The Israeli women who suffered on October 7 endured unspeakable terror at the hands of terrorists—they were degraded, raped, murdered, mutilated, and then, tragically, disbelieved by many. Unlike Sarah, our biblical foremother whose son Isaac was spared at the binding on the altar, these women were forced to witness the ruthless and barbaric slaughter of their husbands and children. Their harrowing ordeal compels us to confront the depths of human cruelty and to find strength in the resilience embodied by Sarah, our enduring matriarch and spiritual guide.

This week’s Torah portion, Chayei Sarah—“The Life of Sarah”—begins not with Sarah’s life but with her death. The paradox is deliberate and profound. It teaches that only at life’s end do we fully recognize the courage, kindness, and quiet deeds that shape a........

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