Into the Verse - A Parsha Podcast Chayei Sarah: A Marriage of Truth and Kindness
Nov 7, 2023
In a thought-provoking discussion, Tikva Hecht, a Torah commentator, joins Ari Levisohn to delve into the intricate themes of Parshat Chayei Sarah. They unpack a fascinating Midrash where angels debate humanity’s creation, leading to truth being cast to earth. The conversation also focuses on Eliezer's mission to find a wife for Isaac, exploring the intersection of kindness and truth embodied by Rebecca’s actions. They investigate how human perceptions of divine truth are shaped, inviting listeners to reflect on the nature of these concepts.
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Divine Qualities Argue Over Humanity
- A Midrash frames divine qualities (chesed, emet, tzedek, shalom) as debating creation of humanity.
- God 'throws truth to the earth' yet truth will 'sprout' back, introducing tension between heavenly truth and human reality.
Truth Versus Good: Rambam's Lens
- Rambam's idea: pre-Fruit of Knowledge perception was truth/falsehood, not subjective good/evil.
- After the fall humans gained evaluative preferences, making recognition of divine 'emet' more difficult for us.
Chesed Then Emet In The Matchmaking
- Eliezer prays for chesed (kindness) as a sign to find Isaac's wife by the well.
- The narrative then adds emet (truth) when Rebekah turns out to be Abraham's kin, suggesting a deeper, objective rightness beyond the requested kindness.