Chayei Sara חַיֵּי שָֹרָה

Bereshit 23:1—25:18 · 105 verses · 5 of 54

Sarah dies and Avraham buys the cave of Machpelah in Hebron—the first piece of the land held in his own hand. The servant is sent to Charan and finds Rivka at the well by the sign he asked for. Avraham dies at a hundred and seventy-five and is buried beside Sarah.

Read next on 7 November 2026, 27 November 2027. By the Israeli reading cycle.

People of the portion

Abrahamthe first patriarch, who made the one God known to the world1948–2123 AM · 175 years Rebeccathe second matriarch, wife of Yitzchak, mother of Yaakov and Esav Isaacthe second patriarch, the only one who never left the Land of Israel2048–2228 AM · 180 years IshmaelAvraham's elder son by Hagar, ancestor of the Arab tribes2034–2171 AM · 137 years Sarahthe first matriarch, wife of Avraham, mother of Yitzchak1958–2085 AM · 127 years LabanRivka's brother, Yaakov's father-in-law, the archetypal deceiver HagarSarah's maidservant, mother of Yishmael EsauYaakov's twin brother, ancestor of Edom2108–2255 AM · 147 years

Charan Hebron (Cave of the Patriarchs)

Events of this portion

Echoes in the Prophets and history

These events themselves live in other books and other centuries; each is tied to this portion by the verse shown beside it: the early ones the portion recalls, in the later ones its word resounds:

2085 AMThe Binding of Isaac and the Death of Sarah

The world at that time

The events of this portion fall in years 2088-2123 from Creation. Elsewhere in the world at that time:

2111The Hyksos in the Nile Delta

How it is read

First	Bereshit 23:1—23:16	16 verses
Second	Bereshit 23:17—24:9	13 verses
Third	Bereshit 24:10—24:26	17 verses
Fourth	Bereshit 24:27—24:52	26 verses
Fifth	Bereshit 24:53—24:67	15 verses
Sixth	Bereshit 25:1—25:11	11 verses
Seventh	Bereshit 25:12—25:18	7 verses
Maftir	Bereshit 25:16—25:18	3 verses
Haftarah	I Kings 1:1—1:31 on Sefaria	31 verses

The text

The English edition does not yet carry the text of the portion. The Hebrew with translation is on Sefaria; the Russian page of this portion carries the full text verse by verse — открыть по-русски →.