B

B"H

CHAYEI SARAH

THE CHASSIDIC DIMENSION

Ongoing Life: Sarah's Influence

Adapted from Likutei Sichos, Vol. V, p. 338ff; Vol. XV, p.145ff

What Death Cannot Kill

The reading Chayei Sharah ("The life of Sarah") begins by telling of Sarah's death, which features in much of the subsequent narrative. This evokes an obvious question: Why is the reading entitled "The life of Sarah"?

This question can be resolved on the basis of our Sages' statement: "Yaakov our Patriarch did not die. Although he was mourned and buried, his descendants perpetuate his spiritual heritage. And so, Yaakov is still alive.

The same can be true for any individual. It is the spiritual content of our lives, and not our physical existence which is fundamental. The boundaries of mortal existence cannot contain this spiritual dimension.

This is the message hidden in the name of this Torah reading: that Sarah's spiritual "tree" continued to bear fruit long after her physical life ended. The three main elements of the reading: the acquisition of the Cave of Machpelah, Eliezer's mission to find a wife for Yitzchak, and Avraham's subsequent remarriage and fathering of other children, are part of the continuing work of Sarah's spirit.

Concentration and Focus

What constituted the essence of Sarah's Divine service? She was Avraham's wife. She nurtured his potential, making sure it was applied in the most beneficial manner possible.

Avraham dispensed kindness freely, granting hospitality to all wayfarers, even to those who would bow to the dust on their own feet. He gave generously, unconcerned whether his influence would leave a lasting impression. Sarah, by contrast, (particularly after the birth of Yitzcahk) strived to focus her husband's influence. She sought to direct it to those recipients who would give it expression in holiness.

This pattern is reflected in Avraham's progeny. He fathered many children. Sarah, by contrast, bore only Yitzchak. Avraham's unbounded generosity caused him to consider even Yishamael worthy. After G-d told him of the impending birth of Yitzchak, he prayed: "May Yishmael live before You." Afterwards, although G-d had told Avraham that "I will keep My covenant with [Yitzchak] as a bond," Avraham still loved Yishmael and desired to raise him in his household.

It was Sarah who demanded: "Drive away this maid-servant and her son, for [he]... will not inherit together with my son, with Yitzchak." Sarah understood that all the members of Avraham's household had to be individuals whose conduct reflected Avraham's spiritual heritage.

Erets Yisrael -Our Heritage

On this basis , we can appreciate Sarah's influence on the events described in our Torah reading. Avraham had already been promised Eretz Yisrael, but that promise had yet to be realized. It was through the acquisition of the Cave of Machpelah - obviously associated with Sarah - that a part of Eretz Yisrael first became an eternal heritage for the Jewish people. For the first time, the spiritual nature of our holy land was given actual expression.

There is also a deeper dimension. Our Sages state that Adam and Chavah, ancestors of the entire human race, were also buried in Machpelah. Thus before Sarah's burial, the Cave of Machpelah shared a connection with mankind as a whole. Sarah's burial there - in continuation of the drive she exhibited throughout her life - established the site as the exclusive heritage of the Jewish People.

[In the Garden of Torah, Insights of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson on the Weekly Torah Readings, Volume 1, p.27-9]