Torah Portion of the Week

Chayei Sarah חיי שרה

Genesis 23:1–25:18

Parshat Chayei Sarah recounts Sarah's death and burial in the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron, Abraham's mission to find a wife for Isaac, the providential meeting of Rebekah at the well, Abraham's final years and death, and the genealogy of Ishmael.

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1 of 8

The Death of Sarah

מות שרה

Genesis 23:1–23:2

Sarah dies at age 127 in Kiryat Arba (Hebron). Abraham comes to mourn and weep for her.

2 of 8

Purchasing the Cave of Machpelah

קניית מערת המכפלה

Genesis 23:3–23:20

Abraham negotiates with the Hittites to purchase the Cave of Machpelah from Ephron for 400 shekels of silver — the first legal acquisition of land in Israel. Sarah is buried there.

3 of 8

The Mission to Find a Wife

שליחות למצוא אשה

Genesis 24:1–24:9

Abraham sends his servant (traditionally Eliezer) to his kinsmen in Aram Naharaim to find a wife for Isaac, making him swear not to take a Canaanite woman.

4 of 8

Rebekah at the Well

רבקה על הבאר

Genesis 24:10–24:27

The servant arrives at a well near Nahor's city and prays for a sign. Rebekah appears and offers water to him and his camels — exactly fulfilling the sign. The servant bows in thanksgiving.

5 of 8

The Betrothal Agreement

הסכם השידוך

Genesis 24:28–24:60

The servant recounts the story to Rebekah's family. Laban and Bethuel agree to the match. Rebekah is asked and chooses to go. Her family blesses her: "May you become thousands of myriads."

6 of 8

Isaac and Rebekah Meet

מפגש יצחק ורבקה

Genesis 24:61–24:67

Rebekah journeys to Canaan. Isaac is meditating in the field at evening. They meet, Rebekah veils herself, Isaac brings her into Sarah's tent, and she becomes his wife. He loves her and is comforted after his mother's death.

7 of 8

Abraham's Later Years and Death

אחרית ימי אברהם ומותו

Genesis 25:1–25:11

Abraham takes Keturah as a wife and fathers more children. He gives all he has to Isaac and sends the others away. Abraham dies at 175 and is buried by Isaac and Ishmael in the Cave of Machpelah.

8 of 8

The Descendants of Ishmael

תולדות ישמעאל

Genesis 25:12–25:18

The twelve princes descended from Ishmael are listed. Ishmael dies at age 137. His descendants settle from Havilah to Shur, near Egypt.

Prophetic Reading

Haftarah הפטרה

I Kings 1:1–1:31

מלכים א

The aging King David, like the aging Abraham, must ensure succession. Bathsheba secures Solomon's appointment as heir — echoing how Abraham secured Isaac's future before his death.

Full Text

Parshat Chayei Sarah

Genesis 23:1–25:18 · 105 verses

First Aliyah

ראשוןGenesis 23:1–23:16

Chapter 23

פרק 23

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1 וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה מֵאָה שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי שָׂרָֽה

2 וַתָּמׇת שָׂרָה בְּקִרְיַת אַרְבַּע הִוא חֶבְרוֹן בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וַיָּבֹא אַבְרָהָם לִסְפֹּד לְשָׂרָה וְלִבְכֹּתָֽהּ

3 וַיָּקׇם אַבְרָהָם מֵעַל פְּנֵי מֵתוֹ וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי חֵת לֵאמֹֽר

4 גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב אָנֹכִי עִמָּכֶם תְּנוּ לִי אֲחֻזַּת קֶבֶר עִמָּכֶם וְאֶקְבְּרָה מֵתִי מִלְּפָנָֽי

5 וַיַּעֲנוּ בְנֵי חֵת אֶת אַבְרָהָם לֵאמֹר לֽוֹ

6 שְׁמָעֵנוּ אֲדֹנִי נְשִׂיא אֱלֹהִים אַתָּה בְּתוֹכֵנוּ בְּמִבְחַר קְבָרֵינוּ קְבֹר אֶת מֵתֶךָ אִישׁ מִמֶּנּוּ אֶת קִבְרוֹ לֹֽא יִכְלֶה מִמְּךָ מִקְּבֹר מֵתֶֽךָ

7 וַיָּקׇם אַבְרָהָם וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְעַם הָאָרֶץ לִבְנֵי חֵֽת

8 וַיְדַבֵּר אִתָּם לֵאמֹר אִם יֵשׁ אֶֽת נַפְשְׁכֶם לִקְבֹּר אֶת מֵתִי מִלְּפָנַי שְׁמָעוּנִי וּפִגְעוּ לִי בְּעֶפְרוֹן בֶּן צֹֽחַר

9 וְיִתֶּן לִי אֶת מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה אֲשֶׁר לוֹ אֲשֶׁר בִּקְצֵה שָׂדֵהוּ בְּכֶסֶף מָלֵא יִתְּנֶנָּה לִּי בְּתוֹכְכֶם לַאֲחֻזַּת קָֽבֶר

10 וְעֶפְרוֹן יֹשֵׁב בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי חֵת וַיַּעַן עֶפְרוֹן הַחִתִּי אֶת אַבְרָהָם בְּאׇזְנֵי בְנֵי חֵת לְכֹל בָּאֵי שַֽׁעַר עִירוֹ לֵאמֹֽר

11 לֹֽא אֲדֹנִי שְׁמָעֵנִי הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לָךְ וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ לְךָ נְתַתִּיהָ לְעֵינֵי בְנֵי עַמִּי נְתַתִּיהָ לָּךְ קְבֹר מֵתֶֽךָ

12 וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אַבְרָהָם לִפְנֵי עַם הָאָֽרֶץ

13 וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל עֶפְרוֹן בְּאׇזְנֵי עַם הָאָרֶץ לֵאמֹר אַךְ אִם אַתָּה לוּ שְׁמָעֵנִי נָתַתִּי כֶּסֶף הַשָּׂדֶה קַח מִמֶּנִּי וְאֶקְבְּרָה אֶת מֵתִי שָֽׁמָּה

14 וַיַּעַן עֶפְרוֹן אֶת אַבְרָהָם לֵאמֹר לֽוֹ

15 אֲדֹנִי שְׁמָעֵנִי אֶרֶץ אַרְבַּע מֵאֹת שֶֽׁקֶל כֶּסֶף בֵּינִי וּבֵֽינְךָ מַה הִוא וְאֶת מֵתְךָ קְבֹֽר

16 וַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָהָם אֶל עֶפְרוֹן וַיִּשְׁקֹל אַבְרָהָם לְעֶפְרֹן אֶת הַכֶּסֶף אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּאׇזְנֵי בְנֵי חֵת אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שֶׁקֶל כֶּסֶף עֹבֵר לַסֹּחֵֽר

1 Sarah’s lifetime—the span of Sarah’s life—came to one hundred and twenty-seven years.

2 Sarah died in Kiriath-arba—now Hebron—in the land of Canaan; and Abraham proceeded to mourn for Sarah and to bewail her.

3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead, and spoke to the Hittites, saying,

4 “I am a resident alien among you; sell me a burial site among you, that I may remove my dead for burial.”

5 And the Hittites replied to Abraham, saying to him,

6 “Hear us, my lord: you are the elect of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places; none of us will withhold his burial place from you for burying your dead.”

7 Thereupon Abraham bowed low to the people of the land, the Hittites,

8 And he said to them, “If it is your wish that I remove my dead for burial, you must agree to intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar.

9 Let him sell me the cave of Machpelah that he owns, which is at the edge of his land. Let him sell it to me, at the full price, for a burial site in your midst.”

10 Ephron was present among the Hittites; so Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, all who entered the gate of his town, saying,

11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and I give you the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

12 Then Abraham bowed low before the people of the land,

13 And spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If only you would hear me out! Let me pay the price of the land; accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.”

14 And Ephron replied to Abraham, saying to him,

15 “My lord, do hear me! A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver—what is that between you and me? Go and bury your dead.”

16 Abraham accepted Ephron’s terms. Abraham paid out to Ephron the money that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites—four hundred shekels of silver at the going merchants’ rate.

1 וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה מֵאָה שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי שָׂרָֽה

1 Sarah’s lifetime—the span of Sarah’s life—came to one hundred and twenty-seven years.

2 Sarah died in Kiriath-arba—now Hebron—in the land of Canaan; and Abraham proceeded to mourn for Sarah and to bewail her.

3 וַיָּקׇם אַבְרָהָם מֵעַל פְּנֵי מֵתוֹ וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי חֵת לֵאמֹֽר

3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead, and spoke to the Hittites, saying,

4 גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב אָנֹכִי עִמָּכֶם תְּנוּ לִי אֲחֻזַּת קֶבֶר עִמָּכֶם וְאֶקְבְּרָה מֵתִי מִלְּפָנָֽי

4 “I am a resident alien among you; sell me a burial site among you, that I may remove my dead for burial.”

5 וַיַּעֲנוּ בְנֵי חֵת אֶת אַבְרָהָם לֵאמֹר לֽוֹ

5 And the Hittites replied to Abraham, saying to him,

6 “Hear us, my lord: you are the elect of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places; none of us will withhold his burial place from you for burying your dead.”

7 וַיָּקׇם אַבְרָהָם וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְעַם הָאָרֶץ לִבְנֵי חֵֽת

7 Thereupon Abraham bowed low to the people of the land, the Hittites,

8 And he said to them, “If it is your wish that I remove my dead for burial, you must agree to intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar.

9 Let him sell me the cave of Machpelah that he owns, which is at the edge of his land. Let him sell it to me, at the full price, for a burial site in your midst.”

10 Ephron was present among the Hittites; so Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, all who entered the gate of his town, saying,

11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and I give you the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

12 וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אַבְרָהָם לִפְנֵי עַם הָאָֽרֶץ

12 Then Abraham bowed low before the people of the land,

13 And spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If only you would hear me out! Let me pay the price of the land; accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.”

14 וַיַּעַן עֶפְרוֹן אֶת אַבְרָהָם לֵאמֹר לֽוֹ

14 And Ephron replied to Abraham, saying to him,

15 אֲדֹנִי שְׁמָעֵנִי אֶרֶץ אַרְבַּע מֵאֹת שֶֽׁקֶל כֶּסֶף בֵּינִי וּבֵֽינְךָ מַה הִוא וְאֶת מֵתְךָ קְבֹֽר

15 “My lord, do hear me! A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver—what is that between you and me? Go and bury your dead.”

16 Abraham accepted Ephron’s terms. Abraham paid out to Ephron the money that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites—four hundred shekels of silver at the going merchants’ rate.

Second Aliyah

שניGenesis 23:17–24:9

Chapter 23

פרק 23

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17 וַיָּקׇם שְׂדֵה עֶפְרוֹן אֲשֶׁר בַּמַּכְפֵּלָה אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי מַמְרֵא הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ וְכׇל הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בְּכׇל גְּבֻלוֹ סָבִֽיב

18 לְאַבְרָהָם לְמִקְנָה לְעֵינֵי בְנֵי חֵת בְּכֹל בָּאֵי שַֽׁעַר עִירֽוֹ

19 וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן קָבַר אַבְרָהָם אֶת שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ אֶל מְעָרַת שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה עַל פְּנֵי מַמְרֵא הִוא חֶבְרוֹן בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָֽעַן

20 וַיָּקׇם הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ לְאַבְרָהָם לַאֲחֻזַּת קָבֶר מֵאֵת בְּנֵי חֵֽת

17 So Ephron’s land in Machpelah, near Mamre—the field with its cave and all the trees anywhere within the confines of that field—passed

18 To Abraham as his possession, in the presence of the Hittites, of the assembly in his town’s gate.

19 And then Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre—now Hebron—in the land of Canaan.

20 Thus the field with its cave passed from the Hittites to Abraham, as a burial site.

17 So Ephron’s land in Machpelah, near Mamre—the field with its cave and all the trees anywhere within the confines of that field—passed

18 לְאַבְרָהָם לְמִקְנָה לְעֵינֵי בְנֵי חֵת בְּכֹל בָּאֵי שַֽׁעַר עִירֽוֹ

18 To Abraham as his possession, in the presence of the Hittites, of the assembly in his town’s gate.

19 And then Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre—now Hebron—in the land of Canaan.

20 וַיָּקׇם הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ לְאַבְרָהָם לַאֲחֻזַּת קָבֶר מֵאֵת בְּנֵי חֵֽת

20 Thus the field with its cave passed from the Hittites to Abraham, as a burial site.

Chapter 24

פרק 24

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1 וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים וַֽיהֹוָה בֵּרַךְ אֶת אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּֽל

2 וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֶל עַבְדּוֹ זְקַן בֵּיתוֹ הַמֹּשֵׁל בְּכׇל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ שִֽׂים נָא יָדְךָ תַּחַת יְרֵכִֽי

3 וְאַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ בַּֽיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וֵֽאלֹהֵי הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא תִקַּח אִשָּׁה לִבְנִי מִבְּנוֹת הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ

4 כִּי אֶל אַרְצִי וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּי תֵּלֵךְ וְלָקַחְתָּ אִשָּׁה לִבְנִי לְיִצְחָֽק

5 וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הָעֶבֶד אוּלַי לֹא תֹאבֶה הָֽאִשָּׁה לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרַי אֶל הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת הֶֽהָשֵׁב אָשִׁיב אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יָצָאתָ מִשָּֽׁם

6 וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַבְרָהָם הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן תָּשִׁיב אֶת בְּנִי שָֽׁמָּה

7 יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם אֲשֶׁר לְקָחַנִי מִבֵּית אָבִי וּמֵאֶרֶץ מֽוֹלַדְתִּי וַאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לִי וַאֲשֶׁר נִֽשְׁבַּֽע לִי לֵאמֹר לְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת הוּא יִשְׁלַח מַלְאָכוֹ לְפָנֶיךָ וְלָקַחְתָּ אִשָּׁה לִבְנִי מִשָּֽׁם

8 וְאִם לֹא תֹאבֶה הָֽאִשָּׁה לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרֶיךָ וְנִקִּיתָ מִשְּׁבֻעָתִי זֹאת רַק אֶת בְּנִי לֹא תָשֵׁב שָֽׁמָּה

9 וַיָּשֶׂם הָעֶבֶד אֶת יָדוֹ תַּחַת יֶרֶךְ אַבְרָהָם אֲדֹנָיו וַיִּשָּׁבַֽע לוֹ עַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּֽה

1 Abraham was now old, advanced in years, and GOD had blessed Abraham in all things.

2 And Abraham said to the senior servant of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, “Put your hand under my thigh

3 And I will make you swear by the ETERNAL , the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell,

4 But will go to the land of my birth and get a wife for my son Isaac.”

5 And the servant said to him, “What if the woman does not consent to follow me to this land, shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”

6 Abraham answered him, “On no account must you take my son back there!

7 The ETERNAL , the God of heaven—who took me from my father’s house and from my native land, who promised me on oath, saying, ‘I will assign this land to your offspring’—will send an angel before you, and you will get a wife for my son from there.

8 And if the woman does not consent to follow you, you shall then be clear of this oath to me; but do not take my son back there.”

9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore to him as bidden.