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What are the verses one reads to fulfill the Sephardic custom of Avram Siz?

Avram Siz (or Avraham Zaqein) is the Sephardic custom of reading a passage in Genesis the Shabbat following a wedding.

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  • I always assumed it was all of Genesis 24 (ie. from parsha break to parsha break)
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Mar 13, 2017 at 18:37
  • @DoubleAA I have always assumed the same but I would love to have a source to cite.
    – Aaron
    Commented Mar 13, 2017 at 22:28

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The Arukh (under Chatan) mentions reading 3 verses (ie. Genesis 24:1-3). The Tashbetz (2:39) says the local custom near him is like the Arukh.

The Avudarham (at the end of the Laws of Wedding Blessings) citing Rav Sa'adya Gaon's Siddur (though I can't find it there) writes to recite until "MiSham" (ie. Genesis 24:1-7). The Magen Avraham (144 sk 5) and Kaf HaChayim (144 sk 10) cite this version as well. Berit Kehuna cites that practice as the custom in Djerba.

The Tikkun Yissakhar posits that the remainder of the Parsha is not read since it is only a Minhag.

This modern rendition of the section on Youtube contains Genesis 24:1-7.

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    The Tashbetz's quote of the Arukh is off and doesn't explicitly say the reading is 3 verses long. I wonder if there was a printing error in our editions of the Arukh (it would have to be old since my link is to possibly the editio princeps, I think), and really the Tashbetz is thinking the Arukh is saying 7.
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Mar 13, 2017 at 23:22
  • hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=8834&st=&pgnum=639 algeria like djerba unsurprisingly
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Feb 12, 2021 at 17:58
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This site mentions:

the Avram Siz includes the reading of a passage in Genesis in which Abraham sends his servant, Eliezer, to find a suitable mate for his son, Isaac. This is why it's called the "Avram Siz," which is Aramaic for "Avram was old," which are the words that introduce this Torah passage, which is read not in Hebrew, but in Aramaic, the language of the Targum, the Aramaic translation of the Torah.

It seems, then, that all of Breishit 24 is meant as that entire chapter deals with Eliezer finding a wife for Yitzhak.

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    Yes that was the impression I had but I would love a very specific source.
    – Aaron
    Commented Mar 13, 2017 at 22:22
  • @Aaron it's tough to find sources on the web regarding this practice. However, I'm inferring from the above that when he says "passage", he would mean the entire chapter. I can't think of why any verses in the chapter might be eliminated as it would detract from the story. I don't get to be invited to many Sephardi weddings. Perhaps, I can contact one of my Sephardi friends and ask him what occurred at his wedding.
    – DanF
    Commented Mar 13, 2017 at 22:32
  • Looks like DoubleAA found the sources. Looks like it's way shorter than the whole chapter.
    – Aaron
    Commented Mar 13, 2017 at 23:28

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