Beth Elohim Messianic Synagogue
Parashah #5 Chai Sarah (Sarah’s life) B’resheit (Genesis) 23:1-25:18
Haftarah: M’lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 1:1-31
B’rit Chadashah: Mattityahu (Matthew) 8:19-2; 27:3-10
As we read the initial paragraph of this week’s parashah describing the life and death of Avraham’s beloved Sarah, I found it a strange but welcome “coincidence” that I received a letter from a man this week who also lost the love of his life. He told me he feels as if his heart is missing its other half. This letter reminded me that unless we are raptured, we must all go through the pilgrimage of death (Heb. 9:27). The letter provided me with at least one of the main themes we are going to explore in this week’s parashah, the first being the reality of a temporary and brief sojourn in this world. The brevity of life in the scheme of the universe is shocking in many cases; a reality that we do not look forward to without growing to a level of spiritual maturity whereby we learn, internalize and live with a hope that is promised for those considered good and faithful servants when they stand before Yahshua at the judgment (Psalm 39:7; Matt. 25:23; Rev. 3:5-9). Just as the patriarchs and other documented biblical people of G-d such as Avraham, Isaac, and Jacob came to understand as they got older that they needed to perpetuate G-d’s instructions through their progeny and through their life choices, although imperfect, we must keep this priority in mind as we grow older. For this is what our lives are all about (Ecc.12:9-14).
As we grow older, we can either lament the loss of our faculties and physical function, spend our life savings on the latest physical treatments and products that promise reversal of the aging process, or by referring to Avraham’s example. Just as his active faith enabled him to deal with the loss of Sarah, grieve and mourn for her and continue his service to G-d, our faith through the power of the Holy Spirit as an ever-present encourager can empower us to cope with the death of our loved ones. Let us investigate some specifics regarding this issue:
Avraham expressed his sorrow and grief (v. 1-2). He did not lock himself into his tent and close the tent entrance. He did not isolate himself from G-d or others. He acknowledged and confessed his faith. He was a stranger in a strange land whose hope was for a permanent home in Canaan and in heaven (Heb. 11:8-10) (v.4).
His behavior in the matter of obtaining a site for Sarah’s burial was a strong testimony to the peace and power of G-d in a believer’s life. Finally. He buried his Sarah in faith and love (v. 19-20).
There is no shame in shedding tears for a lost loved one. This is not a sign of weakness or a lack of faith. Grieving helps release the pain we feel. There is research that indicates that the lack of grief for a loss can result in unhealthy behaviors such as prolonged anger, anxiety, depression, and nightmares (Inhibited grief usurnsonline.com). Over time, tears help our hearts to heal and show our love, care, and respect for our loved one.
Again, note that Avraham stood up and walked away from Sarah after she passed. He continued to live a life of testimony to G-d’s mercy, grace, provision, and the power of His Shalom that passes beyond human understanding.
It is also important to mention that one of the most significant reasons Avraham was able to cope with Sarah’s death was his knowledge that Sarah followed the council of the L-rd throughout her life and Avraham was at peace with her ultimate destination with G-d. Some of the attributes Sarah demonstrated throughout her life include her willingness to stand by Avraham even when he asked her to conceal her identity before Pharaoh. Her jealousy and seeming hard-heartedness toward Hagar and Ishmael were normal human reactions to such circumstances. Even so, G-d instructed Avraham to follow her council. G-d provided for Hagar, Ishmael, and gave Avraham peace about the entire situation. This is an example of G-d’s grace and the fact that G-d’s plans will come to pass no matter how man may interfere. Sara is described as a woman of faith described in Hebrews 11:11 “Through faith also Sarah herself received the strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.” It is important to consider this praise when she initially laughed as did Avraham (Gen. 17:17; 18:12) when Adonai told them she would have a son. In G-d’s grace, he understands our human frailties and level of faith as He tests us. This difficult truth that defied human logic would in its fulfillment strengthen Avraham and Sarah’s faith and trust in G-d.
Sarah is the only woman whose age and death are written in Scripture. There is a plethora of explanations by some of the Jewish sects that attempt to explain the first sentence of our parashah. I am providing a few of them for your consideration and further exploration if you choose.
Rashi divides the written “127” years of Sarah’s life (Gen. 21:1) into three parts. It is important to know that her age is not written in three parts in G-d’s Torah. In the Septuagint it is written as “one hundred and 27 years”. The Chumash documents Sarah’s age as “one hundred years, twenty years, and seven years, the years of Sarah’s life.” The JPS Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society) published in 1917 reads “And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years, these were the years of the life of Sarah.” The Hebrew-English Interlinear Old Testament and the Hebrew-English Old Testament translates Sarah’s age as “one hundred and twenty-seven years.”
The above translations are provided to illustrate the importance of exploring more than one reference when searching for the most accurate translation possible. This is not always possible in our current times but the best place to start is with the oldest translations of the Hebrew Bible. Rashi’s comments are based on the division of Sarah’s age, the accuracy which cannot be verified. However, various commentaries may provide insights and opinions that warrant further exploration.
According to Rashi’s interpretation documented in the Chumash, “Sarah’s life into three periods, each with it’s own uniqueness[and each period shared the particular characteristic of its neighbor]. At a hundred, she was as sinless as a twenty-year-old, for until the age of twenty, a person does not suffer heavenly punishment. At twenty, she still had the wholesome beauty of a seven-year-old, who does not use cosmetics and whose beauty is natural (Chizkuni), [R. Hezekiah ben Manoah] who was a French rabbi and commentator of the 13th century. R. Moshe Feinstein (a Russian-born American Orthodox rabbi born in 1895) commented that a child’s beauty is pure and is never used to tempt others to go astray. Part of Sarah’s greatness was that, despite her breathtaking beauty as an adult, all who saw her recognized her purity and innocence.”
I want to emphasize that interpreting how Sarah’s age is documented will not determine the destination of the soul. This issue does not present the same concern for correct expression as does determining the most accurate translation of Genesis and accepting its validity and reliability as the Word of G-d. Concerning Sarah’s age, any way you choose to determine and express it, the result is 127 years.
Haftarah: M’lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 1:1-31
This week’s haftarah describes an aging King David, echoing this week’s parashah that mentions “Abraham was old, advanced in days.”
Adonaihu, who was one of David’s sons, seized the opportunity of his aging father and King to prepare ground for his ascension to his father’s throne when David passed. David was not even dead, yet this evil son was planning his own future. Adonaihu recruited two influential individuals- the High Priest and the commander of David’s armies- both of whom had fallen out of David’s good graces, to champion his cause. This is typical of cowards who seek to aggrandize themselves and move into positions of authority with or without following the laws of the land. Interestingly, America witnessed such campaigns using this same strategy with ultimate failure just as in Adonaihu’s case. He arranged to be transported in a chariot with fifty people running before him and invited several of his sympathizers to a festive party where he publicized his royal ambitions.
The prophet Nathan encouraged Solomon’s mother, Bat Sheva, to approach King David and plead with him to reaffirm his choice of Solomon as his successor. This she did, mentioning what Adonaihu had been doing, as David was unaware of what was happening. Nathan later joined Bat Sheva and the king to express support for Bat Sheva’s request. King David acceded to their request: “Indeed,” he told Bat Sheva, “as I swore to you by the L-rd G-d of Israel saying, ‘Surely Solomon, your son, shall reign after me and he shall sit on my throne in my stead, ‘surely, so will I swear this day.”
B’rit Chadashah: Focus on Mattityahu (Matthew) 8:19-22
“A Torah- teacher approached and said to him (Yahshua), ‘Rabbi, I will follow you wherever you go.’ Yahshua said to him, ‘The foxes have holes, and the birds flying about have nests, but the Son of Man has no home of his own.’ Another of the disciples said to him, ‘Sir, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Yahshua replied,’ Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Son of Man: One of the titles of the Messiah based on Daniel 7:13-14, where the text has “bar-enosh.” (Aramaic). Bar-enosh, like the Hebrew ben adam, can also mean “son of man,” “typical man,” “one schooled to be a man,” or simply “man” both heaven and on earth to be a man. Yahshua refers to himself by this title frequently, stressing his full identification with the human condition (Rom. 5:12-21; 8:3-39; 1 Cor. 15:21-49; Phil. 2:5-11).
In verses 21-22 we learn that IF we consider ourselves to be true followers, talmidim, disciples of Yahshua and lovers of G-d, we must rearrange our priorities. This disciple’s father was not physically dead. The son wanted to return to his comfortable existence and remain at home until his father died. Only after he gained his inheritance would he consider following Yahshua. On this and other excuses not to follow Yahshua read Luke 9:57-62. Yahshua explicitly refers to those who choose the existence in this world over serving G-d as “the dead.” Let the spiritually dead, those concerned with the benefits of this world, including inheritance, remain with each other in life and eventually be buried with the rest of their own. The true disciple must get his/her priorities straight. The consequences of not making this choice are clear (Matt. 13:14-15, 22; 19:16-26; Luke 14:15-24; Luke 16:23-31). May we learn to make life choices both great and small that will fulfill our purpose to glorify G-d.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Tamah Davis-Hart