Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
“The sun rises and the sun sets” (Kohelet 1:5).
Don’t we know what the sun does?! What should we learn from this pasuk?
אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא: עַד שֶׁלֹא יַשְׁקִיעַ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שִׁמְּשׁוֹ שֶׁל צַדִּיק הוּא מַזְרִיחַ שִׁמְשׁוֹ שֶׁל צַדִּיק חֲבֵרוֹ.
…עַד שֶׁלֹא הִשְׁקִיעַ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שִׁמְשָׁהּ שֶׁל שָׂרָה הִזְרִיחַ שִׁמְשָׁהּ שֶׁל רִבְקָה.
R. Abba bar Kahanah said: Before God makes the “sun” of one tzaddik (righteous person) set, God makes the sun of another tzaddik rise.
…Before Sarah’s sun set, God made Rivkah’s sun rise.
R. Abba bar Kahanah is noticing that we hear the news that Rivkah has been born at the end of this week’s parashah (Bereishit 22:23), and this comes just before we hear about Sarah’s death (at the beginning of next week’s parashah; Bereishit 23:2). He’s explaining why these events took place in this order: sunrise (Rivka’s birth) before sunset (Sarah’s death).
- Why do you think it might have felt really terrible to lose Sarah? How would Rivkah’s birth have provided comfort?
- Why is it important for God to always make sure we have at least one new tzaddik before we lose a previous one? What message does the midrash have about how God cares for us through history?
- How might this idea give you strength when you are going through a hard time?
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