Parashas Chayei Sarah - My Body is Holy!

In this week's Parasha [24:2 & 3] Avraham says to his servant of his household, who was in charge of everything he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh. I will have you swear by Hashem, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live.”

Rashi says, “Since one who takes an oath is required to hold a sacred object in his hand, for example, a Sefer Torah or Tefillin; a circumcision was his first mitzvah. It came to him through pain and was therefore dear to him.”

According to Rashi, “under his thigh” means his Milah (his servant placed his hand on Avraham's private part.)

The area Avraham made his servant swear on is a bit unusual, isn't it? It says, “a circumcision was his first mitzvah,” which infers that there were other mitzvahs. So why did Avraham chose his Milah? He was also commanded to do Akeidas Yitzchak! Why didn't he put his hand on Yitzchak's head? (The Gur Aryeh says Avraham owned a pair of Tefillin. And the Gemara in Shavuos 38b says it's actually better to swear on tefillin since it says Hashem's name.) Why not use those? Why use himself?

Rashi answers because the mitzvah of Milah came to him though pain and therefore it was dear to him.

Wasn't it painful for him to give over his only son as a sacrifice? Granted, Avraham did Hashem's will with happiness and love, but it was no easy test! I can't imagine it wasn't painful! So, why did Avraham use himself for the shavua?

I believe one approach is: Sometimes, it's hard for us to realize our accomplishments or our value. Avraham could have chosen tefillin or his son, but he chose himself. He understood the value of himself and his body. A person can use their body for different purposes. Unfortunately, some people use it to tattoo words and images or pierce metal objects onto their skin. Avraham used it to get close to Hashem and Kedusha.

Have a wonderful Shabbos,

Nisso