Why does the Torah write the word "Shanah" (or "Shanim") three times?
Rashi (citing Bereishis Rabah): To teach us that each one can be explained individually - When Sarah was a hundred she was like a twenty--year old (who is not yet Chayav be'Dinei Shamayim 1 ) regarding sin; 2 and when she was twenty she was like a seven-year old for (natural) beauty. 3
Ramban: It is a manner of speech, from which one cannot expound anything." 4
Hadar Zekenim, Riva: When Sarah was 100, she was like a 20 year old for beauty. When she was 20, she was like a seven-year old (who is not liable) for sin.
Or ha'Chayim: "Va'Yihyu" (an expression of pain) refers to her first 100 years. For 90 years she had the pain of being childless 5 (just as Rachel later expressed her pain in 30:1), and for 10 years Yishmael pursued Yitzchak to kill him (Bereishis Rabah 53:11). After that, Yishmael was expelled. Her last 27 years 6 were considered her life. 7
Shabbos 89b. Chacham Tzvi (49) and many others challenge this. Teshuvas Chasam Sofer (YD 155) says that it applies only in special cases, e.g. Onesh Dor ha'Midbar. Also see Gur Aryeh to Bereishis 5:32; refer to 5:32:1:3:1. Tzitz Eliezer (14:20:2) cites many Poskim, and proves that the Halachah does not follow this Agadah. Also refer to 38:7:151:1*.
Ramban: How will Rashi explain the same format that the Torah writes about Yishmael (Bereishis 25:17), who was a Rasha at first, and did Teshuvah only later? Refer to 23:1:1:3.
Refer also to 25:7:2:1. Ner Uziel - Full maturity is only at age 20. At 20, her soul was as beautiful as that of a seven-year old, without any character flaws. (I heard the author explain that at 20, the peak of beauty, she was like a seven year old, who does not think about her beauty. - PF) See also Oznayim la'Torah, who explains that the Torah mentions Sarah's beauty because beauty is a test - even for a man, see Yoma 35b - how much more so for a woman! And the Torah is teaching us here that, despite Sarah's beauty - which rendered her desirable to kings, it had no effect on her and she remained without sin all her life. Also refer to 23:1:1:9.
Ramban: The Midrash learns the D?rashah that Rashi presents from the words "Shenei Chayei Sarah" at the end of the Pasuk - as Rashi himself explains there. Ha'amek Davar (to 5:5) - We learn from the fact that the Torah wrote the numbers in descending order (100, 20, and 7). (But then he must expound about Yishmael, whose years are in descending order! Refer to 23:1:1:3.)
There is no pain of being childless before she married! Perhaps she was pained to be living in a house of idolaters (her parents). (PF)
He does not explain why it says "Shanah" between "Esrim" and "Sheva."
This seems unlike Rashi, who says that all of her years were equally good! Perhaps we can resolve like Devek Tov (cited in Rashi, Mosad ha'Rav Kook). Rashi means that at the end they are good for her (i.e. they would bring her great reward). She suffered misfortunes, e.g. Pharaoh and Avimelech took her!
The Torah does not mention the age of any of the other righteous women, so why does it mention Sarah's death here?
Rashbam: Because it needs to mention her death, in order to describe the acquisition of the Me'aras ha'Machpelah, it mentions her years as well.
What is the (otherwise superfluous) phrase "Sh?nei Chayei Sarah" - coming to teach us?
Rashi and Ramban: It teaches us that all of Sarah's years were equally good. 1
Malbim #1 and Oznayim la'Torah: It teaches us that Sarah lived all the years that she was destined to live. 2 She did not die prematurely 3 due to the news of the Akeidah. 4
Malbim #2: After she died, it was known that all of her years were called ?life?. 5
Ha'amek Davar: It teaches that all of her years were with Simchah. 6
Oznayim la'Torah: She lived a life of righteousness, spreading the knowledge of Hashem and performing acts of kindness - without wasting a day. And the same applies to Avraham - see 25:7, where the words "Asher Chai" are superfluous. Refer however to 23:1:3:2**.
Malbim: Bava Kama 93a implies that she died early due to asking Hashem to judge between her and Avraham. I.e. sometimes someone dies before his time, and his lost years are given to one who pardons (Chagigah 5a). Had she not asked Hashem to judge, she would have received extra years. Since she asked, she lived only her allotted years.
Oznayim la'Torah: But that was the way she was destined to die - and Hashem has many agents to carry out His will when the time comes. (This is unlike the Or ha'Chayim. Refer to 23:1:151:2. However, Avraham died early - Refer to 25:7:1:2.
As the Navi writes in Yechezkel 18:24 "Kol Tzidkosav... Lo Sizacharnah".
Refer to 21:12:151:1.
Since the Torah is talking about Sarah's death, why is the Parshah called "Chayei Sarah"?
Oznayim la'Torah: It teaches us that real 'life' is not life in this world, but life in the world to come, which is eternal, which occurs after the Neshamah has left the body. 1
Ohr ha'Chayim: This hints that Tzadikim give life to their days, and Resha'im, their days give life to him.
Oznayim la'Torah: As the Pasuk says, "Tov Shem mi'Shemen Tov, v'Yom ha'Maves mi'Yom Hivaldo" (Koheles 7:1).
Why does our verse begin "va'Yihyu," and not "va'Yechi," like it normally does (e.g. Bereishis 11)?
Ohr ha'Chayim #1: Tanchuma says that Sarah died when she heard that Yitzchak was about to be slaughtered at the Akeidah. Va'Yihyu hints to this; it is an expression of pain. 1
Ohr ha'Chayim #2: "Va'Yihyu" hints to a new allotment of years than was initially given for her. Had she not died through hearing about the Akeidah, she would have lived longer. However, when a Tzadik dies before his allotted time for some reason, HaSh-m pays him for good that he would have done had he lived his full lifespan. (Tanchuma Ki Sisa 3). 2
Da'as Zekenim: "Va'Yihyu" equals 37 in Gematriya - the number of years she truly "lived," after she had a child.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "This is why the word 'year[s]' (Shanah) is repeated for each segment." But such repetition is common in the Torah (see Bereishis 5:17)?
Gur Aryeh: Usually, the Torah inserts the word 'year' (Shanah) for the collective sum (i.e. hundreds), and repeats it for the individual units (tens and ones) together. In our Pasuk, it is repeated by both the tens and ones separately - therefore we may interpret all three.
Rashi writes: "... Each one should be interpreted independently; at 100 years old [she] was as age 20... All her years were equally good." We would expect the repeated word to indicate a distinction between her years, not to make a comparison?
Ramban: Chazal were not interpreting the repeated word 'year' (which is the Torah's normal expression, unlike the explanation of Rashi); but rather the end of the verse, that "the years of Sarah's life" were all equally good.
Mizrachi: Had the verse only repeated the term 'year,' I would have thought that it indicates distinct periods in her life; therefore, the end of the Pasuk compares them (as Ramban wrote). Also, had the verse written only, "... the years of Sarah's life," I would have thought that they were all good in terms of health, honor or wealth (as consistent beauty or virtue throughout one's life would be most extraordinary). It therefore repeats the word "year" in a way that indicates this. 1
Gur Aryeh: While the Torah does break up years into units, our Pasuk begins, "The life of Sarah was...," and we would expect a life to be presented as one uninterrupted whole. Rashi's source lies not in the repetition of the word 'years,' but in the 20 years being presented as a constant during which she did not change (and thus at age 20 she was as she was at 7), and likewise the 100 years were one unchanging constant.
Mizrachi: Had the verse written '100, 20, and 7 years;' we would divide it into segments of the first 100 years, the next 20, and finally the last 7. Now that the verse adds the word 'years' to each, we derive the opposite - the first 7, then 20, then the last 100. Gur Aryeh asks - Why does the verse compare her at age 100 as being without sin to age 20; let it compare her to age 7!
Rashi writes: "... Each one should be interpreted independently; at 100 years old [she] was as 20, [without] sin.... All her years were equally good." Rashi cites a similar observation regarding Avraham's life (Rashi to 25:7). But the Torah later sums up Yishmael's life with similar repetition (25:17); and we know that Yishmael's years were not all equal, for at first he was wicked, and only later did Teshuvah?
Ramban: Chazal were not interpreting the repeated word ?Shanah? but ?Sh?nei Chayei Sarah? at the end of the Pasuk 1 ? which is not written in connetion with Avraham and Yishmael.
Mizrachi: Regarding Avraham, the Pasuk adds "The days of the years of Avraham's life" (25:7); this teaches us to compare them for good. Regarding Yishmael, the Torah writes only "the years of Yishmael's life," They were not all good, rather, only after his Teshuvah.
Da'as Zekenim, Hadar Zekenim and Riva: a. A convert is like a newborn baby. b. Similarly, since Yishmael repented, it is as if all his years were in Teshuvah. c. Or, we expound only here, for we can calculate her years from "va'Yihyu," then it says again "Shenei Chayei."
Gur Aryeh: While the Torah does break up years into units, our Pasuk begins, "The life of Sarah was...," and we would expect a life to be presented as one uninterrupted whole. Rashi's source lies not in the repetition of the word 'years,' but in the 20 years being presented as a constant during which Sarah did not change; and likewise for Avraham. But the verse regarding Yishmael is counting his years, not his life.
The Ramban differs from Rashi on this point.
Rashi writes: "[Sarah] was at age 100 as if age 20, [without] sin." But perhaps this comparison is regarding beauty?
Mizrachi: We cannot say this, for prior to her miraculous rejuvenation at age 90, she had in fact aged (18:12).
Rashi writes: "... Just as at age 20, she had not sinned.... so too at age 100." Perhaps we should interpret in the reverse - just as she had sinned by age 100, so she was at age 20?
Mizrachi: We cannot interpret negatively, for at the age of 20 she would not yet have been liable to punishment at the hands of Heaven. She must have been just as virtuous at age 100.
Rashi writes: "... At age 20, she had not sinned, as she would not yet have been liable to punishment [at the hands of Heaven]...." But an earthly court does administer punishment from age 13 (or 12); so how do we know she had not sinned?
Gur Aryeh: If she had not committed any sin punishable by Heaven, including minor infractions, it goes without saying that she had not committed the sort of major sin punishable by a human court.
Rashi writes: "... At age 20, she had not sinned, as she would not yet have been liable to punishment [at the hands of Heaven]...." But prior to the Giving of the Torah, liability to Heavenly punishment began at age 100, not at age twenty (see Rashi to 5:32)?
Gur Aryeh: Heavenly punishment began then at age 100, only regarding death at the hands of Heaven, 1 but other punishments would apply beginning at age 20.
Refer to 5:32:1:1*. However, refer to 5:32:1.3:1.
Rashi writes: "So too at age 100, [she was] without sin." Even so, how do we know she did not sin after age 100?
Gur Aryeh: After 100 years, the Yetzer ha'Ra ceases. Furthermore, if most of a person's years pass by without sin, it is certain that he will no longer sin (Yoma 38b).
Rashi writes: "[Sarah] was at age 20 as if age 7, regarding beauty." Why does the verse praise her beauty, which is ultimately futile (Mishlei 31:30)?
Gur Aryeh: Chazal are not referring to physical beauty; 1 rather, the absence of natural aging shows that her Guf was refined and pure. 2
Also refer to 23:1:1:1***.
Maharal (Chidushei Agados Vol. 3, p. 84, to Bava Basra 58a): When the Gemara teaches that a person standing before Sarah would be like a monkey standing before a person, this is a reflection of the unique Tzelem E-lokim that she possessed. Refer to 11:29:1.2:1. For Maharal's approach to "Tzelem E-lokim," refer to 1:27:2.1.
Rashi writes: "[Sarah] was at age 100 as if age 20, [without] sin; and at age 20 as if age 7, regarding beauty." What is the deeper meaning of these two aspects - virtue and beauty?
Gur Aryeh: A person is comprised of two aspects, body (Guf) and soul (Nefesh); the two comparisons Rashi cites show that Sarah was perfect in both aspects, with a pure body and an elevated soul. 1
Maharal (Chidushei Agados Vol. 3, p. 84, to Bava Basra 58a): Refer to 23:1:1.9:1**.
Rashi writes: "All her years were equally good." What does this mean?
Maharal (Nesivos Olam, Nesiv ha'Tzedek Ch. 2, p. 139): The Midrash derives from here that just as a Tzadik is wholesome (Tamim), so too are the years of his life. In other words, because there is only one straight and narrow path (as opposed to numerous possible deviations), a Tzadik has the trait of oneness, and his years are one whole constant of good. 1
Maharal is commenting on Chazal's teaching that if most of a person's years pass by without sin, it is certain that he will no longer sin (Yoma 38b). Refer to 23:1:1.8:1.
