Forever: Does It Exist?

I am always delighted to be invited into the religious school classes to answer students’ questions. This past Sunday, I was in the fourth and fifth grade class, when one student raised her hand and asked, “Ranata, what is the concept of forever?” Fifteen pairs of wide, curious eyes turned to me. How does one answer a brilliant question from a brilliant mind like that?

Forever. When I answered the question, I answered by explaining that “forever” describes what always is, always was, and always will be. For example, when we think about God, God always was, always is, and always will be in that God was not created and God cannot be destroyed. Or when we say “I will love you forever” to our family, we mean our love will always exist and will always be there, unwaveringly.

This particular student then asked a second question.“Ranata, what happens when we die?” Another brilliant question. Some people spend their mornings looking at the cartoons in the Sunday paper, but this student was grappling with the existential nature of the human condition. However, her questions in succession got me thinking…if we humans all die at some point, can we be part of the concept of Forever in any way? Does Forever even exist for us?

Our Torah portion this week, Chayei Sarah, which translates to “Sarah’s Life” starts at her death. We see Sarah’s one and only son, Isaac, grieve his mother – so much so, that no one can console him. Abraham sends his servant Eliezer, to find Isaac a wife. Eliezer comes across the beautiful and kind Rebekah who agrees to come back with him to meet Isaac. There is a midrash¹ that when Sarah was alive, there was a cloud over her tent, symbolizing divine protection. When she died, it ceased. When Sarah was alive, there was plenty of sustenance in the form of dough, candlelight that lasted through Shabbat, and an opening in the tent for all to enter. When she died, all of it ceased as well. When Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother’s tent to be his wife, the cloud of Divine protection, abundant sustenance, lasting candlelight, and the openness of her tent all returned. Sarah’s legacy lived on in Rebekah.

So does Forever exist? If we choose to allow ourselves to be vessels to carry on the legacy for others, then yes, Forever lives on in us. When we say “may their memory be for a blessing” we can be the blessing that allows their memory to live on through our deeds.

This week marked the eighty-seventh anniversary of Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass, when the Nazis attacked Jewish stores and homes across Germany and Austria. At least ninety-one people were murdered that night, and many other livelihoods and families destroyed.

¹ Bereshit Rabbah 60:16

Individually, Forever exists through the way we live our lives in the spirit of our loved ones, but how does Forever live on after tragedy? As a Jewish people, Forever can live on in us every time we proudly claim our Jewish identity, show up for our fellow Jews, and nurture our tradition, even through changing times and seasons. May we be a blessing unto each other through our deeds, and may our displays of justice, love, and tradition endure forever.

Everlasting blessings from my family to yours this Shabbat,
Ranata Shlobin, Rabbinic Intern