Parshas Chaye Sara 5787 - Making Every Day Count

After describing the death and burial of Sarah Imeinu, the Torah tells us:

“And Avraham was old, advanced in years (בא בימים), and Hashem had blessed Avraham with everything.” (Bereishis 24:1)

The Torah's description seems redundant. Why does it tell us that Avraham was both old and advanced in years? What additional meaning is conveyed by the words בא בימים?

The Alshich (quoted in Iturei Torah) offers a beautiful interpretation. He suggests that we can understand the expression as though it said בא עם כל ימים—Avraham came with all his days. In other words, when Avraham reached old age, he brought every day of his life with him. Not one day had been wasted. He had made meaningful use of every day, filling his life with opportunities to serve Hashem.

But how is this possible? Everyone experiences difficult days when things do not go as planned. Life is filled with accidents, illnesses, disappointments, and tragedies. Surely Avraham Avinu also experienced painful and difficult days. How could the Torah describe him as someone who had made every day of his life meaningful?

The question becomes even more difficult when we consider what had just happened. Avraham had returned from the Akeidah, one of the most traumatic experiences imaginable, only to discover that his beloved wife Sarah had passed away. He then faced the additional challenge of finding a place to bury her. How could we say that even during such difficult periods, Avraham made every day count?

The answer is that Avraham understood that every day of life presents an opportunity to serve Hashem. Some days offer pleasant and uplifting opportunities. Other days bring pain, frustration, and disappointment. But even those difficult days can become opportunities for avodas Hashem. What matters is not whether everything happens as we would like, but how we respond to the circumstances Hashem places before us.

We see this clearly in the Torah's description of Avraham's efforts to purchase the Cave of Machpelah as a burial place for Sarah. The Torah devotes many verses to the negotiations between Avraham and the people of Chevron. Why does it give us such a detailed account of what might seem to be a straightforward real estate transaction?

Avraham had been promised the Land of Israel, yet when his wife died, he did not even have a burial place for her. Nevertheless, he did not become bitter or question Hashem. Instead, he proceeded with the difficult task of arranging Sarah's burial, conducting himself with extraordinary dignity and derech eretz in his dealings with the people of Chevron.

The Gemara in Bava Basra (15b) describes how the Satan praised Avraham before Hashem:

“Master of the Universe, I have traversed the whole world and found none so faithful as Your servant Avraham. For You told him: ‘Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto thee will I give it.’ And yet, when he could not find a place to bury Sarah, … he did not question Your ways.”

Avraham's greatness was that even when confronted with an extremely painful situation, he continued to conduct himself with devotion to Hashem. He turned a difficult day into another opportunity to serve his Creator.

And Avraham did not stop there. After Sarah's passing, he sent Eliezer on the important mission of finding a wife for Yitzchak, ensuring the continuation of his family's mission. Once that task was accomplished, Avraham still did not rest. He continued to build a family even at the age of 140. The Torah tells us:

“Avraham proceeded and took a wife whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.” (Bereishis 25:1–2)

Avraham Avinu is a model for all of us. Time is among the most precious gifts we have, and we should be careful not to let our days pass without purpose. Rather, we should recognize that every day offers some opportunity to serve Hashem.

Sometimes that opportunity will be to learn Torah, perform a mitzvah, or help another person. At other times, it may be to exercise patience, or treat someone with kindness when circumstances are difficult.

May we merit to use each day of our lives wisely, following in the footsteps of Avraham Avinu, and through our daily efforts bring ourselves and the world closer to the ultimate redemption.