I had the great zechut (merit) to be in Eretz Yisrael. I just came back last week. I say it was a great zechut because it became a great zechut to go to Israel, since it's very difficult even to fly into Israel. It's always a zechut, but to go and support the people there. I realized that just being there and telling people, “We came from America just to be with you,” was a great way of giving zechut to Israel. Of course, visiting soldiers and people who were displaced and all the things that are happening in Israel gave them a lot of zechut. But as always, you give zechut to people and come back with more zechut.
I would like to share with you a point connected to this week's parasha. When Abraham Avinu realizes that his son Yitzchak is not married yet and that it's time to find him a Shidduch (marriage match), everybody knows the story of how he sends Eliezer to find Rivka. The introduction to this perek (chapter), perek Chaf Dalet (24) in the Torah, is that Abraham was getting old, walking in his days, and his days were full. All the Mefarshim (commentators) ask: If the Torah just came to tell us there was a sense of urgency because Abraham was getting old, we already know that. In the story with the promise from the three angels who came to Abraham to predict that they were going to have a baby, the Torah already told us there, in Perek Yud Chet (chapter 18), Pasuk (verse) Yud Alef (11), that Abraham and Sarah were old, walking in the days—the same expression again. So the Mefarshim ask, why do you have to tell me again when you already told me Abraham and Sarah were old? Why is it necessary to repeat that they were getting old?
I saw a beautiful peshat (plain meaning) from the Kli Yakar. The Kli Yakar says that a person's Beracha (blessing) comes in two ways. The two main sources of Beracha for a person are a spouse and children. Very interesting. Being married, being with somebody—this companionship brings Simcha (happiness) and Beracha. Having children who are in the Derech HaTorah (way of the Torah)—having children that you are proud of, whom you see espousing the same principles that you have, with all the good things you teach them becoming their way of life—is a tremendous amount of satisfaction, Simcha, and Beracha for a person.
The Kli Yakar points out something very interesting. When people are not surrounded by this Simcha and this feeling of Beracha, they tend to become old, which means weary, without a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction, and happiness. When one of these two is there, it's good, but it's not enough. When Abraham was with Sarah, prior to having the baby, the introduction to getting pregnant with Yitzchak and the birth of Yitzchak is that they were getting old because they didn't have a baby. Then they have Yitzchak Avinu. They are able to have two sources of happiness, two sources of blessing: the fact that they had a spouse and the fact that they had a baby. The next time around, what is it? It's that Sarah Imeinu passes. When Sarah Imeinu dies, what does the Pasuk say? Abraham, zaken ba bayamim (old, advanced in days). He had his baby, he had Yitzchak Avinu, but now he doesn't have his spouse. Because he doesn't have his spouse, now he's again becoming Zaken (elder). Beautiful peshat. Which means the only time Abraham was not a Zaken is when he had both: his spouse and his child. Before that, he was considered a Zaken; then he is rejuvenated, and then he becomes Zaken again because he lost his wife, Sarah Imeinu.
I saw this beautiful peshat—I mean, the text is unbelievable—but it made me think really about certain things. Yesterday I had a meeting with somebody who has a difficult life. A difficult life. We all have our things. But this lady happened to have challenges. I said to this lady, “You have challenges, and I respect that, of course, and we have to be sensitive to that. But I just came back from Israel. What I saw in Israel, I want to tell you that you have a great life compared to what's happening there.” Because Israel is aching a lot. In the news, you just see the beautiful F15 and F35. It's true; thank God, we have a strong army. But in the day-to-day activities and life of the people, there are a lot of families who have lost their children, their husbands, and their businesses. You know how many reservists are fighting—hundreds of thousands—who have lost their jobs and businesses? How many people? I was in a hotel. There were Mefunim. Mefunim means those families that were displaced and were put together in a hotel. Every hotel has Mefunim. You know how difficult it is after a year, one year in a hotel room? You say, “Oh, great, you're in a five-star hotel.” Yeah, very nice. But it's not the same. You want to be home. You want to cook for your family. You want to have a regular life. They don't have the basics of life. And that's why Israel is aching.
I said in the Rasha, I said, “Just go. Try to go just to be there. Just to be there. Just to buy food. Just to buy clothing.” You give support to the local economy that is so necessary. It's our home. It's our brothers and sisters. They're suffering. Just go there. Tell them, “I came from America just to spend time with you.” You just say that and you make their life. They're super excited. I took so many phone numbers. I still can't believe you came just to say hi. It's heartwarming.
But it reminds us that before having any kind of complaints about life, aching, and sufferings, today we could think twice before we start having complaints. And I think this week's parasha is showing that. What makes a person happy? Having a spouse and having children. Sometimes you just need a reminder to go back to basics. Abraham is happy because he has a wife. Let's never forget that. Shabbat Shalom.