Living Parashat Chayei Sarah: A Sephardic Women’s Guide to Legacy, Presence, and Quiet Strengthby Rebbetzin Hannah Miryam Bejarano Gutierrez

Parashat Chayei Sarah is paradoxical from its first words: “And the life of Sarah was…”—yet the opening lines recount her passing (Bereishit 23:1).

Our Sages note this tension not to shock, but to reveal a deeper truth: a righteous woman’s impact becomes fully visible in how her presence continues even after she is physically gone. For Sephardic women, whose traditions emphasize continuity, dignity, chessed, and spiritual beauty, this parashah becomes a masterclass in the elements of kedushah of womanhood.

1. Sarah’s Life Is Told in Her Absence: The Power of Hidden Influence

The Torah famously divides Sarah’s years—100, 20, and 7—and Rashi explains that all were equally good (Rashi to Bereishit 23:1). But why only now, when she is no longer alive, does the Torah praise her life?

Sephardic Insight: Presence That Outlives Us

In Sephardic communities, especially those rooted in Morocco, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and others, the matriarchs of the home were known for shaping generations often quietly—through nurturing, tradition-keeping, blessings whispered over candles, and the calm strength that held families together.

Sarah becomes the archetype of the quiet but enduring influence. The Zohar (I, 128b) teaches that the Shechinah rested in her tent—symbolized by the ever-burning candle, the dough blessed with abundance, and the protective cloud above the home (Bereishit Rabbah 60:16). These miracles returned only when Rivkah entered the home.

A deeper and meaningful meaning:

While modern culture glorifies what is loud, public, and measurable, the Torah glorifies inner constancy. Chayei Sarah teaches that the truest legacy of a woman is the atmosphere she creates, the spiritual climate she generates—not necessarily through public action, but through presence, steadiness, and faith.

For Sephardic women, this resonates deeply: it honors the mothers and grandmothers who shaped worlds without titles, applause, or recognition.

2. Sarah’s Burial in the Machpelah: Dignity and Kavod HaAdam

Avraham’s negotiation for the Cave of Machpelah (Bereishit 23:3–20) is the longest business transaction in the Torah.

Why such detail?

A Lesson in Dignity

The Ramban explains that this episode is recorded to show the honor due to the righteous (Ramban ad loc.). Sarah’s burial is a statement of kavod: not only the dignity owed to the deceased, but the dignity owed to every stage of a woman’s life.

Sephardic Women and Kavod

Sephardic tradition teaches profound kavod for women, especially in life-cycle moments. Women are the guardians of honor in their homes—maintaining modesty, beauty, hospitality, and chessed—all reflections of Sarah’s legacy.

A deeper and meaningful meaning:

The detailed story of purchasing Machpelah reminds Sephardic women that your worth is not accidental. Your life deserves care, investment, and sacred space—spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Avraham’s insistence on honoring Sarah sets the precedent: a woman’s value is non-negotiable.

3. Rivkah: The Rebirth of Sarah’s Legacy

The heart of the parashah is the story of finding Rivkah, a young woman whose character shines before she utters a single word.

Midrashic Mirror

When Rivkah arrives, the miracles of Sarah’s tent return (Bereishit Rabbah 60:16). This indicates not that she replaces Sarah, but that:

Rivkah continues the spiritual flame of her predecessor while expressing it in her own unique way.

Sephardic Wisdom: The Unbroken Chain

In Sephardic homes, tradition is not a museum—it is a living inheritance. Each generation adapts, adds beauty, and expands the previous generation’s strength.

Rivkah embodies continuity without imitation.

A deeper and meaningful meaning:

This teaches Sephardic women that you do not have to be your mother or grandmother to carry their holiness forward. Rivkah’s greatness is not that she is a copy of Sarah—she is a new expression of Sarah’s light.

Just as every daughter of Sepharad reinterprets her heritage—whether through cooking, prayer, teaching, leadership, or creativity—you build upon, rather than replicate, what came before you.

4. Eliezer’s Test: The Spiritual Value of Generosity

Eliezer’s sign at the well (Bereishit 24:14) is simple yet profound: the woman for Yitzchak must be one whose kindness overflows naturally.

The Rambam (Hilchot De’ot 1:7) explains that true character is shown not through isolated deeds but through spontaneous behavior that reveals inner traits.

Sephardic Emphasis on Chessed

Chessed—hospitality, care for strangers, feeding guests—is a crown of Sephardic Jewish life. Rivkah’s effortless generosity mirrors the great Sephardic matriarchs who extended warmth to all, believing that blessing multiplies when shared.

A deeper and meaningful meaning:

In a world that often rewards self-protection, Rivkah’s story teaches a radical truth:

Your giving is not a depletion—it is your spiritual fingerprint.

Your chessed defines the culture of your home, your relationships, and your personal avodah. It is not measured by size, but by sincerity.

5. Yitzchak and Rivkah: A Love Rooted in Healing

When Rivkah enters Sarah’s tent and Yitzchak marries her, the verse says:

“Vayenachem Yitzchak acharei imo”—

“Yitzchak was comforted after his mother’s passing” (Bereishit 24:67).

Rashi explains that Rivkah’s presence brought healing. But this is curious: how does marriage heal grief?

A Deeper Insight

Yitzchak was traumatized by the Akeidah, and then suffered the loss of his mother. Rivkah does not erase his pain—she gives him a new spiritual stability, the one lost when Sarah died.

Sephardic Understanding of Healing

Sephardic rabbis often teach that healing does not come from forgetting the past, but from weaving the past into a renewed present. Rivkah does not replace Sarah; she restores the spiritual balance Sarah once created.

A deeper and meaningful meaning:

This teaches Sephardic women that your presence can bring healing even when you cannot fix someone’s pain. Sometimes the greatest act of love is simply restoring light where loss creates emptiness.

Your strength becomes someone else’s comfort.

Highlights of Chayei Sarah as a Guide for Today’s Sephardic Woman:

This parashah begins with death, but it teaches about life:

• Sarah shows that the impact of a woman is often invisible while she lives—but unmistakable afterward.

• Avraham teaches that a woman’s honor is sacred and must be protected.

• Rivkah teaches that the next generation preserves its heritage by being authentically itself, not by copying the past.

• Eliezer teaches the power of natural generosity.

• Yitzchak and Rivkah teach that spiritual presence can heal deep emotional wounds.

The Profound Message for Sephardic Women Today:

Your life is not measured by public achievements, but by the atmosphere you create. Your influence is not loud, but lasting.

Your heritage is not meant to be preserved unchanged, but to be transformed through your unique soul.

Chayei Sarah invites every Sephardic woman to see herself as part of the chain of Sarah and Rivkah—a chain built not of grand gestures, but of steady light.