Reversing Roles: Two Eulogies

Sarah’s inability to digest the loss of Isaac was more than just a motherly instinct. It was also a product of her utter devotion to the future of the Jewish nation. She could not tolerate the notion that Isaac would disappear, not only because of her love for her only child born to her at the age of ninety. It was also motivated by the obsession she had with the future of the Jewish nation.

Where did He Come From?

This week’s parsha begins with the story of how Abraham buried his wife Sarah. The Torah states: “And Abraham came to eulogize Sarah and to weep for her.”

The Midrash asks why the Torah mentions that he “came.” From where did he come? The Torah should have simply stated that following the passing of Sarah Abraham eulogized her and wept for her. It seems that his coming from some unspecified location enabled him to eulogize his wife, or was the theme of his eulogy.

One answer, adopted by Rashi, is that he came from the binding of Isaac; the subject with which the preceding parsha concludes. When Sarah heard the report that her son was taken to be sacrificed, she collapsed and died. She did not have a chance to hear the end of the story that he had been spared. Thus, the narrative about the burial of Sarah ties in directly with the narrative of the binding of Isaac.

Sensitive Sarah

Perhaps, the Torah sought to provide us with an understanding of Abraham’s appreciation for Sarah, which he expressed in his eulogy.

The fact that Sarah expired when she heard of the purported death of her son does not seem to suggest that there was anything unique about Sarah. True, it shows that she was a good and sensitive mother, but couldn’t that be said of most mothers?

Perhaps, Abraham’s eulogy about Sarah addressed the fact that her inability to digest the loss of Isaac was more than just a motherly instinct. It was also a product of her utter devotion to the future of the Jewish nation. Sarah so zealously guarded her son Isaac from the threat that was posed to him from his brother Yishmael, how could she countenance the prospects of losing Isaac. She could not tolerate the notion that Isaac would disappear, not only because of her love for her only child born to her at the age of ninety. It was also motivated by the obsession she had with the future of the Jewish nation.

Abraham was also certainly devoted to the future of the Jewish people. Yet he did not resist the command of G-d to sacrifice his son, There was room in his mind for the possibility that he would not be the father of the Jewish nation after all, as inexplicable as that may have sounded to him. Sarah left no room in her mind for that possibility.

Thus, Abraham’s eulogy was that Sarah was the true mother and founder of the Jewish people, She could not possibly live one minute with the possibility that Isaac was no more.

Terach’s Funeral

There is yet another opinion in the Midrash that says that Abraham had come from the burial and eulogy of his father Terach. At the time of Sarah’s passing Abraham was 137 year old and Terach—who was seventy years older than Abraham—had died two years earlier, when Abraham was 135 years old.

The question has been asked, what connection is there between the two events—the burial of Terach and the burial of Sarah, other than the fact that they were both burials?

Abraham rebelled against his father Terach in his youth. He rebelled against his idol worship and there was a major rift between father and son. It is amazing that Abraham was able to convince thousands of pagans to abandon their ways and become monotheists. Why couldn’t Abraham influence his own father?

Most would say that it is more difficult to influence your own family than it is to affect a total stranger. It is even more difficult for a child to show his parent that they have led wrong lives and to admit that they were wrong.

While that is definitely true in most cases, it is nevertheless hard to imagine that a man as holy and persuasive as Abraham who changed the world could not get his father to give up such nonsense as idol worship.

Our Sages tell us that, indeed, in the end of his life, Terach did mend his ways and abandoned idolatry. Obviously, it was Abraham’s constant efforts that bore fruit in the end.

Connecting Eulogies

By juxtaposing the story of Abraham’s eulogy of Terach— which undoubtedly contained words of praise about his Teshuvah (repentance and return), the Torah tells us that this eulogy was connected to another eulogy—the eulogy over his wife Sarah.

The reason for this parallel is to hint to us that although Abraham certainly deserved credit for having influenced his father despite the inherent hardships in doing so, it was actually Sarah who provided Abraham with the inspiration to persevere and ultimately prevail. It was Sarah’s unique ability to translate Abraham’s ideals into reality and whose efforts crowned Abraham’s work with success.

The first opinion that Abraham came from the binding of Isaac exemplifies Sarah’s obsession with the future. The second opinion that describes Abraham’s arrival from his father Terach’s funeral demonstrates the ability Sarah possessed to influence the past generation as well. These two views might be arguing which of the two accomplishments is greater. Is it the ability to guarantee the future, or is it the ability to affect the past?

The Young Bringing Back the Elders

One of the prophecies of the Messianic Age is that the young will affect their elders. The last Biblical Prophet, Malachi, states: “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to [Rashi: through] the children.”

Parents will react positively to the way their children discover the truth in Judaism and bring their parents back into the fold.

Where did this process of the yound influencing the old begin?

Abraham and Sarah were the first to introduce this reversal of roles—where the young influence and guide the old. It seems that in the final throes of the exile, the ability of the new generation to influence its elders is highlighted.

From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Chayei Sarah by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.