Parashat Chayyei Sarah 5778
Rabbi Daniela Szuster
“The sun rises and the sun sets” (Kohelet 1:5)
This week’s parashah begins telling us about Sarah’s death. It is written: “Sarah’s lifetime—the span of Sarah’s life—came to one hundred and twenty-seven years. Sarah died in Kiriath-arba—now Hebron—in the land of Canaan; and Abraham proceeded to mourn for Sarah and to bewail her” (Bereshit 23:1-2).
The parashah of last week, parashat Vayera, ended by providing the seemingly unconnected information that “Milcah too has borne children to your brother Nahor: Uz the first-born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram; and Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel- Bethuel being the father of Rebekah” (Bereshit 22:20-23).
Some sages tried to understand the meaning of why the Torah tells us about the birth of Rebecca before informing us of the death of Sarah.
The sages of Midrash Bereshit Rabbah explained it by bringing in a verse from the book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes): “The sun rises and the sun sets” (Kohelet 1:5). The midrash states that God does not cause the sun of one righteous person to set until He causes the sun of another righteous one to rise. Thus, before God caused the sun of Sarah to set, He caused the sun of Rebecca to shine (Gen. Rabbah 58:2).
Therefore, Rebecca’s birth (Gen. 22) is mentioned by the Torah before the death of Sarah (Gen. 23), because God prepared Sarah’s successor before He took her soul. In this exposition Sarah and Rebecca are compared to the sun that warms and spreads light throughout the world, since these women illuminated the world with their righteousness.
In addition, there is a Midrash (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer on Gen. 24:67) that states that Sarah’s tent was a source of miracles during her lifetime. The sabbath lights she lit there illuminated her tent all week long. The divine cloud of Glory always hovered over it. The dough she kneaded within its folds was blessed, and the tent flaps stretched wide to admit all who came there for food and shelter. These blessings all departed at Sarah’s death, but they returned with Rebecca’s marriage to Sarah’s son.
You may find the same idea in the Talmud, Masechet Kiddushin 72b:
“The Gemara comments: As the Master said: While Rabbi Akiva was dying, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi was born; while Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi was dying, Rav Yehuda was born; while Rav Yehuda was dying, Rava was born; while Rava was dying, Rav Ashi was born. This teaches you that a righteous person does not leave the world before an equally righteous person is created, as it is stated: ‘The sun rises and the sun sets’” (Ecclesiastes 1:5).
I believe that these sources lead us to think about how our lives are interconnected with one another and how deeply the generations are intertwined, giving and receiving important values, virtues and heritage. It seems that we are like rings that form a long chain through history, transmitting to each other our core values and precious treasures.
Thus, we may say that our lives transcend our lives alone and are connected in a deep and meaningful way to other souls from the past and to future generations.
At the end of the prayer Male Rachamim (God full of compassion), which we recite remembering our departed beloved ones, it says: “v’yitz-ror bitz-ror hacha-yim et nishmatah,”, “May his soul thus be bound up in the bond of life.” It is our wish that our beloved ones are bound in the bond of life as Sarah’s soul was bound in Rebecca’s soul.
“The sun rises and the sun sets” (Kohelet 1:5). God does not cause the sun of one righteous person to set until He causes the sun of another righteous one to rise. I believe this message gives us hope, courage and joy and a deep sense of connection with our ancestors and with the future generations.