain of the physical ‎universe, ‎גבולין‎. [A domain defined by borders both dimensionally ‎and directionally. Ed.] The various shapes and forms this largesse ‎assumes once it has entered our part of the universe is known as ‎בני בנים‎, “grandchildren.” The original ‎רצון‎, G’d’s intention to ‎provide this largesse, is called ‎זקן‎, “an old man.”
When ‎Solomon in Proverbs 17,6 speaks about ‎עטרת זקנים בני בנים‎, loosely ‎translated as “grandchildren are the crown of their elders,” the ‎meaning of this line on a deeper level, is: “the largesse that has ‎been received by Israelites as a result of G’d’s benevolence, is ‎rooted in the will of G’d,” i.e. from this ‎רצון‎ to the world known as ‎בני בנים‎. ‎

This is what the Midrash had in mind when it ‎interpreted the opening words of our chapter ‎ואברהם זקן בא בימים‎, ‎to mean that prior to the existence of Avraham there had not ‎been a concept on earth known as ‎זקנה‎, “old age,” i.e. G’d’s ‎largesse flowing directly, without detour through nature, to any ‎human being. The reason was simple. No human being had ‎accumulated the kind of merits that enabled G’d to direct this ‎flow of largesse by bypassing normal channels. Avraham’s merits ‎had opened new channels of communication between G’d and ‎man.‎
At this point the author refers to a method of writing the 72-‎lettered “name” of Hashem in 9 columns of 8 three lettered ‎words, using Exodus 14,19,20 and 21, respectively, (each verse ‎having 72 letters) and consecutively, and the middle verse in by ‎reading it from left to right, so that you get the diagram ‎shown.
In that diagram you will note that in the top row the ‎‎“name” spelled ‎סיט‎ appears in the column preceding the one ‎commencing with a name consisting of ‎עלמ‎.
[I am attaching ‎the diagram so that you, the reader can better visualize what the ‎author is speaking about. Ed.]
The word ‎סיט‎ occurs on several ‎occasions in the Mishnah, throughout the section known as ‎‎taharot as a vessel used in measuring. (Maimonides on ‎‎Keylim 13,4, Orlah, 3,2 for instance) This “name” of ‎G’d serves as symbol of Avraham’s ability to channel G’d’s largesse ‎from the celestial domains to our regions. The next column in our ‎diagram is headed by the letters ‎עלמ‎, [alluding to our ‎עולם‎, world] ‎and symbolizes for our purposes, the manner of distribution of ‎this largesse once it has entered the sphere of the material world. ‎We refer to this in our daily amidah prayer when we recite ‎the words: ‎וזוכר חסדי אבות ומביא גואל לבני בניהם‎. “He (G’d) ‎remembers the deeds of loving kindness of the patriarchs and ‎brings the redeemer to their children’s children.” On the face of ‎it, it is difficult to understand the words ‎חסדי אבות‎, “the pious ‎deeds performed by the patriarchs.” All the author of this ‎paragraph had to mention was ‎וזוכר אבות‎, that “G’d remembers ‎the patriarchs.” Furthermore, why would the author of this ‎paragraph refer to the redemption as being brought to the ‎‎“children’s children” of the patriarchs? It would have sufficed to ‎refer to their ‎בניהם‎, “children.” When speaking of fathers, it is ‎customary to relate to their children rather than to their ‎grandchildren. However, when understanding the entire ‎paragraph and what it teaches in light of what we have explained, ‎both the word “‎חסדי‎” and the words “‎לבני בניהם‎” make perfect ‎sense, as the author draws our attention to the manner in which ‎G’d’s largesse is transmitted to the Jewish people and who we ‎have to thank for this. The ‎חסד‎ of which the author speaks is an ‎allusion to the “source” of the largesse, i.e. G’d Himself, (not ‎nature) whereas the ‎בני בניהם‎, is an allusion to the meritorious ‎deeds of the patriarchs which paved the way for the Jewish ‎people to receive G’d’s largesse directly, without ‎detours.
When the paragraph above is introduced with the ‎words: ‎ואברהם זקן בא בימים ויהוה ברך את אברהם בכל‎, this is an ‎allusion to Avraham, the first of the patriarchs having been able ‎to open the sluices of G’d’s treasure chamber to enable the flow of ‎its goodness to bypass regular channels and flow directly to His ‎people. When G’d’s largesse flows to us in this manner, it is not ‎limited in measure at all, as it would be if it had to reach us via ‎nature.
This is the meaning of bereshit rabbah 59,5 ‎where the author writes: Avraham would bless everybody. ‎‎(Compare Genesis 12,3) To the question whence Avraham was ‎able to do so, i.e. who had blessed him first? The answer is that ‎G’d personally, had done so in His capacity of ‎רצון‎ as explained on ‎page 118.‎

Another way of understanding the statement in the Talmud ‎‎Baba Metzia 87, that until the advent of Avraham there had ‎been no such concept as ‎זקנה‎, “old age,” may be that it referred to ‎the colour of the hair of aged people turning white. [The reader is ‎reminded of Rabbi Eleazar ben Azaryah in the Haggadah shel ‎pessach being prematurely white-haired Ed.]‎
Just as man’s body wears clothing that gives a hint to the ‎type of person he is, so his mind and soul also wear “clothing” ‎that hint at his age, the hair that covers his head, for instance. ‎Just as man does not experience pain when someone cuts off his ‎clothing, so he does not experience pain when his hair is cut.‎
We have previously explained that the Creator, “shrunk His ‎Self,” when entering the domain of the material world in order to ‎be able to share out His loving kindness to His creatures, as ‎otherwise His impact on that world would have been so ‎overwhelming as to destroy it immediately. Similarly, He “dressed ‎Himself” by surrounding His accessibility to His creatures ‎through commandments or the performance of good deeds that ‎He required them to perform in order to enable them to come ‎close to His essence. This is how He made His manifestation on ‎earth possible. The Talmud, when referring to ‎זקנה‎ as a ‎phenomenon that did not exist prior to Avraham, means that ‎Avraham’s performing G’d’s commandments (not yet given as ‎directives) paved the way for G’d to be able to heap His largesse ‎on Avraham’s descendants. The visible evidence of this was the ‎white hair Avraham now sprouted.‎

‎“And Avraham had aged, advanced in years;" the Talmud ‎‎Baba batra 16 understands the word ‎בכל‎ as meaning that ‎Avraham had a “daughter” by the name of ‎בכל‎. Commenting ‎further on this, the Talmud in Chagigah 15 states that a ‎heavenly voice i.e. ‎בת קול‎ [instead of ‎בת כל‎ Ed.] was heard at ‎Mount Sinai calling the Israelites to penance with the exception ‎of Acher, (Elisha ben Avuya) turned apostate.
‎[The text in my edition of the Talmud does not mention the ‎location where this heavenly voice was heard, and it would not ‎make sense that it was Mount Sinai, as the occasion appears to ‎have been at least 50 years after destruction of the second ‎Temple. Ed.]
We need to examine the nature of this “voice” somewhat ‎more closely. Since, according to the Talmud, this ‎בת קול‎ appears ‎to have been a visual manifestation rather than something heard ‎with one’s ears, the statement is enigmatic. Apparently, the ‎Talmud refers to a message that a person hears or is supposed to ‎hear daily as if it were as real as a vision. The true call to do ‎‎teshuvah had originated at Sinai when the people had heard ‎G’d address them directly during the first and second ‎Commandment, until they were so overwhelmed that they feared ‎to die and begged Moses to be their interpreter of G’d’s words. ‎Mount Sinai had been referred to as Mount Chorev in Exodus 3,1 ‎when Moses had his first vision of G’d at the burning bush. On ‎that occasion he had “heard” the voice of G’d. The term ‎בת קול‎ ‎has become the name for a derivative of that first communication ‎to His people through Moses their leader and prophet ever since. ‎At the revelation at Mount Sinai several months later, it had ‎become so real that the people were described as “seeing” the ‎voice rather than as merely “hearing it. (Exodus 20,15) We have ‎explained that the term ‎בן‎ or ‎בת‎ describes the receiving of G’d’s ‎largesse, when it has originated from G’d directly through the ‎merits of the patriarch Avraham. Just as G’d had to “reduce ‎Himself” in terms of His pure spirituality, man has to reduce his ‎‎“physicality,” i.e. his dependence on physical comforts provided ‎by our world somewhat, in order to qualify for receiving these ‎communications from G’d. Each human being desirous of coming ‎closer to G’d by this means has to do so in accordance with the ‎spiritual level he is capable of. The word ‎בת‎ in the language of the ‎‎Mishnah, is the preface used when describing the measure ‎of certain liquids or dry matter that a container can hold. Its use ‎in that sense originates in Ezekiel 45,10. [It may be correct to ‎understand the term ‎בת קול‎ which is usually associated with post ‎Biblical times, when there was no more direct communication ‎with G’d through prophets or even through the urim ‎vetumim on the High Priest’s breast plate, as a prophetic ‎communication from G’d, but at arm’s length. Ed.]‎‎‎

Another interpretation of the line ‎וה' ברך את אברהם בכל‎, is ‎based on the fact that there are two types of tzaddikim. One ‎type concentrates all his efforts in life on being of service to the ‎community, whereas another type of tzaddik concentrates ‎on perfecting his personal character traits. Avraham was of the ‎former category, all his efforts being directed outward, for the ‎benefit of his peers. This is alluded to in the words ‎וה' ברך את ‏אברהם‎, i.e. G’d was with Avraham on account of his concern “for ‎all.” The word ‎את‎ in the line is to be understood as ‎עם‎, “with.” G’d ‎supported him in all his endeavours. It is this point that our sages ‎alluded to when they said that Avraham had a ‎בת‎, i.e. he had a ‎large measuring device that was big enough to share out from it ‎to all he came in contact with.‎

Genesis ‎24,7. “do not bring my son back there under any ‎circumstances.!” We find that G’d confirmed Avraham’s ‎attittude concerning Yitzchok not leaving the soil of The Holy ‎Land, when He said to Yitzchok (Genesis 26,2) ‎אל תרד מצרימה, שכון ‏בארץ..גור בארץ הזאת‎, “do not go down to Egypt; reside in the ‎Land…even if you have to be a transient in this land!”
We ‎have a standing rule according to which it is permissible to be ‎afraid of something or someone bigger than oneself, whereas it is ‎forbidden to be afraid of someone smaller than oneself. In other ‎words, whereas it is permissible to be afraid of G’d, it is not ‎permissible to be afraid of anyone other than G’d. This is why all ‎manner of idol worship is prohibited.‎
The attribute of love enables one to love those who are ‎‎“smaller” than we are, notably the members of our household ‎who depend on us. When we keep this rule in mind we will be ‎able to understand a story in the Talmud Kiddushin 57 ‎where it is related that Shimon ben Ammasuni undertook to ‎explain the meaning of each word ‎את‎ in the Torah, proving that ‎the word invariably includes something that the Torah had not ‎spelled out specifically. However, when he came to the line ‎‎(Deuteronomy 6,13) ‎את יהוה אלוהיך תירא‎, “you are to revere the Lord ‎your G’d,” he was stymied, not knowing what the word ‎את‎ in that ‎line could possibly add, as it is forbidden to revere anyone other ‎than the Lord. His students asked him if he thought that all the ‎explanations that he had found for the other times that the word ‎את‎ occurs should be disregarded? He replied that “just as the ‎Torah promises a reward for explaining its intricacies, so it ‎rewards those who refrain from offering explanations that are not ‎appropriate.” In the meantime, Rabbi Akiva who had heard of ‎Shimon ben Ammasuni’s dilemma, said that even this ‎את‎ added ‎an additional meaning to the verse in which it appeared, ‎suggesting that the Torah scholars deserve to be revered also. ‎Rabbi Akiva was able to offer this explanation since Torah ‎scholars are “greater” than the ordinary people consulting them, ‎so that they fit the principle that it is allowed to revere, be in awe ‎of, people that are greater than oneself. This is a basic difference ‎between the attribute of reverence, ‎יראה‎, and the attribute of ‎אהבה‎, love. While it is in order to say: “I am afraid of you,” to ‎someone more powerful than oneself, a king for instance, it is not ‎in order to say to such a king: “I love you.” It is, however, ‎permissible to say to such a king: “I love to be in your house,” “I ‎love to serve you,” etc.
The above distinction explains why Shimon ben Amassuni ‎had not found a problem with the word ‎את‎ in Deuteronomy 6,5 ‎where the Torah writes: ‎ואהבת את יהוה אלוקיך‎, “you shall love the ‎Lord your G’d.” He understood this verse as not applying to G’d’s ‎essence, but to attributes of G’d, attributes worth emulating ‎because they make Him lovable. This is also why Rabbi Akiva was ‎able to resolve his difficulty when he suggested that reverence for ‎Torah scholars, who are an extension of G’d from Whom they ‎received their knowledge and stature, therefore qualify for a ‎portion of reverence that is due to their Master. Seeing that the ‎Torah scholar is a servant of G’d, he too is entitled to some of his ‎Master’s reflected glory.‎
Avraham’s major attribute was ‎אהבה‎, his love for people. This ‎attribute included even in their concerns with matters that did ‎not involve their relations to the Creator. This being so, G’d did ‎not object to his descending to Egypt, leaving the soil of the Holy ‎Land. His son Yitzchok’s primary attribute was ‎יראה‎, reverence ‎for the Essence of G’d; i.e. he concentrated all his faculties on how ‎to serve G’d. This being so, it would have interfered with his basic ‎character were he to leave the sacred soil of the land of Israel for ‎even a short period.‎

Genesis ‎24,13-15. “Here I am standing at the well…and the ‎daughters of the residents of the town are coming out… and ‎through her I will know that You have performed a loving ‎kindness for my master.” “and behold Rivkah who had been ‎born for Bethuel son of Milkah, was coming out, ‎etc.”
When looking at the precision with which the Torah ‎describes every detail surrounding this encounter, we must ask ‎ourselves what need there was for Eliezer to refer to the other ‎daughters of Aram Naharayim at all? What part did they play in ‎the story? Furthermore, why did the Torah write the word ‎ילדה‎ ‎with a dot in the letter ‎ל‎, suggesting that the birth of Rivkah was ‎connected to a cause other than Bethuel merely impregnating his ‎wife with his semen? The vowel kubutz under the letter ‎י‎, ‎instead of the vowel kametz, also adds to the impression ‎that there were external factors involved in Rivkah’s birth. [The ‎reader will note that when Rivkah identified herself to Eliezer in ‎verse 24, she only used the word ‎ילדה‎ in an active mode with the ‎vowel kametz, when she referred to her grandmother ‎Milkah having born her father for Nachor. Ed.]
According to ‎the approach that we have followed in explaining these verses in ‎terms of G’d’s largesse and how it is transmitted to our part of the ‎universe to the righteous, none of these nuances are difficult. We ‎have explained that Avraham’s spiritual level in this world was ‎one that enabled him to elevate mankind by stages to higher ‎spiritual levels, i.e. bringing them closer to their Creator. He did ‎this by opening channels of G’d’s largesse to flow directly, ‎without detours, to the society within which he was active. ‎Eliezer, Avraham’s servant was well aware that the local ‎population of Aram Naharayim consisted of wicked people. In ‎order to examine whether the young lady who was to become ‎Yitzchok’s wife belonged to the wicked part of this population, he ‎had to devise a special scheme. If he were to find among the ‎virgins that came forth from the town to draw water one who ‎distinguished herself by the characteristic of loving kindness, i.e. ‎the same characteristic that distinguished his master Avraham, ‎he felt certain that such a girl must have had her roots in ‎Avraham’s family. She must have been blessed with such an ‎attribute through the activities of Avraham on this earth. When ‎he described himself as “standing at the well,” he positioned ‎himself in such a manner that he had a chance to test the girls ‎concerning their characteristics such as offering help beyond the ‎absolute minimum to an unknown stranger such as himself. Such ‎a girl, by definition, was destined to continue to be active ‎practicing the virtues for which Avraham his master was famous.‎
The words: ‎והנה רבקה יוצאת אשר ילדה לבתואל‎, are to alert ‎us that from the generous attitude displayed by Rivkah it became ‎manifest that a contributing factor to her birth had been the ‎benevolent influence Avraham had exerted on the people of his ‎time, and especially on members of his family. A girl who would ‎voluntarily exert herself on behalf of a stranger’s camels would ‎demonstrate the attribute of ‎חסד‎, loving concern for others, that ‎characterized Avraham and his deceased wife, Sarah.‎

והנה רבקה יוצאת אשר ילדה לבתואל‎, “and behold, here ‎Rivkah who had been born for Betuel was coming forth.” She ‎had been born for Betuel, due to beneficial, though indirect, ‎input by Avraham. Betuel was not the originator of Rivkah, but ‎merely a vessel used by G’d as an intermediary. [There is no other ‎verse in the Bible where the expression ‎אשר ילדה‎, “who she bore,” ‎is not connected to the mother who bore that child. Ed.] The ‎Torah alludes to Avraham’s role in that “birth” by using the ‎vowel kubutz, which implies “external influence.” The ‎reason why Eliezer immediately gave Rivkah jewelry even before ‎enquiring who she was, shows that he realized that her attribute ‎of ‎חסד‎ had revealed that she had much in common with his ‎master Avraham, and that there must be a biological link between ‎her and Avraham. This is also what Rashi had in mind when ‎he wrote: (verse 23) “after he had given her the bracelets, because ‎he was certain of his master Avraham’s merits.”‎

Genesis ‎24,14. “and through her I shall know that You have done a ‎kindness with my master.” These words of Eliezer have been ‎explained in the Zohar where the author states that in the ‎time of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai even small children possessed ‎some special wisdom that enabled them to know what other ‎adults do not know. [The children being innocent. Ed.] They were ‎endowed with this superior wisdom as part of the spiritual rays ‎radiating from the saintly personality of Rabbi Shimon bar ‎Yochai. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is quoted as an example of the ‎influence exerted on his environment by every righteous person, ‎each one in varying degrees according to his spiritual stature. ‎They are to be perceived as a microcosm of Hashem, Who as ‎the macrocosm, disseminates spiritual influence throughout His ‎universe through His very existence.
There is no question but ‎that Avraham’s major attribute was ‎חסד‎ and that he had a ‎profound influence on his immediate environment, not only ‎recognized but paid tribute to, by the people of Kiryat Arba, ‎when they described him as a “prince of G’d” in their midst. ‎‎(Genesis 23,6) Avraham personified on earth, what the Creator ‎personifies in the entire universe, i.e. the dispensing of ‎largesse.
The expression ‎ילדה‎ is not appropriate for males, as ‎they only ‎הוליד‎, beget, plant seed, but do not bring it to gestation. ‎The proper meaning of the word “yuldah” as it appears ‎here suggests an immaculate birth, a birth that had not been ‎preceded by insemination. Seeing that this is a difficult process ‎for us to grasp, the idea that Avraham’s good deeds “spilled over” ‎even to people such as Betuel, is meant to set our mind at ‎rest over the fact that Rivkah, with a father such as Betuel, and a ‎brother such as Lavan, could have been such a righteous ‎matriarch as she clearly was.
During the meal, Eliezer recounts ‎what had occurred at the well, and anyone who has read the ‎Torah’s report of what transpired is aware that Eliezer rewrote ‎some of this “history,” i.e. the sequence of events. Rashi ‎points this out (in his commentary on Genesis 24,47) implying ‎that during the meal, in the presence of Betuel, Eliezer could not ‎bring himself to imply that this man had been endowed with part ‎of Avraham’s soul. [Perhaps the fact that if even a Betuel could ‎exclaim that this match had been made in heaven (Genesis 24,50) ‎is the best support for our author’s theory that some of ‎Avraham’s spirit had spilled over even into the soul of a Betuel. ‎Ed.]‎

Another commentary on the words of Eliezer: ‎ובה אדע כי ‏עשית חסד עם אדוני‎. We have a rule that when a person performs ‎a mitzvah that reflects his attribute of ‎חסד‎, love for his fellow, he ‎‎“awakens” parallel “waves” of ‎חסד‎ in the celestial regions. As a ‎result, the whole world will benefit from the ‎חסד‎ that his ‎‎mitzvah awakened. Since all of the mitzvoth ‎performed by Avraham reflected this attribute of ‎חסד‎ of his, they ‎inspired other people to perform similar acts of loving kindness. ‎Rivkah had been enabled, in spite of her extreme youth, to feel ‎the urge to also perform deeds of human kindness. Eliezer prayed ‎to G’d to let him meet someone who would reflect this wonderful ‎attribute of his master Avraham. He acknowledged to G’d that if ‎he were to meet such a girl, her actions would show him that she ‎had been inspired by his master Avraham.‎

Genesis ‎24,17. “the servant ran towards her, etc;” answering the ‎unspoken question of what prompted Eliezer to run toward a girl ‎he had not even met, Rashi says that he had observed that the ‎water at the bottom of the well from which she drew water, ‎appeared to rise toward her.‎
Nachmanides adds that Rashi deduced this fact from ‎verse 13 in which the women drawing water are described as ‎לשאוב מים‎, “to draw water.” When it was Rivkah’s turn, the Torah ‎merely describes her as “descending and filling her jug,” the word ‎‎“to draw,” is not used in connection with her until she proceeds ‎to draw water for the camels in verse 20. ‎
Why did the waters not rise toward her when she drew water ‎for Eliezer’s camels, a tedious labour? The sages in Pessachim 114 ‎‎[discussing the need to dip both matzah and maror in ‎‎charosset. Ed] claim that in order to secure this kind of ‎assistance from heavenly sources, the act of ‎חסד‎, loving kindness, ‎must be performed intentionally as a good deed, i.e. the intent of ‎the good deed must be to thereby carry out the wishes of the ‎Creator. The first time when Rivkah filled the jug to satisfy her ‎own needs, i.e. this was not an act intended to please the Lord, ‎specifically. The water rose to assist her as she was a righteous ‎person. The second time, when what she did was an act of ‎kindness to others, an act that demonstrated that she wished not ‎only to please the camels but also her Creator, G’d withheld His ‎assistance in order for her to receive the whole reward for the ‎effort expended in doing this kind deed. ‎

Genesis ‎24,28. “when I was already on the way, Hashem ‎guided me to the house of my master’s brothers.” It is ‎noteworthy that the word ‎בדרך‎, “on the way,” is written with the ‎vowel patach, instead of the semi vowel sheva that we ‎would have expected. The former refers to a “definitive path, ‎way, one that was commonly known.” Surely no highway led ‎from Kiryat Arba to Aram Naharayim! We must assume therefore ‎that what Eliezer meant to convey by choosing this word ‎בדרך‎, is ‎not the route that led from Kiryat Arba to Aram Naharayim, but ‎the feeling that he progressed with unnatural speed to his goal, ‎or as the sages in Bereshit rabbah 60,6 say that Eliezer ‎covered a two week journey in a single day, so that he realized ‎that this miracle was proof that his mission would succeed. It was ‎clear to him therefore that the house that he was taken to must ‎be the house of Avraham’s family.‎

Genesis ‎24,33. “I will not eat until after I have said what I have ‎come here to say.” Eliezer betrothed Rivkah in his capacity as ‎Yitzchok’s representative. It is a rule that on the day of his ‎wedding, the groom is not allowed to eat until after he has wed ‎the bride. [Nowadays both groom and bride fast until after the ‎ceremony. Ed.]

Another way of understanding Eliezer’s refusal ‎to eat before he had acquainted his host with his mission, is that ‎the very meal would be converted into a ‎סעודת מצוה‎, a festive ‎meal of religious significance, once he had betrothed Rivkah. [I ‎find this difficult, as Eliezer is described as eating and drinking in ‎verse 54 before Rivkah had been asked if she accepted the ‎proposal and was willing to go to Kiryat Arba. Ed.]‎

Another aspect of Eliezer’s refusal to commence eating before ‎explaining the purpose of his journey to Aram Naharayim: Eliezer ‎was aware of the wicked nature of his hosts, and considered it ‎likely that they had put poison in his food in order to not only ‎murder him, but to rob him of the generous dowry his ten camels ‎had been carrying. In the event, he was proven correct, as we no ‎longer hear a word about Rivkah’s father Betuel when Rivkah ‎departs on the following day, since apparently he had eaten of ‎the poisoned food. Eliezer’s speech is considered by our sages as ‎so important, that they do not only consider his words as equal to ‎‎divrey Torah, words of Torah, but add that the Torah ‎deliberately devoted more space to what appear to be mundane ‎matters discussed by Avraham’s servant, than it devotes to words ‎of Torah spoken by the patriarchs themselves. He was spared ‎death by poisoning due to his timely words, which afforded an ‎angel the opportunity to switch his plate with that of his host ‎Betuel, who died from the effects of poisoning during the ‎following night. (Bereshit Rabbah, 60,12) According to that ‎Midrash, Rivkah’s mother and brother wanted to use the ‎mourning period for Betuel to delay Rivkah’s departure.‎

When considering the events described in that midrash, ‎a number of other difficulties have also been resolved. Eliezer ‎mentioned a number of points that had not come up when ‎Avraham had charged him with his mission. Why, in relating the ‎events that had transpired at the well, did Eliezer repeat all this ‎prior to asking for Rivkah’s hand in marriage, and even granting ‎that this was worth saying at the time, why is it of interest to us ‎‎4000 years later? These questions are what prompted our sages to ‎conclude that mundane matters discussed by Eliezer were of more ‎interest to the Torah than some of the words of Torah wisdom ‎dwelled upon by Avraham’s scholarly descendants.‎
The key to such statements must be sought in the verse 24,1) ‎where the Torah wrote: ‎וה' ברך את אברהם בכל‎, “G’d had blessed ‎Avraham in everything.” Our sages had commented on the word ‎בכל‎, saying it referred to a daughter named ‎בכל‎ about whom the ‎Torah had not reported previously. We will try and offer two ‎explanations to this somewhat enigmatic statement by our sages.‎

It is known in kabbalistic circles that a righteous person, a ‎צדיק‎, is also referred to as ‎בן‎, “son.” When the Jewish people ‎conduct themselves in the manner desired by G’d, the Torah ‎quotes G’d as referring to them as ‎בנים‎, “sons, children.” ‎‎(Deuteronomy 14,1) What distinguishes a righteous person from ‎normal people is that he does not suffer from an insatiable ‎appetite for the comforts and allures that this world has to offer, ‎but is content with what he has been granted by his Creator. This ‎is another way of describing him as possessing ‎כל‎, everything. He ‎does not feel that he lacks anything. This is especially true of the ‎type of righteous people who spend their days asking G’d to ‎dispense His largesse to others whom they perceive to be in need. ‎Their concern for others instead of their asking G’d for more for ‎themselves, stamps them as having been blessed ‎בכל‎, “with ‎everything.” Moreover, it is to be assumed that people who ‎concern themselves with the needs of their peers all the time, are ‎clearly content that G’d has already given them all that they ‎require for themselves.
It is appropriate for every good Jew to emulate Avraham’s ‎example in this respect, and this is why the same expression, i.e. ‎מכל‎ in the case of Yitzchok (Genesis 27,33), and ‎כל‎ in the case of ‎Yaakov, (Genesis 33,11) has been used by the Torah to document ‎that if Avraham was the “father” of this attitude, his children, i.e. ‎descendants, have emulated him, so that the term ‎בת‎ as we ‎explained several times, is a reference to the container from ‎which the largesse of G’d is dispensed. What the sages meant ‎when they said that G’d had blessed Avraham with a ‎בת‎, is that ‎his descendants had cultivated this virtue of his, of being ‎concerned first and foremost with the needs of others. In psalms ‎‎21,3 David expresses his gratitude to G’d Who has granted him all ‎of his aspirations. He too had emulated this virtue that his ‎people’s founding father had been able to implant in his ‎offspring.‎‎

‎2) A second approach to understanding why the sages saw in ‎the word ‎בכל‎ in our verse a reference to Avraham’s possessing a ‎‎“daughter,” is based on our knowledge that Avraham related to ‎his Creator by serving him primarily with his attribute of ‎חסד‎, ‎loving kindness, a virtue that he had learned from his Creator. He ‎did not use this attribute in order to accumulate merits on his ‎own behalf, but in order to accumulate merits for the entire ‎Jewish people of whom he would become the founding father. He ‎laboured hard in order to implant this attribute in his ‎descendants. ‎

This is also the meaning of the Midrash (Baba ‎batra 16,) according to which Avraham wore a necklace ‎featuring a jewel around his neck that miraculously healed sick ‎people when they looked at it. According to this Midrash, ‎after Avraham died, G’d suspended this jewel in the solar orbit. ‎Rabbi Shimon, the author of that Midrash, used it as a ‎parable explaining how beneficial it was for a sick person to come ‎within the field of vision of Avraham. This was so important a ‎feature of Avraham’s personality that G’d could not allow it to die ‎with him, and He equipped the sun with therapeutic qualities.‎

And Sarah’s lifetime etc (Genesis 23:1) - And the explanation of Rashi "at the age of one hundred she was as a woman of twenty etc beautiful as when she was seven". And for start, what difference does it make that she was as beautiful as she when was seven? And it appears that Rashi z"l intended that his words would hint to two levels that a person should behave all days of their life. The first is that one should be careful and guard oneself against any type of sin and transgression, one should not transgress any positive or negative commandment. And the second level is that even in permitted things, such as eating and drinking, one interjects all of it in holiness, intending them for heaven: that is, when a person dresses in nice clothes, and wears beautiful adornments, one should intend to be adorning the Image of the King, as explained in the Gemara [source not found], and so in every thing one's intention should be to heaven. And when one behaves in such a way, then anything one has, be it money, clothing, they will feel satisfied with what they have, and will be glad because of that, and their life will be theirs. But if one's intent is not for heaven in any of that, then they will always feel lack, and nothing will ever be enough for them, and they will find that their life is not really life, and is not theirs at all.

Or say ~ that Rashi z"l hints with this words for a person to learn the ways of Hashem. There are two levels in the ways of humans. The first is when a person, in their childhood, maintains their studies and learns with diligence, that learning is called "beauty", which is the beauty of the Blessed Creator. When a person ages, that is, above twenty years old, when their mind is intensely concentrated in knowing Hashem, then the person begins to search their deeds, and sees is they were done properly to honor the Blessed One in truth, and sees and understands that they have not fulfilled their obligation at all, in any way, not in dealing with Torah nor mitzvot, in any deeds or studying at this point, since they learned for some position, or to glorify themselves, or wanting some personal benefit and then the person will fear and regret their past, and will strengthen themselves to fix themselves in all their deeds and learning Torah, that all should be equal for the good, in the Name of the Exalted Blessed One, and not for their own benefit.

And this is "Avraham was old, advanced in days" (Genesis 24:1) meaning, zaken, old, as in 'one who acquired wisdom' zeh kanah chochmah, (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 7 12) and one reaches the level 'days', to continue the flows of lovingkindnesses that are called 'days', through "by day Ad-nai commands God's lovingkindness" (Psalms 42:9) and "Ad-nai blessed Avraham with everything" (Genesis 24:1), that the tzadik who continues the flows needs to have the intent to include all of Israel, and to not doubt oneself at all, as if there is no one else in the world, only that the Holy Blessed One watches out for the tzadik, and blesses them in the inclusion of all Israel, even though the tzadik does not watch out for themself, and this is "and Ad-nai blessed, etc, in everything" - meaning, in the inclusion of all Israel.

And behold the complete tzadik, as explained, goes continuously in revelation, but one who is not in that level needs to 'walk modestly' (Micah 6:8) to fix their internalness, and this is [how we can understand] "and he said to the eldest servant in his house [the one ruling over everything that he had, and said 'put your hand under my thigh']" (Genesis 24:2). Meaning, the complete tzadik we spoke of says to the second tzadik, who is not yet at that level [of being complete], and is just like a servant at that level, that they still need to walk modestly, as explained, fixing their internalness, and this is "eldest in his house". "The one ruling over everything that he had" - meaning even though they [the second tzadik] are at the level of ruling over this trait of not feeling jealousy towards their fellow, that they do not covet nor desire nor envy other people in their possessions, which is the essence of walking in the ways of Hashem, to take out from one's heart jealousy and coveting of money (which is the essence of what impedes service to God), and this is "the one ruling over everything he has", that they are content with what they have, and does not covet what others had. And the complete tzadik wants to bring them also to the great level, and so he says "put your hand under my thigh" meaning, connect with him. And this is the hint of "my thigh", which is called "yesod", which is connectedness, as known.

And this that is said regarding our father Yaakov, PBUH, "and the sun shone as he passed Penuel [and he as limping at the thigh]" (Genesis 32:32) meaning the "Sun" is lucidity and great holiness, that was shining and illuminating him as he passed through Penuel. Penuel is an expression for Panu El, [vacating God] and this is when a person separates their awareness from holiness, then, immediately, "and he limps on his thigh", meaning, that one has a lack in the thigh. And when he [Yaakov] passed through Penuel, meaning, that he did not separate his awareness at all from holiness, and this why then "the sun shone to him".

We find then that a person needs to connect themself with complete tzadikim in their holiness and their lucidity, and to guard oneself so one will not vacate God from their awareness, and devote oneself in all the traits above mentioned. And Hashem will help us to serve God in truth, and Hashem will be with us as God was with our ancestors. Amen, may it be God's will.

ברך את אברהם בכל [THE LORD HAD] BLESSED ABRAHAM IN ALL THINGS — The numerical value of the word בכל is equal to that of בן (a son) — suggesting that God had blessed Abraham with a son and since he had a son he had to find him a wife.

AND ABRAHAM WAS OLD, WELL STRICKEN IN AGE. Scripture reiterates [Abraham’s old age although it has already mentioned it] in order to inform us of the reason that he adjured his servant. Thus Scripture says that because Abraham saw himself to be very old and he thought that if he will send the servant to the land of his origin, perhaps before the messenger would return, he will have gone to his long home, he therefore adjured his servant — whose counsel Isaac would follow since he ruled over all that he had — that he should not take for him a wife from the daughters of Canaan.
In Bereshith Rabbah, the Rabbis said: “Here it was old age combined with vitality; further on it was old age without vitality.” By this the Rabbis wanted to explain that ba’im [literally: “coming” in days — mentioned above] — means the beginning of the days of old age, as the word ba’im indicates the present, just as, ‘Haba’im’ (those that come) in at these gates. But here it says that he was very old for already he was ba bayamim [literally: “he had come in days” — past tense], just as: Thy brother ‘ba’ (came) with subtlety.

AND THE LORD HAD BLESSED ABRAHAM IN ALL THINGS. With length of days, wealth, honor and sons, these being all the things that men desire to have. If the interpretation that Abraham had a daughter named Bakkol were correct, then Scripture should have read: and the Lord blessed Abraham “with” Bakkol.

Before they pray, I will answer;While they are still speaking, I will respond.