Unit 2 · Abraham, Sarah and Their Family

Abraham and Sarah lived in a place far away. Their first names were Abram and Sarai. The Torah says God spoke to Abram. God said, "Leave your land. Go to a land I will show you."

Abram did not know where he was going. He went anyway. Sarai went with him. So did his nephew Lot. They took their tents and their sheep. They walked a long way to a new land.

The new land was called Canaan. Jewish tradition says this is the land of Israel. Abraham and Sarah lived there in tents. They moved from place to place.

Abraham and Sarah had no children. They were getting old. The Torah says God made them a promise. God said, "Your family will be big. It will be as many as the stars."

The story says God told Abram to look up at the night sky. Try to count the stars! You cannot. That is how big the family would be.

God gave them new names, the story says. Abram became Abraham. Sarai became Sarah. Jewish tradition says the new names were part of the promise.

One hot day, three travelers came by. Abraham did not know them. The Torah says he ran to meet them. He bowed. He asked them to rest and eat.

Abraham and Sarah made a big meal. Bread, milk, cheese and meat. Abraham did not sit down. He stood by his guests while they ate.

The guests had a message. Sarah would have a baby boy. Sarah laughed. She was very old. Jewish tradition says her laugh became the baby’s name.

A stranger is a person you do not know. Abraham did not know the three men. He helped them anyway. Jewish tradition says this is a big lesson.

An old Jewish story says Abraham’s tent was open on all four sides. A guest could walk in from any way. No one had to go around. The story is a midrash. A midrash is a story that adds to the Torah.

Jewish families still welcome guests. On Shabbat, many families invite people to eat. They call it welcoming guests. It is a way to be like Abraham and Sarah.

The Torah says the promise came true. Sarah had a baby boy. They named him Isaac. In Hebrew, his name is Yitzchak. It means "he laughs."

Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me." Everyone who heard the news would laugh with her. Abraham and Sarah were very old. The story says Abraham was one hundred.

Jewish families read this story on Rosh Hashanah. That is the Jewish New Year. They hear how Isaac was born.

Isaac grew up. Abraham sent a helper to find Isaac a wife. The helper took ten camels. He stopped at a well. A well is a deep hole with water in it.

A girl named Rebekah came to the well. The helper asked for a drink. Rebekah gave him water. Then she said, "I will get water for your camels too." Ten camels drink a lot!

The helper knew she was kind. Rebekah went with him. She married Isaac. Jewish tradition says Rebekah was kind like Abraham.

Jewish tradition calls Abraham and Sarah the first of the family. In Hebrew, Abraham is called Avraham Avinu. That means "Abraham our father." Sarah is Sarah Imenu, "Sarah our mother."

Isaac and Rebekah come next. Then their children. Then their children’s children. Jewish tradition says the whole Jewish people is one big family.

Jewish prayers name Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Many prayers name Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah too. The story of the family goes on.

Isaac and Rebekah had twins. Twins are two babies born together. The first was Esau. He was red and hairy. The second was Jacob. He was holding Esau’s heel.

The boys grew up very different. Esau liked to hunt outside. Jacob liked to stay near the tents. The Torah says the brothers had a big fight over a blessing.

Esau was angry. Jacob had to leave home. He went far away to his uncle Laban. He did not see his brother for a long, long time.

On his trip, Jacob slept outside. He used a stone for a pillow. The Torah says he had a dream. He saw a ladder. It went from the ground to the sky.

Angels went up the ladder. Angels came down. In the dream, God made Jacob a promise. "I am with you. I will bring you back home."

Jacob woke up. He named the place Beth-el. Beth-el means "house of God." Jewish tradition says the dream showed Jacob he was not alone.

Jacob came to his uncle Laban. Laban had two daughters. Leah was the older one. Rachel was the younger one. Jacob met Rachel at a well. He loved her.

Jacob said, "I will work for you seven years. Then let me marry Rachel." Laban said yes. But at the wedding, Laban gave him Leah instead. Jacob was tricked!

Jacob worked seven more years. Then he married Rachel too. In those days, a man could have more than one wife. Both Leah and Rachel are called mothers of the family.

Many years went by. Jacob went home with his big family. He was afraid to see Esau. The night before, he was alone by a river.

The Torah says a stranger came. They wrestled all night. To wrestle is to grab and push and not let go. At dawn, the stranger said, "Let me go." Jacob said, "Not until you bless me."

The stranger gave Jacob a new name: Israel. The next day, Jacob met Esau. Esau ran to him. They hugged and cried. The brothers made peace.

Jacob had a very big family. The Torah says he had twelve sons. He also had a daughter. Her name was Dinah. Leah and Rachel were mothers of the family.

Some sons were Reuben, Judah, Levi and Joseph. Joseph was Rachel’s son. Rachel’s other son was Benjamin. He was the youngest of all.

Later, the family grew into a people. Jewish tradition says the people had twelve tribes. A tribe is a very big family group. The tribes were named for Jacob’s sons.

Jacob loved Joseph very much. The Torah says he gave Joseph a special coat. His brothers did not get one. They were jealous. To be jealous is to want what someone else has.

Joseph had dreams. In one, his brothers’ bundles of wheat bowed to his bundle. In another, the sun, moon and stars bowed to him. Joseph told everyone. His brothers got even more angry.

One day the brothers were far away with the sheep. Jacob sent Joseph to check on them. The brothers saw him coming in his coat.

The brothers grabbed Joseph. They took his coat. They put him in a deep hole. Then they sold him to travelers going to Egypt. They told Jacob that Joseph was dead. Jacob cried and cried.

In Egypt, Joseph worked hard. But he was blamed for something he did not do. He was put in jail. In jail, he told people what their dreams meant.

The king of Egypt was called Pharaoh. Pharaoh had a strange dream. Joseph said it meant seven good years, then seven hungry years. Pharaoh made Joseph his top helper. Joseph saved up food.

The hungry years came. Jacob’s family had no food. The brothers went to Egypt to buy some. They stood in front of Joseph. They did not know him. He knew them.

Joseph tested them. Then he could not hold back. He cried. "I am Joseph!" he said. "Is my father still alive?" The brothers were scared. But Joseph said, "Do not be afraid."

Joseph forgave his brothers. To forgive is to stop being angry at someone. The whole family moved to Egypt. Jacob saw Joseph again. Jewish tradition says forgiving is one of the big lessons of this story.