Chaburat Taryag: Parshas Chayei Sarah

Hello, dear children! It's Saba Kadisha. Oy, oy, oy! What a mission awaits Chaburat Taryag today! Surprise change, an address nobody can find... and ten camels in the middle of Yerushalayim! But first, we learn! Sunday after school, the four friends came like every week to Saba Kadisha's room. This week we read Parshas Chayei Sarah. And it has three things every kid needs to know. Three? Star-counter ready. A star for each one. Easy! Number one: Sarah Imeinu was a great tzadeikes. When her time came, she passed away at a good old age, 127 years old. And Avraham Avinu wanted to bury her in an honored place, Me'aras HaMachpelah in Chevron. Efron, who owned the field, said: Take it for free! But Avraham said: For the full price. And he weighed out for him 400 shekels of silver, down to the last shekel. Rashi says all of Sarah's years were equally good. Every day of hers was full of mitzvos and good deeds. That means: with money, we only go honestly. We pay what we owe, down to the last shekel. One star! Number two: Avraham sent Eliezer, his loyal servant, to find a wife for Yitzchak. And Eliezer set out on a long journey, with ten camels. When he reached the well near the town, Eliezer didn't rely on himself. He davened. "Please make it happen for me today: the girl who gives water to me and to my camels too is the wife for Yitzchak." And before he even finished speaking, Rivka came out with a jug on her shoulder. So that's how it works: first we daven, and only then we act. Tefillah is the first thing, not the last. Two stars! Number three: Eliezer asked Rivka, "Please give me just a little water." Rivka said: "Drink, my master. And I'll draw for your camels too, until they finish drinking." Ten thirsty camels drink loads of water, and Rivka ran to the well again and again until they all drank. That's chesed: giving more than you were asked. Ten camels? I get tired just filling a cup of water for myself! Rivka and Eliezer came to Avraham and Yitzchak, and in Sarah's tent everything went back to how it used to be. A white cloud rested over the tent, and the Shabbos candle burned from Shabbos to Shabbos. Three stars! The counter is full! Friday morning, Saba Kadisha gave the chaburah a mission: bring a Shabbos cake to his friend, Rabbi Baruch, who moved to a new neighborhood far away. "The address: Rechov HaGefen, the building by the big tree. And remember, children, you are my messengers, just like Eliezer." On the way, the friends stopped at Yoske's kiosk to buy a bottle of water. Rubi paid with a 20 shekel bill. And Yoske gave him change. Wait, 70 shekels change for a 20 shekel bill? That doesn't add up! Seventy shekels! With that we could buy 100 popsicles! Yisrael, it's not ours. Avraham Avinu paid honestly, down to the last shekel. We don't take even one shekel that doesn't belong to us. Rubi went right back to the kiosk and returned the money. Yoske got mixed up and thought he got a 100 shekel bill. He couldn't believe it. "Honest kids like you, you don't see every day." And the first star lit up. OK, no 100 popsicles, but at least one popsicle that we paid for. The friends reached Rechov HaGefen, but oy! Next to every building stood a big tree. Where does Rabbi Baruch live? Easy, my gadget will find the house. I just turn it on, and... oy, the battery died. Friends, what did Eliezer do at the well? He didn't search on his own. He davened. So first of all, we daven. The four friends stood quietly for a moment, and Gadi davened with all his heart. "Ribono shel Olam, just like You helped Eliezer, help us too, to find Rabbi Baruch." And before Gadi even finished speaking, a balcony door opened on the third floor, and from there Rabbi Baruch waved to them! The tefillah was answered before we even said amen, just like Eliezer! But by the building's entrance, a strange sight was waiting: ten six-packs of water bottles that the delivery man left downstairs. And Rabbi Baruch came down to them and asked politely: "Children, maybe you can help me carry one six-pack?" Just one? Rivka gave water to all the camels too! Friends, we're carrying all of them! Ten six-packs, just like the ten camels. Except camels at least climb the stairs by themselves! And so the friends climbed the stairs, again and again, until all ten six-packs stood neatly in Rabbi Baruch's kitchen. And Rabbi Baruch took the Shabbos cake, smiled and blessed them. "Fortunate are you, children. You're doing chesed like Rivka Imeinu." And the third star lit up. Friends, today we did just like in the parsha: we returned every shekel, we davened before everything, and we did chesed, more than we were asked. Three stars! The mission is complete! On Shabbos night, at the Shabbos table, everything was calm and pleasant. And in Rabbi Baruch's home there was enough water for the whole week. Dear children, this week you were honest, down to the last shekel. You davened before everything, and you did chesed, more than you were asked. And that's a very big message. And now, kugel or chocolate? I choose both! And next week, in Parshas Toldos: two brothers, Yaakov and Eisav, and a pot of red lentil stew. And a big surprise awaits Chaburat Taryag. All this and more, in the next episodes of Chaburat Taryag!