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MIZRACHI EDUCATORS TORAT MIZRACHI

Rabbi Reuven Taragin Rabbanit Shani Taragin

Sarah’s Sacrifice

arashat Chayei Sarah focuses on So she forfeits her entire future and told by Hashem to do so. This is Sarah
two detailed narratives – Avra- potential status of national matriarch, Imeinu’s legacy.
Pham’s purchase of a field with a and gives her maidservant Hagar as a
cave as a burial place for Sarah, and his full-fledged wife to Avram to beget the Upon her death, Avraham is inspired
mission – via his servant Eliezer – to find long-awaited promised progeny. She and determined to perpetuate Sarah’s
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a wife for his son Yitzchak. The former is struggles with this change in status as life and legacy. Without any prophetic
Avraham’s initiative to secure the prom- Hagar conceives and belittles her, and commands, he struggles with focused
ise of Land (Brit bein HaBetarim), stated stands by as Avraham names his first- willpower to catalyze the fulfillment
five times, and the latter is Avraham’s born child “Yishmael” – for G-d had of Hashem’s promises to secure Land
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response to the promise of children heard the oppressive cries of Hagar. and children for the future. Sarah
(Brit Mila), also assured to Avraham understood that Divine promise is
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five times. Avraham does not wait for not a statement that G-d will act, but
G-d to fulfill these promises but realizes “” Sarah’s willingness “an invitation from G-d to Avraham
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G-d is waiting for him to facilitate their to sacrifice her future and his children that they should act,”
fulfillment. status merits her to with commitment and willingness
to sacrifice, and G-d will help them.
But why wait for Sarah’s death and not Sarah understood the challenge of ful-
purchase land or search for a wife for become Am Yisrael’s filling Hashem’s covenant. She acted
Yitzchak earlier? first Matriarch. with faith, not passivity, overcoming

The Torah teaches us – “And the life overwhelming personal obstacles to
of Sarah was 100 and 20 and seven Immediately after this story, the Torah secure the future of Hashem’s nation.
years; these were the years of the life tells us of the Brit Mila, a covenant She inspired Avraham to get up and do
of Sarah.” Avraham was not waiting forged with Avraham and his descen- the same. May her legacy provide us,
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for the death of Sarah. He was inspired dants through the sign of circumci- her children, with the strength to per-
by Sarah’s life of active commitment to sion. And Sarah is to be the mother of severe and act to secure the future of
the aforementioned promises to con- Yitzchak through whom the covenant our Land and nation!
tinue her legacy. will continue! Sarah’s willingness to
sacrifice her future status to actively 1 Bereishit 12:7, 13:14–17, 15:7, 15:18–21,
At the climax/transition in the nar- 17:7–8.
ratives of Avraham Avinu, the Torah catalyze the fulfillment of Hashem’s 2 Bereishit 12:2, 13:16, 15:5, 17:4–5, 22:17.
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promises, of Land and descendants,
tells us a story of Sarah Imeinu (Bere- 3 Bereishit 23:1.
ishit 16). This is the story that will merits her to become Am Yisrael’s first 4 Literally in the middle of the narratives, as
Matriarch.
determine who will be the “Mother” highlighted through chiasmus in the Avra-
of the promised nation. Sarah has The Netziv explains that although ham stories.
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followed Avram from Ur Kasdim to Avraham received direct messages of 5 See Radak 11:29-31.
Canaan, accompanying him as they prophecies from Hashem command- 6 See Ramban 16:2.
both sacrificed their pasts for Divine ing him to leave his father’s home, 7 Netziv, HaEmek Davar, 23:1.
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Bereishit Rabbah 41 – “Avraham left (Ur
promise. But 10 years have passed, and later to sacrifice his future hopes Kasdim) in promise, I (Sarah) left in faith.”
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a covenant of Land has been forged through the binding of Yitzchak, Sarah 9 Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, “Land and Children,”
and promises of a child have yet to be surmounts similar challenges through Covenant and Conversation (Genesis), p. 126.
fulfilled. Sarah does not wait around, ruach haKodesh – Divine inspiration
passively anticipating their fulfillment. and pure faith in the ways of Hashem. 8 Rabbanit Shani Taragin is Educational
She is determined to play a role in She willingly undergoes her own “sac- Director of Mizrachi and the Director of the
the actualization of Hashem’s word. rifice” of a child before Avraham is Mizrachi Matan Lapidot Educators’ Program.

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