The Life of Sarah

Yael Eckstein  |  November 2, 2026

They gather at the cave. The boy stands near the entrance, but he can still hear their voices.
Sarah lies within.
He has heard her name all his life, and now he listens to them tell of her life.
They speak of her years.
They speak of a woman who waited. A woman taken and returned. A woman who laughed once, secretly, and who laughed again, and this time did not hide it.
The boy listens. It does not sound like mourning. He moves further into the cave.
Someone counts her years, slowly, with care.
One hundred and twenty-seven.
The number settles over them.
The boy looks toward Abraham, who sits apart.
The cave stands open before them.
And the people speak of Sarah’s life.

Genesis 23:1

Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old.

One hundred and twenty-seven years. Can you imagine?

When we hear that number, it’s tempting to think only in terms of length. But Jewish tradition invites us to think in terms of meaning. And remarkably, the sages teach that every one of Sarah’s 127 years was a good year.

That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Especially when we look back at Sarah’s struggles through Scripture.

Sarah endured infertility for most of her life. She was taken captive twice. She lived through fear, uncertainty, long waiting, and painful tests of faith. Her life, like ours, included both hope and heartbreak. So how could every year be considered “good?”

The sages answer this question beautifully. There’s only one true measure of a good year—or even a good day: Did we grow?

Sarah’s life wasn’t easy. But every challenge refined her. Each year, she emerged stronger, wiser, and more faithful than she’d been the year before. Sarah’s struggles didn’t diminish her; they shaped her. And because she never stopped growing, every year of her life carried purpose.

That is why this Torah portion is called Chayei Sarah—“The Life of Sarah.” Not the death of Sarah, even though the chapter begins with her passing. God’s Word chooses to emphasize how Sarah lived, not how she died.

To this day, Sarah’s life is celebrated in a powerful way. Here in the Holy Land, in Hebron, stands the Cave of the Patriarchs—the burial place Abraham purchased after Sarah’s death. Every year, on the Shabbat when Chayei Sarah is read, tens of thousands of Jews gather there. Homes are opened. Floors are covered with sleeping bags. Tents fill every open space. Young and old come together to honor the legacy of this remarkable woman.

Though Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah are also buried there, it is Sarah’s life that gives this Torah portion its name.

And Sarah’s life teaches us that a meaningful life is not one measured by comfort or ease, but by growth. If we continue to grow, then no matter what we face, every year can truly be a good one.

One More Moment

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