This week's parashah, this week's Torah Portion, Chayei Sarah, meaning "Sarah's lifetime," begins not with tales of our matriarch Sarah's life, but with an account of her death. In the first verses of this parashah, we read how Abraham, her husband, tends carefully to the details of her burial.
Soon after Sarah's burial, Abraham begins attending to matters in his son Isaac's life, in particular, he sets out to find Isaac a suitable wife. After a series of trials, Isaac is matched with Rebekah. This first part of the parashah is a lesson in compassion and acting for the welfare of one's family.
A word on Rebekah: Rebekah is one of my favorite biblical characters and it is because of her that I look forward to Chayei Sarah each year. Rebekah is a woman of action. She takes an active role in deciding her own destiny and she is a model for the power that biblical women held and exercised in their lives.
I urge you to open up your Torah Commentary this Shabbat and read Chayei Sarah, Genesis 23:1−25:18. Delight in Rebekah's gumption, mourn with Abraham, grow with Isaac.
One of the Torah's purposes is to mirror our own emotions and experiences. May you find yourself in it always.
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