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撒拉的兩次生命

Chayei Sarah  是每日律法書的閱讀部分 Chayei Sarah是什麼意思?假如我們看見一本書,書名為“Chayei Sarah”,我們可能認為,這是一本講述撒拉生平的書。令人驚訝的是,在每日的律法書閱讀部分,Chayei Sarah給了我們怎麼的教導?撒拉的死--撒拉的死以及安葬和哀悼。這非常奇怪,除非我們能夠理解先哲們的解讀:通過以Chayei Sarah來命名的部分,推斷Sarah真正的生命開始於她的死亡。希伯來語的獨特性對此給出了暗示。希伯來語如此敘述:撒拉一生的年月是7年、20年和100年。這是撒拉一生的年歲<希伯來語為Shnei >。在希伯來語中"Shnei"可能有兩層含義:其一是撒拉一生的年歲,另一層含義是撒拉的兩次生命:生前的生命和死亡之後的生命。撒拉死後還有生命,這是什麼意思呢?撒拉被安葬後如何獲得再一次的生命?簡單的理解是:這是來世的生命<life in the world to come>。

另外,還有一個更深刻的概念是:因著撒拉的死,亞伯拉罕急需一塊土地,以便安葬撒拉。由此,我們的先祖必須在以色列地購買一塊土地。當我們的先祖在以色列地購買土地的那一刻起,他就在這片土地上扎下了根。通過扎根,我們的先祖亞伯拉罕開始履行創造宇宙萬有的神與他所立的約:將迦南地賜給他和他的後裔為業。從此,從這裡開始,以色列民族的生活開始了。

有人或許會問:我可是否以通過購買一塊墓地開始自己的生活?雖然這是必要的,但最終還是要通過購買果園和良田開始自己的生活。因為果園和良田裡面有生命。這裡有一個關鍵性的區別:果園和良田的使用是有條件的,其價值和目的以在在土地上的勞動來實現。而墓地則不需要以居住或勞作來實現其價值,被安葬的人也不需要做任何事,因此這是永恆的遺產。

我們與希伯倫的麥比拉洞<Cava of Machpelah in Hebron>之間有著無條件的天然紐帶,那裡埋葬著我們的先祖們,使我們在整個這片土地上自由地生活。

安息日平安 Shabbath Shalom

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