The parashah begins, "Sarah's lifetime was one hundred years, twenty years, and seven years; the years of Sarah's life." The first word of the parshah is ויהיו, and the Chida (P’nei Dovid) points out that the letters of this word can be read backward and forwards. This implies that even when her days were backward and full of difficulty, she considered them good days. This is indicated in Rashi, "All of Sarah's years were equally good."
It wasn't that she always had good years. Not at all. In fact, she was barren for ninety years of her life, and apparently, there were many years when she was poor. (When Avraham and Sarah traveled from Eretz Canaan to Mitzrayim without having enough money to pay for the hotels in which they stayed. When they returned from Mitzrayim, loaded with money, they returned to the hotels to pay up their debts – see Rashi 13:3). The Torah tells us that Sarah suffered from Hagar (16:5) and Yishmael (21:9). She certainly had many other challenges in her life. So, what does Rashi mean “All of Sarah's years were equally good.” That they were all good years?
The answer is that she viewed every day as a good day. With her belief that everything was for the best, each day was a good day. Rashi's words therefore, teach us a great lesson for life. We must consider every day to be good, no matter what happens in one's life.
One year, on Shabbos parashas Chayei Sarah, the Yesod HaAvodah zt'l (Slonim) couldn't stop speaking about this Rashi. He shouted, "Life was always good for Sarah!" What an outlook! What a way to look at life! She found the good in every situation and was happy with her fate. This was also Avraham Avinu's madreigah. It states in this week's parashah (Bereishis 25:8), "Avraham was niftar at a good old age, old and satisfied." When Avraham was niftar, he was satisfied with his life. This isn't a simple level. Few people are happy with their lot.
Rabbeinu B'Chaya elaborates: “This pasuk teaches us about Avraham's good middos. He left this world fulfilled. He didn’t need more. This was also Dovid HaMelech's level, as it states (Tehillim 21:3), 'You have granted him his heart's desire.' Dovid had everything he wanted; he didn’t want more. This is unlike most people who live in this world, about whom it states (Koheles 5:9), 'One who desires money will never have enough money.’ Chazal (Koheles Rabba 1:32) say, 'When a person leaves the world, he hasn’t attained half of his desires. If he had one hundred, he wanted two hundred. If he had two hundred, he wanted four hundred.'"
But Avraham was satisfied with his lot. He didn't lack anything. He was happy with what he had.
The Mishnah (Avos 4:1) states, "Who is wealthy? One who is satisfied with his portion." The Sfas Emes (and other meforshim) say that this also refers to one's spiritual portion. Although we should always strive for more spirituality, we should feel satisfied and happy with whatever mitzvos and spiritual achievements we accomplished because even if it seems like a little, it is an enormous treasure.
Perhaps when the Torah tells us that Avraham was niftar ‘satisfied with his portion,’ it means that he was satisfied with his spiritual accomplishments, as well.
Rabbi Elimelech Biderman
