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In this week's Parsha, two major events occur—Sarah Imanu dies and is buried by her husband Avraham Avenu, and Eliezar, Avraham's servant finds a wife for Yitzhak. Ironically, the parsha is named after the life of Sarah yet the focus of this Torah reading not her life, but rather, her death. This shows that there was something about Sarah Imanu's death was just as important as her life; but what?

Chazal, our sages, tell us that "the righteous are called living even after death, while the wicked are called dead even in life." This concept is directly applicable to the perplexity of Sarah's death taking precedence over her life. Sarah Imanu lives on as the Jewish people continue in her ways. Sarah is revered for her kindness toward strangers and welcoming of guests. Each time we take it upon ourselves to have guests for a Shabbat meal or share in our simchas, we contributing to the upkeep of Sarah's will. In other words, Sarah's spirit is kept alive as we continue to do the mitzvot for which she was specifically known. In essence, Parsha Chayei Sarah is a commemoration of Sarah's life, Sarah's death and the prolonged life her good deeds attributed to her.

Immediately after Avraham buries Sarah, he sends his servent Eliezar to find a wife that for his son. Avraham wishes to find a woman for Yitzhak that will help him continue a spiritual life devoted to Hashem and chessed. Avraham desires that his daughter-in-law be a woman defined by the nature inclination to do chessed.

Chazal links the attribute of chessed with the attribute of emunah, belief. This connection is evident when we look at a person who dedicates his life to helping others. One who is selfless for the sake of the underprivileged and less fortunate put his needs to the side. He therefore is able to worship Hashem selflessly in the same manner. When Avraham requested that Yitzhak marry a woman devoted to chessed, he was also insinuating that she be a woman devoted to serving G-d. When Eliezar meets Rivka, he tests her to allow her true self to manifest itself. When she allows all of Elizar's camels to drink before her, Rivka's proves herself undeniably fit for Yitzhak.

The story of Eliezar's testing of Rivka fits perfectly into the parsha which emphasizes the continuation of Sarah's midot. Rivka, is the prime example of one who lives a life that reflects the life of Sarah Imanu.

Sarah Marlowe, of Stamford, CT graduated from Ramaz. What Sarah loves about AMIT is "the teachers who captivate me with interesting perspectives of the many conflicts found within Judaism." She will be a freshman at Emory University next fall.