Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/189

 ;

The Death of Sarah

when our time comes

Ai'id

in

Abraham and Jacob and behind us some to mourn which

shall not

the purpose for life;

have lived

may we go

the patriarchs

for us

shall be for a blessing

Then we us

all

go hence and stand at last like Sarah and

to

the presence of our Maker,

171

and

to

unto those

of

leaving

old,

weep, and a

memory

who come

after us.

but shall have realized

in vain,

which God placed us here on earth and gave

then through us wall

all

the families of the earth be

blessed.

So Sarah died and Abraham mourned for her. And so every Jew has mourned who has lost tlie companion of his days and the source of his truest blessing. And to this day when the husband comes home joyous and expectant on Friday eve from the sanctuary of the synagogue to the even greater sanctuary of the home, reverently and thankfully he lays his hand upon the bowed head of his wife with the softly-murmured words, *'May God make thee like Sarah and Rebekah, like Leah and Rachel".

NOTES In ancient Palestine it was customary to bury the dead in caves. There are many famous, ancient sepulchres in Palestine, visited by thousands of pilgrims today. But the most famous of all is the Cave of Machpelah near Hebron. Until the war in 1918 it was in the

Mohammedans, who

possession of the

believe themselves descendants

of Ishmael and consequently also descendants of Abraham. fore they have quite as

And and

unfortunately, practices, they

the sepulchre.

much veneration

being

very

a sanctuary over

it.

fanatical

have allowed none but

They regard

it

in

their

to

Jews. beliefs

approach

shrine and have erected

Mohammedans were

Perhaps Jews

There-

we

religious

Mohammedans

as a sacred

Into this none but

centuries permitted to enter.

for the place, as

for

many

soon be once again the sepulchre of Father Abraham and will

allowed to approach close to show their reverence for his great memory.

there

"double".

Actually the Cave of

Machpelah means Machpelah consists of two parts,

one of which projects from the other. V. 2. Kiriath-arba was the ancient, pre-Israelite name for Hebron cf. Joshua XIV, 15; Judges I, 10. The name means either "city of