Torah Commentary - Chayei Sarah
*Commentary courtesy of Menahem Me-Zahav
Our Sidrah is named so after its first words “Va’yihyu Chayei Sarah - And Sarah’s life were - 127 years
long”, when she died in the city of Hebron – Chevron (Genesis 23:1).
Abraham buys the Cave of Machpelah (Me’arat Ha’Machpelah) in Hebron, from Ephron, one of the local Hittite people for 400 Silver Shekels (A sizable amount of money). He buries his beloved Sarah there: “And Abraham paid out to Ephron 400 Shekels of silver…So Ephron’s land in the Machpelah…The field and the cave…passed on to Abraham as his possession…And then Abraham buried Sarah in the cave of Machpelah” (Genesis 23:16-19).
The Cave of Machpelah becomes later the burial place for (almost) all the Patriarchs and their wives. We are told that Hebron is also known as Kiryat Arbah (‘The Home Town of the Four”). The reference is to the 4 Non-Jewish giants, who lived there, prior to the Jewish settlement, of the Promised Land. It is also mentioned in conjunction with the 12 scouts that Moses sent to explore the Promised Land (Just before the initial plan to settle, that ended in disaster, and caused the Israelites to remain 38 more years in the desert, Numbers 13:21-22). The Torah happens to nmention there, the names of 3 of the 4 giants that lived in Hebron: Achiman Sheishai and Thalmai.
Traditionally, however, the name Kiryat Arbah, applies to the 4 generations of Patriarch - Matriarch pairs, buried there: Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebeca, Jacob & Leah and (per Midrash), Adam & Eve.
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The city of Hebron. It is located some 20 miles south of Jerusalem. Before the move to Jerusalem by King David (1006 BCE) Hebron served for 7 full years, as the 1st Capital City of the Kingdom of Israel. We know today that there was a Jewish presence in Hebron for the past five centuries. In the “1929 Hebron Massacre” the entire Jewish community of Hebron, numbering a few hundred, was totally destroyed and around 70 of its Jewish citizens were slaughtered by their ‘Arab Neighbors’. The city of Kiryat Arbah, which carries Hebron’s historic 2nd name was founded in 1967. It is located at a place adjacent to Hebron, with its Jewish population numbering today, around 10,000.
Sarah’s Death. According to Midrash Tanchuma, that is supported by Rashi, Sarah died of the shock she received, when learning about her son Isaac’s very close brush with death (Genesis 23:2 Rashi). Isaac was bound by his own father Abraham at the Akeida - The Binding of Isaac, and was saved by an Angel of God, from a certain death (See last week’s Torah reading, Genesis (22:1-19).
The Akeida took place years earlier, while Isaac was still young. Seems therefore that Sarah may have been gravely ill for some time prior to her death, probably, as a result of the shock mentoned before. (Please see the “Timeline” note at the end, regarding Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebeca, Jacob and Esau’s ages).
Now that Sarah is dead, the 137 years old Abraham is preparing to ‘hand over the baton’ to his
37 years old son Isaac. Abraham sends Eliezer, his longtime trusted servant, back to Mesopotamia, Abraham’s old place of residence (prior to his leaving to settle in Canaan – Israel). Eliezer’s mission is to find a suitable wife for Isaac, from among members of Abraham’s own family, that still lives there.
Eliezer sets out on a long caravan journey to Haran. There, he meets near the well, the young and lovely Rebeca – Rivka, who is about 20 years old. She is the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother Nachor. She agrees (with the consent of her family) to join Eliezer and come to Canaan to marry Isaac. Soon after their arrival back to Canaan, Rebeca becomes the wife of the 40 years old, Isaac.
35 years later, Abraham dies peacefully, at the age of 175. He is buried by both his sons, Isaac and Ishmael, in the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron, near Sarah. According to Midrash, Abraham died five years before his time (at 175 rather than at 180 years of age). Abraham was saved by God, from realizsing all the aggravation, his mischievous grandson Esau, who was at that time only 15, will soon be causing (when becoming an adult).
Haftarah: I Kings, 1:1-31, Page 143
The Haftarah tells of King David’s approaching death, and his plans for a son of his (Solomon), to succeed him when he dies. One of David’s many sons, Adonijah – Adoniyahu, is preparing to crown himself as king, a clear act of rebellion against his father King David. Years earlier, when David married Bat-Sheba, he had promised her, that her son Solomon, will inherit him and become the king, after his (David’s) death.
Knowing the details of David’s old promise, Nathan the Prophet and Bath-Sheba, arrange to inform King David, of Adonijah’s treacherous acts. They appear in front of David and wonder aloud: “Our King, all Israel is awaiting your decision. And now Adonijah is (about to take over as) king…and Bat-Sheba and Solomon will be killed”. King David swears that Solomon, shall succeed him, as he had promised. “And King David called (his wife) Bat Sheba … And the King took an oath in God’s name, saying: Your son Solomon will succeed me as king and sit upon my throne…And It will happen today…And Bat Sheba said: May you King David live forever” (I Kings, 1:28-31).
The linkage to our Sidra is the transition that occurs, when generations change. In our Sidra, Isaac inherits Abraham’s wealth, religion and the Jewish identity. In our Haftarah, Solomon inherits David’s Kingdom with all its privileges and responsibilities. Either one will discover in due time, that life is full of unknowns, and that it is up to each one of them, to carve his own imprint on history, in his own unique way.
*Note:
Timeline of the events mentioned above and Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebeca, Jacob and Esau’s ages.
The most common explanation to Sarah’s death is, that she died of the shock she received, when learning about her son Isaac’s brush with death (At the Akeidah – last week’s reading).
Rashi is the most prominent commentator to express this opinion (Genesis 23:2 - Rashi).
The trouble with it, is the math involved. Why?
Sarah was 90 years old when she gave birth to Isaac (and Abraham was 100 years old at that time).
Sarah died at the age of 127. If Sarah died right after the Akeidah, then Isaac must have been 37 years old at that time of the Akeida.
The above assumption does not make too much sense. We do know that Isaac was a young boy, at the time of the Akeida. This fact is based on the text of the Torah, which describes Isaac as a young boy. Abraham calls him ‘a boy’ when he tells his servants to wait for him and Isaac: “You, stay here with the donkey, and I (Abraham) and the boy will go up there…” (pointing towards Mt. Moriah, where Abraham intended to perform the Akeidah) See last week’s Torah reading (Genesis 22:5).
It raises also difficulties with Rebeca’s age, as she seems to have been born at the time of the Akeidah (Last week’s reading). She could not therefore, have been only 3 years old, when she married Isaac.
There are still some (albeit very few) commentators who try to make some sense with this figure, meaning, that the age of Isaac, at the time of the Akeidah, was 37.
Other commentators, notable among them is Iben Ezrah (1089-1167 CE), who estimate Isaac’s age at the time of the Akaideh as around 13 years of age (Genesis 22:4 - Iben Ezra).
Reconciling the above mentioned figures, will then be done as follows:
Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old at Isaac’s birth. It is clearly mentioned in the Torah, and agreed upon, by everyone.
Isaac was a young boy around 13 years of age, at the time of the Akeida.
Abraham was then around 113 years old, at the time of the Akeidah, and...
Sarah was then around 103 years old, at the time of the Akeidah.
Sarah who was around 103 years old, received a crucial shock, when learning about her only son Isaac’s awfully close, brush with death, at the Akeida. She remained very sick for a long time until her death – some 20 to 25 years later - at the age of 127.
At that time (of Sarah’s death), Isaac was around 37 years old.
Abraham sends Eliezer to look for a wife for Isaac, somewhere around 1-2 years later. Isaac is now around 38 to 39 years old.
Rebeca was born around the time of the Akeidah, as can be understood from the Torah. Abraham was notified after the Akeidah, that Rebeca was born to his Nephew Betuel, son of his brorher Nachor, (Last wek’s reading - Genesis 22:23).
Rebeca was around 20 years of age when meeting Eliezer (Abraham’s servant) at the well.
The Torah describes her not less than – 5 times - as a “Na’ara” and once as “Alma”. Both words mean “a Young woman”.
Isaac marries Rebeca, soon after Rebeca’s arrival in Isaac’s place. He is 40 yeas old at that time (As per Genesis 25:20 – next week’s reading).
Rebeca was then, in her early twenties (When marrying Isaac).
Isaac was 60 years old (Genesis 25:26) and Rebeca was around 40 when (The twins) Jacob and Esau were born (Beginning of next week’s reading).
15 years later, when Isaac was 75 years old, Abrahem dies at the age of 175. Esau was then 15 years old. Per Midrash, Abraham died 5 years before his time, so that he won’t see Esau’s bad behavior.
