The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts on the parsha that R' Frand spoke about in his shiur tonight. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
The first vort that R' Frand said tonight touched on the famous question of why the Torah needed to spend 67 pesukim on the story of Eliezer looking for a wife for Yitzchak. R' Frand first quoted the famous Rashi which states that better is the discussion of the slaves of the Avos than the Torah taught by their children. But what is the lesson that is learned from this discussion?
In answering this question, R' Frand made reference to the Gemara which explains that when Eliezer is called a Damesek, it does not mean that he comes from Damascus. Rather it is teaching that he was Doleh U'Mashkeh - he would ladle out Avraham's Torah to the masses. And we previously saw how special Eliezer was, in that he was the one man army that Avraham used in the war of the 4-5 kings.
But if Eliezer has all of these incredible qualities, why does the Torah spend 67 pesukim on his going to find a bride for Yitzchak?
R' Frand answered this by quoting R' Ephraim Wachsman who opined that this story shows exactly how great Eliezer was. He had a daughter of his own, but Avraham told him - I can't let my son marry your daughter as you are from the cursed, since you descend from Cham. While this might have been a reason for Eliezer to disassociate from Avraham, instead Eliezer stayed with him, and was promptly given what could be viewed as a gut punch as after Avraham said that his daughter was an inappropriate match, he was asked to find a different girl for Yitzchak.
[R' Frand said think about this - a boy is set up with a girl and after a few dates she says that its not shiach because he does not learn enough. And then the shadchan in the same conversation says - but your roommate is a lamdan - lets set him up with her!]
Yet Eliezer did his service, and this could be due to his being a Moshel. R' Frand quoted the Medrash Rabbah which says that when Eliezer is identified as הַמּשֵׁ֖ל בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ - it is not that he ruled over Avraham's possessions, its that Eliezer ruled over his Yetzer. And this is what made him great.
R' Frand then tied this theme into Sarah. The parsha begins by saying שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה - which Rashi explains means that all of the years were good. But how could they have been all good? She was barren for 99 years.
He answered with an introduction to the name Sarah - it means a position of authority. But her life was anything but being "in power" as she was taken captive by Pharaoh and then by Avimelech. Rather the power/authority was that she had control over herself. She was not sad by her lot in life, nor did she give up when these things occurred.
R' Frand also tied this into a famous Medrash about R' Akiva who was giving a shiur when people began falling asleep. He wanted to wake them up, so he said - why was Esther worthy of being queen over 127 lands? It is because she was the great granddaughter of Sarah.
R' Frand quoted R' Nissim Alpert who said that much like Sarah, Esther did not give up hope. She had been a tzanuah who was taken by the abhorrent Achasveros. But she did not throw in the towel, she stayed strong and resisted him. Why? Because she had strength, much like Sarah.
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