Parashat: Chayei Sarah

Parashat: Chayei Sarah
Torah Reading: Genesis 23:1–25:18

“And Rebecca raised her eyes and she saw Isaac — and she fell off of the camel.”

— Genesis 24:64

Though often mocked mercilessly, in recent history, the romance genre generated more than $1.44 billion in revenue, with approximately 51 million units sold in the US market over a 12-month period (as of June 2025). Why does this matter? Because clearly, it appears that we have a wide audience for a “meet-cute.” This is, in the romance world, when the two main characters meet each other in a cute/mishap/ridiculous way — spilling a coffee, getting on the wrong plane, or here — even falling off of a camel.

Rebekah is crafted as an incredibly thoughtful character — one who is kind, serves others, and understands the way of the world inasmuch as she stands out to Eliezer — the man responsible for choosing her to be Isaac’s wife. She moves through the world with perspective and poise — and as much as camels have played an integral part of her story thus far — it is all the more surprising when she falls off a camel upon viewing her future husband!

It’s a funny and tongue-in-cheek reminder to all of us that sometimes life gifts us with the unexpected — even if we think we know what we’re in for. Whether it’s coming across the love of your life, learning that you truly can do hard things, or finding surprise cookies on your desk for Shabbat, it’s good for us to remember that life still has the capacity to surprise — and even delight! — us if we’re open to the possibilities.

— Rabbi Amanda K. Weiss