PARASHAH: “Chayei Sarah” (Sarah lives) GENESIS 23:1-25:18
The title of the Parashah or Torah portion is “Sarah lives” or “Sarah lived”. Yet Sarah is dead, so how does she live? She lives on in the memory of Abraham; her legacy lives on, her influence lives on, and this is what the patriarch wants for Isaac.
So even dead, Sarah continued to live on as a godly wife and mother, no doubt that Abraham wanted to bless Isaac with a similar wife. The Bible says that Sarah lived 127 years. It is not often that the Torah records the age of women, but Sarah is the exception.
One way we can look at this is, from the Hebrew text, “One-hundred years, and seven years, and twenty years. Why is this worded this way? The rabbis say that when Sarah was one hundred years old, she was as beautiful as when she was twenty, and when she was twenty, she was as innocent and holy as when she was seven.
127 can also symbolize “echad” (1) "unit of oneness" , (2)“Two united with God in a covenant blessing” (7) “godliness.” Sarah received the blessing of being a godly woman, who joined in the “covenant blessing” of Abraham with YHVH, and together became “Echad Am” (One people), the Hebrew people who later became the Nation of Israel.
When we add 1+2+7, we get 10, which is the number of “Torah” (some say “law” Personally, I don't like using that word; it is misunderstood, but “Torah” means “instruction.” Sarah honored Abraham and YHVH by submitting to their instruction; she was submissive, in the right way. Yet Sarah had her times of happiness and sorrow, as all marriages go through.
Abraham and Sarah loved each other, and in death, Abraham showed his love towards Sarah by purchasing an overpriced piece of real estate. 400 silver shekels was a lot for a cave on a piece of property in Hebron, but He didn't mind paying for it, It had to be “written down, and documented” legally, not just “words”, we see that today, words are nothing, but if it is signed, sealed, written down, you can take it to court!
So Abraham honored his wife both in life and in death. One of the biggest and drastic changes in one’s life is the “death” of a spouse. We see the words in the Torah that recount the time of Sarah’s death.
“And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke unto the sons of Heth, saying…”
There is a time for mourning and weeping, and a time for joy, a time for continuing with life, as life does go on, with or without a spouse. Abraham had the right to mourn and weep, since Sarah was part of his life for many, many years. We do not know when they got married, but when Abraham was called by Adonai, he was 75 years old, and he was married at that time. We could say that for about 50 years, Abraham had Sarah by his side. The Adonai called her home.
There will be a time when Adonai calls home our spouses. How will we respond when that happens? Will we cry out to God? Why? But are our spouses our own? Or do we all belong to Elohim? What are we but souls inhabiting finite bodies, which will eventually cease to function and return to the earth?
A baby enters the world with clenched fists, yet leaves the world with open hands. We all want to hold on to everything, even spouses, yet we have to let go and let God have his way. A spouse, a wife or husband, is like a library book. We will take the library book and read it cover to cover. Do we understand what we read? We have “x” amount of years to do it. But the master Librarian will call for his book to be returned someday, and we will have to deal with that.
A spouse is like a jewel to be worn and cared for, for “x” number of years, but the Jeweler will call for his gem someday, and we will have to take “her” or “him” off and return “her” or “him” to the Jeweler of all creation. I think that the more we love our spouse, the more difficult it will be for us to let go someday when our spouse is at death’s door. It wasn’t easy for Abraham, and it will not be easy for us.
I think that the time for caring, for loving, for giving flowers is now, when our spouses are alive, not at the grave site. One wonders what the surviving spouse will say? “May he (or she) rest in peace!” …or…” Now that he (or she) is gone, I can rest in peace!!” Abraham wept and mourned, but then, he got up and “buried his dead out of his sight.” He continued with life, searched out a wife for his son Isaac, and eventually Abraham got remarried, to Keturah, who bore him six children (Chap 25).
There is life after the loss of a loved one. The most difficult part of losing a loved one, especially a spouse, is if the spouse is an unbeliever, lost, without salvation. THEN we shall never see that spouse again, EVER! All the more reason to be “equally yoked.” To lose a spouse in death is to be separated for “a season” but be reunited with her or him later on in heaven. That is the way we have to look at it, because it is the truth.
Some people, like Abraham, will marry again; others will not. That is a decision every widow or widower will have to make.
The true meaning of the word “love” is NOT about feelings. "Love" is a verb in Hebrew, "Ahav." John 3:16 demonstrates that. "For God so LOVED the world that he GAVE his only begotten son..." Love is giving. The giving and sharing of one's life with another. He proved his love toward us that He GAVE His Only Son, Yeshua, as a sacrifice for our sin.
When a couple chooses to marry, share life together, provide for one another, in health and in sickness, and not “cop out” on each other, THAT is TRUE LOVE. Abraham stuck by Sarah for over 100 years, in good times and in bad times, like the time of drought, the “Egypt” times, the “Ishmael” times, and the long-awaited “Isaac” times.
Abraham sent his servant Eliezar to look for a wife for Isaac. He carried 10 camels with gifts, the “bride price” for the “bride to be”. He had to go to Mesopotamia, to Abraham's family, He did NOT want a Canaanite woman for the bride of Isaac, a pagan Canaanite woman would have been an “unequal yoke” that is wisdom for us today, a “born again believer” should only marry another “born again believer” where the two worship and serve the “same God YHVH/Yeshua”
Eliezar observed “Rebecca's actions.” Rivka watered the thirsty camels, sought not her own comfort, but had a servant's heart. This is what Elazar was looking for: Abraham would be happy, and so would Isaac. The “engagement jewelry” was a nose ring and gold bracelets. Today, in our society, we give an engagement ring.
Abraham wanted a wife like Sarah for his son, Isaac. We might think, what kind of wife (or husband) would a believer look for? Well, there are certain qualities to look for in looking for one’s “life mate”.
If a man is looking for a woman to be his wife. I would think that he might want a woman whose first love is for God, for Yeshua, and to obey and follow the Torah. That the woman also be humble, who will run the home with wisdom, and will manage money with wisdom, being a wise spender. She should be a woman who will raise her children according to the Word of God, and to not waste time with “fairy tale reading” but with “Torah/Bible Tale reading”
Just as “Riv’kah” was willing to follow Eliezar to Isaac’s home, so should the wife be willing to follow her husband. Where he is, she should be as well. UNLESS there is some sort of danger or unwise decision-making on the husband’s part, then the wife needs to help the husband “re-think” the decision.
Now “Rivka” had to be “willing to go with Elazar to be Isaac's wife”. We can see this is our relationship with Yeshua. Yeshua/Jesus is the “bridegroom” and we, the “Kehillah” (Congregation of “called out ones”), are the bride. We have to be a “willing bride” to go with our “heavenly bridegroom”.
Just as Elazar brought gifts to the bride-to-be, Yeshua has given “gifts” to us as HIS Bride: Salvation (Yeshuah), an eternal home/mansion in Heaven, spiritual gifts to do service and minister with. Healthy bodies (for the most part) in which to inhabit, spouses and children, jobs to earn a living, if we think about the list could go on, as to the “Blessings” we have through Yeshua.
Yeshua is looking for a willing bride to follow HIM. Not by force, but by love. He showed us His love by being the sacrifice lamb. Our sin debt has been paid. Will we accept the bridegroom? He has eternal blessings for his precious bride.
Shavua Tov. Have a blessed week.
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