Parasha 20: May Your Memory Be a Blessing

 May Your Memory Be a Blessing

-- TORAH   P O R T I O N --

Introduction:

Have you been given a chance to speak a eulogy? What do you remember most about the person?

Last Shabbat, God tested Abraham, and his faith was confirmed by offering his only son Isaac as a burnt offering. In our Torah portion, another challenge came to Abraham due to the death of his wife Sarah, who lived one hundred and twenty-seven years and is the only woman in the Bible mentioned with her age at death.

Sarah died in Hebron, a land in Canaan, and according to the Rabbis, Sarah may have died because of the binding of her son Isaac. Perhaps Abraham was not beside Sarah when she died, as in Gen. 22:19, after the Akedah of Isaac, he dwelt in Beersheba. This could be the reason why Abraham mourned and wept; he was not by Sarah’s side when it happened. The Hebrew word for mourn is "sapad," which means "to tear the heart," and the Hebrew word for weep is "bakah," which means "to cry, shed tears." It was a heartbreaking day for Abraham. He lost half of his heart. Although he experienced many painful moments in his life, this was the only time he wept—when Sarah died.

In spite of Abraham's sadness, his faith still remains. How?

1. He humbled himself twice.

A. First, as a foreigner.

He spoke to the sons of Heth and told them that he was a sojourner and foreigner among them because the Hittites were living in the land. In Genesis 17:8, God said to him, "I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger (foreigner), all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." When asking for property for the burial of Sarah, he didn’t take it by force, nor did he take it for free.

B. Second, he bowed down to the people of the land.

Abraham bowed down to show respect. He was eager to meet Ephron, the owner of the land, because he wanted the cave of Machpelah for a burial place. He desired the land not only to give his wife Sarah a decent burial but also to secure a position in the land. He wasn’t just thinking of the present but of his future descendants inheriting the Promised Land, and buying the Machpelah cave might have been the beginning of this. Because of his faith, Abraham humbled himself twice. He wanted to fulfill God’s covenant concerning the Promised Land, even though he was in pain.

2. He buried Sarah in Machpelah Cave.

The burial of Sarah in the land of Canaan is a testimony of belief in the promises of God, and her bones will be a witness to God’s promise as well. After Sarah, Abraham was buried there, followed by Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and then Jacob and Leah. All of these died in faith, not having received the promises but having seen them and welcomed them from a distance, confessing that they were strangers and exiles on the earth (Hebrews 11:13).

Now, in memory of Sarah, we have learned the following:

A. A dead person deserves a decent burial.

If God created us from dust, we must also return to dust when we die, as a decent burial and a respect for our Creator. Genesis 3:19 says, "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return." Also in Ecclesiastes 3:20, "All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust."

B. There is a time to weep and a time to mourn (Ecclesiastes 3:4).

There are times in our lives to grieve and express sadness. Accepting the pain of losing a loved one is a natural part of human experience.

C. Losing a loved one should not be the end of our faith in God.

The more we face trials, the more we need to depend on God and hold on to His words. Trials should deepen, not weaken, our faith. When my father passed away, I was just beginning to take care of our Torah community. It was difficult to continue, but my faith in God grew stronger. Clinging to Him during painful times provides the strength we need.

Today, we also face moments of loss, trials, and choices that test our faith. Will we, like Abraham, trust God’s promises even when life is painful?

In times of grief, faith is our anchor. When we remember those who have passed, let us honor them by living righteously and continuing the work of faith they left behind.

-- H A F T A R A H   P O R T I O N --

In our Haftarah portion, King David was old and advanced in years, and he had trouble keeping warm. The solution was that his servants suggested looking for a virgin to care for David, and they found Abishag the Shunammite. During this time, David’s son Adonijah wanted to replace his father as king. He exalted himself, prepared chariots and horsemen, and called upon the help of Abiathar the priest.

Adonijah also sacrificed animals, but he didn’t invite the prophet Nathan, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the mighty men, or Solomon his brother because their loyalty belonged to King David. God used the prophet Nathan to intervene, speaking to Bathsheba and reminding her to speak to King David about his promise to Solomon as the next King.

What lessons can we learn here?

A. Do not rebel and say no to self-proclamation.

When Adonijah exalted himself, saying "I will be king," and prepared a party, it was evidence of his rebellion. Despite the beauty of his name (which means "My Lord is YHVH"), he rebelled by not respecting his father David or his brother Solomon. God hates rebellion, and it is a serious matter in His eyes.

1 Samuel 15:23 

"For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king."

B. Be Humble.

Adonijah wanted honor and praise. The Scriptures tell us to set aside our selfishness and pride.

Matthew 23:12

"And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

C. Disciplining Children.

The goal of parenting is to raise godly children, and one of the keys to this is discipline. Obviously, King David did not heed the need to discipline his son Adonijah.

Discipline may be difficult, but neglecting it has lasting consequences. Be an intentional parent—one who teaches, corrects, and guides with love. There is no better legacy to leave than raising our children in the way of the Lord.

Proverbs 22:6

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

-- APOSTOLIC   P O R T I O N --

In our Apostolic portion, Stephen responds to the accusations of the council by defending his faith. First, he shares the appearance of Adonai YHVH to Abraham in Mesopotamia before dwelling in Haran. The bottom line of Abraham's story is the faith and obedience of Abraham in fulfilling the covenant of Adonai, from him to Isaac, and then to Yaakov and the twelve tribes of Israel.

Next, he tells the story of Yosef’s experience with his brothers, how he got to Egypt, and how God favored him to become governor over Egypt. Sadly, Yosef’s (Joseph) father Yaakov (Jacob) died, but his twelve sons grew and multiplied during their stay in Egypt. Stephen tells this to the council to show how God protected the nation of Israel during the 400 years of slavery.

We, as believers of Yeshua, are not just recipients of Israel's promises, but we are called to live in such a way that we continue the legacy of the patriarchs. Our lives should reflect the faith of Abraham, the perseverance of Joseph, the obedience of Moses, and ultimately the faith in Yeshua the Messiah, who unites both Jew and Gentile in one new covenant. We are called to carry forward the faith of our forefathers and to build upon the foundation they laid, ever looking to Yeshua, the author and perfecter of our faith.

The connection to our Parasha is about the memories of the Bible characters. In the Torah, Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years and died. In the Haftarah, King David was about to die and kept his word to Solomon as the next King. In the Apostolic, Stephen shared with the council the memories of the Patriarchs to show that Adonai YHVH is faithful to them.

We remember our departed loved ones because of their good memories and legacies. We remember Sarah because of her faith (Hebrews 11:11). We remember King David because he kept his word and passed the kingship to his son Solomon. We remember the Patriarchs because of their faith and obedience to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!

We all leave behind a legacy. What will people remember about us?

Will they remember our faith and obedience?
Will they recall our humility and integrity?
Will our lives point others to God’s promises?

The Jewish phrase "May their memory be a blessing" (Zikhrono livrakha) means that a person’s life should continue to inspire others even after they pass.

Psalm 112:6

"The righteous will be remembered forever."

Proverbs 10:7 

"The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot."

One day, we will all leave this world. How we live now determines how we will be remembered.

Live in such a way that when people remember you, their faith in God grows stronger. Let your life be a testimony of humility, obedience, and hope in the promises of God, fulfilled in the Messiah.

“Our loved ones may be deceased, but our faith shall increase.”

Shabbat Shalom,

Topher

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-- S O U R C E S --

blogs.timesofisrael.com
counselingoneanother.com
bethmelekh.com
jesuswalk.com
biblewise.com
strong's concordance
The MacArthur Study Bible
Torah commentary by Richard Elliott Friedman
King James Version Bible commentary