The fifth parashah of Torah is, upon reflection, an uplifting and inspiring passage. Though the first great matriarch and patriarch of the Jewish people each pass away, this moment also defines the beginning of the pre-Israelite people's physical connection to the land promised to them by G-d. And, in a portion that ensures the continuation of the Jewish idea, their son Isaac finds a partner with whom to continue that legacy. We learn that in times of grief hope emerges, a profound metaphor for the Jewish sense of life that will continue to evolve through to the modern Kaddish prayer.