Genesis 23:1-25:18
Though it begins with Sarah’s death, this portion is ultimately about continuity and legacy. Abraham secures a burial place, ensuring a rooted presence in the land, while a mission is undertaken to find a wife for Isaac who can carry the covenant forward. The parashah reflects on memory, lineage, and how a family — and a people — endure beyond any single life.
One who lives with the possibility that there may be an afterlife will think carefully about what to do with his or her life on earth. After all, if there is an aspect of life that is eternal, this life on earth may have an entirely different meaning than we think.
This week marks the Sloshim, 30 days since the massacres of October 7. The Jewish laws of mourning focus first on the dead, on dignity from death to burial. The focus then turns to the needs of the close relatives of the deceased, with Shiva, the seven days of intense mourning, to the Sloshim, which—with the exception of the death of one’s parents—marks the end of the mourning period. However, even 30 days later, we as a nation find it hard to get past the mourning.