Chaya Sarah - Rabbi M. Missaghieh

Suns Rise, Suns Set

Chaya Sarah, Genesis 23:1-25:18
Haftarah: 1 Kings 1:1-31

Rabbi Michelle Missaghieh
Temple Israel of Hollywood
Recording Secretary, Board of Rabbis of Southern California

Have you ever told a story over and over again, only to notice something completely new about the story that you never saw before?

How many times have I read the story of the Akayda, the binding of Isaac, from last week's portion? We read it once a year in the fall, and then every year on Rosh Hashanah. But it wasn't until this week that I noticed something so peripheral and yet so meaningful in the story. After Abraham almost sacrifices his son Isaac on Mount Moriah, the two of them part ways, and the story ends with a genealogy. Now who reads genealogies?! I have to admit, not me. I skip over them. But this genealogy harbored a hidden gift.

Forgive me for recounting it. Abraham is told at the end of last week's portion that his brother Nahor - his only surviving blood relative - had 8 children. The last of the 8 was Bethuel, who the Torah tells us is Rebekah's father.

Rashi, the 11th century French commentator teaches that the entire genealogy record is given only for the sake of this verse. Meaning the punch line is Rebecca's birth.

Now the obvious question is, why did the Torah tell us about the birth of Rebekah (in last week's portion) prior to informing us of the death of Sarah (which begins this week's portion)? Why the hint of Rebecca, before Sarah dies?

The sages of Midrash Bereshit Rabbah explained this juxtaposition by referring to the curious line from the biblical book Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) which reads: "The sun also rises and the sun sets."

Rabbi Abba said, "Don't we know that the sun rises and the sun sets? Rather the meaning is that before the Holy Blessing One causes the sun of one righteous person to set, God causes the sun of another tzaddik to rise. ...Before the Holy Blessing One allowed Sarah's sun to set, God causes that of Rebekah to rise."

In other words, before allowing the righteous Sarah to die, God had already assured the rise of another righteous Matriarch through the birth of Rebekah.

Let me share how this teaching affected me. I used to always think that babies and young children often inherit traits of past generations who are no longer with us. I like to believe this when I think of my daughter Sivan and my deceased friend Stephen, who she is named after. He was very creative and she has a deep appreciation for music. But now I wonder, who died just after Sivan was born, and whose traits does she also carry? And for that matter, who was alive when I was born and whose traits do I carry. The never ending cycle of this mystery appeals to me. It's as if two souls touch before one leaves and another develops into a living force in the world. A beautiful thought.

As we read this week's portion, consider whose soul might be intertwined with yours. After all, death is always considered a part of life. Whose death is part of your life?