ONE SMALL VERSE FOR AVROHOM; MANY DERIVATIONS FOR ALL MANKIND
ואברהם זקן בא בימים וה' ברך את אברהם בכל (בראשית כד,א)
Yoma 28b: From the days of Avrohom Yeshivah learning did not cease. Avrohom sat in Yeshivah as the verse says, “and Avrohom was old.”
The Chida: Avrohom was a zaken (one that acquired wisdom), that he learned Torah, as Chaza”l taught that Avrohom learned in yeshivah. In the merit of learning Torah, בא בימים, which fulfilled the verse "אורך ימים בימינה" one who learns Torah for the proper reason merits to be blessed with everything (length of days plus honor and riches).
Degel Machnei Efraim: Not a single day was wasted; each and every day he accomplished something, even in his old age. He was meritorious to be blessed to all that accompanied him in learning in Yeshivah (the word את indicates others in addition to Avrohom).
Rabbi Baruch Epstein: Chazal explain that Yitzchak, Yaacov, and the elders of the generation of the desert learned Torah and were all called “elders” (זקן). This requires some explanation. All elderly people acquire knowledge through their life experiences. However, some young people also acquire knowledge, and it is not limited to an elderly person that gains through life experiences. Therefore, Torah calls such a person, a זקן no matter their age, since they acquire knowledge and spread Torah
Imrei Menachem: Zaken has a gematria equal to יוסיף which is the midah of yesod. בא בימים gematria אמונה. This means that Avrohom merited to the level of zaken that was sanctified with the holiness of yesod since he was in the level of yamim. This means that the ability of faith in HaShem enabled Avrohom to be blessed with all, since the level of yesod is the foundation of all blessings.
Bava Metzia 87a: Until Avrohom nobody aged in their appearance. Since Avrohom and Yitzchak looked alike, Avrohom requested signs of aging for himself.
Degel Machnei Efraim: בכל gematria בן – Allusion from the verse (Tehillim 71,9) אל תשליכנו לעת זקנה that normally in the time of one’s reaching older age, then תש כוחו one’s strength wanes. The loss of strength is called nekevah (see Berachos 32). Avrohom who constantly served HaShem with all his abilities and strength was blessed by HaShem with this level of ben, no loss of strength.
R. Bachyei: “And Avrohom was old coming with the days” - it is the custom to read this parsha from the words "VaAvrohom zo'kein boh ba'yomim" until "V'lokachto ishoh livni mishom" for a choson on the day of his wedding. This serves as a reminder to the public to attend to the choson's needs and to point out that a man should not take a wife because of her beauty, as is stated in Mishlei 31:30, "Sheker hachein v'hevel ha'yofi," and also not for financial gain, as money has wings and readily flies away (see Mishlei 23:5), and also not to become a member of a family that can bring him to an exalted position or one of authority. If the chasan were to marry for even one of these intentions he will surely stumble and be punished. Rather, his intention should be solely for the sake of heaven. He should attempt to marry into a family that has elevated character traits, because children are drawn to the behavior of their mother's family (see Bava Basra 118a), just as wine absorbs the flavor of the vessel in which it sits.
The Chida: Usually when a person makes a request, midas hachesed wishes to fulfill it immediately, but the process is stalled by midas hagevurah. Then, the Heavenly Bais Din makes a decision to grant the request in full, or partially, or not at all. However, Avrohom was blessed with all, that his requests were immediately fulfilled without any interference from midas hagevurah.
Tur: The reason HaShem blessed Avrohom at this time, is when a person becomes old and can no longer come and go as in the past, thus he now requires a special Divine blessing.
Lubavitcher Rebbe: The word “old” relates to the superior quality of Avrohom’s soul, for he acquired much wisdom and insight; “well advanced in days” relates to Avrohom’s accomplishments with regard to the world as a whole. This is in keeping with the general difference between Torah and Mitzvos. Torah, the wisdom of G-d, is both intellectual and spiritual. By acquiring this wisdom, one enhances the quality of one’s soul. Mitzvos on the other hand are clothed in physical items where the main purpose is to illuminate the physical world and transform it into a dwelling fit for HaShem. Avrohom had all since he accomplished both, perfecting himself and perfecting the world around him.
Bava Basra 16b: Avrohom was blessed with all (בכל):
Rabbi Meir says that he did not have a daughter; Rabbi Yehuda says he has a daughter; Others say that her name was Bakol; Rabbi Eliezer haModai says he knew how to read the stars that all the kings of the east and west constantly came to him for advice; Rabbi Shimon says he hung a special stone around his neck so that any sick person who looked at it was be cured immediately.
Bas Ayin: ימים gematria 100 (מאה) – level of humility (see Menachos 43b). With humility one gains all the good midos. Avrohom had humility which is called bas (בכל there was to Avrohom a daughter).
Tiferes Shlomo: The Zohar explains that Avrohom continually grew daily in the service of HaShem. Therefore, in the time of his becoming a zaken he was full of rachamim and then was born to him a son.
Imrei Binah: Bava Basra 16n, HaShem blessed Avrohom with everything, with a daughter named Bekol. Tosefta B'choros 6:3 says that if a man is single and has a son to marry off, then the father's getting married takes precedence. However, this is only true if he has not yet fulfilled the mitzvah of "pru urvu," having at least one son and one daughter. If he has a son and a daughter, then his son takes precedence. Avrohom was at this point in time a widower, so why did he send Eliezer off in pursuit of a wife for his son Yitzchak before he pursued marriage for himself? We must conclude that he also had a daughter. Since this verse is a prelude to his pursuing a wife for his son we must conclude that the blessing of "Bakole" is that he also had a daughter.
The GR"A quotes a medrash which comments on this verse "Zu Sukah." How does our verse allude to sukah? The GR"A answers that there are three expressions by the mitzvah of residing in a sukah. They are found in Vayikroh 23:42,43. "Basukos teishvu shivas yomim - Kol ho'ezroch b'Yisroel yeishvu basukos - L'maan yeidu doroseichem ki basukos hoshavti es bnei Yisroel." The first letters of these three phrases, Beis-Kof-Lamed, spell the word "BaKoLe."
בםוכות תשבו שבעת ימים כל האזרח בישראל ישבו בסוכות למען ידעו דורותיכם
Rabbeinu Tovioh: Avimelech tells Sarah that he gave Avrohom 1,000 units of silver to take remove any negative hearsay. The final words of Avimelech are "v'eis kole v'nochochas." Rashi explains this to mean "And for all who come to question if Avimelech misused Sarah, this would be a proof." Rabbeinu Tovioh says that this was an additional gift that Avimelech gave. He said that besides giving Avrohom gifts he now offered Sarah her own personal servant and maidservant. These two people were his top servants. The man was given the name "Kole" because he was in charge of all matters, and the woman was given the name "Tochachas" as she would rebuke anyone who did not do his job properly (a bit like having a Rosh Yeshivoh and a Mashgiach). Perhaps we can say that now that Sarah died Avrohom had use of Kole who was a capable manager. HaShem thus blessed Avrohom with the servant Kole.
Bava Metzia 17a: HaShem gave three people a taste of the world to come: Avrohom, Yitzchak and Yaacov. They were blessed with "ba'kol", "mi'Kol", and "Kol" respectively. This also shows that these are the only three over whom the evil inclination did not rule.
Bircas HaMazon (blessing after the meal) uses this same language: "ba'kol", "mi'Kol", "Kol" to allude to the status that the Avos achieved.
Lekutei Basar Lekutei: “And HaShem blessed Avrohom with everything" - The Admor Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov of Sadigura explains the words, "V'dorshei HaShem lo yach's'ru kol tov" to mean "v'dorshei HaShem lo yach's'ru," those who pursue HaShem lack nothing. This is because "kol tov," everything that happens to them is accepted as being for their good. Applied to our verse, we can say that this was Avrohom's blessing, "bakole," with the understanding that that KOL is TOV.
Kedushas Levi: “and HaShem blessed Avrohom with everything” – Avrohom does not just live for himself, but cared for the welfare of all mankind. A blessing that would be limited to only to him and his household would be of limited value to Avrohom. Avrohom would only consider himself blessed would be if everyone was blessed along with him. Thus, read the words as if “and HaShem blessed Avrohom along with everyone.”
Chozeh from Lublin: Interpret the word בכל as reference to the three “b’chols” which define the necessary attitude a Jew must have in servicing HaShem. They are: b’chol levavcha – with all your heart; b’chol nafshecha – with all your soul; b’chol meodecha – with all your resources. Avrohom was blessed with these special characteristics of b’chol.
