Sarah: Our Matriarch of Faithਨਮੂਨਾ

A Lasting Legacy

Sarah passed away at the age of 127. Curiously, the section in the Torah that relates Sarah’s death, the purchase of her burial site at the Cave of Machpelah, and the search for a wife for Isaac, is called Chayei Sarah, which means “the life of Sarah.” This seems strange since this portion of Scripture deals not with Sarah’s life, but her death, and then the life of Isaac.

The Jewish sages explain that when a righteous person has passed on, it is considered as though that person is still alive. The good deeds that the person did in his or her lifetime remain, a lasting legacy to all generations, thereby perpetuating the “life” of the deceased.

Sarah’s life goal was to have a son who would continue the work she and Abraham began of bringing worship of the One True God and spreading godliness throughout the world. There is no greater testament to the life of Sarah than her son, Isaac, and his wife Rebekah.

The Jewish oral tradition, which Jesus would have been taught in the synagogue, teaches that while Sarah was alive, three miracles were always present in her tent. First, her Sabbath candles remained lit from one Sabbath eve to the next. Second, there was a blessing in the dough of her bread. Third, a divine cloud continually rested over her tent. These were all signs of the godliness that Sarah brought into her home, into her life, and into the lives of others.

These three elements were later mirrored in the Tabernacle and the Temple as the lampstand (Leviticus 24:3-4), the bread of the Presence (Exodus 25:30), and the Cloud of Glory, representing God’s presence (Exodus 40:34-35).

When Sarah died, the three miracles disappeared. However, when Rebekah married Isaac and moved into Sarah’s tent, all three miracles returned, signaling that Isaac and Rebekah were worthy successors of Abraham and Sarah. Sarah’s life goal had been achieved. The torch had been passed successfully to the next generation.

Despite many disappointments, obstacles, mistakes, and miscues, Sarah’s faith in God never waned. While others may become jaded or bitter through a life of difficulties, Sarah remained confident that all was for the best. As a small child trusts a parent unquestionably, Sarah continued to have faith in her Father in heaven until her last breath.

Sarah’s quiet beauty, her steadfast loyalty, and obedience to her husband, Abraham, have served as models for women throughout the ages. In the Christian Bible, the apostle Peter advised women to follow Sarah’s example in how she honored Abraham (1 Peter 3:6).

Inner beauty, partnership, godliness, and obedience—all with a steadfast faith in the One True God of Israel. These are the legacies for us today from Sarah, our true spiritual Matriarch.