My Musing
What does it mean to do more? Should extra be expected of us? How do we view the actions of the Patriarchs as models for us? And how literally should we take the examples?
After Abraham buries Sarah and establishes that Isaac will be married and taken care of, he marries another woman. Not unheard of- Abraham missed having a partner in his life. Many people remarry after losing their spouse.
But the midrash takes it to an ethical lesson. Abraham did not have to marry again, but he did and fulfilled the commandment to have children even more.
The midrash asks us to take this approach of not resting on our laurels to Torah study and prayer. You can never do enough. And that is the message behind the snipet about Rabbi Akiva- he put his allinto his prayer.
מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת חיי שרה סימן הWhat does it mean to do more? Should extra be expected of us? How do we view the actions of the Patriarchs as models for us? And how literally should we take the examples?
After Abraham buries Sarah and establishes that Isaac will be married and taken care of, he marries another woman. Not unheard of- Abraham missed having a partner in his life. Many people remarry after losing their spouse.
But the midrash takes it to an ethical lesson. Abraham did not have to marry again, but he did and fulfilled the commandment to have children even more.
The midrash asks us to take this approach of not resting on our laurels to Torah study and prayer. You can never do enough. And that is the message behind the snipet about Rabbi Akiva- he put his allinto his prayer.
(בראשית כה:א) "וַיֹּסֶף אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח אִשָּׁה וּשְׁמָהּ קְטוּרָה"
“And additionally took a wife and her name was Ketura”
רבי שמואל בר נחמן אמר, לפי שהיום משתנה ג' פעמים בכל יום, לפיכך צריך האדם להתפלל ג' פעמים בכל יום. בשחרית השמש במזרח, ובצהרים באמצע הרקיע, ובמנחה במערב.
Our master should instruct: How many devotional prayers should one recite in a day?
Rabbi Samuel bar Nachman said, because the day changes three times every day, therefore a person must pray three times a day. In the morning the sun is in the east, at noon it is in the sky, and in the afternoon it is in the west.
יצחק תיקן תפלת מנחה שנאמר (בראשית כד:סג) "וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה לִפְנוֹת עָרֶב, וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה גְמַלִּים בָּאִים"
יעקב תקן תפלת הערב שנאמר (בראשית כח:יא) "וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶש, וַיִּקַּח מֵאַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם וַיָּשֶׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו וַיִּשְׁכַּב בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא"
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, Abraham established the Morning Prayer as it says, “And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he cleaved the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.”
Isaac established the afternoon prayer as it says, “And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide; and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.”
Jacob established the evening prayer as it says, “And he encountered upon the place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep.”
Rabbi Akiva, when he would pray with the congregation would pray in the normal manner. And when he would pray by himself, a person would leave him in one corner and find him in another corner from the force of the prostrations.
ומה ראו לתקן ג' תפלות?
כדי שיהא אדם מוסיף בתפלתו. ולא בתפלה בלבד אלא אף בתורה יהא מוסיף והולך, ולא בתורה בלבד אלא אף בבנים. אם נשא אשה ומתה ישא אחרת ויעמיד ממנה בנים. תדע לך שהרי אברהם שמתה אשתו לא ישב לו אלא לקח אשה שנאמר "וַיֹּסֶף אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח אִשָּׁה".
And what did the rabbis see in establishing three prayers?
So that a person would add to his prayer. And not only in prayer but also in Torah study he should add. And not in Torah study alone, but with children. If he married a woman and she passed away, he should marry another woman and have more children. Know that Abraham did not sit idle after his wife died, rather he took another wife as it says, ““And additionally took a wife”
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