Difference between revisions of "Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Chayyei Sarah/0/en"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
This topic has not yet undergone editorial review
m |
|||
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
<li>What are the main points of similarity and difference between the two?</li> | <li>What are the main points of similarity and difference between the two?</li> | ||
<li>Perhaps surprisingly, the stories of father and son are actually quite similar, and exploring the parallels helps a reader appreciate both the overlap between and the uniqueness of each leader.  See <a href="Avraham and Yitzchak" data-aht="page">Avraham and Yitzchak</a> for more.</li> | <li>Perhaps surprisingly, the stories of father and son are actually quite similar, and exploring the parallels helps a reader appreciate both the overlap between and the uniqueness of each leader.  See <a href="Avraham and Yitzchak" data-aht="page">Avraham and Yitzchak</a> for more.</li> | ||
| + | </ul> | ||
| + | </category> | ||
| + | <category>Avraham and Keturah | ||
| + | </category> | ||
| + | <category>A Portrait of Rivka | ||
| + | <p>Bring several artistic renditions of <a href="Rivka at the Well in Art" data-aht="page">Rivka at the Well</a> to your Shabbat table.  Where does each artist stay true to the text and where do they veer from it?  What ambiguities or unknowns in the original narrative might they be drawing upon? </p> | ||
| + | <ul> | ||
| + | <li>With which depiction of Rivka do you most identify; why?</li> | ||
| + | <li>How old do you think she was at the encounter? </li> | ||
| + | <li>Do you think of Rivka as a kindly young maiden, or as a scheming, manipulative adult?  How does her character evolve over the Bereshit narratives?</li> | ||
</ul> | </ul> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
Version as of 15:01, 22 November 2016
Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Chayyei Sarah
What to Look for in a Spouse
Much of Parashat Chayyei Sarah revolves around finding A Wife for Yitzchak.
- What were Avraham's main criteria when choosing Yitzchak's spouse? Was he looking for someone who was likely to share his beliefs, or someone who was of noble character?
- How would you weigh the relative values of each? Is it more important that a spouse's religious observance and beliefs match your own, or that s/he have good middot?
- If everyone was idolatrous at the time, why did Avraham have his servant travel all the way to Charan, rather than look for a wife closer to home? Was there something inherently troubling about the Canaanites, or was Avraham simply fearful of having local in-laws of a different religion?
Like Father, Like Son?
Often readers picture Avraham as an active trailblazer, and Yitzchak as but a passive shadow, whose main contribution is being a link in the chain. Is this an accurate depiction?
- What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of each character?
- What are the main points of similarity and difference between the two?
- Perhaps surprisingly, the stories of father and son are actually quite similar, and exploring the parallels helps a reader appreciate both the overlap between and the uniqueness of each leader. See Avraham and Yitzchak for more.
Avraham and Keturah
A Portrait of Rivka
Bring several artistic renditions of Rivka at the Well to your Shabbat table. Where does each artist stay true to the text and where do they veer from it? What ambiguities or unknowns in the original narrative might they be drawing upon?
- With which depiction of Rivka do you most identify; why?
- How old do you think she was at the encounter?
- Do you think of Rivka as a kindly young maiden, or as a scheming, manipulative adult? How does her character evolve over the Bereshit narratives?
