When people read my life story they often ask,
“Where is SarahThe first matriarch, wife of Abraham, and mother of Isaac, whom she birthed at the age of 90. Sarah, in Rabbinic tradition, is considered holy, beautiful, and hospitable. Many prayers, particularly the Amidah (the central silent prayer), refer to God as Magen Avraham – protector of Abraham. Many Jews now add: pokehd or ezrat Sarah – guardian or helper of Sarah.? Why doesn’t she speak?”
They tend to think of me as a silent figure
hovering in the shadows,
the barren woman inside the tent
who scoffed at the news of a child
with laughter that was heard far and wide.
Most people think I laughed because I was too old,
far too old, to conceive a child,
but my laughter was more than that.
It was a sudden surge of hope and joy
held back by caution’s hands.
Could such a miracle really happen to me?
Dare I dream and see
my greatest longing become a reality?
Mine was the laughter that slips from
a heart afraid to dream
for fear of being broken;
It was at once a laugh and a cry.
My faith in G-d had wavered
when year after year passed by,
my womb and my arms empty and aching.
When G-d asked why I laughed
I was afraid to tell the truth.
I was ashamed of the nakedness of my longing,
stunned by the depth of my fear.
Would the promise of a son be withdrawn?
My womb closed and sealed forever?
IsaacAbraham and Sarah's much-longed-for son and the second Jewish patriarch. Isaac is nearly sacrificed by his father at God's command (Genesis 22). He is married to Rebecca and is the father of Esau and Jacob. His Hebrew name is Yitzchak. came to me in my twilight.
When I gave birth to him,
it was as if I, too, had been born anew.
The faith that had flickered and faded
became a bright and steady flame.
The arid place inside me
was drenched with love and mirth
and all who heard my laughter
laughed along with me, sharing in my glee.
Twilight turned to night all too soon
when G-d summoned AbrahamAbraham is the first patriarch and the father of the Jewish people. He is the husband of Sarah and the father of Isaac and Ishmael. God's covenant - that we will be a great people and inherit the land of Israel - begins with Abraham and is marked by his circumcision, the first in Jewish history. His Hebrew name is Avraham. to Mount Moriah
to bring Isaac back from whence he came.
Most people think that I died of a broken heart
when I learned that my son would soon be slaughtered.
Unable to bear the pain of losing the one I held most dear
some say my heart just shattered.
It wasn’t quite like that.
I was no stranger to heartbreak,
for I had known the pain of longing and
the anguish of losing hope,
I had watched my dreams die slow and painful deaths.
When Isaac came into my life
I discovered a love so rich and boundless
I never wanted to let go.
I couldn’t understand why G-d would take away
the precious child He had just given me.
I cried and wailed and begged G-d not to take Isaac.
I pleaded with Abraham not to listen to G-d this time.
“Take me! Hurt me, not Isaac!” I pleaded through my tears.
The angels who called out to Abraham and stilled his hand
came to visit me.They told me to hold my tears
for there was nothing about which to weep.
They told me over and again
that Isaac had been spared,
that he would live!
I knew right away that it was my time to die, not his.
My tears turned from sorrow to gladness,
my faith in G-d renewed yet again.
I could leave the world, die a peaceful death,
not with a broken heart,
but a heart filled with gratitude
for G-d had given my beloved son, Isaac,
the gift of life once again.
