בראשית, פרק כ״ג, פסוק ב׳

The parting of the nation from its first Matriarch merges deep personal grief with profound spiritual and geographical significance. Sarah's passing serves as a turning point, linking her family's immense devotion to their permanent hold on the Promised Land. Her death took place in Kiryat Arba. The primary approach among commentators is that this location was named after a giant named Arba who ruled the city, or for four giants who once lived there. Alternatively, a prominent tradition suggests the city was named for the four couples destined to be buried there: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah [רש״י, רבנו בחיי, תורה תמימה, ברטנורא]. Others see the name as an allusion to the four foundational elements of the human body, which separate from one another at the time of death [כלי יקר, אור החיים]. The location is also known as Hebron, a name that expresses the ultimate connection of righteous souls to the higher spiritual realms after their passing [כלי יקר, רבנו בחיי, תולדות יצחק]. Furthermore, the specific mention that this occurred in the Land of Canaan highlights Sarah's great merit to conclude her life and find her resting place within the Holy Land [רבנו בחיי, תולדות יצחק, מלבי״ם].

The timing of Sarah's death was far from coincidental. Commentators widely agree that her passing was intimately tied to the Binding of Isaac. Her soul departed from her upon receiving the sudden, shocking news that her son had nearly been slaughtered [רש״י, רמב״ן, חזקוני, שפתי כהן]. Another perspective explains that she only passed away after receiving the news of Rebecca's birth, reflecting the principle that a righteous person does not leave this world until another righteous individual is born to take their place [ספורנו, תולדות יצחק]. In contrast, some view her early passing as a consequence of having previously demanded divine judgment against Abraham when she once told him that her grievance was upon him [הדר זקנים, חידושי ר' שלמה].

Following her death, Abraham arrived to mourn. The primary approach among commentators is that he traveled from another location, likely his home in Beersheba or directly from Mount Moriah where the Binding took place, making his way to Hebron as soon as he heard the tragic news [רש״י, רמב״ן, רד״ק, הטור הארוך]. A completely different approach suggests that he did not travel from another city at all. Instead, he simply entered Sarah's tent from his own, or, in a more conceptual sense, he roused and prepared himself to undertake the difficult task of delivering her eulogy [רמב״ן, רשב״ם, שד״ל, רבנו בחיי]. Noticeably absent from this gathering was Isaac. Some explain that he remained behind at Mount Moriah, or that the news of his mother's death was deliberately kept from him so he would not agonize over the thought that she died because of him, which is why Abraham returned alone [רבנו בחיי, צאינה וראינה, פענח רזא, ברכת אשר].

Abraham then stepped forward to eulogize Sarah, recounting her praises, and to weep for her [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The commentators note the unusual sequence of these actions, as spontaneous crying typically precedes a formal, spoken eulogy. One explanation is that when mourning exceptionally righteous individuals, the primary tragedy is the loss of their profound wisdom and good deeds. Therefore, Abraham first spoke of her greatness, and only through the eulogy and the realization of the immense loss did his tears begin to flow [כלי יקר, הכתב והקבלה, מלבי״ם, תולדות יצחק]. Another explanation ties this order to Abraham's complex emotional state. Having just returned from the Binding filled with spiritual joy that he had withstood God's test and that Isaac was alive, he was emotionally unable to cry immediately. He needed the eulogy to awaken his sorrow [תולדות יצחק, צאינה וראינה]. An additional view suggests that because Abraham traveled from afar, the initial days of intense weeping had already passed, allowing him to transition directly into the eulogy [העמק דבר, ריב״א, פרדס יוסף]. Finally, it is explained that his weeping was minimal and restrained simply because Sarah passed away at a good, old age, having lived a complete life defined by righteousness [קיצור בעל הטורים, רא״ש].