In this week’s parsha we have the deaths of both Sarah and Abraham. But we also have Isaac and Rebecca taking the mantle of leadership. That is the way that Abraham and Sarah’s legacy will continue.

Now for a Quick Dvar Torah

Parshat Chayei Sarah — Preparing the Next Generation

This week’s parsha begins with the death of Sarah and ends with the death of Abraham. In a very real sense, the entire parsha is about the transition from one generation to the next.

And that teaches us a very important lesson: One of the greatest responsibilities of a leader is to prepare the next generation to take over when he is no longer around.

Abraham and Sarah understood this.

There is a Midrash that teaches us that when Sarah died, certain blessings that had been present in her tent disappeared. But when Rivka entered Sarah’s tent, those blessings returned.

Now, Rivka did not replace Sarah. Nobody could replace Sarah. She was a great and righteous woman in her own right. But Rivka was able to continue Sarah’s legacy. She brought those blessings back into the family and ensured that everything Sarah had worked to establish would continue into the next generation.

And we see the same thing with Abraham.

Before Abraham dies, he makes certain that Yitzchak is prepared to assume leadership of the family and continue the covenant with God. Abraham understands that his mission cannot end with him. There has to be someone who will carry it forward.

And there is something very interesting at Abraham’s burial.

The Torah tells us that Yitzchak and Ishmael buried their father together. But notice something. Yitzchak is mentioned first, even though Ishmael was the older brother.

Now, Ishmael could have said, “Wait a minute! I’m the firstborn. I should come first!”

But he doesn’t.

Our Sages understand this as an indication that Ishmael had done teshuvah. He recognized that Yitzchak was the one chosen to continue Abraham’s spiritual legacy. Even though the two brothers had gone their separate ways, Ishmael accepted Yitzchak’s position.

And this is another indication that Abraham had succeeded in preparing the next generation.

Yitzchak himself was very different from Abraham and from his own son, Yaakov. Both Abraham and Yaakov traveled outside the Land of Israel. Yitzchak never did. He remained in the land his entire life.

He was, in a sense, the bridge between the generations. Abraham established the foundation. Yitzchak preserved it. And Yaakov would build upon it and become the father of the twelve tribes.

Each generation had its own responsibility. Each generation had its own strengths.

And that brings us to a very important point about leadership.

When Rav Moshe Feinstein passed away, people wondered, “Who could possibly replace Rav Moshe?”

And the answer, of course, was that nobody could replace Rav Moshe. He was a unique individual, a giant in Torah learning and leadership.

But other great Torah leaders stepped forward. They were not Rav Moshe, nor did they have to be. They had their own strengths, their own abilities, and their own responsibilities.

We see the same thing in the secular world.

Think about the founding generation of the United States. Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, and the others were extraordinary individuals. When that generation passed from the scene, people naturally wondered who could possibly follow them.

The next generation may not have had the same extraordinary combination of intellectual ability and leadership qualities, but the country continued. New leaders stepped forward and assumed responsibility.

And that’s the point.

A leader’s greatness is measured not only by what he accomplishes during his lifetime, but also by what continues after he is gone.

Unfortunately, we sometimes see leaders, both in the secular world and even in the Torah world, who become so wrapped up in their own importance that they forget something very basic: they are not going to be here forever.

And if they do not prepare someone to succeed them, everything they worked to build may eventually disappear.

I was reminded of this yesterday at the funeral of Mike Smith.

Mike served for many years as the head gabbai of our shul. He was dedicated to the position and did a tremendous amount for the congregation. Eventually, when he married and moved to Riverdale, he stepped down from that responsibility.

Sadly, he was later afflicted with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, which ultimately took his life.

When Mike left his position as head gabbai, he left a tremendous void. Somebody had to step forward and assume that responsibility.

And somebody did.

It wasn’t me, by the way! I’m quite happy being lower down on the totem pole. I have no problem with that whatsoever.

But someone else stepped forward, took the reins, and became a very capable head gabbai.

And the shul continued.

That’s what is so important.

Nobody could be Mike Smith. He was his own person, with his own strengths and contributions. But the work he had done did not have to disappear simply because he was no longer there.

And that’s exactly what we learn from Abraham and Sarah.

They were extraordinary people. Nobody could replace them. But they understood that their mission was greater than themselves.

Sarah’s legacy continued through Rivka. Abraham’s legacy continued through Yitzchak. And the Jewish people continued from one generation to the next.

There is an old saying: “The cemetery is full of irreplaceable men.”

It’s a rather harsh expression, but there’s a great deal of truth in it.

We may think that nobody can possibly take our place. And in one sense, that’s true. Each of us is unique. Nobody can be exactly who we are.

But the world has to continue.

And if we have done our job properly, we will have prepared others to carry on the work after we are gone.

That is the real lesson of Parshat Chayei Sarah.

The greatest legacy we can leave is not simply what we accomplished, but what we enabled the next generation to accomplish.

Something to think about.