Keep on Moving
Parsha Chayyei Sarah (“Life of Sarah”) often inspires a great deal of pondering on the question of divisions in the text. The fact that the parsha begins with a reference to the *life* of Sarah, only to introduce her death in the very next verse seems like an odd choice for dividing up the parsha. Why not put verse 23:1 in the previous parsha? Why put it here, where there is really nothing at all about the life of the matriarch?
I can offer two reasons:
First, to put a death at the close of the previous portion would be deemed inappropriate to the Jewish mind. It just wouldn’t be right to go through all the adventures with Lot and the angels, rescuing Abraham’s famous nephew with miraculous feats, only to close out with, “Sarah died in Kiryat-Arba”.
Secondly, and more importantly, The death of Sarah introduces both main events described in this parsha. As a result of her passing away, Abraham purchased a piece of property in the Land of Promise, essentially making real what had only been an abstract idea. In addition, we have the lengthy story of Yitz’chak and how he got his bride. That story closes out with a reminder that the boy missed Sarah. Thus, Sarah’s death actually frames the events of the parsha.
As I reviewed the parsha this week, I took note of the fact that both of the stories highlight one significant point—the death of Sarah compelled Abraham to take action that impacted the future.
By purchasing the cave at Makhpelah, Abraham evidenced his trust that the Promise of Adonai would hold true. Until that point, the nomad could have simply been passing through, on his way to the next adventure after rescuing Lot. The cave serves as a sort of anchor, giving him a very real tie to the Land. This helps to ensure that Abraham and his children would continue in the covenant made with Hashem.
This tells us why the Land of Israel is much more than, “just one more piece of real estate”. This is the final resting place for the founders of the Jewish people. Both Abraham and Sarah are buried in Hebron, and serve as a reminder that THIS is the place God gave to his people. There is no other land like it on the earth.
Then, having taken care of the urgent, it seems that Abraham became aware that there was yet one more task to be done before he also departed this world. He needed to see his beloved son married. Again, this is all part of the covenant with Adonai. God had promised Abraham that he would be the progenitor of many descendants, and that those descendants would walk in the ways of Adonai, and they would live in the Land that had been deeded to the patriarch. This promise could not be fulfilled if his son never married or had children.
The story of how Abraham’s servant found a wife for Yitz’chak is a wonderful tale of practical trust in Hashem, and provides us with many insights regarding how to wisely choose a spouse. But that is a drash for another day.
The key point I would like to highlight here is the fact that Abraham had come to a moment of decision. When his wife died, he could have curled up inside himself and shut down. He could have wallowed in self-pity and sorrow, useless to everyone around him. Instead, he chose to look to the future, and take actions that would result in accomplishing the purposes of God.
We all know that there are many things in life that are difficult. Dealing with the death of a loved one can be one of the worst. Despite being a natural part of the cycle of life, it is always difficult to let go of a special friend or relative. The pain can be so bad that we aren’t even sure we want to go on. This is normal. But remember that, when things seem to be going wrong, and you wonder whether you’ve been forgotten, when you aren’t sure you want to face another day… that is just the best time to look up, step forward, and act on the promises extended by One who loves you most. Yeshua promised that he would never leave us nor forsake us.
He’s got your back… and your future.
