“ויהיו חיי שרה מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים, שני חיי שרה” – Why does the Posuk repeat at the end, “שני חיי שרה” – something we don’t find anywhere else in the Torah? The word, “חיים” has two meanings. One meaning is life versus death. The other meaning is to be joyous and happy as opposed to being sad. (העמק דבר)
Hakodosh Boruch Hu spoke to Avrohom Avinu many times, while we only see that Hakodosh Boruch Hu spoke to Sarah once, “לא כי צחקת.” We need to understand the difference between nevuah and ruach hakodesh. Ruach hakodesh is when one is on an exalted level of ruchniyos, and sees things from the upper worlds, and understands what he sees, but Hakodosh Boruch Hu does not speak to him. Then there is nevuah, which is a higher level, in which Hakodosh Boruch Hu actually speaks to the person. Dovid Hamelech was zoche to both of these, as it says in Shmuel 2:23:2 “רוח ד' דבר בי, ומלתו על לשוני” – “The spirit of Hashem spoke through me; His word is upon my tongue.” “רוח ד'” refers to ruach hakodesh, while “מלתו על לשוני” refers to actual nevuah, hearing the words of Hashem.
Avrohom Avinu was greater than Sarah Imeinu in nevuah, but in ruach hakodesh, Sarah was greater. There are two reasons for this: because Avrohom was busy full time with matters of this world, for he was a nasi, and a leader, and was constantly in touch with bringing people close to Hashem. He was doing great and holy work, avodas hakodesh, but he did not have much time to be misboded, to be alone and connect himself as much with Hakodosh Boruch Hu, to tap into the worlds above and have a high level of ruach hakodesh. Whereas Sarah was sitting in her tent, with kedusha and taharah, connecting herself to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Secondly, ruach hakodesh only comes upon a person through simcha shel Mmtzvah, joy from mitzvos. Bereishis Rabbah 41:2 – Sarah said to Hakodosh Boruch Hu, “Ribbono Shel Olam, Avrohom left Charan to journey to the Land of Kna’an because of a havtacha, a promise, he received from You, however, I left on emunah, faith.” We know that even when there is a havtacha that something will happen, tzaddikim always fear that perhaps they sinned, which would nullify the havtacha. That causes the tzaddik to worry. However, Sarah, did not have a havtacha from Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
Since Sara Imeinu lived with plain and simple emunah; she had no fear. There was nothing to fear, for she had full faith that Hakodosh Boruch Hu would do whatever needed to be done. The result of the differences between Avrohom and Sarah is that while Sarah was always completely satisfied and happy, Avrohom was at times worried. Since Sarah was always happy, she had a greater connection to ruach hakodesh; she had it more often. The Torah is telling us here about Sarah, “שני חיי שרה” – the lashon of חיים of joy – that all of the days of her life she was always joyous, and was therefore inextricably attached to ruchniyos.
