Sarah's Legacy
Chaya Mushka and Nechama Krimmer
According to our Sages, the name of each parsha embodies its essence and its primary lesson intended for us. This week’s parsha is named Chayei Sarah, the life of Sarah, although, ironically, her passing is recounted in one of the first verses of the parsha! How can we understand why the parsha is called Chayei Sarah despite her early passing within it?
Three main events in this parsha demonstrate how Sarah's influence continued on after her death: Avraham's purchase of the Cave of the Patriarchs for her burial, Avraham's search for a wife for their son, Yitzchok, and Avraham's subsequent marriage to Keturah.
Immediately after Sarah's passing, Avraham purchased Sarah's burial plot at the Maharas HaMachpela in Hebron known as the Cave of our Patriarchs. This sacred ground would end up being the resting place of our forefathers and foremothers, including Avraham, himself.
Avraham saw light flowing from the Maharas HaMachpela and, in fact, it was the very place where the first two people, Adam and Chava, were buried. The holy Zohar relates, however, that the sanctity of the Cave of the Patriarchs goes deeper than those buried within it, that it is the spiritual gateway to Gan Eden, the Garden of Eden, itself.
Avraham purchased the Maharas HaMachpela from a local Hittite tribesman named Ephron. Although Ephron offered the burial site to Avraham for free, Avraham insisted on making the transaction a legal agreement of sale, ensuring that its ownership would not be disputed in future times. Through Sarah's burial, the Maharas HaMachpela was established as a holy site for all times. Even today, Jews make the pilgrimage to pray at the Maharas HaMachpela this Shabbos, when parshas Chayei Sarah is read.
After burying Sarah, Avraham concerned himself with finding a wife for their beloved son, Yitzchok, who was deeply mourning his mother's death. Avraham sent his loyal servant, Eliezer, to the land of Charan, where Avraham's family remained, to find a wife for Yitzchok.
When Eliezer reached Charan, a young girl spotted him by the local well and ran to offer both Eliezer and his camels water to drink. Eliezer could see that this girl, our matriarch Rivka, or Rebbeca, was kind and generous befitting a holy man like Yitzchok.
The Torah teaches that when Sarah was alive three miracles occurred in her merit. Her Shabbos candles remained lit from Erev Shabbos to Erev Shabbos, her challah remained fresh and her dough would rise in abundance, and a cloud hovered above her tent, representing that the Shechinah, the feminine manifestation of Hashem's Divine Presence, was always with her.
When Sarah passed away, these three miracles ceased to be. It was only when Eliezer brought Rivka home to Yitzchok that these three miracles were rekindled. Through his union with Rivka, Yitzchok was comforted from the death of his mother and the Shechinah returned to bless Sarah's tent.
After Yitzchok married Rivka, Avraham once again took a wife, a woman named Keturah. Keturah, previously known in the Torah as Hagar, was Avraham's concubine during Sarah's lifetime. Sarah saw that Ishmael, the son of Avraham and Hagar, was not a positive influence on her son, Yitzchok, and sent Hagar and Ishmael away from the camp.
In the years that Avraham and Hagar were apart, our Sages teach that Hagar remained faithful to Avraham and to his teachings. Hagar's name was changed to Keturah, the incense offered in the Holy Temple, to signify her purity.
When they were reunited, Avraham and Keturah had several more children. As these children came of age, Avraham gave them gifts and sent them eastward to establish their own nations.
It was only Yitzchok, Avraham's son with Sarah, who remained in the house of Avraham to continue the lineage of the Jewish people.
Parshas Chayei Sarah demonstrates to us that through her influence, her wisdom, and the good deeds she accomplished during her lifetime, Sarah's presence remained very much alive even after her passing.
