Dear friends, There is a fascinating paradox in our Torah reading this week. On the one hand, we've spent these last weeks reading about the trials and tribulations of our ancestors. In our Talmud class, we've discussed how loss, trauma, and pain shape their lives. We've seen how they suffer from dislocation, dashed hopes, and painful interpersonal dynamics. And yet, at the end of their lives, the Torah focuses not on the challenges they've endured but on the complete and total blessing of their lives. We are taught that each and every one of Sarah's 127 years was equally good. We are taught that God blessed Abraham in everything. How can this be? Is it possible that Sarah's years of infertility and strife were as good as the years she spent showering her son, Isaac, with love? Could it be that God's blessing for Abraham included dislocation, war, and the dissolution of the family he so yearned for? Or is it possible that the blessing and goodness that our ancestors experienced was less about what objectively happened and more about their adopted perspective?