Bereshith 23:1-25:18
This week’s perashá is titled Hayé Saráh, “The lives of Saráh.” This portion begins with the account of the life and death of our matriarch Saráh. Something interesting to notice is the way the text divides the years of her life. It says “100 years, 20 years, and 7 years,” instead of simply saying “127 years.” There are several midrashim (studies) that speak about her wisdom and beauty in connection to this textual peculiarity.
Life brings with it many experiences and stages. It seems to me that the Author wants to emphasize three stages in the life of Saráh. When analyzing Sefer Bereshith, we can see that she received the promise from Adonay, Exalted Sea, at the mature age of 90 years. Ten years later, when Yiṣḥaq was 10 years old, that would place her at 100 years. Raising and educating a child is a difficult and complicated task, especially for a woman who is 90 years old.
The next 20 years of Saráh’s life take us to Yiṣḥaq’s age of 30. The Sages say that for a man, the age of 30 represents the peak of his strength and youth. This is the age when Yosef and Dawid began to govern in their respective eras. The next 7 years were her last. Some Sages maintain that Saráh died during the binding of Yiṣḥaq on Mount Moriáh. They deduce this through the juxtaposition of chapters 22 and 23 (the binding of Yiṣḥaq and the death of Saráh).
The Toráh tells us that Yișḥaq married at the age of 40. If his mother died when he was 37, we could deduce that he was in mourning for almost 3 years, since the text says he was comforted when he married Ribqáh.
Ribqáh was the daughter of Betu’el, daughter of Milká, wife of Nahor, brother of Abraham Abinu. Why did Abraham seek a wife from the house of his relatives after having left them for more than 65 years? Why didn’t he go to Miṣrayim or Kena’án to look for a wife for Yiṣḥaq if all of them were idolaters? The answer is simple: Derekh Eres (good manners/ethical conduct). Abraham knew that it is easier to change someone’s perception than their bad habits. The derekh eres of his family is evident when Eliezer meets Ribqáh. She offers water to him and to the camels.
Abraham wanted to ensure that his descendants would continue his legacy of acts of charity and good conduct for all generations. The Sages of the Talmud say that a family that is always speaking badly of others, does not do acts of charity, and does not have good conduct, is doubtful of being descendants of Abraham Abinu.