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Why does the Torah (תורה) describe Sarah, Avrohom, and Yishmael using the term "שנות חיי" (years of life) instead of "ימי חיי" (days of life)? The Ba'al HaTurim explains this indicates they each lived two distinct lives. The shiur develops the insight that bris milah transformed Avrohom from having the halachic status of a Ben Noach to that of a Yisrael, and this transformation extended to Sarah as well, explaining the Torah's unusual placement of Sarah's name change within the milah narrative.
The shiur opens with the Ba'al HaTurim's observation on the opening verse of Parshas Chayei Sarah. The Torah (תורה) states "ויהיו חיי שרה" (and it was the life of Sarah) and then "שנות חיי שרה" (the years of the life of Sarah). The Ba'al HaTurim notes that the Torah should have used the word "ימי" (days) rather than "שנות" (years), and explains that the unusual language indicates Sarah lived two distinct lives - she was old, became young (חידוש נעורים), and then became old again. Rabbi Zweig observes that this same linguistic pattern appears three times in the parsha: by Sarah, by Avrohom ("ואלה ימי שנות חיי אברהם"), and by Yishmael ("ואלה שנות חיי ישמעאל"). Each time the Torah uses "שנות" where "ימי" would be expected, indicating that all three lived two distinct lives. This remarkable concentration of the pattern in one parsha demands explanation.
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Bereishis 23:1 (Parshas Chayei Sarah), Bereishis 17 (bris milah narrative)
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