At first glance, Parashat Chayei Sarah opens with sorrow. Sarah has died, and Avraham must find a burial place for her. Yet the parashah’s title means “The Life of Sarah.” Why? Our tradition reminds us that Jewish life is not about avoiding loss—it is about responding to loss with faith, hope, and life.

Avraham grieves deeply, but he does not remain frozen in his mourning. His next act is one of vision: he purchases the Cave of Machpelah — the first piece of land in Eretz Yisrael owned by a Jew. Out of heartbreak, he lays the first foundation of the Jewish future. That is Jewish resilience: when faced with darkness, we plant light. When the world says, “You cannot rebuild,” we answer, “Oh yeah, just watch us.”

That same spirit is alive in Israel today. I witnessed it firsthand last week while travelling with an Israel Bonds rabbinic delegation and then spending a few personal days in the country. From Nahariya in the north to Re’im in the south—the site of the Nova Festival massacre—I saw cranes rising above new construction everywhere. Even in Sderot, a city lined with bomb shelters and famous for its indoor playgrounds, new homes and schools are being built. It is now one of the fastest-growing cities in Israel. Out of pain, the people build. Hi- tech industries are creating hubs in that region as well.

Soon after Sarah’s death, the narrative moves to Yitzchak and Rivkah’s courtship and marriage. It is a lovely story of love and renewal. The Torah is very clear how this relationship impacts Yitzchak.  We read in Bereisheet 24:67 “And Isaac was comforted after his mother”. Joy is an act of sacred defiance—the courage to sing, to build, and to hope, even in a world that gives us reason to despair.

Over the last two years, we have seen that sacred defiance in Israel—in weddings held under the threat of rockets, in soldiers dancing with Torah scrolls, in trees planted at the Nova Festival site, in communities declaring not only survival but life. Israelis are embodying the Chai part of Am Yisrael Chai. Israelis are living. 

Chayei Sarah begins with death but ends with marriage, homecoming, and love. It moves from loss to renewal and from despair to joy. These are the rhythms of Jewish history itself.

May we be strengthened by our ancestors’ legacy to live joyfully, build hopefully, and bring light to our people and our world.

Shabbat Shalom 

Rabbi Robyn Fryer Bodzin