1. She Was the First of the Matriarchs
Sarah was the first of the four mothers of the Jewish people, followed by Rebecca (wife of her son, Isaac), and then Leah and Rachel (wives of her grandson Jacob).1
Read: Why Just Four Mothers?
2. She Was Married to Abraham, Her Half Uncle
Abraham had a (half2 ) brother named Haran, who was the father of Sarah, whom scripture also refers to as Yiskah (which means “anoint”) because she was anointed with prophecy.3
Read: 18 Facts About Abraham
3. She had a Devoted Following
Sarah was a full partner in her husband’s efforts to spread G‑dly awareness. While he taught and influenced the men, Sarah guided and “converted” the women.4
Read: How to Convert to Judaism
4. There Were 3 Recurring Miracles in Her Tent
Sarah’s Shabbat lamp would miraculously burn from one Shabbat to the next, her bread was blessed (and bountiful), and a cloud hovered over her tent. After her passing, her son knew that he had married the right woman, Rebecca, when these same miracles occurred for her as well.5
Watch: The Woman’s Miracle
5. She Was Abducted Twice
Shortly after Abraham and Sarah arrived in the Promised Land, hunger drove them to Egypt. Sarah’s unusual beauty caught Pharaoh’s attention, and she was forcibly taken to the palace. G‑d struck the royal household with illness, and Sarah was released.6
Years later, a similar incident occurred, this time with King Abimelech of Gerar, to whom G‑d issued a stern warning that she be released.7
Read: Abductions In the Torah
6. She Was Childless for Decades
After decades of marriage (including 10 years in the Holy Land8 ), Sarah was still not blessed with children. This prompted her to give her Egyptian maid to her husband as a concubine, hoping to be blessed with children through that selfless act. Hagar soon became pregnant with a son, Ishmael.9 Things did not work out well, however, and there was ongoing friction between Sarah and Hagar and her wayward son.10
Read: 10 Facts About Hagar
7. She Was a Greater Prophet Than Her Husband
When Sarah urged Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away, Abraham was torn. G‑d told him, “Whatever Sarah tells you, hearken to her voice,” because her prophecy was greater than his.11 Indeed, Sarah was the first of only seven prophetesses in Jewish history.12
Read: The Seven Prophetesses of Judaism
8. G‑d Changed Her Name
Sarai and Abram became Sarah and Abraham. Sarai means “my princess” and barren Sarah’s devotion was directed to her husband alone. Abram means “lofty father,” and indeed Abraham was aloof, removed from starting a family. In a dramatic scene, G‑d added the Hebrew letter heh (ה) to both of their names, making them Sarah, which is no longer in the possessive form,13 and Abraham, which is a contraction of words that mean “Father to a multitude of nations.”14 With this, G‑d told them, they would be blessed with a child in their old age, whom they named Isaac.
Read: Name Changes in the Torah
9. She Miraculously Regained Her Youth
When three angels came to their tent and told Abram that Sarah, who was 89 years old, would bear a child at the age of 90, she scoffed, wondering how her aged body would produce a living offspring.15 To her surprise, however, her menstrual cycle returned16 and her body regained its supple youthfulness.
Read: Chasing Youth
10. She Gave Birth at 90
As promised, Sarah gave birth at 90. As G‑d had instructed, the boy was circumcised on his 8th day17 and named Yitzchak (Isaac), which means, “he shall laugh.” Sarah explained the name was because “G‑d has made joy for me; whoever hears will laugh over me.”18 People did not believe that the child was hers, and it was only when Sarah nursed other infants brought to her, that they finally believed that Isaac’s birth was for real.19
Read: Isaac: The Second Patriarch
11. She Lived 127 Years
When Sarah was 127 years old, G‑d told Abraham to sacrifice their son, Isaac. In the end, G‑d told them this was not necessary, and that He had been testing him. But the drama was too much for Sarah to bear, and “her soul flew away.”20
Read: Where Was Abraham When Sarah Passed?
12. She Was Buried in Hebron
Following Sarah’s passing in Hebron, Abraham traveled to the city and purchased a field with a cave in which to bury his wife.21 According to tradition, this cave, in which the patriarchs and matriarchs (with the exception of Rachel) would all be buried, was the very spot where Adam and Eve were laid to rest.
Read: How Did Abraham Know the Cave Was Special?
13. There’s a Torah Portion Named for Her
The portion that tells of the doings of Abraham and Isaac after Sarah’s death is named Chayei Sarah (“Life of Sarah”) and is the only Torah portion named for a woman.22 Noting the irony that the portion named “Life of Sarah” tells of what happens after Sarah’s death, the Chassidic masters explain that the true indicator that she lived life fully was the fact that her legacy continued even after her passing, as Isaac and Rebecca founded a home on the foundations she lovingly laid.
Read: Life After Death
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