This week's portion includes the title deed to the Land of Israel: the purchase, by Abraham, of a burial ground for his wife, Sarah, in the Cave of Machpelah. Abraham refused to take the land as a gift; he wanted proof it was his.
The portion also tells the story of how Abraham's servant, Eliezer ("My God is my helper" ), found a wife, Rebecca, for Abraham's son, Isaac. Curiously, what distinguishes Rebecca is her kindness to Eliezer's animals; she waters his camels.
What is the significance of that kindness? It is a kindness that has no hope of being reciprocated. An animal, especially the ill-tempered camel, will rarely be nice to you in return for kindness. That is a sign of just how special Rebecca is.
The additional reading, from I Kings, tells the story of how King David ensured his son Solomon's legacy by protecting him from palace intrigue -- and how he had a "warmer," Avishag, who was not intimate with him but shared his bed.
Avishag is not David's wife, but almost has that status, save only for his actual wife, Bathsheba, with whom she seems to share a mutual respect. Tradition regards her as an important figure in the preservation of the Davidic dynasty.
My son’s Little League All-Star team won a tournament yesterday. He went 2-for-2 with a single (here) and a double, both solid hits.
I woke at 3:30 a.m. and jogged from my hotel to the Western Wall, the Kotel, to pray just after 4:00 a.m. I jogged back, showered, packed my belongings, and headed northwards, meeting old friends at the incomparable Hotel Magdala, on the Sea of Galilee.
We drove north to the Golan, stopping at an olive oil factory in the town of Katzrin before reaching Mount Hermon, the highest peak in the Middle East. A group of Israeli soldiers from the new Alpine Brigade took us around the mountain and to a lookout from Har Dov, a strategic point that Hezbollah wants Israel to give up: it commands all of northern Israel.
We drove onwards to Majdal Shams, the northernmost town in Israel, a Druze village where 12 children were killed by a Hezbollah rocket in July -- in retrospect, a turning point in the war.
Later, at the brigade's base, there was an incoming rocket alarm, and we ducked into a shelter. Several Christians in our group began a joyful song of prayer to lighten the mood. We heard the booms...
People are happy with the military, but weary of the war. People are cautiously optimistic about Trump and the proposed ceasefire deals. This society is full of children and old people, who seem less visible in the U.S.
Need rest. First full day tomorrow.
I'm writing from the coach cabin on El Al flight 006 from L.A. to Tel Aviv, heading back to Israel for another week of journalism and reconnecting.
This trip will be quick, and seems easy. Actually, it was very hard to arrange.
Last month, everyone was canceling everything, fearing a much wider war in the Middle East. I had a ticket on British Airways, and they canceled ALL flights to Israel through early next year. Two tours I might have accompanied also canceled.
I looked at fares on El Al, and they were prohibitively expensive. Suddenly, after refreshing the website for days, a fare popped up that was reasonable -- normal, even. I didn't hesitate; I moved ahead and booked my ticket.
My ambition is to get to Lebanon, somehow. I don't need to go far into the place; I certainly don't want to go anywhere particularly dangerous (though it's all a little dicey). I just want to stand there and look back at Israel.
I have a specific reason for wanting to do so: when I was at the Lebanese ...
