In brief:
Ḥayyei Sarah translates to “Life of Sarah.” This section focuses on Sarah’s passing, the arrival of Rebekah, and Abraham’s passing and burial. It surprised me that the story of Sarah’s passing would be referred to as “life of Sarah.” A minute or two of searching around, and our old friend wikipedia offered up an answer:
“Each weekly Torah portion takes its name from the first distinctive word in the Hebrew text of the portion in question, often from the first verse.”
And in fact, the translation I’m using begins with “Sarah’s lifetime–the span of Sarah’s life–came to one hundred and twenty-seven years.” Perhaps this is just how things fell into place. But there’s some kindness about that naming nonetheless, death and life intermixed.
Things start off this week with an exceptionally respectful negotiation between Abraham and the Hittites for a burial spot. Abraham’s servant is then sent to find Isaac a wife among Abraham’s kinsmen, and another gracious encounter occurs by the well. A story I must have heard a dozen times growing up. Take care of the stranger. And his camel too! The section closes with the burial of Abraham, perhaps the most beautiful passage in Genesis thus far.
A few thoughts:
- This week’s portion was good for the soul. Or at least, my soul was appreciative. The Hittites and Abraham are remarkably kind to each other, even though Abraham is not from ’round these parts. (Which reminds me: why hasn’t anyone remade Genesis as a Western yet? Or maybe they have and I didn’t pick up on the rivers rising, the raven flying, and that durn snake?)
- Abraham’s servant goes looking for kindness, and I loved that while there’s a specific sentence he was asking God for, like some coded phrase between East Berlin spies, in the end Rebekah uses different words. And it doesn’t matter. The meaning matters. The kindness matters.
- In a brief respite from all this kindness, Rebekah’s family wishes for her:
“O sister!
May you grow
Into thousands of myriads
May your offspring seize
The gates of their foes.”But I get it — not everyone says goodbye well.
- And then there’s the burial of Abraham, an exceptionally gentle moment that I am still thinking about. Abraham dies:
“at a good ripe age [aside: what a wild image that is — our ripening–one we hear so much we forget its power.], old and contented, and he was gathered to his kin. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah… there Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife.”
The image that caught me was Isaac and Ishmael standing together. In all these years, all the times I’ve heard versions of this story, that essential detail never sunk in. Ishmael and Isaac, their family’s painful history behind them. Putting it aside to pay respects.
If you’d like to join in… this is the place for comments and commentary on Ḥayyei-Sarah (Gen 23.1 – 25.18)
Next up: Toledot (Gen 25.19 – 28.9)
-Cecil
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