Chayei Sarah

Queen Mother

The name Sarah means "princess." From Torah, we learn that Sarah is wealthy, powerful, and greatly desired by kings as their consort. Midrash adds stories of her physical beauty and her power as a spiritual teacher. Perhaps she is a princess with a role similar to a tribal Queen Mother in Africa today: a wise advisor, motivator, problem-solver, diplomat, and group leader.

The Haftorah tells the story of a more familiar royal figure: Batsheva, Queen Mother in Israel's royal court. The young Batsheva is famous for her beauty. With it, she captures the heart of King David, who commits egregious crimes in order to marry her, even though he already has seven wives. Immediately after these crimes, David performs formal acts of teshuvah: confessing, fasting, praying, and asking that he alone suffer the consequences. And over time, David changes deeply through his relationship with Batsheva. He learns to love, and lives as the husband of only one wife. Their intimacy births four sons. They become close political allies. When David's enemies grab for power, David and his advisors seek Batsheva's insights. After David's death, Shlomo secures Batsheva's continued support by officially appointing her Queen Mother.

Among political women in the Tanakh, Batsheva stands out. While Sarah appears in three different books, Batsheva appears in four. While Devorah's political contributions as prophet and judge are told in 54 verses, Batsheva's contributions as soul-maker and kingmaker are told in130 verses. Batsheva is squarely in the running as one of the great women in our early history. Her story offers a marvelous role model for the inner maturation of a woman through many roles - lover, wife, mother, political advisor and Queen.

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