Parashat Hayye Sarah (Genesis, chapters 23:1-25:18) deals with Abraham’s life after the ‘Aqedah. The remaining events of his life span the thirty-sight years that remained from the time of the death of Sarah at 127 (when Abraham himself was 137), to his own death at the age of 175. Perhaps, however, we should begin a discussion of the Parashah with a citation of the last five verses of Parashat Va-Yera, which also take place after the ‘Aqedah.

Sometime later, Abraham was told, “Milcah too has born children to your brother Nahor: Uz the first born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram; and Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel”-Bethuel being the father of Rebecca. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s
brother. And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore children: Tebah, Gaham, Tzhash, and Maacah
(Genesis 22:20-24).

What is the point of this detailed discussion of the family of Nahor? Rashi cites the notion of Hazal that the entire passage was written because of the name of Rebecca, who was subsequently to become Isaac’s wife. I heard a different explanation, in the name of Maran Ha-Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik, zatzal, by
Rabbi Max N. Schreier. It goes as follows:

Abraham had just passed successfully the trial of the ‘Aqedah. The ‘Aqedah represents the quintessential expression of the trial of tzaddiq ve-ra‘ lo, the righteous man who suffers. Why should Abraham the just have
to sacrifice and lose his only son Isaac, the son of his ole age, the apple of his eye? Nonetheless, such was the test of God, that Abraham must be ready to do so. Indeed, he passed the test and was spared the life of this son.

But in this world there is another test that righteous men must suffer. It is the test of observing that in this material world, we find the phenomenon of rasha ve-tov lo. Sometimes, an evil, wicked person who by no means deserves to have a successful, prosperous, happy life nonetheless enjoys such an existence.
Why does God allow for this? Even if one grants that God has a particular purpose for allowing a righteous man to suffer, and therein lies the secret of tzaddiq ve-ra‘ lo, what possible reason could God have for allowing for this state of affairs?

Abraham passed this test as well. He was able to fahrginn Nahor his happiness. He did not begrudge his brother anything. And that is the purpose for the description of the Torah of all of Nahor’s descendants.

The events transcribed in Parashat Hayye Sarah are of a mundane, prosaic nature.  We first find Abraham having to deal with Ephron the Hittite over a plot a land in which he could bury his wife. He then entrusted his servant (whose name is not mentioned in the Torah but whom Hazal identify as Eliezer) with the task of finding a wife for his son. Finally, the last chapter of Hayye Sarah records that Abraham took another wife, Keturah, who bore him numerous children. Finally, the Parashah records the death of Abraham, and a list of the descendants of Ishmael.

Following the Rav’s idea that the last verses in Va-Yera constitute a test for Abraham, perhaps we can look at all the events recorded in Parashat Hayye Sarah as another type of test of Abraham. It is the following:

Abraham had passed the test of the ‘Aqedah. It was the most intense religious experience that one could imagine. Would he be able to listen to the command of God and sacrifice his son? Abraham was able to look into his heart and find enough devotion, and enough love of God, to indeed do so.

But after such a wrenching experience, all the day to day problems of life seem meaningless, even trivial by comparison. Haggling with Ephron the Hittite over a plot of land? Arguing with his servant about the hypothetical possibility that the latter would not be able to find a suitable match for his son?
One can imagine Abraham sighing, and crying to God, “Ribbono shel ‘Olam, give me a break! Why should I have to deal with these “pahim qetanim,” these small vessels? I have already demonstrated my supreme love for you!

Yet Abraham realized that service to God is not only accomplished through “once in a lifetime” grandiose gestures such as he ‘Aqedah. It is also realized through honorable activity and courteous relations with others in day-to-day life. Having passed the test of the “teleological suspension of the ethical”
through the ‘Aqedah, Abraham returned from the mountain and lived the rest of his life in a supremely ethical manner. Abraham was kind and patient with Ephron and with his servant. He even married again and had children with Keturah.  He passed, one can say, the test of “after the ‘Aqedah.” Hence it is fitting that the Torah writes:

And Abraham breathed his last, dying at a good ripe age, old and contented; and he was gathered to his kin. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Efron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre, the field that Abraham had bought from the children of Heth; there Abraham
was buried, and Sarah his wife. After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac settled near Beer –lahai-roi (Genesis 25:8-11).

Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik, zatzal, once raised a question regarding the Rambam’s formulation of the laws of qiddush Hashem (sanctifying the Name of God) in his Mishneh Torah, at the beginning of the fifth chapter of Hilkhot Yesode Ha-Torah. Rambam, of course, lists the three cardinal sins (murder, idolatry and sexual ‘arayot) where the Halakhah is that one must give up his life rather than violate those laws. But the Rambam precedes that by mentioning that in regarding all other mitzvoth, the law is that one violates the specific mitzvah and saves his life. Why didn’t the Rambam begin with the three cardinal sins?

Rav Aaron suggested that the Rambam was trying to fortify the point that the primary Kiddush Hashem that one can accomplish in this life is through a life lived appropriately. Following that approach, one may say that the lesson of Parashat Hayye Sarah is that after the ‘Aqedah, Abraham
the patriarch lived the remaining years of his life as a Kiddush Hashem.