Yahrtzeit Yomi #838!!

פרשת חיי שרה

Sarah Imeinu

״עלה במרחשון, זכות שרה אמנו שבו מתה״
(אסתר רבה ז:יא)

RAV CHAIM BRISKER’S הספד ON SARAH IMEINU!!

The Medrash (אסתר רבה ז:יא) tells us that when Haman drew lots to determine which date would be most auspicious to carry out his diabolical plan of genocide, he found that each month had some form of merit which would protect the Jewish people.

When the lottery fell to the month of מרחשון, the Medrash says: ״זכות שרה אמנו שבו מתה״ - “The merit of שרה אמנו protected us, because she died in that month”.

(Strangely, the conclusion of that same medrash is that when the lottery fell to the month of אדר, Haman rejoiced, because: ״באדר מת משה רבן״ - “Moshe Rabbeinu died in אדר”.

This seems extremely perplexing - why the death of שרה אמנו is a source of merit for the Jewish people in the month of מרחשון (as Haman himself acknowledged), but the death of ‏משה רבנו is a bad omen for the Jewish people (or at least it seemed that way to Haman) in the month of אדר….
(עיין במהרז״ו, רד״ל, ויפה ענף שם, ואכמ״ל.)

In any event, as חשון is the month in which שרה אמנו passed away (פרשת חיי שרה always occurs in the month of חשון), I would like to share a beautiful explanation of a Medrash from Rav Chaim Brisker ZTL; we could even refer to this as:

RAV CHAIM’S הספד ON SARAH IMEINU!!
In Parashas Vayeira (בראשית כא:י), the Posuk says as follows:
״ותאמר לאברהם גרש האמה הזאת ואת בנה כי לא יירש בן האמה הזאת עם בני יצחק״
“And she said to Avraham, ‘Drive out this maidservant and her son, for this maidservant’s son shall not inherit along with my son, Yitzchak’”

At the end of ספר משלי, in the famous hymn of ״אשת חיל״, we find שלמה המלך describing the valiant woman as: ״דרשה צמר ופשתים״ - “seeking out wool and linen”.
The ילקוט שמעוני interprets this verse as referring to Sarah as follows:
״דרשה צמר ופשתים - בין יצחק לישמעאל, שנאמר ותאמר שרה לאברהם גרש וגו׳״
“‘Seeking out wool and linen’ - this refers to Sarah who distinguished between יצחק and ישמעאל”

From where did the Medrash infer that these words allude to Sarah and her decision to disinherit ישמעאל?

Says Rav Chaim Brisker, absolutely Moiradik!! -

In demanding that Avraham not allow Yishmael to inherit along with Yitzchak, Sarah seems to have been causing a violation of the prohibition of transferring the rights of the firstborn son of the despised wife to the son of the beloved one - ״לא יוכל לבכר את בן אהובה״ וכו׳ (דברים כא:טז).
Sarah, however, reasoned that it was permitted, for Hashem had commanded Avraham to heed whatever Sarah had said - ״כל אשר תאמר אליך שרה שמע בקולה״ (בראשית כא:יב).
This constituted a מצות עשה - positive commandment, and whenever a positive commandment comes into conflict with a prohibition, the positive commandment takes precedence
(מצות עשה דוחה מצות לא תעשה).

The principle of מצות עשה דוחה לא תעשה is derived from the law that woolen tzitzis may be attached to a linen garment (See :יבמות ה). Though the Torah normally precludes the wearing of שטנז - clothing made from wool and linen, the positive commandment of tzitzis OVERRIDES the prohibition of שטנז.

This, says Rav Chaim, is the symbolic meaning of Sarah being ״דרשה צמר ופשתים״ - “seeking out wool and linen”. Therein, she established the principle of the precedence of מצוות עשה - positive commandments over negative ones, the very principle which allowed her to insist that Yishmael be disinherited!!

Have a wonderful Shabbos!!