Parsha Chayei Sarah

(23,1) The lifetime of Sarah consisted of one hundred years, twenty years and seven years. [These were] the years of Sarah’s life.

(23,2) Sarah died in Kiryas Arba, which is Chevron, in the land of Canaan. Avraham came to eulogize Sarah and to weep for her.

(23,3) Avraham rose from the presence of his dead, and spoke to the sons of Cheis saying,

(23,4) I am a foreigner and a resident among you. Grant me the possession of a grave site with you, so that I may bury my dead from my presence.

(23,5) The sons of Cheis replied to Avraham saying to him,

(23,6) Hear us my master, you are a prince of God in our midst. Bury your dead in the choicest of our grave sites. No man among us will deny his grave site from you to bury your dead.

(23,7) Avraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Cheis.

(23,8) Avraham spoke to them, saying, If it is really your will that I bury my dead from my presence, listen to me and intercede for me with Ephron, son of Tzochar.

(23,9) Let him give me the Machpeilah [double] cave, which belongs to him, which is at the end of his field. Let him give [sell] it to me for its full value, as a grave site among you.

(23,10) Ephron lived in the midst of the sons of Cheis, Ephron the Chitite replied to Avraham in the ears [audience] of the sons of Cheis, for all who came to the city gate, saying,

(23,11) No, my master, hear me: I have given you the field, and the cave that is in it, I have [also] given to you. Before the eyes of the sons of my people I have given it to you. Bury your dead.

(23,12) Avraham bowed to the people of the land.

(23,13) He spoke to Ephron in the ears [audience] of the people of the land saying, If you will only listen to me. I have given the money for the field. Take it from me and I will bury my dead there.

(23,14) Ephron replied to Avraham, saying to him,

(23,15) My master, hear me. A land [worth] four hundred silver shekel—what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.

(23,16) Avraham listened to Ephron, and Avraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he spoke of in the hearing of the sons of Cheis, four hundred silver shekel, negotiable currency.

(23,17) The field of Ephron was established [as Avraham’s possession], [the field] which was in Machpeilah, facing Mamrei; [this included] the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field that were in the entire circumference of its boundaries.

(23,18) This became Avraham’s [possession] through a purchase before the eyes of the sons of Cheis, all who had come to the gate of his city.

(23,19) After that Avraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the Machpeilah field, which faces Mamrei, which is Chevron, in the land of Canaan.

(23,20) The field and its cave was established as Avraham’s possession as a gravesite, by the sons of Cheis.

(24,1) Avraham was old, advanced in days [years], and Adonoy had blessed Avraham in all things.

(24,2) Avraham said to his servant, the senior [servant] of his household, who was in charge of all that he owned, Place your hand under my thigh.

(24,3) I will have you swear by Adonoy, God of heaven and God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.

(24,4) Instead, to my [native] land, to my birthplace, shall you go, and take a wife for my son, for Yitzchok,

(24,5) The servant said to him, Perhaps the woman will not want to come back with me to this land? Shall I bring your son back to the land from where you came?

(24,6) Avraham said to him, Take care, not to bring my son back there.

(24,7) Adonoy, God of heaven, Who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my birth, Who spoke to me, and Who swore to me, saying, To your descendants I will give this land—He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

(24,8) If the woman does not want to come back with you, you are absolved from this oath to me. But do not bring my son back there.

(24,9) The servant placed his hand under the thigh of Avraham, his master, and swore to him regarding this matter.

(24,10) The servant took ten camels from his master’s camels and departed, and all the property of his master was in his hand. He rose and went to Aram Naharayim; to the city of Nachor.

(24,11) He made the camels kneel outside the city, beside a well of water, in the evening, at the time the women go out to draw water.

(24,12) He said, Adonoy, God of my master, Avraham, be present before me today, and act kindly with my master, Avraham.

(24,13) Behold, here I stand by this well of water, and the daughters of the townsmen are coming out to draw water.

(24,14) Let it be that the girl to whom I say, Please, tip over your pitcher that I may drink and she will say Drink, and I will also give your camels to drink, will be the one whom You have determined for your servant, Yitzchok. With her I will know that You have dealt kindly with my master.

(24,15) He had not yet finished speaking, and behold Rivkah came out. She had been born to Besu’eil, the son of Milkah, the wife of Nachor, Avraham’s brother. Her pitcher was on her shoulder.

(24,16) The girl was very good looking—a virgin—no man had known her. She went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up.

(24,17) The servant ran toward her and said, Please let me sip a little water from your pitcher.

(24,18) She said, Drink, my master, and she quickly lowered her pitcher to her hand, and let him drink.

(24,19) When she had finished giving him to drink, she said, I will also draw water for your camels, until they will have finished drinking.

(24,20) She quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough and she ran to the well again to draw water. and she drew water for all his camels.

(24,21) The man, wondering at her, remained silent, waiting to determine whether Adonoy had made his mission successful, or not.

(24,22) When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold nose ring, weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her arms, weighing ten gold shekel.

(24,23) He said to her, Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there place in your father’s house for us to spend the night.

(24,24) She said to him, I am the daughter of Besueil, the son of Milkah, whom she bore to Nachor.

(24,25) She said to him, We have plenty of straw and fodder, and also a place to spend the night.

(24,26) The man bowed [his head] and prostrated himself to Adonoy.

(24,27) He said, Blessed is Adonoy, God of my master, Avraham, Who has not abandoned His kindness and truth [in dealing] with my master. I am still on the road and Adonoy has led me to the house of my master’s brethren.

(24,28) The girl ran and told her mother’s household of these these happenings.

(24,29) Rivkah had a brother whose name was Lavan, and Lavan ran outside to the man [standing] at the well.

(24,30) When he had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on the hands of his sister, and heard the words of his sister, Rivkah saying, this is what the man spoke to me, that he [then] came to the man, who was still standing beside the camels at the well.

(24,31) He [Lavan] said, Come, you who are blessed of Adonoy, why are you standing outside? I have emptied the house and [prepared] a place for the camels.

(24,32) The man came into the house and unmuzzled the camels. [Lavan] gave the camels straw and fodder, and water to wash his [the man’s] feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

(24,33) Food was set before him, but he said, I will not eat until I have spoken my words. He replied, Speak.

(24,34) He said, I am the servant of Avraham.

(24,35) Adonoy blessed my master greatly and he prospered. He gave him sheep, cattle, silver, gold, male slaves, female slaves, camels and donkeys.

(24,36) Sarah, the wife of my master gave birth to a son to my master, after she had grown old, and he has given him all that he possesses.

(24,37) My master placed me under oath, saying, Do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live.

(24,38) Instead, you must go to my father’s house, and to my family. Take a wife for my son.

(24,39) I said to my master, Perhaps the woman will not come back with me?

(24,40) He said to me, Adonoy, before Whom I have walked, will send His angel with you, and make your journey successful. You will then take a wife for my son from my family and from my fathers house.

(24,41) You will then be absolved from my oath, if when you come to my family, and they will not give her to you. You will be absolved from my oath.

(24,42) I came this day to the well, and I said, Adonoy, God of my master, Avraham, if You will grant success to my journey on which I am going.

(24,43) Behold, here I stand at the well of water. When a girl comes out to draw water, I will say to her, Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.

(24,44) If she says to me, You too may drink, and I will also draw water for your camels, then she is the one whom Adonoy has determined for the son of my master.

(24,45) Before I had finished speaking thus in my heart, when suddenly Rivkah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the well and drew water; and I said to her, Please give me a drink,

(24,46) She quickly lowered her pitcher and said, Drink, and I will also give your camels to drink. I drank and she also gave the camels to drink.

(24,47) I asked her and said, Whose daughter are you? She replied, The daughter of Besueil, son of Nachor, whom Milkah bore unto him. I [then] placed a nose ring on her face and bracelets upon her hands.

(24,48) I bowed and prostrated myself to Adonoy, and I blessed Adonoy, God of my master Avraham, Who led me on the true path [in order] to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son.

(24,49) Now if you want to do what is kind and true to my master, tell me. If not, tell me, and I will turn to the right or to the left.

(24,50) Lavan and Besueil answered and said, This is from Adonoy, we cannot say anything to you, bad or good.

(24,51) Here, Rivkah is before you, take her and go. Let her be a wife to your master’s son, as Adonoy has spoken.

(24,52) When Avraham’s servant heard their words, he prostrated himself to the ground to Adonoy.

(24,53) The servant took out articles of silver, articles of gold and garments, and gave them to Rivkah. To her brother and mother, he gave precious fruits.

(24,54) They [then] ate and drank, he and the men that were with him, and they stayed over night. They got up in the morning and he said, Send me off to my master.

(24,55) Her brother and mother said, Let the girl abide with us a year or ten months, then she can go.

(24,56) He said to them, Do not detain me, for Adonoy has made my journey successful. Send me off, so that I can go to my master.

(24,57) They said, Let us call the girl and ask her.

(24,58) They called Rivkah and said to her, Will you go with this man? She said, I will go.

(24,59) They sent off Rivkah their sister, along with her nurse, and with Avraham’s servant and his men.

(24,60) They blessed Rivkah and said to her, Our sister, may you become thousands of myriads, and may your descendants inherit the gate of his foes.

(24,61) Rivkah and her maidens set off. They rode on the camels and followed the man. The servant took Rivkah and left.

(24,62) Yitzchok had just come from the well [called] Lachai Ro’i, for he lived in the land of the Negev.

(24,63) Yitzchok went out to meditate in the field towards evening. He raised his eyes and suddenly saw camels approaching.

(24,64) Rivkah raised her eyes and saw Yitzchok. She let herself down from the camel.

(24,65) She said to the servant, Who is that man walking through the field towards us? The servant said, He is my master. She then took the veil and covered herself.

(24,66) The servant told Yitzchok all the things he had done.

(24,67) Yitzchok brought her into the tent of his mother, Sarah. He married Rivkah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. Yitzchok was then consoled for the loss of his mother.

(25,1) Avraham again took a wife. Her name was Keturah.

(25,2) She bore him Zimran, Yokshon, Medan, Midian, Yishbok, and Shuach.

(25,3) Yokshon fathered Shevah and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Ashurim, Letushim and Leumim.

(25,4) The sons of Midian were Eiphah, Eipher, Chanoch, Avidah and Eldoah. All these were children of Keturah.

(25,5) Avraham gave all that he possessed to Yitzchok.

(25,6) To the sons of the concubines that Avraham had, Avraham gave gifts. He sent them away from Yitzchok, his son, while he [Avraham] was still alive. [He sent them] eastward to the Land of the East.

(25,7) These are the days of the years of Avraham which he lived, one hundred years, seventy years and five years.

(25,8) Avraham expired and died in a good old age, old and satisfied, and he was gathered to his people.

(25,9) His sons Yitzchok and Yishmael buried him in the Machpeilah cave, in the field of Ephron, son of Tzochar, the Chitite, which faces Mamrei.

(25,10) [This was] the field that Avraham purchased from the sons of Cheis. Avraham and his wife, Sarah, were buried there.

(25,11) After Avraham died, Elohim blessed his son Yitzchok. Yitzchok lived near Be’er Lachai Ro’i.

(25,12) These are the descendants of Yishmael son of Avraham, whom Hagar, the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave, bore to Avraham.

(25,13) These are the names of Yishmael’s sons, by their names according to their birth. Nevayos was Yishmael’s first born, [he also had] Keidar, Adbeil and Mivsom,

(25,14) Mishma, Dumah and Masa,

(25,15) Chadad, Teima, Yetur, Nofish and Keidmah.

(25,16) These are the sons of Yishmael, and these are their names in their open villages and in their fortified strongholds, twelve princes in their nations.

(25,17) These are the years of Yishmael’s life, one hundred years, thirty years and seven years. He expired and died and was gathered to his people.

(25,18) They lived from Chavilah to Shur, which borders on Egypt, going towards Asshur. He lived in the presence of all his brethren.