BIG NEWS!!!!! Yaakov Ephraim Seltzer, the author of the weekly D’var Torah on www.chesedclub.com, is coming out with his first book entitled, “G-d is Everywhere… Even Walt Disney World”, published by Targum Press. More information regarding the book will be coming soon.

“The servant ran towards her” (Bereshis 24:17)
“and she ran again” (Bereshis 24:20)
“and Lavan ran to the man outside” (Bereshis 24:29)

It seems like everyone is running in this week’s parsha. Eliezer, the servant of Avraham, is running. Rivka is running. Lavan is running. Why is everyone in a rush The reason a person runs shows what they feel is important because they want to rush to do it. Ever watch how children run out onto the playground from the classroom?

In this week’s parsha, there are basically two reasons why people run. Eliezer and Rivka run to do the will of Hashem. Eliezer sees that Hashem is making his plan work out. Rivka runs to do chesed. Lavan, on the other hand, runs because he sees an opportunity to make money.

Why do you run? Why do people drive 95 mph on I-95? Is it so they can get to their jobs and make money? Do people rush so they can get a good deal and save a few dollars (i.e. people rush to get Black Friday deals)? Or do they rush to serve Hashem? Do they rush to help someone? Do they rush to davening (Shulchan Aruch says a person should run to shul to show how excited he is to daven… he can even run to shul on Shabbos!)?

Lavan rushed for money and forever he is known as an evil man. Every year we mention at the Pesach Seder that Pharoah was a bad man, but Lavan was even worse than him. Rivka, on the other hand, is known as a tzadekes, an extremely righteous woman. She made sure that Yaakov received the brachos from Yitzchak and not Esav. She saved our religion!

Which would you rather be? What do you rush for?

Good Shabbos!
-y.e.s.
please send any comments or questions to: [email protected]
to see previous Divrei Simcha on the Parsha, please go to www.divreisimcha.com OR www.chesedclub.com > Torah Study