Sarah MacRitchie
My parashah, Chayeh Sarah, has 2 main women in it: Sarah and Rebecca. They were both mothers and among the 4 mothers of our people. My Dvar Torah is on how Sarah and Rebecca were different from each other, how they shared qualities, and influenced our history. Chayeh Sarah which means 'Life of Sarah' is actually not at all about the life of Sarah. The parashah begins with Sarah's death and details the way in which Abraham sought to acquire a burial plot for her. Rebecca comes in when Abraham asks his servant to find a wife for his son, Isaac. The servant goes back to Abraham's homeland, where he finds Rebecca by a well.
Sarah lived for 127 years. There is not a lot of information about her in the torah. We know she married Abraham, leaving her family to become semi-nomadic. I think this makes Sarah a very dedicated person and courageous person. She was childless until her old age, so gave Abraham a concubine, Hagar, but ordered her away shortly afterwards. When G-d said she was going to have a child in her old age, she laughed. But sure enough, Sarah had a son named Isaac. She died, and was buried in the cave of Machpelah.
Sarah influenced our history by being a matriarch. People look up to her for her courage, strength, independence. She maintained the will to go on despite the pain she must have felt being childless. She was the one who started the Jewish nation. Sarah was one of the Mothers. Without her, there would not be such a strong Jewish people.
After Sarah died, Abraham sent one of his servants to find a wife for his son Isaac. The servant travelled and came to Abraham's homeland. There, at a well, he saw a woman. He asked for water and she gave him but also gave water to the camels. This is Rebecca. She is said to be a great beauty but also a beautiful person. I think this means that she was caring, loving and a compassionate person. She marries Isaac and becomes a mother of twin boys, Jacob and Esau.
I think she influenced our history by also being a matriarch. People look up to her for having a big heart. Rebecca was part of the 4 Mothers.
Sarah and Rebecca share several qualities. They are strength, courage and faith. Strength because they both continued life, even though they both had difficulty bearing children. Courage because they both took up the challenge of leaving home to start a new life with their husbands. Finally because they had faith in themselves to carry on in times of trouble.
Sarah and Rebecca shared important qualities but they were also different. For example, Sarah had a mean side. Realizing she could not have children, Sarah gave Abraham a concubine, Hagar. When Hagar bore Abraham a son, and began acting superior to Sarah, she became angry. Sarah ordered Hagar and her son, Ishmael a way, without much food or water. I think that Rebecca would have handled this differently. Rebecca offered to give Abraham's servant water, and his camels too. This shows her essential kindness. This reveals the difference between the 2 matriarchs.
There are some qualities that I would like to emulate in my life from Sarah and Rebecca. From Sarah, I would like to strive for her quality of strength. The quality from Rebecca would be her big heart. These qualities sound a lot like my namesake, from what I've heard about her. Sarah Chernick nee Boroditsky, my great aunt(my savta's sister and Lili's mother) was a role model, and shared these qualities of Sarah and Rebecca. I would like to carry on these qualities that my namesakes and Rebecca both shared.
SHABBAT SHALOM!!!