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Orchard of Delights 3 Va’eira
Sarah, as the matriarch of the Jewish people and the first Jew to The Midrash commenting on the verse, “I [God] have found David
die, quite literally, paved the way between these two worlds, which my servant [an allusion to the Mashiach]” asks the question: “Where
the Sages describe in the following way: “This world is like a lobby did He find him?” The startling answer in the Midrash is: “I found
before the World to Come; prepare yourself in the lobby so that you him in Sodom” (Bereishit Rabbah 41:5, commenting on Psalms 89:21).
may enter the banquet hall” (Pirkei Avot 4:21). The Torah alludes Abraham’s prayers and the courage he possessed to confront God and
to Sarah’s feat by reporting that she was buried in Hebron, a word seek justice were the spark of Mashiach that God found in Sodom.
whose Hebrew root means “to connect.” Although she was no longer The same spark was aroused in Judah when he not only pleaded for
present in this world, she remained connected to Abraham from a his brother but offered to take his place (as will be explained more
new dimension of life and Abraham remained connected to her. fully in the portion of Vayigash). That offer is what moves Joseph to
finally reveal himself to his brothers. The willingness to give one’s all
Indeed, Sarah’s burial in the Cave of Machpelah, which means
the “double” or “twin” cave, supports the notion of an afterlife. On for others, as exemplified by Abraham and Judah, will finally cause
a peshat level Rashi explains that the cave had two chambers: an the Mashiach to come.
upper one and a lower one. He then adds a deeper Midrashic insight:
the cave was referred to as doubled because four significant couples
were buried there: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and
Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah. The Torah also refers to Hebron ££The Ten Tests of Abraham –
£The Ten Tests of Abraham –The Ten Tests of Abraham –
as Kiryat Arba, the “City of Four” (Genesis 23:2), for this reason.
The T
The Ten Tests of Goden Tests of God
However, on a sod level, the cave’s structure alludes to the “two The Ten Tests of God
lifetimes of Sarah”: one in this world and one in the World to Come.
Many of Judaism’s burial and mourning practices reflect Sarah’s
burial. They too adopt a paradoxical attitude towards life, death, In Abraham’s tenth, and final test, God commanded him to take
and the deceased. On the one hand, these practices keep the memory his son Isaac and sacrifice him to God. Echoing the first test, this
of and connection with the deceased very much alive, while, on the command also contains the words lech lecha (go out) and instructs
other, they recognize the finality of death and help us accept that life Abraham to journey to the place God will reveal to him: “and He
goes on and so must we. Judaism teaches us that we should honor said: Take your son … and go out (lech lecha) … and bring him up as
both approaches and strive for a balance between them. The Talmud an offering on one of the mountains that I will show you” (Genesis
affirms this balance when it teaches that when the Torah words of a 22:2). The parallels between Abraham’s first and last test must have
deceased scholar are repeated in his name, his lips move in the grave created a sense of closure for Abraham, yet they also raise certain
(Yevamot 97a). At that moment the connection to the deceased questions. Perhaps, the most significant among these is, given that
transcends time as well as the veil between this world and the World the tests seem to focus on Abraham, what do they have to do with
to Come, even though no one doubts that the scholar is dead future generations?

Jewish tradition even teaches that after a righteous person passes Part of the answer may be discovered later in Jewish history, when
away his or her spiritual influence in this world actually increases. the Jewish people in the desert echo God’s testing of Abraham by
Free from the physical restraints of the material world, the deceased testing God ten times. Astonishingly, God Himself “complains” after
are able to more easily permeate and influence reality. This principle the sin of the ten spies that despite all the miracles he has performed
is amply demonstrated by the number of great men and women whose for the Jews in Egypt and in the desert, they have still tested him

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