Parshas Chayei Sarah

Rabbi Hillel Brody

Rashi (Bereishis 23:2) tells us that the immediate cause of the death of Sarah was the shock from hearing the news of Akeidas Yitzchok. Considering that Yitzchok actually survived the Akeida quite well, there are many approaches in the commentaries as to what exactly Sarah heard that caused her passing.

The Sifsei Chachomim explains that the “reporter” told the story as it had happened, “Yitzchok was taken by Avraham and bound upon an altar to be sacrificed to Hashem, and then…”. However, before he could deliver the happy conclusion, Sarah died from the shock caused by her assumption of the end of the story.

Curiously, although the Midrashim which are the source for Rashi’s comment are explicit that the reporter was none other than the Satan himself, who by definition had nefarious intent in telling Sarah, neither Rashi nor any of the commentaries on Rashi mention that fact. Instead, they refer to him variously as a Shliach or a Magid. The specific language of the Sifsei Chachomim is significant here:

“…ואיחר המגיד לסיים דבריו…

…and the teller delayed in completing his report…”

I would suggest that the lesson is in the way in which Sarah died. The messenger paused, and in that moment Sarah expired from the shock. This particular messenger may have intended to kill Sarah. However, an inappropriately timed pause is certainly a mistake which anyone could make if they didn’t think about how they tell a story.

The obligation of Shemiras Halashon can be boiled down to “Think before you speak.” Sarah Imeinu’s death should serve as a cautionary tale. It’s not just what we say, but also how we say it. Even a misplaced pause could change the effect of our words from positive to negative, chas v’shalom.

May our learning, and working on, Shemiras Halashon be a Z’chus for Shalom for all of Klal Yisroel.