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Parshat Chayei Sarah
1997
This week's parashah, Chayei-Sarah, can be found in Genesis:23:1-25:18. Called the "Sarah's life" the section deals first with Sarah's death and burial and then introduces her replacement, Rebecca. While some commentators have seen an implied criticism of Abraham in Sarah's death being spoken of immediately following on the "Akedah" or "Binding of Isaac," another interpretation of this section might be to view Sarah's life as a model for a monogamy.
Sarah's life could not have been easy. Throughout her marriage, she was forced to relocate, to endure the advances of other men, the humiliations and taunts of her servant, Hagar, and years of bareness in a society that counted the value of a woman by the number of sons she bore. The text implies that Sarah, like Abraham would endure a number of trials if she was to become the "mother" of the Jewish people. Nothing would come easy and nothing would be simple.
Just as Abraham's understanding of G-d develops, so too does his understanding of the depths of his relationship with Sarah. We might even ask if there is not a relationship between the development of monotheism and of monogamy.
The week's parashah reminds us that Torah provides us not just with a first "father" but with a first "couple." Despite the many crises that Sarah and Abraham endured throughout their marriage, their marriage did survive. Indeed, Abraham is highly dependent on Sarah's wisdom and advice.
This section than may be viewed not just as a pastoral accounting of Sarah's burial but as a paradigm for the living Jewish home: its the ability to grow in love, to respect the other, to depend on one's partner, and to forgive the other. In that sense, "Chayei Sarah: Sarah's Life" is most a most appropriate name for this week's Torah portion for Sarah's wisdom is not buried in the cave of the Machpelah but continues to challenge us even today.
Prepared by Peter Tarlow, Texas A&M Hillel.
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