Parshat Chayei Sarah
25 Cheshvan 5756
Saturday, November 18, 1995

Guest Rabbi:
Rabbi Raphael Wizman
Young Israel of Commack, New York



This Parsha begins with the death of Sarah and ends with the passing away of Avraham. "In good old age mature and content."

Several popular questions are asked about this Parsha:

1. Why did Sarah merit to have a parsha named after her and not Avraham who also died in this parsha?
2. Why is this Parsha called "Chaye" Sarah - The "life" of Sarah when it talks only of her death?
3. Why did Avraham merit to live 175 years and Sarah only 127 years?
4. Why is the story of Yitzchok's engagement repeated with such detail twice?
5. Why is Sarah the only woman in the Torah whose age is recorded and in such unusual manner, repeating the word "years" four times.
6. When Avraham came to eulogize Sarah, why does the Torah not record what Avraham said at her eulogy?

The popular answers to the above questions given by several commentators can be summarized simply by the name of the parsha: "Chaye Sarah".

The fact that Yitzchak's engagement is told twice indicates that Sarah was still living in her son's life."Tzaddikim, even after their death are considered alive".

Thus, the story of her death is in essence reflecting the years of her life. When she was a hundred years old, her life was as sinless as when she was twenty. And at twenty, she was as beautiful and wholesome as she was at the age of seven.

Just as it is not as likely to sin at the age of 100 as at 20, Sarah, even at the age of twenty was sinless. And, just as at the age of seven, a girl is not so concerned about her beauty, neither was Sarah at the age of twenty.

This is not something that can be said about Avraham whose real life did not begin until the age of 48 when he discovered HaShem. "A convert is like a newborn child." Therefore, it comes out that Avraham's real life span was the same as Sarah's (175 - 48 = 127). Similarly the Gematria of ____ is 37 which stands for the years of the real fulfilled "life" that Sarah lived which was only after she gave birth to Yitzchak (at the age of 90). As Chazal tells us: "One is not considered alive unless he/she has children". Our children are our legacy and continuation of life.

Sarah was greater than Avraham in prophecy. Sarah's life was greatly misunderstood: She dealt harshly with Hagar and then drove her and her son, Yishmael, away from their home.

These seemingly bad qualities that Sarah exuded turned out to be for the benefit of the Jewish continuation. Not for her self esteem. She, in her saw that Yishmael simply will not or cannot live with Yitzchak. As is proven even to this very day in Eretz Yisrael. And regardless of the fact that the purchase of Machpelah is recorded here in detail, the Yishmael of our generation still contests it. As King David put it so well, "When I speak of peace, they prepare for war". In her keenness, Sarah, a long time ago, foresaw that the Arabs would never live in peace with the Jews.

Abraham, recognizing the greatness of Sarah who died only after the Akeidah, when she took pride and joy that she succeeded in raising a son who was willing to sacrifice his life for the service of HaShem, did not need to tell of her greatness. Avraham came to eulogize Sarah but did not.
For her son Yitzchak was her legacy and greatness. He is a living testimony that Sarah did not die and does not need a Eulogy. Yitzchak married Rivkah and brought her to Sarah's tent so that Sarah may continue to live.

Perhaps her eulogy is what Rashi says: All her years were equally good. Sarah suffered much agony in her lifetime: Childless till the age of ninety, exiled from place to place, captured twice, etc. Yet, in her greatness, she accepted her lot in life without complaint. "This too is for the good", she would say continuously and, indeed, in her eyes, life was good to her.

The National Council of Young Israel is proud to be in the forefront of support for Greater Eretz Yisrael and the security of our brethren in Yehuda, Shomron, Gaza and the Golan. Not just a matter of writing articles and placing ads, we co-sponsored the November 13th Freedom-Solidarity March in Jerusalem and sponsored the Washington D.C. rally on September 28th -- the day of the signing of the Oslo II agreement. This rally was picked up by the worldwide media and featured in such publications as The Jewish Press (New York), the Algemeiner Journal (New York), the front page of The Baltimore Jewish Times (Maryland), the Israeli edition of the Jerusalem Post, the New Jersey Jewish Voice, AP Worldwide and the Israeli radio program Kol Yisroel.

We will not remain silent on this issue. For more information on this and other concerns that the National Council is involved with, call (212) 929-1525 ext. 115.