Community Torah Corner - November 14, 2025

In this week’s parsha, Chayei Sarah, - חיי שרה many ancient events that shaped the Jewish nation took place. Abraham faces something incredibly painful. The death of his wife, Sarah. After mourning her, he gets up and tries to buy the Cave of Machpelah to bury her.

What stands out and is Abraham’s strength and composure throughout the time. Even while he is grieving, he acts with integrity and doesn’t take out his pain on others. He also refuses to take the cave for free, even though the Hittites offer it. He insists on paying full price and making sure everything is carried out honestly.

Not only does Abraham insist on paying, but he does so in front of everyone! Abraham buys the land for burial for the full price, in front of the whole community, to prevent any future dispute of ownership. He is dealing with a group of people that could cheat him and therefore; he stages a public sale to prevent any future miscommunications.

Proof is clearly important to Abraham. Abraham’s actions teach us that doing the right thing, even during a hard time, honors the people we love and represents the Jewish values we stand for. This moment also reflects the meaning of being Jewish.

Throughout history, we’ve faced so many hardships like exile, persecution, loss, yet we keep our heads up, just like Abraham. We rebuilt, continued to pray, learn, celebrate and hold onto hope. Just like Abraham got up after tragedy and continued living with his life with faith, so should we. Our strength as Jews comes from that same resilience present throughout our history, our ability to stand back up and keep believing in a better future.

Later in the parsha, Isaac finds comfort in his marriage with Rebecca, showing us that love and connection help heal the pain. Life will always move forward, but not by forgetting the past, but by learning from it. 

After Abraham buries his wife, he sets out to find a wife for his son Isaac. He sends his servant  Eliezer to Charan, Abraham’s hometown, to look for a soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Upon arriving in Charan, Eliezer goes to a well, where he makes a silent request of God. He asks to find Isaac’s wife at the well, but that she fits certain criteria. He vows that when he asks for water, the woman that gives it to both him and his camels is meant to be Isaac’s bride. Of course that woman ends up being Rebecca, who goes on to become one of the matriarchs of Israel.

This story highlights how a small act of kindness can impact your entire life. leading to the continuation of Judaism, which eventually leads to us. Later in the parsha, Isaac finds comfort in his marriage with Rebecca, showing us that love and connection help heal the pain. Life will always move forward, but not by forgetting the past, but by learning from it. So let this week’s parshah remind us that no matter how heavy life feels, we can always choose kindness and turn to faith. Like Abraham, and like our people, we can always find the strength to rise again.