Shabbat Greetings
In the portion, Chayei Sarah (Genesis 23:1-25:18), we encounter a striking paradox. The portion begins with Sarah’s death, yet it’s called “The Life of Sarah.” The Torah teaches us that the righteous live on, not only through memory, but through the values and blessings they leave behind. Sarah’s life continues in the choices of those who come after her.
Abraham’s faith doesn’t die with her; it deepens. He purchases the Cave of Machpelah, securing a foothold in the Land of Israel, an act of emunah, faith in the future. Later, Eliezer sets out to find a wife for Isaac, guided by a prayer for divine kindness: “Adonai, God of my master, Abraham . . .may it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar,’ will show kindness and through her, I will know You have shown kindness to my master. (24:12-14) Here, kindness becomes the test of character. Rebecca’s act at the well, drawing water not only for Eliezer but for his camels, reveals that the covenant of Abraham is transmitted not by words alone, but by chesed (kindness), by blessing others through action.
This Shabbat, along with the gifts of our Temple Shalom choir, we will celebrate this idea that faith lives through blessing, especially within Sephardic Judaism. In the Sephardic world, blessings (berachot) are not routine recitations; they are moments of connection, spoken with melody, warmth, and gratitude. The daily rhythm of life is framed by words like Baruch Ata Adonai, “Blessed are You, Adonai.”
The Sephardic sage Ben Ish Chai (Rabbi Yosef Chaim (1835–1909), a prominent Sephardic rabbi and sage from Baghdad, Iraq) taught that each blessing is a spark of light that revives the soul and brings divine presence into the world. Saying a blessing with intention (kavanah) transforms ordinary acts, eating, waking, seeing light, into sacred experiences. Just as Abraham’s faith was lived through deeds, the Sephardic tradition lives its faith through spoken gratitude, through living blessings.
In Chayei Sarah, Abraham and Eliezer model a sense of faith, but it is Rebecca who brings that faith forward through her acts of kindness. In the same way, Sephardic Judaism teaches that faith must be embodied, not only believed, but felt, sung, and shared. Every blessing of gratitude on the lips of a Sephardic Jew, every acknowledgment of a righteous act, the performance of the mitzvot, is a continuation of Sarah’s life — chayei Sarah — life that blesses others. When we speak blessings aloud, we echo the same spirit that moved Abraham to act with faith and Rebecca to act with compassion. Blessing is the bridge between heaven and earth, between the generations , the living continuation of our matriarchs and patriarchs.
There is a saying in the Moroccan tradition: “One whose mouth is full of blessing will find blessing in life.” Perhaps this is the true meaning of Chayei Sarah – that a life of blessing never ends. Sarah’s body may rest in the Cave of Machpelah, but her spirit breathes through every act of faith and every word of blessing uttered by her descendants.
SHABBAT SHALOM