At the beginning of Parashas Chayei Sarah, we are presented with–in juxtaposition– two rival personalities. On the one hand, Avraham Avinu, the first of our Holy Patriarchs, seeks to obtain a plot of land in which to bury his wife, Sarah. He wishes to do so with the utmost integrity; despite the fact that Avraham could have taken the property, in good conscience and according to the law (see Rashi, Bereishis 23:4), he instead chooses to pay the full market value (b’kesef maleh), and in currency which was universally accepted (Rashi, 23:16). The seller, Efron the Hittite, on the other hand, despite his many promises to give the land to Avraham, and despite the fact that his elevated status in the community was because of his association with our forefather (see Rashi, posuk 10), undertakes absolutely no actions to back up his words.

At the completion of the transaction, the Torah testifies to the noble reputation Avraham had among the people of the area (Bereishis 23:17-18, and Rashi, ibid.): “Vayakom s’deh Efron….l’Avraham l’miknah…” (the field of Efron “rose up” as an acquisition to Avraham…). Here the Torah gives an example of how the physical world attains a state of elevation—it is actually serving a higher purpose—in its being used by a righteous person.          

In Sefer Mesillas Yesharim (Chapter 1), Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, citing Talmudic and Midrashic sources, expounds upon this principle. The entirety of HaShem’s creation is elevated by the proper use of the physical and material resources which we are given. Rabbi Luzzato explains that when a person uses his material wealth as a tool in his service of HaShem, he uplifts not only himself, but also the world around him. Certainly, in the case of Avraham Avinu, his noble position among the local population was due in great part to his own previous behavior of complete integrity and honesty.

There is a notion in our Holy Torah known, in Hebrew, as ne’emanus, which underscores the above themes and from which we can learn a lesson applicable to all. The word ne’eman (the adjective form) is used to describe a person with the following characteristics: honesty, integrity, true to his word. This obviously implies the utmost uprightness and incorruptibility in one’s business dealings. It also includes the notion of honor: honorable business practices and rectitude in our affairs with others.

The root of the word ne’eman is the same as for the word emunah—faith. Amen, which we answer to all of our blessings, is an acronym for E-l Melech Ne’eman, (G-d is a Faithful King). The implication is that a person who has acquired the appropriate ne’emanus has rooted in himself his complete faith in HaShem. Included in our adherence to His laws is our belief that He is our sole provider, and that cutting corners or acting in a less than virtuous manner will not advance us at all financially.

The Torah’s insistence on ne’emanus is unequivocal, and its guidelines are clear and uncompromising. When it comes to testifying in a Beis Din, a Jewish Court of Law, the Torah tells us that two close relatives—even Moshe and Aharon, who would never be suspected of anything but the utmost honesty and objectivity, are invalid to testify together. This is because our Torah recognizes the natural, human tendency towards bias.    Our Parasha gives us two further examples of the limits of one’s credibility and the necessity to avoid risking any compromise. First, Avraham sends his faithful servant, Eliezer, out to find a wife for his son Yitzchak. Despite his own great level of trustworthiness, Eliezer is still required to take an oath that he will follow Avraham’s instructions to the letter. The necessity of this seemingly exaggerated move is proven in a later verse (Bereishis 24:29, and Rashi, ibid.), when Eliezer’s own biases become evident. Second, the camels sent with Eliezer are properly muzzled so as not to graze in fields belonging to others (Rashi on 24:10).

I discovered recently that the word “jew” (note, interestingly enough, that it is not capitalized, as in its noun form) is brought in many modern English dictionaries as a verb. The connotation is, unfortunately, not a favorable one. Although we may be able to attribute this phenomenon to residual medieval anti-Semitism, it should serve as a reminder to all of us to scrutinize our business practices and social interactions. How more appropriate it would be for us to find that the definitions of “Jew” would include “one who acts with the utmost integrity in business”as is fitting of Avraham, our forefather.

There is likely no nobler lesson for all of us, than the righteousness and integrity practiced by our Holy Forefathers, accounts of which are elucidated in Chumash Bereshis. Let us learn from them and use them as exemplary behavior in our dealings with others and as appropriate representatives of the Jewish People.

 

Shabbat Shalom