Our mission as the Jewish people is to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation and to bring the world closer to Hashem. Since we are Hashem's representatives, the way we act impacts other people and how they view Hashem.

In Vayikra, the Torah tells us, "You shall not desecrate my holy name, and I shall be sanctified among the children of Israel." In truth, there is nothing we can do to alter Hashem's holiness, but we can affect His reputation. The term chilul comes from the root word chalal, which means an empty space or a corpse. When we desecrate Hashem's name we take Him out of the picture and create an empty shell. Chilul Hashem is such a grievous sin that even Yom Kippur doesn't atone for it. The only way to correct it is by doing an act of Kiddush Hashem, sanctifying the name of Hashem.

One is only required to give up one's life in order not to violate the three cardinal sins, idol worship, adultery, or murder. However, in times of organized Torah persecution, when transgressing a prohibition would constitute a Chilul Hashem, one must lay down one's life.

The following are sins that constitute a Chilul Hashem: Declaring false oaths or swearing in vain, offering one's children to the worship of molech, illicit relations, desecration of holy objects, mentioning Hashem's name in vain, approaching a non-Jewish court in violation of halacha, perverting justice, cheating in business, and lying.

There are other activities which do not by definition constitute a Chilul Hashem but people can interpret it as such. Any violation of an ethical norm constitutes a Chilul Hashem. The Gemara lists some examples: Failure to pay bills on time, giving the appearance that you're lax in observance, and shaming other people by activities one engages in. One may not do anything that other people assume is prohibited even if it is permitted. Anything that will degrade the honor of the Torah can be a Chilul Hashem. This includes being unsociable, unpleasant, and unkempt. A Torah scholar has a special responsibility never to wear stained or soiled clothing.

The Gemara discusses what constitutes a chilul Hashem. Rav said, "If I take meat from the butcher and I don't pay him at once." Rabbe Yochanan said, "If I would just walk four cubits without mentioning a dvar Torah."

May all our actions always reflect the nobility of Hashem and His people.

The Midrash expounds the verse, "Yodeiya Hashem yemei temimim. Hashem knows the days of the perfect ones." The Midrash says this refers to Sarah, who was perfect in her actions. A similar Midrash says this refers to Avraham, who was perfect. The difference between the two Midrashim is that the word 'actions' is mentioned in connection with Sarah.

There is another intriguing statement mentioned in the Midrash quoted by Rashi, "Kol asher tomar elecha Sarah shema b'kola." Whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her voice. Rashi says that we see from here that her prophecy was superior to Avraham's. This is surprising as the Torah mainly focuses on Avraham and not on Sarah.

The Shem Mishmuel explains that there are three levels of the soul, nefesh, the biological soul centered in the body; ruach, the emotional soul located in the heart; neshama, the intellectual soul found in the brain. Tamim really means perfection of one's body, emotions, and intellect. There are mitzvot that relate to the body such as brit milah, mitzvot dealing with emotions, such as not to be hateful or covetous, and mitzvot of the mind such as studying Torah. The Torah aims to help every Jew achieve perfection on a triple level.

Marriage creates a single entity. Two half souls merge. However, the Zohar says the soul is concentrated within man and woman in different ways. The physical and emotional part of the common soul is expressed more in the woman and the intellect is in the man. Both half souls have all three qualities. It's just a question of where the emphasis is. The wife is called akeret habayit, the pillar of the home. She is mainly involved on a physical level with the children and the managing of the home. She is also more in tune with the emotional needs of her family.

The intellectual aspect is more pronounced in the man. Men gravitate to study. "V'shinantem l'vanecha," the obligation to teach Torah to children is primarily the father's. Mishlei says, "Shma bni mussar avicha." The father must teach his children the intellectual Torah. "V'al titosh Torat imecha." The mother must teach her children middot. She, more than the father, shapes their character, which is primarily formed in the early years.

The Gemara says that when there's a difference of opinion between a husband and wife, milei d'shmaya (heavenly matters) are decided by the husband while milei d'alma (worldly matters) are the wife's prerogative. Perhaps the Gemara means that if the issue is related to something physical or emotional, it is mila d'alma and a woman will understand better. But if it involves the intellect, it's the husband's call.

Avraham was the soul of the original Jewish family. Sarah was the body. Avraham was the ish hasechel (man of intellect). Sarah expressed the emotional and physical aspect of their marriage. The Torah says, "V'hinei ba'ohel." Sarah was in the tent. She was the foundation of her home. She had emotional control of the family. A woman's role is having the strength and discipline over her emotions to be able to make those difficult decisions.

The Shem Mishmuel explains that prophecy is an emotional experience, an emotional connection with Hashem. Sarah was greater in prophecy because she was more in tune with her emotions. Therefore, Hashem told Avraham, "Whatever she says listen to her."

Avraham's tests were on the intellectual level. Akeidat Yitzchak seemed like an illogical absurdity. How could Hashem, the source of life, take an innocent life for no reason? But nonetheless, Avraham went ahead and did it. That was his greatness. He sacrificed his intellect, his most precious aspect, for Hashem. Sarah too never let her physical beauty dominate her. She sacrificed her strengths for Hashem. That is how they became the most sanctified couple, the couple that defined all future Jewish couples forever.

In Parshat Chayei Sarah we read that Yitzchak went out to the field to pray Mincha. He raised his eyes and saw camels coming. Rivkah too lifted her eyes and saw Yitzchak. She inclined while upon the camel and she asked the servant, "Who is the man walking in the field towards us?" He replied, "He is my master." She then took her veil and covered herself.

How was Yitzchak's going out to pray connected with meeting Rivkah? What does the Torah mean when it says, "She fell from her camel?" What was the implication of her covering herself? The sefer Vayavenu B'mikra says that this section of the parsha teaches us the preparation that Yitzchak and Rivkah did before their marriage.

The Torah says that Yitzchak was coming from Be'er La'chai Ro'i. Rashi says he was bringing Hagar to Avraham so he could remarry her. A man is normally expected to go out to search for his zivug (predestined mate). However, Yitzchak wasn't allowed to leave Israel. Still he wanted to be involved somewhat in his shidduch process, so he went out to daven. Soon thereafter he lifted up his eyes and saw the camels coming. The Torah is teaching us that in order to get married you have to prepare yourself with prayer. Yitzchak also understood that you have to do some action, so he went and found a wife for his father. By involving himself in matchmaking for his father it served as a merit for him to find his own mate.

Rav Rice notes that Mincha is usually said in the middle of the day when people are caught up in the daily physical aspects of life. Therefore, this particular prayer brings Hashem into every aspect of our day. It reminds us to constantly maintain our connection to Him. The Midrash says that Adam sinned on the tenth hour of the day, at the time of Mincha. Adam put His own will before Hashem's. When Yitzchak was metaken Mincha he tried to rectify this flaw through self-nullification and by recognizing that nothing is devoid of Hashem presence.

While Yitzchak was involved in this rectification, he also prayed for the future generations and for the ultimate redemption. He saw in a vision all that would happen in the era of Mashiach. The Mishna teaches that there will be a greater level of audacity in the world. Therefore, Yitzchak prayed with bitul (self-nullification) to counteract this force.

The Gemara says that if one sees a camel in his dream it's a sign that he was destined to die but he was saved from death. When Yitzchak saw the camels he took it as a sign that death had been averted, the Jewish people would not be destroyed, and the redemption would come. The word gamal can be read as gemilas chasadim (acts of kindness). Yitzchak saw that the merit of kindnesscombined with prayer would bring Mashiach.

Rav Wolbe explains that when Rivkah saw Yitzchak, she was so awed by his holiness that she almost fell off the camel. The Me'or Va'shemesh writes that at first people think they are on a fine level but when they see a great tzaddik they realize they are nothing. This brings them to repentance. Rivkah fell from her original level. She thought she was a woman of chesed with fine middot, but when she saw Yitzchak she realized how far she still had to go. She then covered herself out of embarrassment.

Marriage is about one force meeting another force. Eliezer looked for a woman of chesed to balance Yitzchak's gevurah. Mishlei says, "She does good for him and not bad all the days of his life." The Midrash says this refers to Rivkah. The goodness she did for Yitzchak was that she agreed to marry him. She realized she would be the best person to counterbalance Yitzchak's strong attribute of din. Together they could bring Yaakov into the world, the perfect blend of chesed and din.

The Maharal emphasizes that the greatness of a woman is her tzniut (modesty). It says that Hashem gave Adam and Chava kotnot or. Or can be read as leather or light. A woman's garments are her light. She represents the kodesh kadoshim. The more holy something is, the more concealed it must be. Hair is connected to the brain, the seat of intellect where the Divine Presence dwells. When Rivkah covered her hair she recognized that she would now be entering a different holier domain.

The Torah says that Yitzchak came from Be'er La'chai Ro'i. After the akeida the angels took Yitzchak to Gan Eden to recuperate and now Rivkah saw him coming out. In heaven, one's feet are up and one's head is down. She saw Yitzchak upside down and this caused her to fall from her camel.

The Shvilei Pinchas explains that when a person dies he cannot do mitzvot anymore. However, the merit of what he left behind, whether children, students, or worthy projects, continues to accrue in the soul's account and allows it to rise. Therefore, it says that their heads are down. They are waiting for people in this world to do good deeds so that they can continue growing.

Rivkah covered her head instinctively. She realized that we must be focused in this world on eternal matters. We must concentrate on the power of chesed and tefilah and utilize those moments of growth to their fullest potential. In this way we, along with the souls of our ancestors, will continue to ascend.