1

‫חיי שרה‬ ‫בס"ד‬

Usually Parshas ‫ חיי שרה‬falls on the Shabbos that precedes ‫חודש כסלו‬,
‫ כס‬the hidden light, the ‫אור הגנוז‬, that was lit for ‫לו‬, thirty six hours. In
this Parsha, we encounter ‫גן עדן‬. The ‫זוהר חדש‬, the ‫ ילקוט ראובני‬and the
‫ מגלה עמוקות‬all say that the ‫ מערת המכפלה‬was the ‫ פתח‬to ‫גן עדן‬. When
Avraham was chasing after the ‫בקר‬, he entered the cave, and felt the
tremendous ‫ בקר– קדושה‬are the letters ‫קבר‬. All ‫ נשמות ישראל‬have to go
first through here. There was another test that Avraham had to
experience after what appears to be the final test of the Akeida. The
‫ שטן‬was trying to instill regret in Avraham, that due to the ‫עקידה‬, Sara
died early. In our ‫ תפילת ערבית‬every day, we say -
‫והסר שטן מלפנינו ומאחרינו‬, where the ‫ שטן מלפנינו‬is trying to prevent us
from doing mitzvos, and ‫מאחרינו‬, he’s trying to instill in us either
haughtiness in how great an act we did, or regret with the mitzva that
we just performed. Of course no gaiva entered ‫ אברהם‬after succeeding
in the greatest act in history, the ‫עקידה‬, because we see that after the
‫ עקידה‬the pasuk ‫יט‬:‫ כד‬says ‫וישב אברהם אל נעריו ויקמו וילכו יחדו‬, as if he
was “one of the boys”. We also see that Avraham didn’t have any
regrets going to the ‫עקידה‬. When it came to mourn Sara, it says
‫ויבא אברהם לספד לשרה ולבכתה‬, the ‫ כ‬is written small, demonstrating that
Avraham didn’t cry too much since he held Sara passed away in the
exact time that she was supposed to, living a full life as the pasuk
repeats ‫ שני חיי שרה‬. The ‫ נסיבת השלום‬says that Avraham having to pay
such an absorbent price after being promised by Hashem that we
would inherit all of ‫א"י‬, and not complain, was another test.

Gan Eden is referred to as ‫קדם‬, one of the things that was created
before the ‫בריאה‬. Therefore Avraham paid ‫ ארבע מאות שקל כסף‬for the
entrance to ‫– גן עדן‬
‫=עבר לסחר‬570=‫ים גן בעדן מקדם‬-‫=ויטע הויה אלה‬570=‫ויהיו חיי שרה‬. The
‫ שפת אמת‬says that the ten tests of Avraham are parallel to the
‫עשרה מאמרות‬. According to the Gemorra, ‫ בראשית‬is the first ‫ מאמר‬and
the tenth is ‫תדשה דשא‬, and according to the Zohar, ‫ בראשית‬is not a
‫מאמר‬, and so the first is ‫ ויהי אור‬and the tenth ‫לא טוב היות האדם לבדו אעשה‬
‫לו עזר כנגדו‬. According to the Zohar, ‫ בראשית‬is the eleventh ‫מאמר‬,
where from the bottom to the top, ‫ בראשית‬or ‫ קדם‬represents ‫כתר‬, above
the ten ‫ספירות‬. The ‫ רמב"ם‬says that ‫ אנכי‬is the first of the ‫עשרת הדברות‬,
whereas the Ramban, says that ‫ אנכי‬is not counted as one of the ten,
but is higher and a prerequisite to all ten. So according to the Ramban,
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‫ אנכי‬is the eleventh. Also with the ‫עשר מכות‬, really at ‫קריאת ים סוף‬, there
were ‫ מכות‬as we read in the ‫הגדה‬. Therefore, ‫ קריאת ים סוף‬is considered
the eleventh ‫מכה‬. Finding one’s soul mate is compared to ‫קריאת ים סוף‬,
because all ‫ זווגים‬are rooted in this eleventh level, the ‫כתר‬, the
‫פתח לגן עדן‬. Avraham’s test here in not blaming himself for Sara’s
apparent “early death”, and paying such a huge sum for the
‫ מערת המכפלה‬was the eleventh test, as the Slonimer said. Even though
the test of the ‫ עקידה‬was finished, and passed by Avraham with flying
colors, later Avraham did ask questions. By this eleventh test, no
questions were asked and no complaints were given, and so this was
even greater in some ways to the ‫עקידה‬. Chanuka is also the ‫ פתח‬to
‫ גן עדן‬- eight days - ‫שמיני‬. The ones that sold the ‫ מערה‬to Avraham,
were the (eight)- ‫בני חית‬. The last of Yishmael’s twelve sons was ‫קדמה‬,
and Esav was also referred to as ‫קדמוני‬, corresponding to the ‫נחש הקמוני‬
who caused Adam to be banished from ‫גן עדן‬. The ‫ חטא עץ הדעת‬took us
away from ‫גן עדן‬, and Avraham and Sara bring us closer to ‫גן עדן‬. In
our Parsha when it says ‫ויבאה יצחק האהלה‬, the ‫ בעל הטורים‬and others
connect this to the ‫ ויבאה‬by Adam. Hashem brought Chava to Adam,
but this was ‫ נפגם‬by the ‫חטא עץ הדעת‬, where the ‫ מגלה עמוקות‬says that
the ‫ ויבאה‬became ‫ ואיבה‬- hatred, the tikun of this, being here.

Three of Yishmael’s children are written here in one pasuk. There was
a custom to say all pesukim that have only three words, on ‫מוצ"ש‬.
When the Tamanim were having trouble with the Yishmaelim, the
Rambam wrote them that the way to sudue them was in this pasuk
with three words- ‫משמע דומה משא‬. They should hear their insults- ‫משמע‬,
keep quiet- ‫דומה‬, and endure them- ‫משא‬, and realize that everything is
from Hashem. At the end of the ‫שמונה עשרה‬, it says ‫ולמקללי נפשי תדום‬
that if someone curses us, we’re silent. If one guards his mouth in the
proper way, he’ll merit to be sharp- ‫חדד‬, and say intelligent things-
‫ותימה‬. The one who guards his ‫ נפש‬, will be guarded by Hashem-
‫יטור נפיש‬, and even if he falls, he’ll move forward- ‫קדם‬, and he’ll merit
‫ קדם‬-‫גן עדן‬. These are the lessons we could learn even from the names
given to the children of ‫ישמעאל‬. All ‫ תפילות‬originate in ‫מערת המכפלה‬
The word ‫ מכפלה‬is a combination of the words ‫מכל פה‬, which is tefilla.
The way to subdue ‫ ישמעאל‬is to keep quiet when insulted and to pour
on our prayers ‫=נפשי תדום‬890=‫=גלות ישמעאל‬890=‫מערת המכפלה‬.
The ‫ פרשה‬ends with ‫על פני כל אחיו נפל‬, and ‫ תולדות‬begins with
‫ואלה תולדות יצחק‬, implying that ‫( יצחק‬and ‫ )הפטרה– דוד‬will rise, when
‫ ישמעאל‬falls (‫ )בעל הטורים‬- ‫=על פני כל אחיו נפל‬475=‫דור אחרון‬.
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The ‫ מערת המכפלה‬is in ‫חברון‬, the place where ‫ דוד המלך‬began his rule
for seven years. After this, ‫ דוד‬ruled in ‫ י"ם‬for thirty three years. Both
‫ חברון‬and ‫ י"ם‬are connected to ‫שמיני‬, the future world-
‫=חברון וירושלים‬868=‫ממ שין יוד חת‬. The ‫ נשמות‬and tefillos first go
through ‫ חברון‬and then through ‫י"ם‬. Eliezer was a ‫שליח נאמן‬, fulfilling
his ‫ שליחות‬faithfully, even though he desired ‫ יצחק‬to marry his
daughter. He had such ‫ בטחון‬in Hashem, that he gave the jewelry to
Rivka even before asking who she was. The ‫ שליחות‬of Eliezer is a
metaphor for the ‫ שליחות‬of all yidden in the world to ‫מיחד קודשא בריך‬
‫הוא ושכינתיה‬. Eliezer was the son of ‫ נמרוד‬from ‫ כוש‬who was from
‫ארור כנען‬. When Lavan said to Eliezer ‫בוא ברוך הויה‬, it says that Eliezer
became a ‫ ברוך‬from his previous status of ‫ארור‬. All ‫ שידוכים‬in the
world stem from the marriage of ‫ יצחק‬and ‫רבקה‬, the first Jewish
marriage. Rav Shimshon Astropoli says that ‫ ריש לקיש‬was a ‫ נצוץ‬of
Yishmael. The only ‫ גר‬that came from ‫ ישמעאל‬was ‫ ישרא הישמעאלי‬who
told Doeg and Shaul that ‫ דוד‬was fitting to be a yid. He stuck a sword
in the ground, and said that whoever denied the Halacha of
‫ מואבי ולא מואבית‬would be killed by the sword. Strangely, it was a
convert of Yishmael that solidified ‫מלכות בית דוד‬. Even though
Yishmael did ‫תשובה‬, nothing good came from him except for
‫ ישרא הישמעאלי‬and ‫ ריש לקיש‬- Rav Shimon Ben Lakish. ‫ריש לקיש‬, the
powerhouse of ‫ תורה שבעל פה‬, has a similar spelling to Yishmael- the
‫ש מ ע‬. Avraham said ‫( לו ישמעאל יחיה לפניך‬four words which the Zohar
says we suffer till today), and the ‫ לו‬corresponds to the ‫ לו מסכתות‬and
the ‫ לו‬-36 candles of ‫ חנוכה‬which was a revelation of T.B.P. Chanuka is
the 85th day of the year- 85=‫פה‬.

In pasuk ‫סב‬:‫ כד‬it says that Yitzhak came to ‫מבוא באר לחי ראי‬. This is the
place that in ‫ לך לך‬the angel came to Hagar and told her of the
impending birth of Yishmael. ‫ באר לחי ראי‬means the well that Hashem
appears. Rashi says that ‫ יצחק‬went there to bring Hagar to Avraham.
This is the same ‫ קטורה‬mentioned at the end of the Parsha. After that,
Yitzhak settled there. The Torah does not mention where Yitzhak went
after the ‫עקידה‬, until Eliezer came back with Rivka. The ‫ מדרש‬says that
‫ יצחק‬went to ‫ גן עדן‬alive for three years. After the ‫עקידה‬, he was a ‫קדוש‬
like a ‫קרבן עולה‬. When Rivka saw Yitzhak, she fell off the camel,
because she saw such awesome ‫קדושה‬. The reason Yitzhak went to
‫באר לחי ראי‬- ‫יא‬:‫ כה‬was to make sure that this ‫ קדושה‬of T.B.P. in
‫ ריש לקיש‬and ‫ ישרא הישמעאלי‬remains with ‫כלל ישראל‬-
‫=וישב יצחק עם באר לחי ראי‬1098=‫תורה שבעל פה‬.
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T.B.P is compared to a ‫באר‬. Resh Lakish met, and was ‫ מקרב‬by ‫רב יוחנן‬
in a body of water. ‫ חנוכה‬is a blast of light from the future, and Yitzhak
brought ‫ גן עדן‬into the world. The ‫ מזל‬of ‫ כסלו‬is the ‫קשת‬, and the ‫קשת‬
represents ‫ישמעאל‬- ‫רובה קשת‬. The yidden have ‫תפילה‬, which is the ‫קשת‬
needed to subdue ‫ישמעאל‬. The ‫ משיח בן יוסף‬will deal with ‫אדום‬, and the
‫ משיח בן דוד‬will destroy Yishmael. ‫ כה כסליו‬is the ‫ גמר חתימה‬and is the
‫ זמן‬which is ‫ מסוגל‬for the downfall of Yishmael ‫=וקדמה‬155=‫בכה בכסליו‬.
Yishmael wish to prevent the yidden of ‫גן עדן‬, as they say that Gan
Eden is theirs (their concept of ‫ גן עדן‬is ‫תענוג גשמי‬, which is nonsense).

The number of pesukim in ‫ חיי שרה‬is 105, and the ‫ סימן‬given is ‫יהוידע‬.
The way to reveal the ultimate ‫ דעת‬in the world is through ‫אמונה‬. When
reading of the ‫ פטירה‬of both Avraham and Sara in this Parsha, we
could experience ‫פי שנים‬, and we could combat the ‫ קליפה‬of Yishmael
‫=ומשם יקחך‬524=‫=תלמוד בבלי‬524=‫ והוא יהיה פרא אדם ידו בכל ויד כל בו‬.
‫ ויהיו חיי שרה‬where ‫= ויהיו‬37, is where Sara really lived. This was after
Itzhak was born, which was the last 37 years of Sara’s life. The city of
‫ קרית ארבע‬is called so because of the four giants that lived there, who
represent the four ‫כוחות הטומאה‬, or the ‫ארבע מראות נגעים‬, or because of
the four couples that were buried in the ‫מערת המכפלה‬. The Klausenberg
Rebbi -(‫ )בניו דוד‬says that ‫קרית ארבע‬, or ‫ קריאת ארבע‬are the four words
that Sara said that were the cause of her death ‫אמנם אלד ואני זקנתי‬,
where she questioned if she could really have children. He says that
Sara was not really laughing, but she was ‫מתפעל‬, which was still a lack
of faith in Hashem’s eyes. The ‫ זוהר חדש‬says that ‫ קרית ארבע‬are also
‫קריאת ארבע‬, the last four words she said ‫ינו הויה אחד‬-‫הויה אלה‬, which
were a tikun for the four words ‫אמנם אלד ואני זקנתי‬. On ‫שני חיי שרה‬
Rashi says that ‫ כולן שוין לטובה‬implying that Sara didn’t complain even
the first ninety years, like the last thirty seven years. She was pure,
‫ תמים‬in her ‫אמונה‬.

The only other time it says ‫ מערה‬in Chumash is in Parshas ‫וירא‬, when it
says ‫ וישב במערה‬concerning Lot and his daughters. Why there does it
say ‫ במערה‬with a pasuch under the ‫ב‬, implying the cave? Maybe we
could say that this cave was the ‫מערת המכפלה‬, the cave (Rav Sitorsky).
Before Avraham bought the ‫מערה‬, it was in ‫קרית ארבע‬, a dark empty
space. After Avraham bought it, it became ‫ויקם שדה עפרון‬, the field had
a ‫תקומה‬, an ‫עליה‬, as it says ‫יצא מיד הדיוט ליד מלך‬. The Tiferes Yisrael
says that this ‫ הדיוט‬is where the name idiot originates. However what it
really means is simple average person, not a fool. Now the ‫ערלה‬
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(of the cave) has been removed and thrown into the ‫עפרון – עפר‬.
‫ מרחשון‬is the month of the building of ‫=מלכות בית דוד‬922=‫חודש מרחשון‬
and the last Parsha of the month has the ‫ הפטרה‬- ‫ומלך דוד‬. The ‫ מרידה‬of
‫ד‬.‫ב‬.‫ מ‬was also in ‫ מרחשון‬and so the tikun is also in this month. The
‫ חורבן בהמ"ק‬was on ‫ ט באב‬, the day the yidden would have entered ‫א"י‬,
if the report of the ‫ מרגלים‬would have been positive. Also ‫יז בתמוז‬
would have been the day that the ‫ לוחות‬were given, rather than broken.
The Ari Tzal says that Eliezer was ‫ מתגלגל‬into ‫ כלב בן יפונה‬who was
given his portion in ‫חברון‬. It says ‫הויה ברך אברהם בכל‬, where ‫ בכל‬are the
letters ‫כלב‬. Eliezer, who descends from ‫חם‬, became a ‫ברוך‬, just as we
could transform the month of ‫ מרחשון‬from ‫ בול‬into ‫שער הנון‬, or
‫חודש השמיני‬. The words ‫ קרית ארבע‬are the letters ‫ יראת עקרב‬or ‫ראית עקרב‬
the fear or seeing the ‫עקרב‬. We have a fear entering into ‫חשון‬, however
this is really our purpose. It says ‫קרית ארבע היא חברון‬, where the
‫ יראת עקרב‬becomes ‫חבור נ‬, and we could rise to ‫גן עדן‬.

The Zohar says that Sara is the ‫גוף‬, and Avraham is the ‫נשמה‬. Our
purpose here is to elevate the ‫גוף‬. It says of ‫ ארץ הקדוש‬that
‫א"י גבוע מכל הארצות‬, which is explained in Chassidis that the ‫ארציות‬, the
mundane activities of a ‫ פשוט‬yid, is higher than any of the nations. We
do not eat, or conduct any business the same way that the goyim do.
Because a yid elevates his body, he will be ‫ זוכה‬to ‫תחיית המתים‬.
Mesechta Chulin is in ‫סדר קודשים‬, hinting that the purpose of ‫ חולין‬is to
elevate it to ‫קודשים‬. We are not supposed to separate from the ‫ארציות‬,
but to elevate it. In Parshas ‫יב‬:‫ וירא יח‬Sara says ‫אחרי בלתי היתה לי עדנה‬,
which according to what we’re saying here could be interpreted as the
purpose of this world of ‫ בלתי– בול‬is to elevate it into ‫עדנה – נצחיות‬.
Mesechta Chulin ends with ‫תחיית המתים‬. We are Hashem’s first born,
and so we are ‫ זוכה‬to ‫כפל‬, that is 1) this world- it is not hard to see that
yidden that follow Hashem’s will are the really happy ones in this
world and 2) the next world- ‫תחיית המתים‬. Whoever was buried in
‫מערת המכפלה‬, will definitely be ‫ זוכה‬to ‫תחיית המתים‬. The ‫ בעל הטורים‬said
that the yidden that are buried in ‫א"י‬, will be the first to rise in the time
of ‫תחיית המתים‬. Those who were involved in elevating the ‫ ארציות‬will
be ‫ זוכה‬to ‫ תחיית המתים‬first. The first ‫ תחיית המתים‬will be in the
‫ מערת המכפלה‬since the bodies of the ‫ אבות‬were buried there. The
‫ פתח גן עדן‬means the entrance to where there is no ‫מיתה‬. According to
the Gemorra, the first stage of ‫ תחיית המתים‬will take place before ‫משיח‬
comes, and ‫ משה ואהרון‬will be with them. ‫ מיתת שרה‬is actually ‫חיי שרה‬
since the body of a ‫ צדיק‬comes back - ‫אפילו מתים קרואים חיים‬. Also we
6

could say she kept living in ‫רבקה‬. This is the idea of why Avraham
doesn’t cry too much. It says- ‫יכם לא תתגדדו ולא‬-‫בנים הויה אלה‬
‫תעשו קרחה למת‬- meaning that we don’t rip hair out of our heads, or
mutilate our bodies after someone close dies, like the goyim do. To
them it’s all over, however to us, it’s all beginning. The ‫ רמב"ן‬says in
‫עולם הבא‬, we will see our relatives. Avraham taught the lesson of not
overdoing ones ‫אבילות‬, since ‫תחיית המתים … כל ישראל יש להם חלק‬.

In pasuk ‫ג‬:‫ כד‬Avraham is telling Eliezer that he is the one who

publicized that Hashem is not only ‫י השמים‬-‫ אלה‬but also ‫י הארץ‬-‫אלה‬.
The goyim don’t understand the concept of elevating the gashmius. By
a goy, there is no such thing as a ‫קרבן שלמים‬, only an ‫עולה‬. To the
goyim, Hashem is only ‫י השמים‬-‫אלה‬. The ‫ חטא המרגלים‬was really based
on the fact that the ‫ מרגלים‬didn’t want to get involved with the physical
travails entailed in entering and living in ‫א"י‬. They said ‫ארץ אוכלת‬
‫יושביה‬, that the ‫ ארציות‬consumes the inhabitants. The ‫ מרגלים‬didn’t
want to deal with ‫מרחשון‬, only with Tishrei. ‫ חברון‬is the first city where
this elevation of the gashmios took place, and so the ‫מלכות בית דוד‬
began there. This was also where the split of ‫ מלכות בית דוד‬took place,
where ‫ ירבעם בן נבט‬pushed Sukkos off a month to ‫טו חשון‬. Yerovam
comes from Efraim, who didn’t deal with the outside world, and so he
didn’t recognize the ‫ מעלה‬of ‫מרחשון‬, and therefore he extended ‫תשרי‬
into ‫מרחשון‬. The purpose of ‫ מלכות בית דוד‬is to bring Hashem into the
world. ‫ כלב‬said ‫טוב הארץ מאד מאד‬. The pasuk ‫ארץ זבת חלב ודבש‬, inferring
that involving oneself in ‫ ארציות‬could lead to ‫דבש‬. The combination of
Hashem’s name for ‫ מרחשון‬is ‫וה‬-‫ודבש היום הזה יה‬.

In pasuk ‫יז‬:‫ כג‬it says ‫ויקם שדה עפרון‬, Rashi says ‫תקומה היתה לו‬, that the
‫ שדה עפרון‬had an elevation. Also Eliezer was elevated from ‫ ארור‬to
‫ברוך‬, and there is an opinion that Eliezer never died like ‫ אליהו‬and
‫סרח בת אשר‬. We learn all ‫ קדושים‬from the ‫ ג"ז‬of ‫קיחה קיחה משדה עפרון‬,
since all ‫ זיווגים‬are rooted in ‫מערת המכפלה‬, the cave of couples.
A ‫ זווג אמיתי‬is forever. Eliezer had tremendous ‫ זכות‬in being such a
‫ שליח נאמן‬in making the ‫ שידוך‬of Yitzhak and Rivka, and merited to be
‫ מגלגל‬into ‫כלב בן יפנה‬, who was the ‫ שורש‬of ‫מלכות בית דוד‬. Kalev
married ‫מרים‬, who was rewarded that ‫ מלכות‬would come from her. As
it says ‫כהונה ולוי מיוחבד ומלכות ממרים‬. Kalev merited this ‫מלכות‬, because
he protested against the ‫מרגלים‬, and taught the ‫ עבודה‬of elevating the
‫ארציות‬. The ‫ חידא‬says that he was also ‫ מתגלגל‬into ‫בניהו בן יהוידע‬. The
‫ סימן‬given for the 105 ‫ פסוקים‬in our Parsha- ‫=יהוידע‬105. At the end of
7

‫ מרחשון‬we usually read the ‫ הפטרה‬of ‫והמלך דוד‬. The work of

‫ מלכות בית דוד‬and its elevation, is the ‫ עבודה‬of ‫מרחשון‬.
We spoke of the ‫ בעל הטורים‬connecting the end of ‫ חיי שרה‬and the
beginning of Parshas Toldos, saying that the rise of ‫ יצחק‬and ‫כלל ישראל‬
will take place with the fall of Yishmael -
‫=ואלה תולדות יצחק‬1096=‫הנה אנכי שולח לכם את אליהו הנביא‬. The reward
of the ‫ עבודה‬of elevating the ‫ גשמיות‬in ‫ מרחשון‬will lead to the
‫חנוכת בית השלישי‬. The ‫ מזל‬of ‫ חשון‬is the ‫עקרב‬, which the ‫ בני יששכר‬says
stands for ‫עיקר בית‬. The last words of the ‫ הפטרה‬of ‫ חיי שרה‬is
‫ יחי אדני המלך דוד לעלם‬- ‫=יחי אדני המלך דוד לעלם‬372=‫=עקרב‬372=‫בן ישי‬.
Unlike the ‫ מלאכים‬who are obviously not involved in elevating the
physical, we are called Hashem’s children- not the goyim. In most
years, Parshas ‫ חיי שרה‬is ‫שבת מברכים כסלו‬, the month of Chanuka,
which the Rokeach says is when we merit a revelation of the ‫אור הגנוז‬-
‫=וצונו להדליק נר חנכה‬670=‫פתח הגן עדן‬. The Zohar says that the ‫אור הגנוז‬
is hinted in the ‫ארבע מאות שקל כסף‬, which is the 400 desired- ‫נכסף‬
worlds that will be given to ‫ צדיקים‬who taste ‫ עולם הבא‬in this world.
The Gemorra says that three people tasted ‫ עולם הבא‬in this world,
Avraham, Itzhak, and Yaakov. The word ‫ כל‬refers to the future world,
as it says ‫… כל ישראל יש להם‬By ‫ אברהם‬it says ‫והויה ברך את אברהם בכל‬,
by Yitzhak ‫ מכל‬and by Yaakov ‫כל‬, as we say in bentching ‫שנתברכו‬
‫אבותינו אברהם יצחק ויעקב בכל מכל כל‬. The number of hours in eight days
of Chanuka is 8 x 24=192- - - ‫= בכל מכל כל‬192.

MarCheshvan is the ‫ חודש‬of the ‫עקרב‬, the ‫עקסא רבסא‬, the great
suffering that we experience at the end of time. The ‫ עקרב‬leads us into
the month of ‫קשת‬, which also refers to Yishmael, who was the
‫רובה קשת‬. In the ‫צד הקדושה‬, the ‫ קשת‬refers to tefilla, ‫בחרבי ובקשתי‬,
which has to be aimed like a bow and arrow, in order to hit the target.
The word ‫ קשת‬are the acronym of ‫שמע קול תפילתינו‬. Also ‫תקון הברית‬, the
mida of Yosef, is referred to as ‫קשת‬, along with his mida of ‫בטחון‬, as it
says ‫ותישב באיתן קשתו‬. Through the ‫ עבודה‬of tefilla and ‫ברית קודש‬,
which is synonymous to ‫אמונה‬, and ‫ בטחון‬we will merit to overpower
‫ישמעאל‬. The ‫ מערת המכפלה‬is the place where all ‫ תפילות‬enter the upper
worlds – ‫=מערת המכפלה‬890=‫גלות ישמעאל‬.

Hagar sat under a tree, the distance from ‫ישמעאל‬, being that of a
shooting arrow ‫הרחק בתחבי קשת‬. Eliezer, who was a son of Nimrod
from Kush, overcame his ‫ צד עבדות‬and was elevated to ‫ברוך‬, through
his ‫ נאמנות‬and his ‫תקון הברית‬. The prerequisite of ‫ שמירת הברית‬is
8

‫שמירת הלשון‬, the opposite ‫ מדה‬of ‫=עפרן‬400=‫ רע עין‬who spoke a lot, but
did nothing. In the first pasuk, the words ‫ חיי שרה‬are repeated twice,
and Rashi says ‫כלן שוין לטובה‬. By sending away ‫ישמעאל‬, Sara paved
way for the third ‫בהמ"ק‬. The words ‫ חיי שרה‬is written twice in the first
pasuk- ‫= חיי שרה‬533 x 2=1066=‫בית השלישי‬. She was the ‫ אשת חיל‬of
whom it says ‫טוב ולא רע‬, as she had the ability to separate the bad from
the good in everything. She knew clearly to get Yishmael out of the
house. On the other hand Chava, due to her talking too much, brought
the ‫ חטא עץ הדעת‬into the world, which resulted in good and bad being
mixed up. Sara was the ‫ תקון‬for Chava, and some say she was her
‫גלגול‬. Rivka was the ‫ נשמה‬of ‫שרה‬, as Rashi says ‫והרי היא שרה אמו‬, which
is equated with Rivka also separating the wicked ‫ עשו‬from Yaakov.
Sara and Rivka purified, and will purify ‫כלל ישראל‬.

Chanuka is a taste of this ‫טהרה‬. According to ‫בית שמאי‬, we light

Chanuka candles in decreasing mode, ‫ כנגד‬the seventy bulls that were
sacrificed on Sukkos, in decreasing numbers. The first day was
thirteen bulls, then twelve, until on the last day of Sukkos seven bulls
were sacrificed. The seventy bulls represent the seventy nations which
are spearheaded by Esav and Yishmael. The Gra says that by the first,
second, and fourth day of Sukkos it says ‫ שעיר עזים‬referring to ‫ישמעאל‬,
whereas on the third, fifth, sixth and seventh, it says just ‫שעיר‬,
referring to ‫עשו‬. Each has thirty five bulls, and so the seventy bulls
representing the seventy nations are headed by ‫ עשו‬and ‫ישמעאל‬. The
two most powerful religions ‫ נצרות‬and Islam, try in every generation to
infiltrate Yiddishkeit, and have given the yidden great ‫צרות‬. Chanuka
is the ‫ י"ט‬of ‫ שמן זית‬which is pure, doesn’t mix, and is not
contaminated by outside influences. The pasuk which shows that Esav
and Yishmael are not part of ‫ כלל ישראל‬is ‫כי ביצחק יקרא לך זרע‬. Chanuka
demonstrates the purity of ‫כלל ישראל‬-
‫=כי ביצחק יקרא לך זרע‬878=‫הדלקת נר חנוכה‬. On ‫ חנוכה‬we get a taste of
‫ אורו של משיח‬when ‫רוח הטומאה אעביר מו הארץ‬, when all impurities will
be removed. The life and legacy of Sara was the removal of these
impurities. Yishmael has no connection to the ‫מערת המכפלה‬.

In ‫ו‬:‫ איוב יא‬it says ‫ כי כפלים לתושיה‬which speaks of the wisdom of the
Torah. The commentators explain that we received the ‫ לוחות‬twice.
Others interpret this as the Torah of this world and the Torah of the
world to come, the ‫סתרי תורה‬. The yidden are the first born of Hashem,
who receive a double portion- ‫ מערת המכפלה‬-
9

‫=כי כפלים לתושיה‬961=‫מקבץ נדחי עמו ישראל‬. In the future we will merit
the revelation of ‫כפל‬.

The Gemorra sometimes learns Halachas from single letters in the

Torah. Not one letter is superfluous. How is it that the entire story of
Eliezer finding the mate of Itzhak, is written twice? Eliezer told Lavan
and Besuel, that he would not eat until he told his story-
‫=ויאמר לא אכל עד אם דברתי דברי‬1286=‫ביום ההוא יתקע בשופר גדול‬. They
put poison in his food attempting to prevent the ‫שידוך‬. This repeated
story is connected to the Torah of the future, where it says
‫– תורה חדשה מאיתי יצא‬a new revelation. This Torah will be revealed
when ‫גלות ישמעאל‬, the fifth ‫ גלות‬will come to an end. The fifth ‫ גלות‬is
connected to the fifth ‫ כוס‬of Eliyahu, and the fifth expression of
Geula- ‫=והבאתי‬424=‫משיח בו דוד‬. Parshas ‫ חיי שרה‬is the fifth Parsha in
Chumash, where we see the fall of the fifth Galus ‫על פני כל אחיו נפל‬.
The ‫כפל‬, the ‫ תורה‬of the future, ends with ‫מהויה יצא הדבר‬, pasuk ‫נ‬:‫כד‬,
words said by two ‫רשעים‬, Lavan and Besuel. Eliezer was a ‫כושי‬, black,
but he was pure white inside, whereas Lavan was an albino, white all
over, but he was black inside. The ‫ כלל‬is that ‫ כפולה‬represents ‫גאולה‬.
The Midrash says that ‫מנצפך‬, which is ‫כפולה‬, represents the different
‫גלויות‬. The ‫ך‬- ‫ לך לך‬was the ‫ גאולה‬of Avraham, the ‫ ם‬the ‫ גאולה‬of ‫יצחק‬,
the ‫ נ‬the ‫ גאולה‬of ‫יעקב‬, the ‫ פ‬the ‫פרעה– גאולת מצרים‬, ‫…פסח פדיון‬, and the
‫ ץ‬represents the final ‫ גאולה‬from our Galus, which is connected to the
double story of Eliezer.

T.B.P., ‫ תורה שבעל פה‬requires a clean mouth -‫סייג לחכמה שתיקה– פה נקי‬.
We learn that Yaakov learned fourteen years in the ‫ ב"מ‬of ‫ עבר‬from
the calculation of the years of Yishmael (second to last pasuk-Rashi).
This hints to us that when there is trouble with ‫ישמעאל‬, the best advice,
beside what we said before, to not answer back, is to go learn Torah-
‫=תלמוד בבלי‬524=‫ והוא יהיה פרא אדם ידו בכל ויד כל בו‬The yidden have in
them the power of speech, that is real speech- T.B.P. ‫הקול קול יעקב– פה‬.
We already said that ‫ ברית הלשון‬and ‫ ברית המעור‬both go hand in hand
and are interdependent on each other ‫=פה‬85=‫מילה‬.The Rokeach says
that ‫ חנוכה‬is a ‫ הארה‬of the ‫אור הגנוז‬, whose source in Chumash is -
‫ים את האור כי טוב ויבדל‬-‫וירא אלה‬. Chanuka seperates the yidden from the
other nations, as olive oil is separate from other liquids when mixed
together ‫=הלשון המעור‬712=‫ את האור כי טוב ויבדל‬This number also is
equal to eight times ‫ חנוכה‬or 8 x 89 (‫= )חנוכה‬712. The ‫ מזל‬of ‫ כסלו‬is
the ‫קשת‬, the same letters as ‫שקת‬.
10

In the ‫ מדרש רבה‬it says that Sara was ‫ נפטר‬in ‫קרית ארבע‬, in the month of
‫מרחשון‬, which also means that she was born in ‫מרחשון‬. This ‫ מדרש‬says
that Haman when checking each month for “suitability” to wipe out
the yidden ‫ח"ו‬, when he came to ‫ חשון‬he said no, since Sara passed
away in this month. What about Adar, the month that he did choose,
being the month of ‫ ?פטירת משה‬Haman saw that with the passing of
Sara, there was an eradication of ‫ישמעאל‬, the ‫עקרב‬. The pasuk says
‫ותמת שרה בקרית ארבע‬, where ‫ בקרית ארבע‬are the same letters as
‫בריאת עקרב‬. The month of ‫ מרחשון‬has the ‫ מזל‬of the ‫עקרב‬, which was
removed with Sara’s death. Sara rids us with the ‫ קליפה‬of ‫ ישמעאל‬and
the ‫עקרב‬, and brings us to the ‫עיקר בית‬. The double ‫ חיי שרה‬in the first
pasuk we said equals to ‫בית השלישי‬, which will be built in the merit of
‫ שרה‬separating Yitzhak ‫ כלל ישראל‬from ‫ישמעאל‬. The combination of
Hashem’s name for ‫ כסלו‬are derived from the acronym of
‫ וירא יושב הארץ הכנענ‬-‫ויהה‬. The ‫ חידא‬says that the last letters of
‫ ויהיו חיי שרה מאה‬are ‫ויהה‬, and the first letters, if we take out the
‫ ו החיבור‬spell ‫ משיח‬-‫יהיו חיי שרה מאה‬. ‫=בירושלם‬588=‫והיתה להויה המלוכה‬,
which will take place in ‫חשון‬, when ‫ מלכות בית דוד‬will be restored.
‫=האהלה שרה אמו‬598=‫ בירושלים‬- Sara is preparing us for ‫משיח‬.

As Islam spreads throughout the world, we see an increase of the

‫ טומאה‬of ‫ מצרים‬and ‫אשור‬, which is a sign that ‫על פני כל אחיו נפל‬, when
they will be humbled- ‫=אשור ומצרים‬893=‫ שם אצמיח קרן לדויד‬In the
famous pasuk ‫ והיה ביום ההוא יתקע בשופר גדול‬.. speaking of ‫משיח‬, it
mentions these two nations of ‫ מצרים‬and ‫אשור‬. The pasuk ends with
that we will all bow to Hashem- ‫בהר הקדוש בירושלים‬. The ‫ טומאה‬of ‫אשור‬
and ‫ מצרים‬is the complete opposite of city of ‫ אמונה‬- ‫ירושלים‬. Mitzraim
represents the place steeped in the physical pleasures, taivos in the
world, and ‫ אשור‬is a more intellectual ‫ טומאה‬of atheism and ‫כפירה‬. To
come to ‫י"ם‬, we must rid ourselves of the ‫ טומאה‬of ‫ אשור‬and ‫מצרים‬,
which are similar to the ‫ דור הפלגה‬and the ‫ דור המבול‬respectively.
These two nations come together at the end of time under the guise of
‫ישמעאל‬, and ‫ גוג ומגוג‬who “will decide” who ‫ י"ם‬belongs to.

There are many questions given in the very last pasuk of ‫חיי שרה‬. The
beginning of the pasuk talks in the plural- ‫וישכנו‬, of the ‫ בני ישמעאל‬on
the face of ‫ מצרים‬coming to ‫אשור‬. The pasuk ends in the singular- ‫נפל‬,
because now the pasuk is talking of just ‫ישמעאל‬. Even though ‫ישמעאל‬
died with ‫ תשובה‬as Rashi says from the word ‫ויגבע‬, he has no future, no
11

‫המשך‬. This is why it says ‫ נפל‬in the past tense. There is no ‫עליות נשמה‬
for ‫ישמעאל‬, and he has no connection to the ‫ מקומות הקדושים‬that they
occupy now. One may ask, why mention that ‫ ישמעאל‬died a ‫צדיק‬, and
the names of all of his children in the Parsha of Sara? This is her
legacy? The answer is yes. Because of Sara’s insight when she said
‫גרש האמה הזאת ואת בנה‬, Yishmael is mostly out of the picture, in the
‫ נצחיות‬sense. This is her legacy. The ‫ חידא‬says that we’ll never see a
Muslim become a Jew. From Esav, there are ‫ גרים‬because there are
still sparks of ‫ קדושה‬in ‫עשו‬, and Esav’s head was buried in the
‫מערת המכפלה‬. Sara’s legacy comes to fruition with her being the
first yid buried in the ‫מערת המכפלה‬, the holy entrance to ‫גן עדן‬, which
has no ‫ שייכות‬to ‫ישמעאל‬.

When Eliezer davened for Yitzhak’s ‫שידוך‬, he used the words

‫הקרה נא לפני היום‬, and before he finished speaking, he was answered.
By ‫יצחק‬, in pasuk ‫סג‬:‫ כד‬it says ‫וישא עיניו וירא‬- ‫ויצא יצחק לשוח בשדה‬, that
he was answered before he even began to daven. This is even greater
than the tefilla of Eliezer, as it says ‫טרם יקראו ואני אענה‬. Hashem
answers the ‫ צדיקים‬even before they pray for what they need. The
power of ‫ תפילה‬is very great, and we must pour our hearts out to the
Almighty to take us out quickly from this most difficult ‫גלות ישמעאל‬.