The Year of Unity

And the life of Sarah was one hundred year and twenty year and seven years these were the years of the life of Sarah. (Gen. 23:1)

This literal translation of the verse requires explanation. Why one hundred "year" - not "years", and why twenty "year" - not "years"? Why is the word "years" used to describe the least number seven, instead of the larger numbers?

All of the years of Sarah's life hint at hidden spiritual truths. One hundred years is the completion of the 10 sefirot, each sefira of which is made up of 10 sefirot. The number 100 thus hints at spiritual perfection. The number 20 hints at the sefirot of wisdom and understanding, which are counted in tens. Seven years hints at the 7 lower sefirot, each of which is counted as a single unit.

The life of Sarah was completely supernal, the 100 [years], the 20 [years] and the seven [years]. Each of these units is appropriate.

Rabbi Shimon said: Come and see the secret of this. What was different in all of them, that some are referred to [in the singular] as "year", whereas the last seven are described [in the plural] as "years", as is written, "100 year and 20 year" and afterwards "seven years".

The explanation is that in the 100 years is all inclusive, for there is included the supernal place in which all is one, in the secret of the 100 Blessings that are said every day. The unit of twenty years is the same, in which is included the supernal hidden of all hidden. And it is for this reason that the term "year" [in the singular] is written, to hint at unity - that thought [chochma] and Jubilee [bina] are never divided.

The seven years, however, [are in the category of being] separate from one another, and is excluded from the category of that which is hidden above. Even though they are one single unit, they can still be divided into [the categories of] judgment and mercy, in various aspects and ways [as they represent the seven lower sefirot], which is not the case above, where "year" [in the singular] is written, hinting at unity, never to separate.

And all of these [years] are called "life" - "And the life of Sarah was…" - and literally "were", in that they were created and came into existence above [i.e. beyond time].

Come and see: (p. 124b) The days of a person are all created and exist at [various] supernal levels, in that they complete their existence at these levels [i.e. the seven lower sefirot] as is written, "The days of our years are 70." (Psalms 90:10)

Thus a life span of 70 years represents the completion of the seven sefirot of chesed, gevura, tiferet, netzach, hod, yesod, and malchut - each sefira of which is made up of 10 - hence the number 70 represents the completion of a person's opportunity to rectify these sefirot in that incarnation.

From the age of 70 there is no set spiritual level to live out [because a person's life span is specifically to rectify these seven sefirot]. And [the above verse goes on to state] "…if because of one's strength they are eighty years", meaning that the majority [of those later years] is hardship and pain, as though they are empty and never existed. But in the case of the righteous, their days actually are real and do exist, as is written, "And the life of Sarah was…" and also "These are the days of the years of Abraham's life…." (Gen. 25:7)

Now you might ask about Ishmael, who was not righteous, and yet it is stated, "These are the years of the life of Ishmael". (Gen. 25:17) The reason is because he repented at the end of his life and this merit enabled his days to be called [in a similar fashion].

Zohar, page 122b; translation and commentary by Simcha-Shmuel Treister

Copyright 2003 by KabbalaOnline.org. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work or portions thereof, in any form, unless with permission, in writing, from Kabbala Online.