A
vraham Avinu was devastated by the death of his beloved wife but when it was time to negotiate the terms of her burial he shelved his mourning state wiped away his tears and went out to purchases the Mearas Hamachpeilah. Because even the Hittites deserved his respect.
“Sarah died in Kiryas Arba” (Bereishis 23:2).
This was such a difficult moment in Avraham’s life especially coming as it did on the heels of his journey to Har Hamoriah. He had just been through the most challenging of all the tests that G-d brought upon him the nisayon of Akeidas Yitzchak. And now he stood next to the funeral bier of his wife who had died while he was making his way home from that journey of trial and faith. No sooner had he passed that test of faith than he found himself facing a new challenge the sudden passing of the great woman who had been steadfastly at his side all along his unique road in this world. And if that was not trying enough he was simultaneously faced with the necessity of negotiating with the Hittites. Avraham the future lord of the Promised Land had to request a small piece of that land from its temporary owners in order to bring Sarah to burial.
And indeed Sarah was a particularly great woman as the first pasuk of our parshah says of her: “And the life of Sarah was 100 years and 20 years and 7 years; [these were] the years of the life of Sarah.”
From this wording with its emphasis on every year of Sarah’s life our Sages learned how great and unique was Sarah’s personality. They summed up her prominence in a few succinct words:
