Q-1. (a) Why is this parasha describing Sarah’s death and burial called “Chayei Sarah” (“Sarah’s Lifetime”)? (b) From what did she die (4 views)? (c) How does our Rosh Hashana shofar blowing relate to her death? (d) How old was Yitzchak at the akeida? (e) Why was her burial site called “Me’orat haMachpeila” (the “double cave”) (4 views)? (f) Why is “Efron” in 23:16 spelled with no vav (2 views)? (g) (i) Which 3 places in Cana’an did Bnei Yisrael buy for high prices, and (ii) who bought them?
(Bereishit 23:1-2,6, 9,16)
A-1. Life’s most important component is the eternal life after the soul leaves the body (R. Bechaya). (b) From (1) the shock when Satan told her Avraham went to slaughter Yitzchak (Targum Yonatan). (2) Yitzchak’s describing the akeida, when she realized what would have happened without the angel’s intervention (Vayikra Raba). (3) being told that Avraham and Yitzchak left Har haMoriah, thinking Avraham had failed the test; (4) being upset that Avraham did not consult her before taking Yitzchak (Medrash Tanchuma). (c) When she heard Yitzchak died, she sobbed terua-like sounds – shofar blowing asks for her cries to give merit to atone for our sins (Pirkei deRebi Eliezer). (d) 37 – the akeida coincided with Sarah’s death – she was 90 at his birth and died at 127 (Seder Olam). (e) (1) It has upper and lower stories; (2) couples, starting with Adam and Chava, were to be buried there (Rashi). (3) it was a double cave, one inside the other (ibn Ezra). (4) Adam was so tall Hashem had to fold his body in half to bury him (Ramban). (f) (1) The shortened name indicated his inferiority – Efron said much but did not do even a little, offering the site for free but taking a large sum (Rashi). (2) Efron’s gematria with no vav is 400 – his goal was to get Avraham’s 400 shekelim (Ba’al haTurim). (g) (1) (i) Me’orat haMachpeila – Chevron; (ii) Avraham – 400 shekalim (here); (2) (i) Yosef’s tomb – Shechem; (ii) Ya’akov – 100 kesitot (Bereshit 33:19); (3) (i) the Beit haMikdash’s site – Yerushalayim; (ii) David haMelech – 600 gold shekalim (I Divrei haYamim 21:25).
Q-2. (a) Since 18:11 says that Avraham was zakein (old), why is it repeated here? (b) The Torah says, “Hashem blessed Avraham ‘bakol’ (‘with everything’)” – to what does “bakol” refer (10 views)? (c) Since the Charanim, like the Cana’anim, worshipped idols, why did Avraham ban Eliezer from (1) seeking a Cana’anit woman as Yitzchak’s wife (4 reasons)? (2) bringing Yitzchak to Charan? (Bereishit 24:1-8)
A-2. (a) Avraham was aged, but Hashem restored his youth by giving him the ability to procreate – after Sarah’s death, the strains of his old age emerged again (Medrash Tanchuma). (b) Avraham (1) was blessed with a son – bakol’s gematria is 52, same as bein (son) (Rashi). (2) had all a man wants – riches, longevity, honor and children (Ramban). (3) had a daughter named “Bakol”, fulfilling mitzvat peru u-revu by fathering a son and daughter; (4) was blessed by not having a daughter, since there would be no appropriate man for her to marry; (5) had astrological skills which kings far and wide consulted; (6) owned a precious stone that cured sick people; (7) saw Yishmael’s teshuva; (8) was free of the yeitzer hara; (9) was blessed with a lifespan shortened by 5 years, from 180 to 175 years and did not see his grandson Eisav sin (Bava Batra 16b). (10) had the Shechina dwelling within him (Zohar Chadash). (c) (1) (i) By marrying a Charanit, Yitzchak’s wife would be far from her family, who could not influence her (Kli Yakar). (ii) The Cana’anim, unlike the Charanim, were cursed – they were unsuited as mates for Avraham’s blessed offspring (Ohr haChaim). (iii) The Cana’anim, unlike the Charanim, were morally corrupt – Hashem gave Eretz Yisrael to Avraham’s offspring to live with the Torah’s morality, without letting Cana’ani immorality seep into his family (Meshech Chochma). (iv) Avraham wanted it known that his offspring acquired Eretz Yisrael through Hashem’s promise, not by intermarrying with the Cana’anim. (2) As a result of the akeida, Yitzchak was an “ola temima” (a perfect offering to Hashem), who could not leave the holy land (Chizkuni).
Questions on Parashat Chayei Sarah
by Rabbi Binyamin Yablok, [email protected]