Chayei Sarah 5777: Continuity and old age

(2) ..."The sun rises and goes down" (Ecclesiastics 1:5). Rabbi Aba bar Kahana said: Don't we know that the sun rises and goes down? Rather (this is what it means): When the Holy One of Blessing causes the sun of a righteous person to set, he causes the sun of his fellow to shine forth. The day that Rabbi Akiba died, our rabbi (Judah the Prince) was born and it was written about him "The sun rises and the sun goes down." On the day that our rabbi died Rabbi Ada Bar Ahava was born and it was written about him "The sun rises and the sun goes down." On the day that Rabbi Ada Bar Ahava died, Rabbi Avin was born and it was written about him "The sun rises and the sun goes down." On the day that Rabbi Avin died, his son Rabbi Avin was born. The day that Rabbi Avin died, Aba Hoshaya from Traya was born. The day that Aba Hoshaya died Rabbi Hoshaya was born and it was written about him "The sun rises and the sun goes down." Before the sun of Moses set the sun of Joshua shone forth as it is written, "God said to Moses, take Joshua Son of Nun" (Numbers 27:18). Before the sun of Joshua set the sun of Itaniel son of Kenaz shone forth as it is said, "Itaniel son of Kenaz took it" (Judges 1:13). Before the sun of Eli the priest set, the sun of Samuel shone forth, "the lamp of God had not yet gone out and Samuel lay on the sanctuary of God" (1 Sam 3:3). Rabbi Yochanan said, "like a perfect calf." Before the God causes the sun of Sarah to set, he causes the sun of Rachel to shine forth. For first it says "Behold Malkah also bore children" (Gen 22:20) and after "and the life Sarah was one hundred years..."

On the day when Rabbi died the Rabbis decreed a public fast and offered prayers for heavenly mercy. They. furthermore, announced that whoever said that Rabbi was dead would be stabbed with a sword. Rabbi's handmaid ascended the roof and prayed: ‘The immortals desire Rabbi [to join them] and the mortals desire Rabbi [to remain with them]; may it be the will [of God] that the mortals may overpower the immortals’. When, however, she saw how often he resorted to the privy, painfully taking off his tefillin and putting them on again, she prayed: ‘May it be the will [of the Almighty] that the immortals may overpower the mortals’. As the Rabbis incessantly continued their prayers for [heavenly] mercy she took up a jar and threw it down from the roof to the ground. [For a moment] they ceased praying and the soul of Rabbi departed to its eternal rest.

(1) By now Abraham was old, advanced in years- it says (Proverbs 16:31) "white hair is a crown of honor, obtained by righteous living". R' Meir went to fill, saw them all with black hair. Said to them: Tell me, are you from the family of Eli (the priest)? As it says: "So that no one in your family will live to old age". They said to him: "Rabbi, pray for us! He said to them: "Go and do tzedakah and you will have the merit of old age". What is the reason? "White hair is a crown of honor". And where that happens? "obtained by righteous living". From whom do you learn this? From Abraham, that it is said about him: "And they kept the way of God to do justice and tzedakah, had the merit of old age". And then: "Abraham was old".