"

Parashat Chayei Sarah Marcheshvan 25 5777

Mourning the Loss of Sarah

by Rabbi Yoni Mandelstam
It is not surprising that the Torah describes how Avraham

November 26, 2016

Vol. 25 No. 10

appreciated assistance with regards to the spousal relationship. In

other words, even the healthiest of marriages have room for
improvement.
It is important to note that Avraham Avinu and Sarah Imeinu

came to eulogize and cry (VaYavo Avraham Lispod LeSarah clearly worked side by side. Chazal relate (BeReishit Rabbah 39:14)
VeLivkotah, BeReishit 23:2) after the loss of Sarah. Even one

that Avraham influenced the men to follow the word of God and

without a family relationship with Sarah can understand the need

Sarah influenced the women to follow the word of God. This

for one to cry after her passing. Indeed, the classical commentaries

implies that the two represent a power-house couple. They were a

such as the Or HaChayim and Keli Yakar explain that, in light of tag team who worked together in order to accomplish a common
Sarahs extreme righteousness, Avraham may have been crying

goal. We also know that Avraham and Sarah saw eye to eye

over the loss of a truly great person, family ties aside. Yet,

because she was immediately prepared to follow his instructions

Avraham, of course, did have more of a reason to cry. He had lost

when Avraham told her to quickly prepare three Saah of flour for

his spouse, his lifes partner. Rabi Yochanan (Sanhedrin 22a) cakes (BeReishit 18:6). Sarah was ready to play her role and
teaches that anyone who loses a first wife is compared to one who

Avraham was excited to play his. These sources portray Avraham

witnessed the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. The Gemara

and Sarah as ideal partners. Yet, the Torah does not describe a love

there records similar statements from other members of the Sages.

story in the classical sense. The Torah does, however, tell us that

Evidently, the loss of a spouse is a devastating experience. I would Avraham cried over the loss of his wife. Why would the Torah not
like to elaborate on the tears of Abraham, which can highlight a

tell us about Avrahams love for his living wife but choose to

unique aspect of family relationships.

emphasize the grief that Avraham felt over the loss of Sarah?

It might be surprising to some that the Torah does not tell us

Rav Soloveitchik (Rabbi Soloveitchik on the Days of Awe, p.8)

about the actual feelings of love that Avraham and Sarah shared relates that he once woke up in the middle of the night to the
while they were still alive. For example, nowhere does the Torah

sounds of a thunderstorm. He quickly ran downstairs to close the

tell us about a first date, an anniversary party, or a heart to heart

window of the room where his wife was sleeping. However, after

conversation that Avraham and Sarah enjoyed together. Certainly, closing the window, reality settled in to remind the Rav that his
romance is not found in the Torah with regards to Avraham Avinu wife was no longer alive. In the Ravs words:
and Sarah Imeinu. Furthermore, Chazal tell us (Bava Metzia 87a)
that when the angels visit Avraham Avinu as recorded in Parashat

I found the room empty, the couch where she slept neatly

VeYeira, they specifically asked Avraham Ayeih Sarah Ishtecha,

covered. In reality, she had passed away the previous

where is your wife Sarah (BeReishit 18:9), in order to enhance the

month. The most tragic and frightening experience was

relationship between them. Specifically, the angels wanted

the shock that I encountered in that half second when I

Avraham to recognize Sarahs modesty, which is evident in

turned from the window to find the room empty. I was

Avrahams informing them that she was in the tent. Rav Chaim

certain that a few hours earlier I had been speaking with

Shmulevitz understands this to mean that even our forefathers

her, and that at about 10 oclock she had said good night
and retired to her room.

Kol Torah is a community wide publication which relies on the

generous donations of our friends and family in the community
for its continuous existence. To sponsor an issue in memory of
a loved one, in honor of a joyous occasion, or for a Refuah
Sheleimah, please contact: business@koltorah.org

One lesson to learn from this story is that the Rav did not
necessarily miss anything specific about his wifes personality or
charm. He does not write that he missed her jokes, her insights into

K
O
L
T
O
R
A
H
P
A
R
A
S
H
A
T

politics, or the taste of her food. Rather, he missed his life

acknowledgement and acceptance of their wicked ways on his

partner, the one who was side by side with him for a lifetime.

part. As Rashi comments (13:10 s.v. Boachah Tzoar), it is to Lots

As we read about Avraham Avinus tears, I think it is discredit that he chooses to live in Tzoar, because he was attracted
important to put relationships into perspective. One does

to their vulgarity. This shows that Lot liked the ways of the people

not need to explain why tears are shed at the funeral of a

there, and as he takes up residence in Sedom, he wants to integrate,

family member. There is simply something to be said for

blend in, and assimilate with the people of Sedom. But a few

living life side by side. While siblings and spouses tend to

Perakim later, when we see the story of the destruction of Sedom,

have a fair share of disagreements, family will always be

the people there do not seem to respect Lot as a resident, as the

family. Shlomo HaMelech (Kohelet 4:11) describes how a

Pasuk says, VaYomeru HaEchad Ba LaGur VaYishepot Shaphot

friendship allows people to feel a sense of warmth knowing

Atah Nara Lecha MeiHem, And they said: This one fellow came

that someone is constantly by their side. Certainly, family

in to sojourn, and he will needs play the judge; now will we deal

members provide a sense of encouragement and warmth for worse with thee, than with them(Genesis 19.9).
each other whether or not positive feelings are expressed.

The people of Sedom are attacking Lot for harboring Avraham,

Let the tears of Avraham remind us to appreciate our loved

and they still see Lot as a foreigner, as the Pasuk above states: The

ones for simply being there to keep us company.

one who came to live should be a judge upon us? Lot does not

Geir VeToshav
by Jacob Rosenfeld (17)
In this weeks Parashah, Avraham Avinu purchases the
burial ground known as Mearat HaMachpeilah for his wife
Sarah. To purchase the cave, Avraham must negotiate with
the native Canaanite owner, Efron. One of the most
interesting portions of the negotiation is the opening line of
Avrahams negotiation with Efron, Geir VeToshav Anochi
Imachem. (Genesis 23:4).
The literal translation of the Pasuk is I am a resident
and stranger, Geir VeToshav amongst you. But what

C
H
A
Y
E
I

exactly is a Geir VeToshav, a resident and stranger?

Rashi (ad loc. s.v. Geir VeThoshav Anochi Imachem)
explains that Avraham Avinu is a foreigner who has settled
amongst them. But Avraham could have said this in simpler
language. Ramban (ad loc. s.v. Geir VeThoshav Anochi
Imachem) explains that in ancient Canaan, everyone had
familial burial grounds, and foreigners were buried in a
Potters Field, a common burial ground. Avraham wanted
to transition from a stranger of the land to a resident so that
Efron would sell him the property and allow him to

S
A
R
A
H

establish a family burial cave. According to Ramban, the

phrase describes Avrahams current status in the land while
negotiating with Efron. But lets put this idea on hold for a
moment and look back to Parashat Lech Lecha.
In Lech Lecha, we see Avraham and Lot part ways, and
Lot goes to live in Sedom (BeReishit 13:8-12). By Lot going
to live in a place as despicable as Sodom, we see an

achieve the integration that he was after. He is still viewed as an

outsider. His plan to drop his Jewish roots, albeit limited, failed.
This is in stark contrast to our Sedrah and original discussion
regarding Geir Toshav. Not only does Avraham not assimilate, but
he makes specific mention of it in his opening statements to Efron
by declaring himself a Geir Toshav. Avraham Avinu says he is a
Geir, a stranger, specifically calling out attention to the fact that he
is not one of them, a Canaanite. He is a Jew, yet he can still interact
with them without assimilating. Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik
develops this idea. The Rav explained that Avraham was defining
the nature of a Jews duality in the secular world. We, as Jewish
Toshavim, or citizens, are involved, and thrive, in all aspects of
the world, from our forefathers profession of real estate (found in
the opening of this weeks Parashah) to politics to cultural pursuits
to science, but we always know that we are still a Geir, a stranger.
Avraham was conducting business with a non-Jew, as many
of us this likely do every day, and in that aspect, he is a Toshav, or
citizen. But why was he purchasing the field? Because in religious
aspects he is always a Geir, or stranger, and must follow Jewish
burial practices with his own burial site. As Jews living in a nonJewish world, we must always remember that we can and should
interact with the irreligious world with Toshav/citizen mindset,
but we should not replace our religious, Geir/outsider, identity,
like Lot, with secular practices.

Kol Torah proudly presents this third part of a Halachic piece

written by Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Rudolph, a TABC alumus. His
discussion on the permissibility of tooth brushing on Shabbat will be
continued in this issue and concluded next week. Rabbi Dr. Rudolph

grapples with recent scientific evidence that tooth brushing not only

Therefore, given that many of the people using

prevents oral diseases but might cure them as well. This raises the

toothpaste are really sick, perhaps toothpaste cannot

possibility that teeth brushing runs afoul of the rabbinic prohibition

be considered a maachal berii5.

of Refuah, taking medicine on Shabbat. This issue will begin by

Perhaps it be could argued that toothpaste is a

advancing possible reasons to permit brushing teeth on Shabbat

maachal beriim due to the fact that, as pointed out earlier,

despite the recent findings.

a sizable portion of the population does not need or

Brushing Teeth on Shabbat: A Reevaluation

in Light of Recent Research Part Three
by Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Rudolph DDS (TABC 98)

benefit from remineralization. Their teeth are usually

never found to be in a significantly demineralized state,
or even if their teeth do become demineralized, the caries
process rarely progresses from demineralization to cavity

formation. These individuals should not be considered

Maachal Beriim, Medicine:
Another leniency that might allow tooth-brushing on Shabbat cholim regarding their teeth. Maybe their population
is the heter of maachal beriim. A sick person is allowed to eat and numbers are large enough to create a maachal beriim
drink items on Shabbat that are normally consumed by healthy

status for toothpaste.

people, even if the sick person is using them for healing purposes.

However, even if it is argued that the non-cholim

For example, many healthy people drink tea. Therefore, a sick

population is sizable enough to create a maachal beriim

person is also allowed to drink tea even if he does so in order to status, toothpaste may still not be considered a ma'achal
beriim due to the fact that fluoride still affects refuah
heal a sore throat1. Perhaps fluoridated toothpaste should be
through remineralization for those who are considered
considered a maachal beriim, as it is used by healthy people, and it cholim regarding their teeth. In a personal conversation,
should therefore be permitted for use even by people with cavities

R. Schachter agreed that the classification of fluoride as a

or other dental problems2.

maachal beriim is questionable. He compared this case to

However, the recent research regarding demineralization has that of aspirin. Many people take aspirin on a daily basis,
demonstrated that a significant portion of the worlds population yet it is still forbidden for one to take aspirin on Shabbat
should be considered cholim with regard to their teeth3, and it has
also been found that a significant percentage of the population has

for a minor headache. R. Schachter explained that even

though many non-cholim take aspirin, aspirin is itself a

medicine, and a medicine cannot be considered a maachal

gum disease4. Furthermore, if maachal beriim is dependent on

beriim. The Minchat Yitzchak similarly writes that aspirin

specific times and places, there are many cities and areas in the

is ikran lerefuah, and it therefore cannot be considered a

world where the majority of people in that location have cavities.

maachal beriim6. Similarly, even though most people do

There is a debate among the Rishonim regarding the reason that maachal
beriim is permitted on Shabbat. Rashi (Shabbat 108b) is of the opinion that
consumption of maachal beriim creates a refuah sheeinah nikeret in
Rashis words, lo muchacha milta. Since healthy people use this item, if a
sick person uses it on Shabbat, it would not be evident that he does so for
refuah purposes. The Rashba (Berachot 38a) suggests another explanation:
any normal food item that healthy people eat or drink is not included in the
decree of shechikat samamanim. See also Raah, Berachot 38a; Ritva,
Shabbat 111; and possibly Rambam, Hilchot Shabbat 21:21-22.
According to the second approach it could be that anything that is not a food
or drink (or ointment) item would automatically not be considered a maachal
beriim. However, the Shaarei Teshuvah 328:30 discusses whether or not
snuff is a maachal briim and snuff is not a food item. Therefore it could be
that lhalacha, even non-food items can be classified as maachal briim.
2 Rav Asher Weiss also utilized this leniency in his teshuva addressed to this
author.
3
See
http://amjdent.com/Archive/2009/Bagramian%20%20February%202009.pdf ;

http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/DataStatistics/FindDataByTopic/Dental
Caries/DentalCariesAdults20to64.htm.
4 J.M. Albandar and T.E. Rams, Global Epidemiology of
Periodontal Diseases, Periodontol 29 (2002): 7-10; R.C. Oliver,
L.J. Brown, and H. Le, Periodontal Diseases in the United States
Population, J Periodontol 69 (1998): 269-78.
5 It may be important to note that Rabbi Moshe Zweig, who ruled
that brushing was forbidden on Shabbat based on the issur of
refuah, clearly did not believe that maachal beriim was a valid
leniency. Also, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef does not use maachal
beriim as another reason to reject Rabbi Zweigs opinion.
6 Minchat Yitzchak 3:35:2. Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, in Teshuvot
VHanagot Orach Chaim 3:104, writes that vitamins are not a
problem even according to the Magen Avraham because the Magen
Avraham was talking about a case where even though healthy
people are using an item and perhaps the item could be considered
a maachal beriim nevertheless, since the item is ikar lrefuah,
essentially medicine, it is not allowed to be used on Shabbat even
for prevention. But vitamins in general are not ikram lrefuah.

not know how toothpaste works, it is nevertheless ikran lerefuah

and therefore should not be considered a maachal beriim.
The Shulchan Shlomo (quoted above) also writes that if
toothpaste can disinfect or reduce gingival inflammation, even
though healthy people use it, it is still a question of whether or not
there is a problem of refuah.
However, R. Moshe Stern writes that he heard that R. Yonasan
Steif permitted the use of aspirin on Shabbat based on its

considered a maachal beriim11. According to the other position,

even if toothpaste is comparable to vitamins, toothpaste would still
not be considered a maachal beriim.
However, R. Sternbuch himself concludes that there is a
distinction between who is taking the vitamin. If one is taking the
vitamin for refuah because he has a weakness, then one should
be strict and not take the vitamin on Shabbos. But if one is healthy
and the vitamin is purely for prevention, then it should be allowed.

classification as a maachal beriim7, and R. Schachter noted that R.

The same distinction should apply to tooth brushing. For those

Yosef Dov Soloveitchik also permitted taking aspirin on Shabbat8.

who are brushing for oral hygiene and for those who have many

Therefore, according to these opinions, if most people are not

considered cholim regarding their teeth, even if toothpaste is
comparable to aspirin, brushing teeth with fluoridated toothpaste

cavities, it should be forbidden for them to brush on Shabbat. But

for those who have good teeth and are brushing for prevention,
brushing is allowed on Shabbat12.

should be permitted on Shabbat due to it being considered a

maachal beriim.
Vitamins
Similarly, according to the view that use of fluoride does not
constitute refuah, fluoride is more comparable to vitamins, as

Editors-in-Chief: Hillel Koslowe, Yehuda Koslowe

Publication Editors: Moshe Davis, Tani Greengart,
Shlomi Helfgot, Binyamin Jachter, Ned Krasnopolsky

Publishing Manager: Eitan Leff, Avi Roth

Staff: Shmuel Bak, Eli Englard, Nachum Freedman, Gabe

opposed to medication such as aspirin. There is a debate as to

Greenberg, Meir Lightman, Shai Rosalimsky, David

whether nowadays vitamins are considered maachal beriim. In the

Rothchild, Yehuda Saks

view of R. Moshe Stern and R. Moshe Sternbuch, vitamins are

permitted nowadays according to all opinions because so many
people take them that they should be considered maachal beriim9.
While other modern day poskim believe that vitamins are still not
considered maachal beriim10, according to R. Moshe Stern and
Rabbi Moshe Sternbuchs view, if we accept the argument that
fluoride can be compared to vitamins, toothpaste should also be

Therefore, even the Magen Avraham would permit it for

prevention on Shabbat. However, this may not be true of fluoride.
Fluoride in the scientific community may be viewed as a vitamin
that is ikram lrefuah, meant to heal cavities. Therefore, even if
it used for prevention, according to Rabbi Sternbuch it may be
problematic.
7Beer Moshe 1:33:5 and 2:32. R. Stern writes that he is personally
wary of this psak.
8 Yalkut Yosef (328:51) writes that although some authorities are
lenient, the halacha follows the view of those who are strict. See
also Pitkei Teshuvot 328, n. 499, who lists additional Poskim who
agree with the lenient approach, but writes that the practice is to be
strict, as many Poskim are machmir.
9 Beer Moshe 1:33:4; Teshuvot VHanagot Orach Chaim 3:104.
10Minchat Shlomo Tinyana 60:16. See Pitei Teshuvot 328, n. 496,
for a list of Poskim who prohibit vitamins on Shabbat.
11 The comparison to vitamins based on the idea that fluoride does
not create refuah is not exact. As noted above, n. 26, there may be
some vitamins that can create refuah. R. Stern distinguishes between
vitamins that are used to strengthen and fortify, used for prevention,
and vitamins that are lerefuah. Regular vitamins are maachal

Rabbinic Advisor: Rabbi Chaim Jachter

Questions, comments? Contact us at:

Kol Torah
c/o Torah Academy of Bergen County
1600 Queen Anne Road
Teaneck, NJ 07666
Phone: (201) 837-7696
koltorah@koltorah.org
To subscribe to Kol Torah via email, message webmaster@koltorah.org
This publication contains Torah matter and should be treated accordingly.

beriim, while vitamins lerefuah are not. If one does not want to
compare fluoride to a real medication yet still views
remineralization as refuah, fluoride should be compared to vitamins
that are lerefuah, and it would not be maachal beriim.
It is unclear from the Beer Moshe why the classification of maachal beriim
does not apply to these types of vitamins. It appears that he does not include
this category of vitamins as maachal beriim because he considers them a
completely separate category from regular vitamins. Vitamins taken lerefuah
therefore cannot be subsumed under the regular vitamins heter of maachal
beriim; they would need to be evaluated independently. This implies that
vitamins lerefuah could theoretically be considered maachal beriim; they
arent simply because the consumption of that category of vitamins is not
widespread. If so, even if toothpaste is comparable to a vitamin lerefuah, since
the use of toothpaste is widespread, it should be considered a maachal
beriim.
12 Ibid. Additionally, R. Sternbuch writes that some Poskim do not allow the
use of vitamins on Shabbat because vitamins have a bad taste and are not fit
to be eaten. Therefore, he writes, even if they are considered maachal
beriim, it is best not to take them if there is no real need to do so on Shabbat.
Similarly, toothpaste is not fit for consumption.