Chayei Sarah
Honouring Outstanding Women
Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan
About
1500 years ago, our sages paired each weekly Torah reading with a specific
reading from the prophets. The reading from the prophets is called the
haftarah, or completion, because it comments on or updates the ideas in the
Torah. This week's Torah-haftarah pair offers a wonderful example of "completion."
This
week's parashah is Chayei Sarah, literally translated as "the lives of
Sarah." It records the death of Sarah and the search for an appropriate
wife for her son Yitzchak. Jewish tradition describes Sarah as a princess and
as a great spiritual teacher
revered by women of the region. Thus, many readers puzzle over the failure of
the Torah to honour this great woman appropriately: the parashah called "Sarah's life" is about her
death; her husband mourns her but gives no eulogy; her legacy is described solely
in terms of marriage and heirs.
For
the haftarah reading, our sages chose the first chapter of the Book of Kings.
This story notes the impending death of King David, the political strategy of
his wife Batsheva to convince him to crown her son Shlomo as king, and the
installment of Batsheva on the throne of the Queen Mother by King Shlomo. It
seems the sages are saying: this is how we should honour a great woman. We
speak of her national influence; her husband fulfills her wishes during her
lifetime; and her son recognizes her with a public seat of honor.
Return to Reb Laura's
"Taste of Torah" list.
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to "Teachings from Our Rabbis and Friends" list.
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