Chaye Sarah- What We Do In Life Matters

Vayeihyu chaye Sarah mei’ah shanah v’esrim shanah v’sheva shanim shnei chaye Sarah

And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.  (Breishit 23:1)

Parashat Chaye Sarah seems not to be about Sarah’s life, but rather about Sarah’s death and the aftermath. Beyond this pasuk the parasha does not mention Sarah’s life. The parasha deals with Avraham’s actions and reactions following her death. Avraham must bury Sarah. He mourns her, and out of this seems to come concern for their legacy.  Avraham secures a future for Isaac, which consumes the majority of the parasha. Once this is done Avraham remarries. He fathers six more children, and guarantees the inheritance of each of them and Isaac by providing for them, and sending them off to form their own futures.

Nevertheless, the parasha bears Sarah’s name. The question could be asked, “Is it Sarah’s death that is the impetus for these actions, or was it Sarah’s life?” 

“And the life of Sarah was one hundred years…” “And the life of Sarah was… twenty years…” “And the life of Sarah was… seven years…” While the breaking down of numbers is a common literary device, everything in the Torah has a purpose. Why one hundred and twenty and seven? Why not 127? 

In each of our lives there are stages during which we live a different life. We are children. We are young adults. We are spouses. We are parents. Each piece of our lives is different. During these periods we act differently; we think differently. In the end it is not the total of years that matter, but the lives lived during those years.