Said to Myself

In Chaye Sarah ,this week’s Torah portion, we focus on finding a partner for Yitzhak. We read,

And Avraham was old, well stricken in age; and the LORD had blessed Avraham in all things. And Avraham said unto his servant, the elder of his house, that ruled over all that he had: ‘Put, I pray of you, your hand under my thigh. And I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell. (Genesis 24:1-3)

While I would be interested to discuss issues in intermarriage with anyone, right now I am more interested in the Torah going out of its way to tell us that Avraham is getting on in his years.  In the end of this chapter we read,

“And Yitzhak brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rivka, and she became his wife; and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted for his mother. “ (Genesis 24:67)

It seems that the Sarah was a source of love in their house. Then the Torah goes on to report that Avraham gets remarried and has more children. It does not seem that Avraham was in fact that old, but it does seem purposeful that the love of Yitzhak and Rivka is framed by the life of Avraham.

Could Avraham not move on until Yitzhak had moved on? Would Yitzhak have doubted his parents love? Or maybe, there was an urgency for him to find a partner for himself once Yitzhak left home. Avraham might have been inspired by having an empty nest to find a new life partner. It is also possible that Avraham had forgotten what love was about until he saw the love between the Yitzhak and Rivka. In this light, it seems that Avraham’s getting remarried is actually a testament to his love of Sarah. Love might not be eternal, but it does give you something for which to live.