Chayei Sarah – Peninim on the Torah

ויגוע וימת אברהם בשיבה טוב

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Chayei Sarah, 5774

And Avraham expired and died at a good old age. (25:8)

The Talmud Bava Basra 91a, relates that, on the day of Avraham Avinu’s passing, the leaders of the world lamented his death with the following eulogy. “Woe to the world which lost its manhig, leader/guide; woe to the ship that lost its kavarnit, captain.” In his Derech Tamim, Horav Avraham, Rav of Berezdiv, Western Ukraine, explains the meaning of what appears to be a double eulogy. Avraham was the manhig, leader, of the world. He guided and cared for each individual person, his needs: physical, material and spiritual. He saw to it that no one infringed on his fellowman. Whatever…

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ואברהם זקן בא בימים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Chayei Sarah, 5774

Now Avraham was old, well on in years. (24:1)

The word zakein, old, implies that the individual has lived an increased number of days. Likewise, ba ba’yamim, well on in years, indicates that we are not talking about a young person. Zakein and ba ba’yamim are redundant to one another. Why are they both used in the same pasuk? Chazal explain that some people have experienced physical longevity, ziknah, but their days are incomplete. Likewise, there are those who age prematurely, although their length of days are actually short. Avraham Avinu’s ziknah, old age, was the result of a full life, well-lived in the service of the Almighty. The…

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ויבא אברהם לספוד לשרה ולבכותה. ויקם אברהם מעל פני מתו.

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Chayei Sarah, 5774

Avraham came to eulogize Sarah and to bewail her. Avraham rose up from the presence of his dead. (23:2,3)

Avraham Avinu eulogized his life’s partner: the woman with whom he had shared his spiritual goals; the mother of his son, Yitzchak; the first Matriarch of the Jewish Nation. This is a tall order. There must have been so much to say, so much to emphasize about a woman who had lived life so well, who was such a vital component of Avraham’s success as leader of the world, father of the Jewish People, paradigm of the morally perfect, ethically correct, spiritually replete individual. Yet, when one peruses the pesukim, not one word is mentioned concerning the eulogy Avraham must…

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ויבא אברהם לספד לשרה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Chayei Sarah, 5774

And Avraham came to eulogize Sarah. (23:2)

The Midrash notes the word va’yavo, “And (Avraham) came.” “From where did he come,” the Midrash asks. “He came from the burial of Terach, his father, but did not the passing of Terach precede Sarah Imeinu’s death by two years? We must say that he came from Har HaMoriah.” The Midrash is obviously enigmatic. When Avraham left Har HaMoriah, he returned to Beer Sheva. If this is the case, Avraham Avinu was “coming” from Beer Sheva. Ramban explains that vayavo does not refer to Avraham’s physical act of coming, but rather, the place which inspired his eulogy of Sarah. Therefore,…

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ויהיו חיי שרה מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים שני חיי שרה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Chayei Sarah, 5774

Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred years, and twenty years, and seven years; the years of Sarah’s life. (23:1)

The Midrash quotes the pasuk in Tehillim 37:18, Yodea Hashem yemei temimim, “Hashem attends the days of the perfect.” This refers to Sarah Imeinu, who was perfect in her actions. Horav Yeruchem Levovitz, zl, derives from Chazal the concept of, tamim b’maaseh, “acting perfectly.” This means that an activity is carried out in perfect harmony, focused on serving the Almighty. “Everything” means exactly what it implies: every aspect, all of the person’s organs, limbs, working together in perfection to serve Hashem. This was Sarah: tamim b’maasehah, “perfect in her actions.” The Mashgiach observes that, when Avraham Avinu addressed the needs…

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ויגוע וימת אברהם בשיבה טוב

And Avraham expired and died at a good old age. (25:8)

ואברהם זקן בא בימים

Now Avraham was old, well on in years. (24:1)

ויבא אברהם לספוד לשרה ולבכותה. ויקם אברהם מעל פני מתו.

Avraham came to eulogize Sarah and to bewail her. Avraham rose up from the presence of his dead. (23:2,3)

ויבא אברהם לספד לשרה

And Avraham came to eulogize Sarah. (23:2)

ויהיו חיי שרה מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים שני חיי שרה

Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred years, and twenty years, and seven years; the years of Sarah’s life. (23:1)

YEARS

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