Seder Yomi

Chapter Previewהַקְדָּמָה

In this final aliyah of Parshas Chayei Sara, the Torah turns its focus to the descendants of Yishmael, the son of Avraham whom Hagar the Mitzri bore to him. We are introduced to the next generation of this family, listing the names of Yishmael's sons in the order of their births as they began to branch out and establish their own lineages.

All introductions, summaries, and contextual notes are the editor's commentary and are not part of the original text.אַלע הַקְדָּמוֹת, סִכּוּמִים, און הערות זענען דעם רעדאַקטאָר'ס באַמערקונגען און זענען נישט קיין טייל פונעם אָריגינעלן טעקסט.

פָּסוּק א

Pasuk 1

וְאֵלֶּהAnd these areתֹּלְדֹתthe offspring ofיִשְׁמָעֵאלYishmaelבֶּןson ofאַבְרָהָםAvrahamאֲשֶׁרwhomיָלְדָהboreהָגָרHagarהַמִּצְרִיתthe Egyptianשִׁפְחַתmaidservant ofשָׂרָהSarahלְאַבְרָהָם׃to Avraham

פָּסוּק ב

Pasuk 2

וְאֵלֶּהAnd these areשְׁמוֹתthe names ofבְּנֵיthe sons ofיִשְׁמָעֵאלYishmaelבִּשְׁמֹתָםby their namesלְתוֹלְדֹתָםaccording to their birthsבְּכֹרthe firstborn ofיִשְׁמָעֵאלYishmaelנְבָיֹתNevayosוְקֵדָרand Kedarוְאַדְבְּאֵלand Adbeelוּמִבְשָׂם׃and Mivsam

רַשִׁ״י

בשמותםby their namesלתולדותם.according to their progenyסֵדֶרthe order ofלֵידָתָןtheir birthזֶהthis oneאַחַרafterזֶה:this one

פָּסוּק ג

Pasuk 3

וּמִשְׁמָעand Mishmaוְדוּמָהand Dumahוּמַשָּׂא׃and Massa

פָּסוּק ד

Pasuk 4

חֲדַדHadadוְתֵימָאand TemaיְטוּרJeturנָפִישׁNaphishוָקֵדְמָה׃and Kedmah

פָּסוּק ה

Pasuk 5

אֵלֶּהTheseהֵםareבְּנֵיthe sons ofיִשְׁמָעֵאלYishmaelוְאֵלֶּהand theseשְׁמֹתָםare their namesבְּחַצְרֵיהֶםby their villagesוּבְטִירֹתָםand by their strongholdsשְׁנֵיםtwelveעָשָׂר·נְשִׂיאִםchieftainsלְאֻמֹּתָם׃according to their nations

רַשִׁ״י

בחצריהם.By their enclosuresכְּרַכִּיםcitiesשֶׁאֵיןthat do notלָהֶםhave to themחוֹמָה,a wallוְתַּרְגּוּמוֹand its translationבְּפַצְחֵיהוֹןin their open areasשֶׁהֵםfor they areמְפֻצָּחִים,openלְשׁוֹןan expression ofפְּתִיחָה,openingכְּמוֹlikeפִּצְחוּburst forthוְרַנְּנוּand singתהיליםTehillimצ"ח98:

פָּסוּק ו

Pasuk 6

וְאֵלֶּהAnd theseשְׁנֵיwere the years ofחַיֵּיthe life ofיִשְׁמָעֵאלYishmaelמְאַתone hundredשָׁנָהyearsוּשְׁלֹשִׁיםand thirtyשָׁנָהyearsוְשֶׁבַעand sevenשָׁנִיםyearsוַיִּגְוַעand he expiredוַיָּמָתand he diedוַיֵּאָסֶףand he was gatheredאֶלtoעַמָּיו׃his people

רַשִׁ״י

ואלהAnd theseשניthe years ofחייthe life ofישמעאלYishmaelוגו'.etc.אָמַרsaidרַבִּיRabbiחִיָּאChiyaבַּרson ofאַבָּאAbbaלָמָּהwhyנִמְנוּwere enumeratedשְׁנוֹתָיוhis yearsשֶׁלofיִשְׁמָעֵאל,Yishmaelכְּדֵיin orderלְיַחֵסto traceבָהֶםthrough themשְׁנוֹתָיוthe yearsשֶׁלofיַעֲקֹבYaakovמִשְּׁנוֹתָיוfrom the yearsשֶׁלofיִשְׁמָעֵאל,Yishmaelלָמַדְנוּwe learnedשֶׁשִּׁמֵּשׁthat servedיַעֲקֹבYaakovבְּבֵיתin the house ofעֵבֶרEverי"דfourteenשָׁנָהyearsכְּשֶׁפֵּרֵשׁwhen he separatedמֵאָבִיוfrom his fatherקֹדֶםbeforeשֶׁבָּאthat he cameאֵצֶלtoלָבָן,Lavanשֶׁהֲרֵיfor beholdכְּשֶׁפֵּרֵשׁwhen he separatedיַעֲקֹבYaakovמֵאָבִיוfrom his fatherמֵתdiedיִשְׁמָעֵאל,Yishmaelשֶׁנֶּאֱמַרas it is saidוַיֵּלֶךְand wentעֵשָׂוEsavאֶלtoיִשְׁמָעֵאלYishmaelוגו'etc.בראשיתBereishisרבהRabbahכ"ה25,כְּמוֹjust asשֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁit is explainedבְּסוֹףat the end ofמְגִלָּהMegillahנִקְרֵאת:Nikraas

רַשִׁ״י

ויגוע.And he expiredלֹאnotנֶאֶמְרָהis saidגְוִיעָהexpiringאֶלָּאexceptבְּצַדִּיקִים:regarding righteous people

פָּסוּק ז

Pasuk 7

וַיִּשְׁכְּנוּAnd they dweltמֵחֲוִילָהfrom ChavilahעַדuntilשׁוּרShurאֲשֶׁרwhichעַלis beforeפְּנֵיthe face ofמִצְרַיִםMitzrayimבֹּאֲכָהas you goאַשּׁוּרָהtoward Ashurעַלbeforeפְּנֵיthe face ofכָלallאֶחָיוhis brothersנָפָל׃he settled

רַשִׁ״י

נפל.fellשָׁכַן,dweltכְּמוֹlikeוּמִדְיָןand Midianוַעֲמָלֵקand Amalekוּבְנֵיand the children ofקֶדֶםthe Eastנֹפְלִיםwere dwellingבָּעֵמֶקin the valleyשופטיםShoftimז'seven.כָּאןhereהוּאitאוֹמֵרsaysלְשׁוֹןan expression ofנְפִילָה,fallingוּלְהַלָּןand further onאוֹמֵרit saysעַלuponפְּנֵיthe face ofכָלallאֶחָיוhis brothersיִשְׁכֹּןhe shall dwellבראשיתBereishisט״ז:י״בsixteen?עַדtwelveשֶׁלֹּאuntilמֵתbeforeאַבְרָהָםdiedיִשְׁכֹּן,Avrahamמִשֶּׁמֵּתhe shall dwellאַבְרָהָםonce diedנָפַל:Avraham

Chapter Summaryסִכּוּם

The aliyah details the twelve sons of Yishmael, who became twelve distinct chieftains over their respective nations, dwelling in their own villages and encampments. The Torah records that Yishmael lived for one hundred and thirty-seven years before passing away and being gathered to his people, and concludes by describing the geographic boundaries of his descendants' territory, stretching from Havilah near Mitzrayim all the way toward Asshur.

לְמַעֲשֶׂהWhat To Take Home

The Torah is telling us the years of Ishmael's life, and Rashi is immediately bothered by a kasha: why does the Torah go out of its way to count the years of a rasha? The teretz Rashi brings from the Chazal in Megillah is beautiful. The Torah is counting his years to help us calculate the timeline of Yaakov Avinu's life, specifically to show us how many years Yaakov spent learning in the yeshivah of Shem and Ever.

Think about the deep chiddush the Torah is teaching us here. Ishmael was a wild man, a person of physical power and vast desert kingdoms. Yet, in the eyes of Hashem, the entire purpose of recording his life story and counting his years is only to serve as a backdrop for a young boy sitting in a tent, shteiging over the Torah. The kingdoms of Ishmael, with all their noise and power, are just the scaffolding. The real building, the real focus of the entire creation, is the quiet learning of a Yid.

Sometimes we look at the big, loud world around us and we feel small. We see people building massive empires, running the world's economy, and making headlines, while we are sitting in a bais medrash or at our kitchen table trying to understand a difficult Tosfos or saying a chapter of Tehillim. The yetzer hara tries to make us feel like our quiet avodah is insignificant. But this parsha comes to be mechadesh the exact opposite. The whole world and all its history only exist to support your Torah and your mitzvos.

Today, when you sit down to learn or do a mitzvah, remind yourself of this yesod. Do not let the noise of the world distract you. Realize that the entire world is spinning right now just so you can have the opportunity to connect to Hashem.