It is at this juncture in the lives of our forebears that Chayei Sara opens. She dies, perhaps, of heartbreak at not only the potential loss of her son in the sacrifice but the physical loss of her son to Hagar, a woman with whom she has a strained relationship to say the least. First, he flees to his mother’s former handmaid, Hagar, and older brother, Ishmael. Two things happen after Isaac’s life is spared by God. Just prior to this Torah portion is the binding of Isaac, when Abraham almost sacrifices Isaac. But to understand what’s happening here, I think it’s best to look back. The title of this week’s Torah portion, Chayei Sara, is Hebrew for “the life of Sarah.” That’s in spite of the fact that it opens with Sarah’s death and then proceeds to detail Abraham’s mourning, him finding her a burial plot and then selecting a wife for their son, Isaac. Commentary on Parashat Chayei Sara, Genesis 23:1 - 25:18
