Sarah’s life was far from uneventful: she was born and raised in one part of the world, but moved a number of times, spending the last half of her life in the Land of Israel. She was also taken captive twice by powerful kings who desired to marry her against her will.
Yet when the verse says “The life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah,” Rashi explains that the phrase “the years of the life of Sarah” summarizes all 127 years of Sarah’s life, saying, “They all were equally good.” Considering everything that Sarah endured, how can Rashi suggest that all 127 years of her life were equally good?
The answer lies in the Torah’s unusual phrasing. Usually, when stating how long a person lived, the Torah says, “All the days of so-and-so were...,” or “These are the days of the years of so-and-so’s life.” Here, however, the Torah refers to the number of Sarah’s years as “the life of Sarah,” not “the years of Sarah.”
The Torah’s wording indicates that this verse is not only telling us how many years Sarah lived, but also that all 127 years were “Sarah’s life,” i.e., perfectly and equally filled with the meaning and purpose by which she defined her life.
To Sarah, living meant being in a vibrant relationship with G-d, first and foremost through the mitzvos entrusted to the Jewish woman. As our Sages tell us, a cloud (representing the Divine Presence) hovered constantly over Sarah’s tent because she carefully maintained the purity of her married life; the dough she prepared was particularly blessed in the merit of her separation of challah; and the Shabbos candles that she lit burned miraculously throughout the following week.
The physical and emotional distresses that Sarah experienced certainly pained her, but the pursuits by which she defined her life were never diminished or changed. Thus, the “life of Sarah”—her spiritual passions and endeavors—were perfect and good throughout all her 127 years.
—Likkutei Sichos, vol. 35, pp. 92–93
1. See Bereishis 9:29.
2. See Bereishis 25:7.
3. See Rashi, Chizkuni and Gur Aryeh, Bereishis 24:67.
