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Parashat Chayei Sara - פָּרָשַׁת חַיֵּי שָֹרָה
Chayei Sarah (“The Life of Sarah”) opens as Sarah dies and Abraham buys the Cave of Machpelah to bury her. Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac. The servant meets Rebecca at a well, and Rebecca returns with the servant to marry Isaac. Abraham remarries, has more children, and dies at age 175.
Torah Portion: Genesis 23:1-25:18
Parashat Chayei Sara is the 5th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Next read on November 7th, 2026 / 27 Cheshvan 5787
- Annual Reading
Read Annually
1:
23:1 - 23:16· 16 p’sukim
2:
23:17 - 24:9· 13 p’sukim
3:
24:10 - 24:26· 17 p’sukim
4:
24:27 - 24:52· 26 p’sukim
5:
24:53 - 24:67· 15 p’sukim
6:
25:1 - 25:11· 11 p’sukim
7:
25:12 - 25:18· 7 p’sukim
Maftir:
25:16 - 25:18· 3 p’sukim
Haftarah:
I Kings 1:1 - 1:31· 31 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 1
November 15th, 2025
1:
23:1 - 23:4· 4 p’sukim
2:
23:5 - 23:7· 3 p’sukim
3:
23:8 - 23:12· 5 p’sukim
4:
23:13 - 23:16· 4 p’sukim
5:
23:17 - 23:20· 4 p’sukim
6:
24:1 - 24:4· 4 p’sukim
7:
24:5 - 24:9· 5 p’sukim
Maftir:
24:5 - 24:9· 5 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah:
Isaiah 51:1 - 51:11· 11 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 2
November 7th, 2026
1:
24:10 - 24:14· 5 p’sukim
2:
24:15 - 24:20· 6 p’sukim
3:
24:21 - 24:26· 6 p’sukim
4:
24:27 - 24:33· 7 p’sukim
5:
24:34 - 24:41· 8 p’sukim
6:
24:42 - 24:49· 8 p’sukim
7:
24:50 - 24:52· 3 p’sukim
Maftir:
24:50 - 24:52· 3 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah:
I Samuel 14:1 - 14:12· 12 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 3
November 27th, 2027
1:
24:53 - 24:58· 6 p’sukim
2:
24:59 - 24:61· 3 p’sukim
3:
24:62 - 24:67· 6 p’sukim
4:
25:1 - 25:6· 6 p’sukim
5:
25:7 - 25:11· 5 p’sukim
6:
25:12 - 25:15· 4 p’sukim
7:
25:16 - 25:18· 3 p’sukim
Maftir:
25:16 - 25:18· 3 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah:
I Kings 1:11 - 1:31· 21 p’sukim
About Parashat Parashat Chayei Sara
Though titled "The Life of Sarah," Chayei Sara is fundamentally about continuity and securing the covenant's future across generations. Its two great narratives both turn on transmission: Abraham's purchase of the Cave of Machpelah gives the family its first permanent foothold in the Promised Land and a burial place for the patriarchs and matriarchs, while the servant's mission to find a wife for Isaac ensures the covenantal line will continue. Recurring motifs include divine providence and answered prayer, loving-kindness (chesed) and hospitality as the mark of a worthy matriarch, and the orderly, dignified handoff of leadership from Abraham to Isaac and Rebecca. The portion closes with Abraham's peaceful death "old and contented," buried by both Isaac and Ishmael in a gesture often read as reconciliation.
The Haftarah
In most Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities the Haftarah is 1 Kings 1:1-31, the account of the aged King David securing Solomon's succession. The thematic connection is succession and the orderly transmission of leadership in a founder's final days, reinforced by an explicit verbal link: the parsha describes Abraham as "old, advanced in years" (Genesis 24:1) and the Haftarah opens with David "old, advanced in years" (1 Kings 1:1). In both, third parties act to secure the next generation: Abraham's servant finds a wife for Isaac, while the prophet Nathan and Bathsheba move to secure Solomon's throne. Some rites differ in length or selection — the Italian (Italki) custom reads 1 Kings 1:1-34, Yemenite (Teimani) practice is reported with a slightly different range, and the Karaite tradition reads Isaiah 51:2-22; certain Conservative congregations on a triennial cycle may substitute an alternate reading such as Isaiah 51:1-11.
Notable passages and verses
The portion contains the classic biblical "well type-scene": Abraham's servant meets Rebecca at a well, and her offer to draw water for him and all ten of his camels becomes the famous test of loving-kindness (chesed) that marks her as the worthy matriarch (Genesis 24:11-27). The servant's blessing in Genesis 24:27 — "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld His steadfast love and faithfulness from my master" — is among the portion's best-known verses. The purchase of the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron (Genesis 23) is significant as the traditional burial place of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah, and as the first parcel of the Promised Land the family owns. The Shabbat on which Chayei Sara is read is observed as Shabbat Hebron (Shabbat Chayei Sara), reportedly drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the Cave of the Patriarchs each year. The parsha spans Genesis 23:1-25:18 and contains 105 verses.
Frequently asked questions
What is Parashat Chayei Sara about?
Chayei Sara (Genesis 23:1-25:18) covers the death and burial of Sarah, Abraham's purchase of the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron, the servant's journey to find a wife for Isaac and his meeting with Rebecca at the well, and finally Abraham's later marriage to Keturah and his death at 175. Its overarching concern is continuity — securing land and a next generation so the covenant can carry on. On TropeTrainer you can hear and practice this reading with the cantillation (trope) used to chant it.
What are the themes of Chayei Sara?
The central themes are continuity and succession, divine providence and answered prayer, and loving-kindness (chesed) and hospitality as the defining virtues of a worthy matriarch. Despite its title, 'The Life of Sarah,' the portion opens with Sarah's death and focuses on transmitting the covenant from Abraham to Isaac and Rebecca, including the family's first permanent holding in the Promised Land at the Cave of Machpelah. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice the full reading with trope so you can prepare to chant it.
What is the Haftarah for Chayei Sara?
In most Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities the Haftarah is 1 Kings 1:1-31, describing the aged King David securing Solomon's succession to the throne. It echoes the parsha's themes of an aging patriarch and an orderly handoff of leadership, with a shared phrase describing both Abraham and David as 'old, advanced in years.' Some rites read a different range or selection, so it is worth confirming your community's custom. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice both the Torah and Haftarah readings with their trope.
Where is Sarah buried in Chayei Sara?
Abraham buys the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site for Sarah (Genesis 23) — the first parcel of land the family owns in Canaan. The cave is traditionally regarded as the burial place of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah, and the Shabbat this portion is read is observed as Shabbat Hebron. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice this reading with the trope so you can chant it confidently.
Where to go next
See the complete list of weekly parashot with links to every reading and detail page.
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