This week’s parsha, Chayei Sarah, translates as “The Life of Sarah.” But rather than discussing her life, interestingly, most of the parsha describes our matriarch’s death and burial, and her son Isaac’s search for a partner.

This story is one of the most romantic and courageous in the Torah. After Sarah dies, Abraham purchases the Cave of Machpelah, near Hebron, and buries her there. Concerned about his son Isaac, Abraham instructs his servant Eliezer to leave their home in Caanan and travel back to Abraham’s family and birthplace to search for a wife for Isaac. Eliezer makes the long journey with other servants and their camels, and when they arrive, the party stops at a well in the desert to rest and drink water.

In the days of the Torah, water did not flow as easily as from water fountain or a faucet. Instead, it was the girls’ arduous duty to walk from home to the well, pump the water, fill the containers, then carry them back to the village. When Eliezer and his crew arrive, he sees Rebecca at the well just as she is getting ready to finish drawing water for her family and return home.

It must have been somewhat audacious when Eliezer requests that she give up her hard-earned water. But without complaint, she obliges Eliezer and serves the water to the servants and their camels. Seeing Rebecca as selfless proves to Eliezer that she is G-d’s choice for Isaac.

Eliezer requests to be brought to Rebecca’s father and he adorns her with gold jewelry. He then discusses the choice of Rebecca for Isaac with her family. They agree to the arrangement, but ask that she remain with them for up to a year. Eliezer presses them to allow to her come back to Canaan immediately. Incredibly, they decide to ask Rebecca if she would like to go.

Remember that at this point, Rebecca has never met Isaac and likely has never even left her village. How courageous that she agrees to leave immediately! At the end of the long journey back to Canaan, she sees someone in the distance praying and inquires as to his identity. That person turns out to be Isaac, and as she comes closer, he is taken by her beauty. They fall in love instantly.

This parsha encapsulates so much of what it means to be a strong woman in the modern age. Instead of being treated like chattel and forced to go with Eliezer, Rebecca is asked whether she would like to leave or to stay. She must have been quite brave to leave all she knows, including her friends and family, in order to travel to an unknown land to marry a stranger.

The idea that this is her choice falls in stark contrast to customs in many places throughout the world today, where women live without rights and are treated abysmally. Given that Chayei Sarah was written thousands of years ago, the example of Rebecca’s family is one to be admired. In order to be worthy of Isaac’s hand, Rebecca must pass a “test” of goodness. Her selfless nature inspires our own acts of chesed and tzedakah.

Through National Women’s Philanthropy, we know that we are fortunate and that we have the ability to help others. We are inspired to continue to follow in the footsteps of Rebecca in performing acts of loving-kindness and charity.

Finally, the idea that Isaac and Rebecca are immediately smitten with each other is beautiful. By making a match for Isaac, Abraham knows that he is continuing Sarah’s life. As strong, confident women, we strive to instill our values into our children so that in the future, our lives will continue.

Shabbat shalom,

Dana