Parshat Chayei Sarah begins with the death of Sarah and ends with the death of Avraham.
The beginning of the parsha describes Sarah’s years as “מֵאָה שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִיםשָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים,”i 127years, and Rashi says that “כֻּלָּן שָׁוִין לְטוֹבָה”—all her years were equally good. The end of the parsha describes Avraham’s death, saying “וַיָּמׇת אַבְרָהָם בְּשֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה זָקֵן וְשָׂבֵע” —Avraham died in good old age and with contentment. How can we reconcile these pesukim with the hardships and struggles that defined much of their lives?
By the time Sarah died, the two of them had been challenged by infertility, famine, war, adversarial personal relationships, Akeidat Yitzchak, and more. All the while, Hashem promised that many nations and the future of the Jewish people would come through Avraham, and their children would inherit the land of Israel. Hashem promised Avraham seven times throughout the previous parshiyot that they would inherit the land, and promised him four times that he would have many children, but neither was fully realized in their lifetimes. By the time Avraham leaves this world, he has only taken the first steps: Purchasing the cave of Machpelah and securing a wife for Yitzchak. How could he and Sarah have been so content about leaving this world with unrealized dreams and aspirations and unfulfilled promises?
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explains that the story of Avraham and Sarah teaches us a profound lesson about contentment and fulfillment. Fulfillment does not come from seeing the completion of our dreams, but from knowing we have begun the journey and done our part. Rabbi Sacks emphasizes that our role in life is not to finish the journey but to take the first step, trusting that future generations will continue walking the path. It is human nature to desire immediate results, to want to see the destination in our lifetime, and sometimes we even feel entitled to it. But life rarely works this way. Avraham and Sarah show us that true happiness and contentment come not from having everything but from fulfilling the task we are called to do. They trusted in Hashem’s plan, and in their descendants to carry forward their mission, and that trust allowed them to leave this world with serenity and a sense of accomplishment.
To be truly happy is not to possess everything we desire or to achieve all our goals. Instead, it is to live with purpose, to take meaningful steps toward a greater vision, and to pass the baton to the next generation. When we recognize that our role is to begin the journey and to contribute to something larger than ourselves, we free ourselves from the burden of entitlement and the illusion of control. This aligns with the teaching in Pirkei Avot: “Lo alecha hamelacha ligmor, v’lo atah ben chorin l’hivatel mimena”—it is not your responsibility to finish the task, but neither are you free to abandon it. Avraham and Sarah’s legacy reminds us that even the smallest steps can pave the way for future greatness, and with that understanding, we can find peace and fulfillment in the lives we lead.
Just as Avraham and Sarah did not live to see the fulfillment of Hashem’s promises, educators and parents often plant seeds that may not bloom until years later. Avraham's greatness was his faith in both Hashem and his descendants to continue the mission he began. Similarly, the work of education and parenting is about inspiring the next generation to carry forward the values and goals we cherish, ensuring they have the tools to build onto the foundations we lay.
My greatest nachas as an educator is in seeing former students take their next steps, building on what they’ve learned from their school, community, and family and making the mission their own: Sharing weekly divrei Torah on WhatsApp, serving in the Israel Defense Forces with pride, sending their own children to Jewish day schools, devoting their time to learning Torah, and doing acts of kindness in their communities across the globe.
At Maimonides, every lesson taught, every value modeled, and every spark of curiosity ignited contributes to a larger, ongoing narrative that shapes the futures of our precious children. | 