“He said, ‘HaShem, G-d of my master Avraham, my You so arrange it for me this day that You do kindness with my master Avraham.” Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh explains that Eliezer understood that his master Avraham was worthy of receiving G-d’s kindness. However, regarding himself, being qualified to facilitate that kindness was a question. He therefore supplicated G-d, to allow him to bring about that kindness as his master’s agent. It is clear that Eliezer understood and appreciated that his success was completely dependent on his master’s merit and not his own.
“He (Yitzchak) took Rivka, daughter of Besuel...sister of Lavan the Aramean, as a wife for himself.” The Torah usually identifies individuals only by mentioning the name of their father. Regarding Rivka, the Torah also mentions that her brother was Lavan. Why does the Torah do so? Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh explains, “This is to allude that the reason Rivka, our Matriarch was barren was because of Lavan’s blessing. He should not see that his blessing accomplished something good.” Since the Jewish people descend from Rivka, as a Matriarch, if she would be fertile and conceive naturally, one may attribute their proliferation to the blessing of Lavan, the evil one. This cannot be. Therefore, Ohr HaChaim continues, “Even prior to the Torah informing us that Rivka was barren, the she is identified as the ‘sister of Lavan’ so that we could understand why she was barren.” Since Rivka was barren, it was obvious that the only reason she was able to conceive was due to G’d’s intervention to perform a miracle that allowed her to bear children.
And Sarah died” (23:2)
The Ohr HaChaim HaKodosh points out that according to Chazal, Tzaddikim are called alive even in death, and thus, even in death their bodies are alive! He explains the reason for this: When alive on this earth, Tzaddikim are busy transforming their material, physical selves into spiritual matter that lives on. This transformation from physical matter to spiritual holiness is carried out through constant good deeds, Torah study and mitzvos that they perform while alive.
By attaching oneself in dveikus to HaShem, explains the Ohr HaChaim, all base elements of matter transform, as is explained by the Rambam. The Ohr HaChaim cites the Rambam (Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 4:5) that all elements may be transmuted from one form to the next closest elemental form, such as from earth to water and to fire. By attaching in dveikus to HaShem, the lowest elemental matter of our body is transmuted into the element of fire, and this is the fire of the soul! Thus, the Tzaddik – even in death – is alive; his body is still burning with the fiery soul from HaShem.
Sarah helped rectify the basic elements of Creation.
"Sarah died at Kiryat Arba." (Gen. 23:2) We must not misunderstand that Kiryat Arba was the cause of her death. The reason the town was mentioned and was so named is to tell us that it was built on the four basic elements. Death normally implies a departure from, or disintegration of, the four basic elements that the body is composed of. When the Torah adds that "Kiryat Arba" is also known as "Hebron", this is an allusion to the Hebrew word "chibur", something that is joined together. The message is that when the righteous "die", this is not to be viewed as a process of disintegration. The righteous are still called "alive" even when they have ceased to function in physical bodies on this earth. While the righteous are alive in this world, the four basic material elements that every human being is composed of become transformed into something spiritual and attach themselves to their souls by means of the good deeds that such persons perform during their sojourn on earth.
When a person cleaves to G-d, all his elements become transformed into the element fire....
Maimonides illustrates this somewhat in the fourth chapter of Hilchot Yesodei Torah where he describes that one element is capable of becoming transformed into another element which was similar to it, i.e. earth can be transformed into water. When a person cleaves to G-d, all his elements become transformed into the element fire, which forms the basis of the soul. Kabbalists are familiar with this.
The Torah adds the apparently superfluous words: "in the land of Canaan". This is an allusion to the fact that this present world is called "Eretz Canaan", a simile for the evil urge, Satan. This is so because the existence of Satan is the incentive for us to overcome him and to attain holiness and sanctity. (Zohar 1:80)
