Sarah's Life of Self-Sacrifice
A lesson from the Tiferes Shlomo Parshas Chayei Sarah
ויהיו חיי שרה כו' ותמת שרה בקרית ארבע
And the life of Sarah was… and Sarah died in Kiryas Arba which is Chevron
And the life of Sarah was… and Sarah died in Kiryas Arba which is Chevron
Many of the commentaries address why the Parsha that describes Sarah’s death begins with and is called “the life of Sarah”. Below we share a novel explanation of the Tiferes Shlomo.
The true joy of Tzaddikim is to cleave to Hashem with Mesiras Nefesh. They live their entire lives prepared to sacrifice themselves for Hashem’s sake and to die Al Kiddush Hashem.
This is alluded to in Tehillim where king David says “rejoice the soul of Your servant, because I lift up my soul to You.” The joy that king David sought was the opportunity to offer up his soul to Hashem.
The Torah is attesting that the entire “life of Sarah” was ותמת שרה “and Sarah died”, meaning that all of her life was lived with Mesiras Nefesh and the readiness and desire to sacrifice her life for Hashem.
When Sarah wanted to send Yishmael away, Hashem told Avraham to listen to the voice of his wife;כל אשר תאמר אליך שרה שמע בקולה. This verse can also be read as whatever Sarah says to you “Shema” is in her voice.
The Kavana of the declaration of the Shema, which is recited by martyrs, is an expression of Mesiras Nefesh. The Posuk is telling us that everything Sarah said and did, was an expression of the Kavana of the Shema
This idea is expressed in the continuation of the Posuk. Kiryas Arba - literally the City of Four, alludes to the holy Four-Letter Name of Hashem. Chevron comes from the root חבר, meaning to join or connect.
During Exile, the Name of Hashem is not complete. Sarah lived her life of Mesiras Nefesh for the sake of Hashem’s Name, that it should be complete once more.
The true joy of Tzaddikim is to cleave to Hashem with Mesiras Nefesh. They live their entire lives prepared to sacrifice themselves for Hashem’s sake and to die Al Kiddush Hashem.
This is alluded to in Tehillim where king David says “rejoice the soul of Your servant, because I lift up my soul to You.” The joy that king David sought was the opportunity to offer up his soul to Hashem.
The Torah is attesting that the entire “life of Sarah” was ותמת שרה “and Sarah died”, meaning that all of her life was lived with Mesiras Nefesh and the readiness and desire to sacrifice her life for Hashem.
When Sarah wanted to send Yishmael away, Hashem told Avraham to listen to the voice of his wife;כל אשר תאמר אליך שרה שמע בקולה. This verse can also be read as whatever Sarah says to you “Shema” is in her voice.
The Kavana of the declaration of the Shema, which is recited by martyrs, is an expression of Mesiras Nefesh. The Posuk is telling us that everything Sarah said and did, was an expression of the Kavana of the Shema
This idea is expressed in the continuation of the Posuk. Kiryas Arba - literally the City of Four, alludes to the holy Four-Letter Name of Hashem. Chevron comes from the root חבר, meaning to join or connect.
During Exile, the Name of Hashem is not complete. Sarah lived her life of Mesiras Nefesh for the sake of Hashem’s Name, that it should be complete once more.