The Women of Valor

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The Women of Valor

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The Women of Valor

ב״ה

Chaya Sarah

Cheshvan 5767 (Nov. 2006)

The Woman of Valor

Miriam Ben-Yaacov

The life of Sarah was a hundred years, and twenty years, and seven years: years of the life of Sarah.—Genesis 23:1

The Sages comment on the odd phrasing of the abovementioned verse that it tells of the three phases of a person’s life—childhood, young adulthood, and maturity. She carried the valuable aspects of each of those phases into the next and maintained them. She carried the beauty of her childhood into her young adulthood and the innocence of her young adulthood into maturity. She was innocent and beautiful all the days of her life.

Sarah was the virtuous woman of the writer of Proverb 31. She was absolutely the perfect, complete partner for Abraham, sharing his values and deeds. Indeed, we are told that without her, Abraham would not have been able to become the first Patriarch of Israel. It was her virtue that bought the Cave of Machpelah as the burial place for the Patriarchs. When Abraham had to chase the calf to serve to the three angels, it had run to the cave. He had seen the light and smelled the Garden and Eden and realized it was the gateway to the next world. Ephron, the Hittite from whom he bought it, never realized the true value of the property, for it was only one of Abraham’s stature who could see this. It was the burial place of Adam and Eve. When he went to bury Sarah, they stood up, embarrassed to be in their presence. The work of Abraham and Sarah was rectification for the sin of Adam and Eve. Abraham consoled them with this, and they were finally able to lie down to rest again.

There are three mitzvoth (commandments) especially given to women to atone for the sin of Eve. After her sin, darkness came into the world, therefore, it is given to women to light candles to usher in Shabbat—separating Shabbat from the rest of the week. Uncleanness came into the world, therefore it is given to women to separate this time by immersing in the mikvah (ritual bath). Hashem told Eve that she would bring children into the world; symbolically, it was given to women to separate challah. Sarah was very meticulous about each one of these blessings. She was, therefore, specially blessed through them. Her candles burned from Shabbat to Shabbat. For her careful purifying herself, the Shekinah rested above her tent. Her dough was blessed, similarly to that of the Temple showbread, staying fresh throughout the week. When Rebecca married Isaac, the blessings of Sarah resumed in her tent. This became the rectification work of all the women to descend from them. While Sarah’s virtue initially caused Eve embarrassment, it ultimately consoled her and gave her rest.

There were seven prophetesses mentioned in Tanach: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Hulda, and Esther. Sarah heard directly from Hashem, so was considered great even in that company. She spoke the truth, even when it was difficult. Human love tends to blind action, bowing to the wishes of a loved one without necessarily regarding their merit. The love of Hashem, however, is balanced with truth. This is the challenge for all human beings, but for the prophet, who hears truth and must bring it forth it in the world, it can tend to be more difficult. Sarah carried this balance through her life. More than from Abraham, we learn balance between truth and loving-kindness from Sarah.

When Rebecca arrived, Isaac was returning from the well of The-Living-One-Who-Sees-Me. In the next chapter we are told that Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. This was Hagar, and it was Isaac who went to the well where she dwelt to bring her to Abraham. The change of her name indicates that there was a drastic change of her character. Her name is similar to the Hebrew word for “incense”—“ketoret”, because her deeds had been sweet as incense rising from the altar. She bore him six more sons. These, however, became fathers of idolatrous nations, so Abraham sent them away to the East with gifts during his lifetime.

Abraham lived one hundred seventy-five years. He was laid to rest in Machpelah with Sarah by his sons Isaac and Ishmael. The Sages say that the parsha’s ending with Ishmael’s lineage and his death at one hundred thirty-seven years, indicates that he ultimately did teshuvah for the evil Sarah had seen in him.

May Hashem's Name be praised in all the earth!

Miriam

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