The whole subject matter of burial is connected with Genesis 3,19: כי עפר אתה ואל עפר אתה תשוב, "For you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Adam's origin was dust from the earth. Our sages describe G–d as having taken earth from the site that is described in Exodus 20,21: מזבח אדמה תעשה לי, "Make for Me an altar of earth" (Talmud Yerushalmi, Nazir 7,2).

The sages also describe G–d as having gathered a little dust from every part of the globe so that wherever man would die, the local earth would not reject his remains since he contained part of it (Rashi Genesis 2,7). Both statements are accurate and point us in the same direction. It is well known that Adam incorporated within him all subsequent generations of mankind, for their very existence was through him. Our sages described all subsequent mankind as being related to Adam either through his head, his eyes, his hair, etc. [In present-day parlance this means that all of our genes were at one time part of the genes of Adam.] Even in death man is not totally severed from his connection with original man: the earth Adam was made of was holy soil, from the site of the earth of the altar mentioned. That piece of earth in turn contained earth from all parts of the globe, seeing that this site is the site from which the whole earth receives its sustenance. Had Adam not sinned he would have lived forever. Since he sinned, however, and was expelled from the garden of Eden because G–d did not want him to eat from the tree of life and live forever, he was bound to die sometime.

The experience of death when it is the death of one of His pious ones, is something very precious in the eyes of G–d (Psalms 116,15), because it enables man to return to his lofty place in גן עדן and his soul to live forever. Once there, his soul will ascend to ever higher levels. The reason Adam was buried in the cave of Machpelah is that it is the site which has an opening to גן עדן. The Zohar (page 28 Sullam edition) on חיי שרה says that Abraham recognised a secret sign in the cave after he had seen Adam and Eve buried there. How could he have known? After all, had he ever seen Adam and Eve? He had a vision of Adam and a door opened to גן עדן. Adam had lived in גן עדן at one time; it was appropriate therefore that his burial place should adjoin it. The Zohar continues that anyone who has a vision of Adam will die immediately. Abraham, however, saw an apparition of Adam and survived. He beheld the cave light up and one candle remained lit. He now decided that he also wanted to be buried there. From then on his constant longing was to be buried in that cave. Thus far the Zohar.

Original man, as we have said, was created from earth from all parts of the globe, taken from the site of the altar, whereas when he died he wound up in the cave of Machpelah since from there he could ascend to the Heavenly Regions rising ever higher. Only the Creator knows which site on earth is suitable to create man from, and which is suitable for his burial and transfer to Gan Eden. Adam contained elements of all mankind. When a person dies Adam becomes visible to that person seeing he is a "branch" of him. Everyone's burial site should contain some connection with original man, however physically distant it might be from either the original altar or the cave of Machpelah. Every person will benefit in some way from the example of Adam, the degree of such benefit depending on his individual merit. The point is that just as Adam incorporated part of all mankind when he came into being, so he has something in common with every human being when that human being dies.

Our sages have said that the souls of the righteous are offered as a sacrifice on the celestial altar. This statement is what is meant when the Talmud describes the time when the daily morning sacrifice was offered in the Temple. Yuma 28 describes how it was determined whether the sky had become sufficiently light to proceed with offering the תמיד של שחר, the daily morning sacrifice. The lookout watched in the direction of Hebron and, when the time was right, called out "Barkai." Mattyah ben Shmuel would then query once more if the entire Eastern sky was already lit up, and the lookout would respond "yes!" The lookout towards Hebron was important because אדם הראשון, who had been taken from the site of his atonement, the earthen altar, was buried there. From there he has to return to the site of the altar in the Heavenly Regions for his soul to be a sacrifice.

Although we have stated that all generations subsequent to Adam contain some element of his, the link to Adam is only via the patriarchs who serve as the go-between. The only people who are named אבות, patriarchs, are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The same applies to the matriarchs. Only Sarah, Rebeccah, Rachel and Leah are considered אמהות, matriarchs. We are all considered their children seeing that they are the roots and we are the branches. This whole process commenced ultimately with Adam and Eve, both of whom together are called אדם. How does this process work? Abraham and Sarah are the תיקון, reformation of Adam and Eve ensuring their continuity. Isaac and Rebeccah are the קלסתר פנים, the visible image of Abraham and Sarah, whereas the existence of the universe as we know it is due to Jacob. The "beauty" of Jacob is described as equivalent to the "beauty" of Adam (Baba Metzia 84a). Jacob is considered as attached to the tree of life because Adam had severed this attachment when he ate from the tree of knowledge. The patriarchs are important because it was they who started to repair the damage Adam had caused. Abraham may be considered as the root of the tree of knowledge, Isaac as its trunk, the area whence knowledge of good and evil is gained; Jacob represents the substance or content of "the tree of life in the midst of the garden," seeing that all his children remained loyal to his teachings. G–d Himself said about the Jewish people (Jacob) ואתם הדבקים בה' אלוקיכם חיים כלכם היום, "and you who have cleaved to the Lord your G–d are all alive this day" (Deut. 4,4). This means that all of Israel is basically in a position to live eternally [life of the soul after death of the body Ed.].

I shall now explain all these matters step by step. Regarding the statement that Abraham and Sarah were the תקון for Adam and Eve, the Zohar on this portion (page 34 Sullam edition) writes as follows: Rabbi Shimon said that when Abraham entered the cave of Machpelah to bury Sarah, Adam and Eve arose as they did not want to remain buried in there. They complained that they had suffered sufficient disgrace in the world beyond the grave where they were now having to face G–d, because they had been guilty of bringing sin into the world. Now they should suffer additional shame when constantly having to face a pair of humans so much better than they? Abraham replied that he was prepared to pray to G–d on Adam's behalf so that he would cease to suffer embarassment before G–d in the future and so that G–d would forgive Adam his sin. Immediately after that Abraham buried his wife Sarah. What is the meaning of the words ואחרי כן, "after that.” in 23,19? It means that Abraham proceeded to bury Sarah as soon as the dialogue between him and Adam was over. The Torah writes that אברהם קבר את שרה, instead of אברהם קבר לשרה. This means that he also reburied חוה. After that the minds of Adam and Eve were put at rest. This is the meaning of אלה תולדות השמים והארץ בהבראם "and these are the generations of heaven and earth" (Genesis 2,4), meaning that those created as a mixture of heaven and earth endure only by the grace of Abraham (the letters in the word בהבראם). Adam and Eve, of course, were not descendants of man; they were created by G–d. Their continuity was assured through Abraham, their תולדות are through אברהם. We have further proof from Genesis 23,20 which describes the field of Machpelah “ויקם” as a hereditary possession for Abraham. Until that time, as is apparent, Adam and Eve had not had a firm hold on the world beyond the grave. The word ויקם is derived from קיום, a permanent existence. Thus far the Zohar. Abraham assured Adam's permanent status in the hereafter; Sarah did the same for Eve.

The fact that Isaac's features reflected those of his father Abraham is pointed out by Rashi on Genesis 25,19. Rebeccah's features were like those of Sarah, as the Zohar points out on Genesis 24,67: ויביאה יצחק האהלה שרה אמו, "Isaac brought her (Rebeccah) into the tent of his mother Sarah." Rabbi Yossi questioned why the Torah did not say לאהל שרה אמו. He explains that the letter ה at the beginning of a word indicates that this was a special tent, the one that contained the Presence of the שכינה. As long as Sarah had been alive, G–d's Presence had never departed from that tent; Sarah had kept a light burning from one Sabbath Eve to the next. This light went out when Sarah died. Now that Rebeccah entered, it began burning again. The reason that the verse mentions Sarah by name, [after all we all know that Isaac's mother was Sarah! Ed.] is to tell us that Rebeccah was like Sarah in all respects. Rabbi Yehudah adds that just as Isaac's features resembled those of his father so much that he was frequently mistaken for Abraham, so Rebeccah's features resembled those of Sarah to such an amazing degree that this had to be emphasized. The Torah points out that Isaac was comforted so as to show us that this was because he had found such a perfect replacement for his mother. The Torah deliberately avoids saying that Isaac was consoled over Sarah's death, but mentions only אחרי אמו, to show that he found continuity. Thus far the Zohar.

Jacob was the descendant of Isaac and Rebeccah. In the case of Abraham's son Isaac, G–d had promised Abraham only כי ביצחק יקרא לך זרע, that part of Isaac would be his worthy seed, not all of Isaac. The Torah reports that Rebeccah loved Jacob (25,28). We have said that then the world was filled with Jacob's "beauty," which was of the kind once possessed by Adam, מטתו שלמה, Jacob's bed was perfect, i.e. all his children were loyal to his teachings which enabled him to become known as ישראל. Since only ישראל is called אדם, the connection between Jacob and Adam is clear.

Our sages in Eruvin 53a have said that the reason the cave Abraham and Sarah were buried in is called מערת המכפלה, is from the word כפול, twin, or double, an appropriate name for a grave containing husbands and their wives, i.e. זוגות. What advantage is there in the fact that this cave houses the remains of husband and wife respectively? The meaning of our sages is that these pairs are all united with one another, that they are not separate pairs. Once the last of the four pairs, i.e. Jacob came to burial whose מטתו שלמה, whose "bed" was complete (since Leah had born him six sons and one daughter whose name was דינה),this symbolized the six days of creation and the Sabbath.

When Jacob is described as יושב אהלים, "a dweller of tents," this refers to his being the link between two tents, i.e. the tent of Abraham who personified the attribute of חסד, and the tent of Isaac who personified the attribute of דין, Justice, as we have explained repeatedly. Jacob achieved a perfect blend between these two attributes. We have previously described that G–d, when He created the universe, decided to co-opt the attribute of Mercy to the attribute of Justice. Jacob reflected G–d's decision. When our sages always speak of the "love" of Abraham, the "fear" of Isaac, and the "truth" of Jacob this is the combination of Mercy and Justice. Jacob represented the emanation תפארת.

When we said that Abraham "repaired" the root of the tree of knowledge, the Zohar explains this on Parshat Vayera in these words: Abraham made a point of planting a tree wherever he lived for some time. The trees did not always develop properly if outside the land of Canaan. By means of such a tree he knew who believed in G–d and who practised paganism. When the tree spread out its branches providing shade for the person next to it, this was a sign that the person believed in G–d. When the person underneath the tree was a pagan, the tree would withdraw its branches so as not to provide shade for that person. Abraham would then warn such a person that he should worship the One and Only G–d. He would not desist till he had convinced him. The tree would act similarly to indicate who was ritually pure and who was not. When a person was not ritually pure Abraham would purify him with water. There was a fountain next to the tree. When a person required ritual immersion, the waters of the fountain would rise towards him and the branches would bend upwards. This alerted Abraham to the fact that the person was unclean and that his impurity could be removed by simple immersion and did not require a waiting period of seven days. Should the person need this longer period of purification, the waters in the fountain would seem to dry up. When Abraham told the three angels (men) at the time he invited them to come and rest under the tree, he already wanted to examine them as to their ritual purity. He did not say "rest under a tree," but "rest under THE tree." The tree would act similarly to indicate who was ritually pure and who was not. When a person was not ritually pure Abraham would purify him with water. There was a fountain next to the tree. When a person required ritual immersion, the waters of the fountain would rise towards him and the branches would bend upwards. This alerted Abraham to the fact that the person was unclean and that his impurity could be removed by simple immersion and did not require a waiting period of seven days. Should the person need this longer period of purification, the waters in the fountain would seem to dry up.

When Abraham told the three angels (men) at the time he invited them to come and rest under the tree, he already wanted to examine them as to their ritual purity. He did not say "rest under a tree," but "rest under THE tree." When Adam sinned, he sinned with the tree of knowledge. That tree brought death into the world. G–d Himself is on record as evicting Adam from the garden of Eden so that he should not be able to eat from the tree of life and thus live forever (Genesis 3,22).

Isaac slowed the expansion of the influence of the tree of knowledge by means of the birth of the twins Jacob and Esau. This was an indication that even evil can be rehabilitated. Our sages phrased it thus: Esau's head reposes within the lap of Isaac; such is the mystery of how evil can be rehabilitated. The secret of how this happens was alluded to by our sages' explanation that the reason the pig is called חזיר, (from the root חזר to return) is that in the future it will restore the crown to its Master, as we know from Ovadiah 1,21 ועלו מושיעין בהר ציון … והיתה לה' המלוכה, "For the saviours will march up Mount Zion… and the kingdom will be G–d's." (cf. details in Kohelet Rabbah end section 1). All of these events will occur at the time when G–d will "slaughter" the angel of death. This is the plain meaning of Isaiah 25,8 בלע המות לנצח, "He will destroy death forever." This angel of death will then remain as a regular angel, since all the negative forces we know as קליפות are after all an outgrowth of a holy source. This is what was alluded to in the quote that the head of Esau reposes in Isaac's lap. When the head expands it becomes a symbol of impurity. The very name סמ-אל Samael, (Satan) reflects the dual nature of evil. On the one hand the name א-ל, G–d, is part of that definition, on the other hand the word סם represents the סם המות, lethal poison. In such a future the סם aspect of Satan/ Samael will be abolished. We, the Jewish nation however, are called by the name of G–d. Our sages interpreted Genesis 33,20 ויקרא לו א-ל א-לוהי ישראל, "He (G–d) called him (Jacob) El the G–d of Israel" (Megillah 18a, proving that the word לו could not refer to the altar Jacob had built). We have an allusion to this in Genesis 11,10 אלה תולדת שם, suggesting that we, his descendants, are all a "full name," not half a name such as סמא-ל.

The Torah tells of Abraham giving gifts to the sons of his concubines (Genesis 25,6), and Sanhedrin 91a describes these "gifts" as שם טומאה, i.e. Abraham did not want them to refer to Satanic forces by the name of G–d (Torah Temimah on that verse). The reason that the word פלגשם in that verse is spelled defectively, without the letter י to indicate the plural ending, is to allude to the name i.e. שם of the קליפה. Read פלג-שם, the name divided, and you have a hint of the dichotomy of forces, which is what סטרא אחרא and טומאה is all about. In the future this process will be reversed and טומאה will vanish.

All this is contained in the report of the Creation. The קליפה preceded light since the Torah speaks of Tohu vavohu and darkness as extant before G–d commanded "let there be light." Our sages in Bereshit Rabbah 2,4 understand the four words והארץ תהו ובהו חשך in that verse as alluding to the four periods of exile Israel would have to endure before the coming of the Messiah. The words יהי אור are the reference to that period in our history which will unfold at the end of the periods of exile. The true "good," unmixed with evil, is represented by Jacob; he represents the very essence, "kernel" of the tree of life that is described as being in the "center" of the garden. When the Torah says וכל טוב אדוניו בידו, "and all the goodness of his Master in his hand" (Genesis 24,10), this Tuv instead of Tov, refers to absolute good, not something merely relatively good i.e. Tov. The word Tuv means "goodness par excellence." Abraham explained this to Eliezer when he sent him on the mission to get a wife for Isaac and said "the Lord, the G–d of Heaven who has taken me from my father's house and from my birthplace." Rashi says that the words מבית אבי, refer to Charan, whereas the words מארץ מולדתי, refer to Ur Kasdim. Our sages in Sanhedrin 19, commenting on Isaiah 29,22:"Jacob who redeemed Abraham," say that G–d only saved Abraham from Nimrod's furnace on account of Jacob's merit. This whole statement will be explained in detail in פרשת תולדות. Thus it becomes clear that the whole purpose of Isaac's marriage was to enable Jacob to be born from that union. This is why Abraham hinted to Eliezer "you must on no account bring my son there" (24,6). The implication is that "my grandson" may return there. He will have to go back there to retrieve his "lost" part, i.e. Rachel, Leah, Zilpah and Bilhah. This is why Jacob שמר את הצאן, "tended the flock," and our sages understand this term as similar to the Talmudic צאן ברזל, inalienable property. The letters in the word ברזל, correspond to the respective first letters in the names of Jacob's wives רחל-לאה-בלהה-זלפה.

You will find the respective attributes of the patriarchs alluded to in the story of this journey to secure a wife for Isaac. In 24,11 Eliezer prays that G–d should perform an act of חסד, kindness, i.e. Abraham's cardinal virtue, for Abraham. In 24,19 we read: ותאמר גם לגמליך אשאב, "I shall also draw water for your camels." The letters אגלא are the name of the attribute גבורה, Isaac's special characteristic. The Kabbalists have adopted this name from the words in our daily prayer אתה גבור לעולם א-דני. Kabbalists have used this to explain why we change the order of praise for G–d in the last part of the נשמת prayer on ראש השנה. Seeing that Rosh Hashanah is called יום הדין, Day of Judgment, the words in the paragraph בפי ישרים תתרומם, etc. are arranged so that by reading the words ישרים, צדיקים, חסידים, קדושים placed one on top of the other, we get the name יצחק. When you do the same with the words תתרומם, תתברך, תתקדש, תתהלל, and you place them above each other in the corresponding stanza, the third letters in each of these words together spell רבקה, Isaac's soul mate.

This is an allusion to דין, i.e. Justice. It is not the function of Justice to uproot or to destroy, rather it is the function of Justice to treat each person on his merits. The very letters of the name רבקה reflect this even-handedness of the attribute of Justice. The two letters רק allude to a person who is Reyk, empty of merits, whereas the two letters בה allude to someone who has content. Together this is what Justice is all about. G–d pays man כדרכו כפרי מעלליו, "according to his way with the fruit of his deeds” (Jeremiah 17,10). Abraham alluded to this when he used the word רק when he forbade Eliezer to take Isaac back there. Eliezer, in recognition of that hint, used the word בה when he described the kind of girl he considered suitable as a marriage partner for Isaac. He also referred to Abraham's attribute of חסד when he said: 24,14) בה אדע כי עשית חסד עם אדוני).

Still a little later he refers to Jacob's attribute of אמת, when he thanks G–d for making his mission successful with the words: 24,27) ברוך ה' אלוקי אדוני אברהם אשר לא עזב חסדו ואמתו מעם אדוני).

When Eliezer fails to mention G–d's חסד in his review of the events in verse 48, the reason is that he focuses on the future, i.e. on Jacob who is to be born of that forthcoming union between Isaac and Rebeccah.

We have another allusion to Jacob in the course of the Torah's report of Eliezer's journey, when the Torah describes Eliezer thanking G–d in that verse with the words: אשר הנחני בדרך אמת, "who has guided me on the path of truth." He referred to the קפיצת הדרך he had experienced i.e. the telescoping of the distance from Kiryat Arba to Charan into a single day's journey. Something similar happened to Jacob on his journey to Charan in Genesis 28,11 (see Rashi). Eliezer told his hosts that if they were prepared to do a חסד and אמת for him all well and good, seeing that Jacob would be destined to "redeem," i.e. justify G–d's having saved Abraham from Nimrod's furnace. This is the deeper meaning of חסד ואמת. When Jacob, whose children were all loyal to the tradition founded by Abraham and Isaac appeared on the scene of history, the whole universe became rejuvenated. Jacob personified the purpose of Creation which is intended to be fully good and to continue indefinitely as symbolized by the tree of life in the center of the garden of Eden. Ishmael, who represented the קליפה, the husk, preceded Isaac; it is in the nature of things for the husk to appear before the fruit, the kernel.

Now the way was paved for the great light to shine. When our sages formulated the grace after meals, in the course of which we refer to the respective blessings received by the patriarchs as בכל for Abraham, מכל for Isaac, and כל for Jacob, the latter is perceived as having received greater blessings than either his father or his grandfather. The word כל is synonymous with the essence of something, seeing that the exterior things are nothing of substance. Abraham is described as בכל, meaning that he removed part of the pollutant that had surrounded this כל from both sides.

Ephron, or rather the people of his town also hinted at that fact when they said in 23,15 נשיא אלוקים אתה בתוכנו, "you are a prince in our midst." They realized that while Abraham represented the essence of what was good, Ishmael represented the קליפה on the "right," Esau that on the "left." We here view grandchildren as being in the same class as children. Isaac, who is described in the grace after meals as the recipient of the blessing מכל, has only one קליפה, Esau attached to him. Jacob, on the other hand, is totally free of any קליפה sticking to him. He represents the tree of life in the centre of the garden.

Nachmanides deals with the problem at length and is worth reading (cf. 24,1). I shall also make a contribution to these puzzling and conflicting statements. Nachmanides follows his method, whereas I shall follow mine.

There is a Midrash Chazit on Song of Songs 3, 21 in which Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai asks Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yossi whether he had heard any comment about the crown his mother had made for him. Rabbi Eliezer replied in the affirmative. When asked what that comment was, he replied that it was a parable describing a king who had only one daughter whom he loved excessively and whom he called בתי, "my daughter." In the course of time he took to calling her אחותי, "my sister." Still later he started calling her אמי, "my mother." This describes the developing relationship of love between G–d and Israel. It is reflected in Psalms 45,11 where G–d is described as addressing Israel as "listen daughter, and incline your ear." In Song of Songs 5,2 Israel is addressed as "open your heart to Me My sister;" in Isaiah 51,4 Israel is addressed as עמי ולאומי, and the latter word is spelled Immi, "my mother." Upon hearing this Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai stood up and kissed Rabbi Eliezer on his head and said: "if I had only come to hear this word from you it would already have been worthwhile."

The gist of the story is that cause and effect are described as feeding on each other. The effect, i.e. עלול, is "beneath" i.e. the result of the עילה, "the cause." This is why it is described as בת, daughter. The first level of achievement in a developing and deepening relationship is called "daughter." When this relationship develops further, the result at the next level is described as "sister." When the relationship intensifies still more the result is called "my mother." This process can be compared to an infant suckling on the mother's breast. The very suckling increases the mother's supply of milk, i.e. the infant itself is not only the effect but also the cause of the mother being a true mother. Our sages in Moed Katan 16 have G–d ask: מי מושל בי? "Who governs My actions?" and answer: צדיק, שאני גוזר גזרה והוא מבטל אותה, "the righteous, for I make a decree and he annuls it." A statement in a similar vein is found in Taanit 7a where Rabbi Chanina says: "I have learned a great deal from my teachers; I have learned even more from my colleagues; the most I have learned from my students." The students mentioned there are analogous to the "daughter" mentioned in the Midrash Chazit above. The colleagues are analogous to the "sister, and the "mother" mentioned there is analogous to the "teacher," i.e. רב.

Each category mentioned represents a spiritual advance over the one preceding it. The reason that the examples mentioned are all feminine, i.e. בת, אחות, אם, instead of בן, אח, אב, is because this present world compares to the World To Come as the female of the species compares to the male. The Zohar, commenting on the words ויאמר אלוקים, explains that these words, when used in the story of Creation, are to be regarded as אמא עילאה, "the Mother Superior" from whom the developments of all the seven days of Creation take their cue. [In order to understand this let me say that in the Heavenly Domain that is exclusively G–d's, "building" does not proceed along the lines we are used to on earth. We know three stages: Planning, or מחשבה. Next comes the articulation of what is planned, אמירה. Last comes the execution, עשיה. When G–d is the "builder," these stages are simultaneous. When the Torah says: ויאמר אלוקים, this is articulation and execution at one and the same time. When G–d plans something, He is considered the אב, "father." His "executive arm" is described as "mother," something the Zohar describes as אמא עילאה. Adam's soul is perceived as having been created in the emanation חכמה, whereas the original light was created in the emanation בינה. When that light will eventually be restored, it will return from the emanation חכמה. This is why it will be more powerful spiritually than originally. Ed] The whole מעשה בראשית is considered the בנין, the structure. When G–d said: "Let there be light,” the light in question is the original light which was hidden pending the arrival of the Messiah. When it will re-emerge, it will shine even more powerfully than before it was concealed from this world. Matters concerning this world reach up to the emanation בינה, the highest emanation of the "left" side of the system. The highest emanation on the "right" side is the emanation חכמה, which is outside the framework of עולם הזה; the light G–d originally created was removed there at the end of the cycle of Creation.

The message contained in this perception is that even before the sin, when קליפות were not yet a viable part of this world, they did exist as a potentially negative force. One may compare their existence to that of the yeast inside the grapes before distillation. As soon as the light was removed from this world, due to Adam's sin, the קליפות were able to emerge from a hitherto hidden existence and permeate this world. In the future, however, when they will be abolished, they will not even remain as a potential force. Once something that had existed only as a potential, becomes actualized, it disappears utterly when it is neutralized. As a result, the original light whose existence was anchored only in the emanation בינה, i.e. "mother," will then be able to advance to the emanation חכמה, i.e. "father." In that capacity it will illuminate this world with the brightness of the World To Come. At such a time the world will be known as the world of the male. Our sages have alluded to this repeatedly when they distinguish between singing songs of praise to G–d. Sometimes these are called שירה חדשה, other times שיר חדש. In this world, and for salvations experienced thus far, we thank G–d only with the "feminine" שירה חדשה, whereas we look forward to the time when we shall be able to thank G–d by singing a "masculine" שיר חדש. [Compare the end of the first part of the Haggadah shel Pessach and the use of these two expressions by the author of the Haggadah. Ed.] The soul of Adam originated in the emanation חכמה, the region called אב; therefore it is masculine. The soul of Eve, however, originated in the emanation בינה, otherwise known as "mother." I have explained this at length in my introduction to the treatise תולדות אדם.

When it comes to ridding the world of the קליפות, the spiritually negative pollutants, Abraham is secondary to Sarah. This is so in spite of the fact that Abraham's soul was connected directly to the source of the light that has been hidden, and which contains the power to purify that which is impure when it is once more released into this world. When we speak about Abraham being the first to remove part of the קליפות, it is because of his soul's origin. Seeing that the קליפות were released into this world through Adam and that Abraham was Adam's first תקון, these קליפות when being removed from our world are eliminated via Abraham on their way back to oblivion. Abraham is the מכניס גרים, the chief of the proselytizers, seeing that the חיצונים, those outside the fold are redeemable, will become purified and become פנימיים, "insiders." Sarah's outstanding quality lay in her diminishing the influence of the קליפות at the time when they were rampant in the world known as נקבה, female. She chose the path of פנימיות, She did not produce any קליפה, as opposed to Abraham when the latter sired Ishmael. Isaac's son Esau, by marrying a daughter of Ishmael, established a bond with that קליפה. Sarah, on the other hand, wanted the mother of that קליפה, whom she described as האמה הזאת, "this slave woman," removed together with her son. Even though Esau indirectly also was a descendant of Sarah, for he was her grandson, she was still superior to Abraham in that she recognized the evil influence of the קליפה. If Ishmael had remained alone, not partnered by Esau, his evil influence would have been far more negligible. Even though Ishmael and Esau did not live in the same region, did not even maintain peaceful relations, as is the custom among the קליפות, they still gave each other moral support in their spiritually negative outlook.

When the view is expressed in Baba Batra 16 that Abraham had a daughter, and that Abraham was secondary to Sarah, this is in contrast to Sarah whom he called "my sister." A daughter represents a lesser degree of intimacy than a sister. Afterwards, as Abraham progressed spiritually (we explained the meaning of “לך לך,” where Abraham is reported as moving from one place to another), he suggests that she should describe him as "my brother" (20,5). Sarah's real relationship with Abraham at that time was of the level "mother."

Rabbi Meir, who said that Abraham did not have a daughter, refers to that stage of Abraham's development. Hence there is no conflict between the opinions of Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Meir. The other rabbis who stated that Abraham had a daughter called בכל take their cue from the numerical value of the word 52= בכל, which equals the numerical value of the word בן.

A careful look at the wording of Rashi's commentary on that verse will show that Rashi repeats himself, something quite uncharacteristic. He says: “בכל עולה בגימטריה בן, ומאחר שהיה לו בן צריך להשיאו אשה. Rashi should either have said: עולה בן, or בגימטריה בן. Rashi may have faced the following difficulty: Had the Torah wanted to emphasize the numerical significance of the word בכל, it should have written וה' ברך את אברהם בבכל. Rashi therefore wants to alert us that we should imagine that extra letter ב as if it was there.

There is another aspect to this, one which does not necessitate the second letter ב at all. I therefore propose the following solution: When Abraham had one son who was a קליפה, i.e. Ishmael, this happened to him because of “בכל,” because he was surrounded by קליפות from both sides. His having a son such as Ishmael is therefore described as being in the nature of a בת, a lesser level of intimacy (with G–d in this case) than that of אחות, or אם. When the angel stressed והנה בן לשרה אשתך, "your wife Sarah will have a son," in 18,10, he alluded to this superiority of Sarah over Abraham as regards the offspring and its purity. This is why before she expels Hagar and Ishmael, Sarah stresses לא יירש בן האמה הזאת עם בני, "the son of this maid-servant will not inherit with my son" (21,10). Sarah refers to the קליפה aspect of Ishmael. The Rabbi who claimed that Abraham was blessed by not having a בת, daughter, refers to a period when Abraham had attained a still higher spiritual level, a period when he qualified for the description of אב, (the level of Adam at the time of his creation, seeing his soul was rooted in the emanation חכמה which is known as אבא.)

Sarah, whose function was the perpetuation of the species, is therefore "Mother Superior" as per the words of Abraham to Avimelech in Genesis 20,12 אחותי בת אבי היא אך לא בת אמי. "she is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother." Sarah's distinction was rooted in the spiritual domain called אם. When compared to the spiritual domain known as אב, she is אחות and בת, but not אב. Once you appreciate the foregoing you will understand why the description אם כל חי, which was Adam's description for Eve, can be applied in equal measure to Sarah.

I have already hinted that Jacob, who referred to himself as possessing כל, "all," in Genesis 33,11, is similarly described by that term in our grace prayer. What is meant is his remaining totally alive, seeing all his children continued to live according to their father's tenets. Jacob was also called איש, and our sages relate that whereas Jacob did not die, Esau did die (Taanit 8). Esau had said of himself in Genesis 25,32 that he was headed for death. Jacob's ability to remain "alive," חי, began with Sarah, who was not attached to the קליפה, and through whose son, ביצחק, one side of such pollutants was already removed, i.e. מיצחק, hence the description of his blessing as מכל. The terms בכל-מכל-כל, refer to elimination of the pollutants in ever-increasing measure. Abraham therefore is at the bottom of such a chain whereas Jacob is at the top, and thus was called חי.

When they see that G–d approves of a person's conduct, even his enemies make peace with him. This is why we find that Samael, the perennial accuser, concurs in blessing Jacob, something described in Talmudic literature as ומלאך רע יענה אמן, "the "evil" angel confirms by saying "Amen" (Shabbat 119); when this occurs, the red string will turn white. [A reference to the killing of the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement and the visible sign that G–d had granted forgiveness to the people. Ed.] An allusion to this is found in the legislation dealing with נגעים, skin diseases, that require quarantine. The Torah in Leviticus 13,13 describes a situation where the entire body is covered with a disease which makes the skin white, as one where the party so afflicted is considered ritually pure, [as distinct from a situation where only part of the body is afflicted]. When a person is so afflicted the Torah describes his skin as כלו הפך לבן. This description, in an allegorical sense, fits Laban the Aramite perfectly. The latter's roots were in the סטרא אחרה, the left side of the emanations. He was thoroughly infected with the serpent's lies. The serpent was the world's first liar, Laban an eager student, the רמאי, swindler. He is spiritually identical with בלעם, whose stock in trade was נחש ינחש, to rely on snake-charming and the like, [in the immediate sense this is a form of sooth saying. Ed.] Chullin 95 stipulates that any נחוש which is not patterned after the נחוש, sign guessing, employed by Eliezer when he wanted to enlist G–d's support in finding a suitable girl for Isaac, is inadmissible, smacks of paganism. Eliezer managed to put Laban's power of employing charms into the service of something approved by G–d. This means that he personally did not employ that method. I shall explain this in due course. This is why he “נתהפך ללבן,” "became totally white," i.e. he remained spiritually pure. Even though Laban was very wicked, he was extremely wise; he realised that Isaac represented the secret of the tree of knowledge, as we have discussed earlier.

Bereshit Rabbah 60,13 points out that as a result of Laban's blessing in Genesis 24,60: אחותנו את היי לאלפי רבבות, "Our sister! May you grow into thousands and tens of thousands," "thousands" i.e. אלו תימן, אלוף קנז, are descended from her through Esau, and "tens of thousands" i.e. רבבה כצמח השדה נתתיך, through Jacob as per Ezekiel 16,7. Laban eventually conceded the validity of these blessings. Even the part which was negative, i.e. the blessings for Esau, Laban "purified," i.e. he agreed for Esau to embrace true monotheism. This is evident from Laban's words in Genesis 24,50 "This matter was decreed by G–d; we cannot speak to you either bad or good." Laban acknowledges that everything is in the hands of G–d, and he says "here is Rebeccah, take her and go."

It is puzzling that he seemed to have reversed himself later when he said (24:55) "Let the girl stay with us a year or at least ten months." He also tried to impede Rebeccah's departure by the ruse of asking her (24:57) if she wanted to go "with this man?" Another difficulty is why did Eliezer describe his mission as already having been successful when he thanked G–d (the past tense for הצליח דרכי in 24:56). He should have asserted that "G–d will make my mission successful." Rashi's commentary on Rebeccah saying “אלך,” "I shall go" meaning that she would go even against the wishes of her mother and brother is also difficult. Rashi is certainly correct in his interpretation; for he was bothered by the fact that Rebeccah should have answered כן, "Yes," to the question. The unusual form of the answer revealed more than a mere כן. We need to ask why Rebeccah chose to tell her family that she would go with this man in any event. It was certainly neither good manners, nor appropriate behavior for girls of her station in life.

While I am on this subject I shall also deal with the unusual fact that in 24,50, Laban pre-empts his father by speaking up before his father. Rashi comments that it was because of Laban's wickedness that he tried to forestall his father Bethuel. Assuming that Rashi is correct, what advantage did the clever Laban hope to gain by answering first? I have already written that the patriarchs and matriarchs represented the whole of mankind, and that they repaired the spiritual and physical damage inflicted on the universe by Adam (Adam and Eve combined). G–d's whole purpose in the creation of the universe had of course been none other than Adam. We have learned in Avot 4:28 that "jealousy, greed and thirst for honor drive man out of this world," i.e. cause his death. Adam's sin involved elements of all these three negative traits. The serpent was jealous of Adam as Eve's husband and wanted to "marry" Eve himself; hence he tried to seduce Adam. It had thought that Adam would be the first to eat, Eve offering him the first bite, and that thus Adam would become the victim of G–d's warning not to eat from the tree on penalty of death. The serpent would then have been free to mate with Eve. The reward that the serpent held out to Eve (Genesis 3,5-6) was gratification of her greed, "the tree was lovely to look at and good as food." The promise of becoming G–d-like was the additional honour that would result from eating of that tree. Regarding the lives of Abraham and Sarah we find that they practised the very opposite traits. It is natural for a woman to be jealous of another woman's ability to have children when she herself is unable to do so, but Sarah offered Hagar to her husband in order that Abraham should be able to have a child with her instead (Genesis 16,2); she was free of that kind of jealousy. Abraham, who was offered material wealth by the King of Sodom, exclaimed that he would not even accept a shoelace from the booty he himself had captured when he defeated Kedor-Leomer and freed Lot (14,23). Not only did Abraham not display traits of greed, his entire life was filled with acts of generosity towards others. He practiבed humility to the point where he – who had been the recipient of several revelations by G–d – even described himself as being merely "dust and ashes " (18,27).

When Eliezer examined who would be a suitable match for Isaac, he tested Rebeccah for precisely these traits. He did not have to examine Rebeccah concerning jealousy, seeing that Isaac had already been consecrated and could therefore never marry a slave girl, as distinct from Abraham. Rebeccah would therefore never have cause for that kind of jealousy. This is why he only examined whether Rebeccah was generous of heart and whether she was humble and modest. The signs that he determined this by are listed in 24,14. Rebeccah demonstrated generosity of spirit when she not only gave water to Eliezer and his men but also to his camels, and when she immediately volunteered lodging once she had been asked whether there was room in her house. When she responded to the question in 24,23: "is there room in your father's house ללין (to spend one night)," she offered lodging for more than one night, i.e. ללון. Rebeccah demonstrated her modesty when she addressed Eliezer as "my lord," and hastened to comply with his request for personal service. As soon as Eliezer noted this, he said "this girl is suitable for the house of an Abraham," and he viewed her like a lily amongst thorns; Laban was her exact opposite, just as Bileam was the exact opposite of Abraham. All of Laban's fawning on Eliezer was only so as to receive a generous monetary reward.

Laban was possessed of עין רע, he was ill-willed, begrudging, he was haughty and greedy. His whole concern in approving the match was to secure personal gain. The Torah is careful to document how Laban was motivated by money when we are told: "As soon as Laban saw the nosering and bracelets on the hands of his sister etc.,… he ran towards the man" (24,30). Laban was a swindler to boot. Realising that Eliezer had come to propose a שידוך, a match, he whispered to Eliezer that in consideration of an appropriate amount of money he would side with him and approve the match. Should Eliezer refuse, he, Laban would oppose the match; he was the most influential member of the household. When the Torah reports that "Laban had heard the words of Rebeccah his sister," this is our clue that he knew that a match was going to be discussed. Eliezer had no option but to promise Laban what he had asked. The reason the Torah does not report all this is because it simply never came to this. Eliezer did not keep his promise, as I shall explain. In his dealings with Laban Eliezer applied the principle of עם עקש תתפתל, "with the perverse you have to be wily" (Psalms 18,27). He did this by making a promise he would not keep. Laban was misled, for he believed that Eliezer would keep his part of the bargain.

This is why he immediately brought Eliezer and his entourage to his home, prepared fodder, etc. He did not do this out of charitable considerations. This is also the reason he preempted his father and asserted that since the match was made in Heaven, they could certainly not object. He was afraid that his father would come up with some scheme to delay this match. He was anxious to earn the fee that Eliezer had promised him. As soon as Eliezer had heard Laban say "here is Rebeccah, take her and be on your way," Eliezer thought that the matter had been finalised; he thanked G–d and brought out all kinds of golden and silver trinkets as well as costly garments, as described in 24,52. He gave all to Rebeccah, whereas he gave Laban and his family only exotic fruit and other delicacies.

Not having received the silver and gold as promised, Laban considered himself as betrayed. He therefore began to scheme how he could delay Rebeccah's departure. He suggested that Rebeccah should remain in Charan for another year or so. Eliezer, well aware of Laban's game, said: "since G–d has already made my mission successful and you yourselves have admitted that this match has been made in Heaven, do not delay me." Rebeccah, astute enough to have observed her brother's trickery, was afraid that Eliezer might fall for Laban's scheme and feel obligated to pay Laban the bribe he had demanded. This is why she said that she was going with Eliezer. She claimed that all the silver, etc. that Eliezer had brought belonged to her and her future descendants, since Eliezer, a slave could not own anything. What we said earlier (page 142) -that Laban had realised that Isaac and Rebeccah represented the secret of the tree of knowledge,- means that just as the fruit of the tree of knowledge contained both good and evil, so the children of this union of Isaac and Rebeccah would be both good and evil, in this case Jacob and Esau respectively.

Let us examine a few more details of this story. Why did Eliezer have to describe his seniority in Abraham's household to the point where he said that his master had entrusted all his belonging to him? Why did the Torah keep repeating his status as עבד, "slave?" Why did the Torah later (24,21) describe Eliezer as האיש, an appellation hardly appropriate for an עבד? Still later, the Torah speaks of Laban running towards האיש; Rebeccah tells about what האיש has said to her. When Eliezer enters the house of Bethuel and Laban he is described as האיש, whereas as soon as he sits at the table he introduces himself as Abraham's slave, עבד. This, of course, is no problem seeing that Eliezer is Abraham's slave, and the Torah has repeatedly referred to him as such. The puzzling thing is that even after he handed out all the silver and golden trinkets, he is described as עבד; why would Laban ask Rebeccah if she wanted to go עם האיש הזה, thus elevating his status at the very moment when he harbored ill will against Eliezer? Immediately afterwards, when Rebeccah and Eliezer depart, Eliezer is again described as עבד, although Rebeccah and her handmaids are reported as following האיש. Once Isaac has been sighted Rebeccah is described as addressing the עבד. How could Laban address Eliezer with the words: בוא ברוך ה' "Enter the one blesssed by the Lord," when we know that every עבד is cursed since the time Noach cursed Canaan? This was the reason why Abraham did not want Isaac to marry Eliezer's daughter. He did not want to become involved with a tribe that was accursedץ When we said earlier (page 142) that Laban's blessing had the power to eventually help Esau's descendants to switch from being cursed to becoming blessed, where did Laban get that power from? Another difficulty is the expression in 24,31 where Laban claims to have cleared the house, (of idols, according to Bereshit Rabbah 60). If that were indeed so, Laban displayed a spiritual level that is hard to credit. Whence did he attain that spiritual level? Why did Eliezer reverse the sequence of events when describing his placing the bracelets on Rebeccah before he knew who she was (compare 24,22 with 24,47)? The other problem we have to deal with is the statement in Chullin 95 we have quoted, classifying Eliezer's "test" of Rebeccah as the only such kind of test that is admissible for Jews. Tossaphot, Chullin 95 raise the question that according to a view expressed in Sanhedrin 56 it is not only Jews who are forbidden to practise ניחוש. The answer given is that Eliezer did not rely on ניחוש, and did not give the jewelry to Rebeccah until he had found out that she was from Abraham's family. According to this view we would have to disregard the Torah's first report of that event and accept the version Eliezer told in Bethuel's house. If that is so, why does the Torah seem to mislead us and create the impression that Eliezer relied exclusively on ניחוש? Besides, since Eliezer obviously accepted the word of a stranger, and presumably a minor at that, at face value, how can one claim that he did not rely primarily on ניחוש? Was there any proof that this girl would agree to marry a man she had never seen and who lived a long way from her home and family? Why then did Eliezer give Rebeccah the jewelry except that he believed in ניחוש?

Kabbalists know that the agent (שר העולם) whom G–d appointed to be in charge of this universe is Mattatron (Chagigah 15 et al). It is said that Psalms 37,25: נער הייתי גם זקנתי, "I have been young; now I am old," must have been said by this angel, that he referred to the length of time he had been in the service of the Lord (Yevamot 16). This angel is reputed to have the keys to Heaven, and Kabbalists see some allusion to the identity of this נער, in Proverbs 22,6: חנוך לנער. They perceive חנוך as being Mattatron. Tosaphot query how this Mattatron could be described as שר הבריאה, in charge of the universe, seeing that חנוך did not live till long after the universe was created, and they therefore solve the problem in a different way. [This problem is discussed in Tosaphot Yevamot 16, and relates to part of the liturgical poetry in the morning prayer of שמחת תורה. Ed.] I do not think that there is really any substance in the query posed by Tossaphot for all those who have been granted some insight. The שר הבריאה certainly existed ever since the בריאה itself, and he is called Mattatron, since it is his function to guard over everything that reflects G–d's expressed will. The word מטרה is the translation of the Hebrew word שומר, guardian. חנוך performed a similar function on earth until G–d decided to remove him from earth while alive (Genesis 5,24). While on earth, he performed what the Kabbalists call the בחינה התחתונה, the "minor" function of Mattatron on earth. This "minor" function is known as מנעל, shoe. The force in charge of such activities is called Sandalphon, from the Hebrew סנדל, a sandal. Solomon sings the praises of such people when he says in Song of Songs 7,2: מה יפו פעמיך בנעלים, "How lovely are your footsteps when shod in pilgrim's sandals."

This is the hidden meaning of the Midrash Talpiot which describes Chanoch as a shoemaker. I have explained this elsewhere at length.

Let us get back to our immediate problem. Mattatron watches over Israel, he acts as G–d's agent. Rabbeynu Bachyah writes in his commentary on Parshat Mishpatim on Exodus 23,20 that Mattatron is so called because his name is comprised of two elements, both relevant to our problem. It suggests both the word אדון, master, as well as the word שליח, messenger. The former is based on our sages who describe the mistress of the house as Matrona. The name שליח, is from the Greek. The Greek for messenger is Mentator. Furthermore, the name contains a reference to the word שומר, guardian, since the Aramaic for משמרת is Mattarat. Inasmuch as Mattatron is the guardian of the world, he is the guardian of Israel.

From his name we have come to understand that this angel/messenger wields authority over all the hosts of Heaven and Earth. He may therefore be appropriately described as אדון לביתו, מושל בכל קנינו. Thus far Rabbeynu Bachyah.

Both the Zohar and Pardes Rimonim describe this angel also as עבד. Seeing that the Torah in Deut 14,1 describes Israel as "Children of the Lord your G–d", we find that Israel appears in a dual role. From the vantage point of the עולם האצילות, the purely spiritual domain, -seeing that our souls are anchored in that domain- our relationship with G–d is like that of children to their father. From the vantage point of the material world, the עולם הבריאה, and anything "below" that, however, our optimal status is that of עבד השם, a servant of the Lord. (This עולם הבריאה is called by Kabbalists the סוד האמה העבריה, "the mystical significance of the portion dealing with the Jewish maid-servant in Exodus chapter 21, whereas Mattatron is the סוד עבד עברי, seeing he represents the עולם האצילות). When Exodus 23,20 speaks about the angel G–d will send ahead of the Jewish people to guard and protect Israel on its journey and that angel is described as embodying G–d's name, Rashi, quoting ancient sources says that this is Mattatron whose name is identical with the name of G–d (Exodus 23,20). The numerical value of the letters in 314= מטטרון-שדי.

Our sages also say that He who guarded the patriarchs also will protect their children (Shir Hashirim Rabbah 32,8). Let us now simply view Eliezer's position in Abraham's household as analogous to Mattaron's position in G–d's "household." Eliezer was described both as "the senior member of Abraham's household in charge of all that belonged to Abraham," and as עבד, slave; he performed a dual task. When Abraham dispatched this senior member of his household on a mission down here on earth, G–d despatched someone of similar rank from His own "household" to assist Eliezer. When Abraham had assured Eliezer that "G–d will send His angel ahead of you" (Genesis 24,7), he had referred to Mattatron. We are entitled to view him in this connection as עבד עברי. Although Eliezer was a Caananite, we are entitled to to view him in this connection as an עבד עברי, for he was the physical property of a Jew, an עברי. G–d therefore dispatched an angel who embodied the mystical properties of עבד עברי.

It is not accidental that when Abraham made Eliezer swear an oath, (24,3) he referred to the G–d of the Heaven and the G–d of the Earth, for Eliezer was on earth and his mission was an earthly one. When Abraham referred a few verses later to the angel from Heaven that he felt G–d would send ahead, he no longer referred to "the G–d of the Heaven and the G–d of the Earth," but merely to the G–d of the Heaven. This is perfectly appropriate since the angel's function was purely spiritual, heavenly. [The angel never assumed human form like the angels Abraham had hosted. Ed.]

We perceive Eliezer setting out on his mission with Mattaron hovering over him, invisibly. Whenever the Torah employs the word עבד in this narrative, the reference is to Eliezer the earthly עבד. Whenever the Torah mentions the word האיש in the narrative, the reference is to the עבד עברי של מעלה, to Mattatron. We have other examples when such an angel is referred to by the Torah as איש, and our sages have defined such an איש as מלאך, an angel. One such example is Genesis 37,15. Rashi, quoting Midrash Tanchuma, says that this was the angel Gabriel. In 24,17, we find “וירץ העבד לקראתה, followed in verse 21 by והאיש משתאה לה.” Onkelos translates this latter verse as meaning that Eliezer remained standing looking on silently. He was reflecting on whether the Heavenly input indicated that his mission was succesful or not. The word לדעת, to know, in verse 21 is a veiled reference to the tree of knowledge.

When Eliezer wondered if his mission had indeed succeeded, i.e. הצליח, this is a reference to the two sons Rebeccah would bear, i.e. both Jacob and Esau. The words אם לא, which are not really necessary, refer to Esau, who represented the unsuccessful part of Eliezer's mission. According to Pardes Rimonim Shaar Heychaley Temarim 6, the tree of knowledge of good and evil is underneath the tree of knowledge of "good.". The "good" refers to Mattatron, whereas the "evil" refers to Samael. When the Torah (Genesis 24,10) describes Eliezer as having כל טוב אדוניו בידו, "all the good of his master in his hand," this refers to the angel Mattatron who accompanied him.

As far as the angel was concerned it was clear already at this point that the mission was successful, that Rebeccah was intended by Heaven to become the wife of Isaac, and that therefore she was entitled to receive the nose-ring, bracelets etc. This is why the Torah reports that "he" (האיש) "took out" these pieces of jewelry on her hands" (24,22). The reason the Torah omits to mention "he placed," is because from Mattatron's point of view, they were as if already on her hands, although in actual fact Eliezer here on earth is not mentioned as having placed them on her hands and on her nose until after he had ascertained who the girl was. This act is reported only in 24,47.

After Eliezer received the girl's answer to the question "who are you, etc.," he realized that this whole matter had originated from G–d, and that his mission was indeed successful. This is why he reported that he thanked the Lord in 24,48. Eliezer relied on רוח הקדש, Divine inspiration, not on ניחוש. This is what prompted him to bend his knee and prostrate himself before the Lord, as reported in 24,47. This also explains why the Torah bothered to mention the weight of these various pieces of jewelry, i.e. 24,22) בקע משקלו, עשרה זהב משקלם). When Eliezer told what happened to him, these details are not mentioned.

Rashi already mentioned that the word בקע is an allusion to the weight of the שקלים that the Jewish people would later donate each year for the daily public offerings in the Tabernacle and Temple respectively, and that the expression עשרה זהב is an allusion to the Ten Commandments. These allusions are meaningful when their source is Mattatron, i.e. a heavenly messenger. When the terrestrial Eliezer prosaically told what occurred to him at the well, there is no point in the Torah including such elements.

Rebeccah, intelligent, endowed with a measure of prophetic insight, understood the nature of what happened. She had been aware of the presence of a heavenly messenger; this is why she said: גם לגמליך אשאב. We had stated earlier that this was an allusion to גבורה an attribute of G–d אגלא, Isaac's special virtue (see page 134).

When Eliezer related the events at the well, he did not refer to Rebeccah as נערה, but as עלמה. We find that the Torah usually spells the word נער as if it were masculine, even where the Torah clearly refers to a נערה, a girl. The former spelling is an allusion to Mattaron who is called נער as we pointed out on page 147. Pardes Rimonim explains the meaning of נער in detail in the chapter dealing with כנוים.

Rebeccah, who, thanks to her power of prophetic insight knew what was going on, presumably told Laban her brother what she knew. I have already mentioned that Laban, though very wicked, was nonetheless very wise and astute. As a result, he did not ever refer to Eliezer as עבד, but always as איש. This is how Rebeccah's family thought of Eliezer, and that is why they related to him as איש. The Torah merely reflects the feelings of the characters it describes. That is also the reason Rebeccah's family called her נערה and not עלמה.

In 24,61 we read about Rebeccah and her maidservants: ותרכבנה על הגמלים ותלכנה אחרי האיש, ויקח העבד את רבקה וילך . "They rode on the camels and followed the man; the servant took Rebeccah and went (on his way). Clearly, the reason that we find two descriptions of Eliezer in one verse is that Mattaron the heavenly messenger was present until the mission had been concluded. The mission was not concluded until Eliezer was out of Charan on his way back. This process is indicated by the words in 24,61 ותקם רבקה ונערותיה ותלכנה אחרי האיש. Immediately after that, when Mattatron returned to Heaven, the Torah reverts to describing the man leading Rebeccah as עבד. It is possible that the word וילך, he went on his way, refers to Mattaron who returned to the Celestial Regions he had come from.

Bereshit Rabbah 59,8 describes Eliezer's features as resembling those of his master Abraham, basing itself on the words זקן ביתו, to mean that he resembled his master. The words המושל בכל אשר לו, are interpreted by that Midrash as a compliment that Eliezer held his evil urge in check. The Midrash goes on to interpret the words ויאמר אליו העבד in 24,5 by quoting Hoseah 12,8: "A trader (כנען) who uses false weights, who loves to overreach." "The trader," i.e. כנען, supposedly refers to Eliezer. Probably the Midrash, too, makes a destinction between the instances where the Torah uses the term עבד for Eliezer, and where another term such as זקן ביתו is employed. Whenever the latter term is used, Eliezer had Mattaron hovering over him.

We have explained the function of the patriarchs and matriarchs in rehabilitating the damage caused to this world by Adam; we have stated that Abraham represented the אדם הגדול, and that Sarah assumed the role of אם כל חי, that Isaac and Rebeccah continued the work begun by Abraham and Sarah and that to indicate this their features resembled the features of Abraham and Sarah. In addition the "beauty" of Jacob is described by our sages as of the kind possessed by Adam before his sin.

The symbolisms expressed by the use of בת-אחות-אם "daughter-sister-mother" relationship between G–d and the Jewish people, or the matriarchs and G–d, which we have described on page 137 and later, may be alluded to in the way the Torah divides the number of years Sarah lived into three distinct periods, i.e. "one hundred years, twenty years and seven years" (Genesis 23,1). Bereshit Rabbah 58,1 explains that Sarah was as beautiful at twenty as she had been at seven years of age, whereas she was as free from sin at a hundred years of age as she had been at twenty. The number seven may allegorically be explained as referring to the seven days of Creation (including the Sabbath) before the original light was withdrawn. This association gives Sarah the אם כל חי, "Mother Superior" image. When the Torah was given to the Jewish people and the serpent's pollutant was neutralised, the world was restored to a state when כתנות אור, garments woven of light, could have been worn. The passage dealing with the creation of light in Genesis 1, 3-5, mentions the word אור, light, five times, an allusion to the five Books of Moses, as pointed out in the Midrash. The Zohar sees in the verse commencing with Hashem Hashem in Exodus 34,6 an allusion to the number twenty, i.e. the Ten Commandments and the ten directives by which the universe was created. These complemented each other. When you spell the two letters Yud as words, i.e. יוד, their combined value is also 20. This idea is reflected in the "twenty years" the Torah here speaks of. Although the universe did not actually revert to the condition it had been in prior to withdrawal of the אור בראשית, the original light, the precondition existed, and, but for the sin of the golden calf, Israel would have achieved that status through Torah study and observance, and the original light would have been revealed to them. At the moment the Torah was revealed, the light appeared to them just as it had been during the seven days of Creation. This is the deeper meaning of Proverbs 7,4: אמור לחכמה אחותי את, "Say to wisdom 'you are my sister.'" Israel, due to the Revelation and Torah study, was on the level we have described as אחות. Afterwards, when the people made the golden calf, they ruined even that level of closeness to G–d with the result that the כ in 23,2 became reduced in size. When the Temple, which was one hundred cubits high, was built, this provided some degree of rehabilitation for the opportunity lost through the golden calf. [The Temple the author refers to must be the one of Herod; Solomon's Temple was only thirty cubits high. Ed.] When Bereshit Rabbah 58,1 on our verse next compares Sarah's innocence at one hundred to her innocence at twenty, this is an allusion to the partial rehabilitation during the period of the second Temple. There were public offerings which achieved atonement for the people. Nonetheless, the people were only on the level of בת, (the lowest of the three levels described on pages 137/138). This is why we find Israel referred to as בת ציון, בת ירושלים in Isaiah, Lamentations and elsewhere. The small letter כ in the word ולבכותה is a clear allusion to the aforegoing. When you remove the letter כ completely, you are left with the word לבתה, "to her daughter," i.e. the word בת, daughter. When the Temple was destroyed, the letter ק was also reduced in size, as pointed out by the Baaal Haturim in his commentray on Genesis 27,46 where Rebeccah expressed disdain for her own life if Jacob, too, were to marry a Canaanite girl. The cause of Rebeccah's desperate outcry, according to Baa l Haturim, was that in her mind's eye she saw the destruction of the hundred-cubit high Temple. When the Temple was destroyed the Jewish people forfeited even the status of בת in their relationship with G–d. For some time after that the most they could achieve in the way of direct communication with G–d was the בת קול, an echo of their former relationship. Nowadays, due to our sins, we do not even experience that form of communication with G–d. This situation will not improve until the Messiah will come, hopefully very soon. At such a time, אור חדש will shine over Zion.