Hachnasat Orchim Hospitality Fund

In conjunction with Chabad’s new hospitality program of weekly Friday night community dinners, we are launching a Hachnasat Orchim (Hospitality) fund to subsidize the cost of the dinners for those who cannot afford the full price.

Every week we will publish the beginning and ending fund balance together with the weekly revenue and expenses of the dinner. The Rebbe taught, that through “Hachnasat Orchim” we not only follow in the footsteps of our father Avraham, but indeed we emulate the ways of Hashem who is the true provider of all human provisions. If you would like to contribute to this worthy cause, please click here. When making your contribution please indicate in the memo “Hachanasat Orchim (Hospitality) Fund.

Friday, October 18, 2013
Opening Balance: $0.00
Number of Guests: 53
Dinner Expenses: ($1,552)
Admission Fees: $845
Donations: $707
Ending Balance: $0.00

We thank the following individuals whose generous donations made this dinner possible:
Elion and Sheryl Krok
Avi and Jordana Moche
Larry and Caryn Malitzky
In memory of his father's yahrtziet, Chayim Reuven Malitzky OBM

November 2: The Ben Meir family

November 9: Available for Sponsorship

November 16: Available for Sponsorship

If you wish to sponsor a Kiddush, email Rabbi Fried at [email protected]

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The Prototypical Marriage

The marriage between Yitzchak and Rivkah recounted in this week’s parsha is the first Jewish marriage mentioned in the Torah. It is seen as the prototype of all subsequent marriages, including the cosmic marriage between G-d and the Jewish people that occurred at Sinai.

Commentators raise a question about the legality of both marriages:

When Yitzchak married Rivkah, he did so by way of a proxy. Abraham dispatched his trusted servant Eliezer to serve as Yitzchak’s agent to betroth Rivkah to his son. According to the Midrash, when Eliezer gave Rivkah jewelry it was not just a gift but was in lieu of the wedding ring that we currently use to execute a legal marriage. Yitzchak was thus married to Rivkah without even showing up at his own wedding!

Jewish law allows for the possibility of executing a marriage by way of proxy. However, it forbids this manner of marriage except in dire circumstances. The main reason for this objection is that there is the concern that a man might find something unappealing and repugnant about his wife (or vice versa).

Based on this legal premise, a question has been raised: How could Abraham—whom our Sages state anticipated the commandments of the Torah and observed them—violate the law that forbade his son from marrying a woman without seeing her first? Why did he send his servant to execute the marriage by proxy?

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