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Example research essay topic: Role Models Entire World - 1,995 words

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Role models surround us; they are those who possess the qualities that we would like to have and those who have affected us in a way that makes us want to be better people, to advocate for ourselves and our goals and take leadership on the issues that we believe in. We often don't recognize our true role models until we have noticed our own personal growth and progress. In the midst of the modern world, we often look to our matriarchs and patriarchs for moral guidance. Just as we look to them as role models to be emulated in our lives and in the resolution of our own moral dilemmas, so do we learn from them when they falter and we may then learn how not to act. When thinking about significant influence in my life my mind often wonders to Sarah Imeinu, the mother of the Jewish people. Sarah Imeinu's life was anything but easy.

She faced many hardships that could have sent anyone fleeing from the right direct. Yet, throughout her entire life she stuck with the light of Hashem, the flame only growing brighter as time went on. Sarah connected every movement to divine service, even in the midst of the most challenging circumstances. Our first real encounter with Sarah is her journey with Avraham down to Egypt during a time of famine. We learn that a person can risk his life to save another from Sarah Imeinu saying that she was Avraham's sister thereby risking herself to save Avraham.

Once there, her beauty is noticed by the people and she is taken to Paro's palace. When Paro realized Sarah was indeed Avraham's wife, he returned her and ordered them both to leave Egypt. (Bereishis 12: 14 - 20) Sarah's test in Egypt was overwhelming. She found herself at Pharaoh's side, with access to what was considered the world's most advanced, alluring and cultured civilization. Throughout this test, Sarah remained unassimilated in body, mind and spirit. Moreover, given her singular commitment to sanctifying the physical realm, she was distraught at seeing such abundant opportunities for holiness dedicated to the wrong cause. (1) Withe her luck, a similar situation occurs with Avimelech, the king of Philistine. Yet, Sarah is once again returned to her husband unmolested. (Bereishis 20: 3 - 18) There is no greater example of Sarah's remarkable relationship with Avraham than the fact that, being barren, she was ready and willing to let her husband father children with other women.

She knew how important it was for Avraham to procreate, since God promised him earlier that his children would become a great nation. Sarah offers Hagar, her maidservant, to Avraham, to bear a child who would become his heir. Once Hagar conceived, Hagar lowered her opinion of Sarah, and Sarah began to treat her harshly. Hagar ran away and returned only after God spoke to her, blessed her and ordered her to go back to Sarah. When Abraham was 86 years old, Hagar gave birth to Ishmael. Finally, at the age of 99, Sarah is informed that she will have a child.

From Sarah's "laughter" in last week's parsha when she was told that she would soon give birth, we can discern the great pain that she must have felt living a life of childlessness. Certainly, the thirteen years preceding Yitzchak's birth, when Hagar her maidservant had given birth to Ishmael from Avraham, leaving Sarah alone in her childless predicament, must have been especially painful. Another explanation notes that Sarah's laughter was a clear expression of joy and gratitude to G-d for the incredible miracle He had wrought for her. (3) Yitzchak's name, from the Hebrew root "laugh" reflects the response of Sarah to the words of Hashem. Perhaps the most difficult time for Abraham and Sarah was when Sarah demanded that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness. Sarah faced this ordeal with the same fortitude and clarity she exhibited in Egypt. The harsh gesture of exiling two members of her household ran contrary to Sarah's supremely kind nature.

Nonetheless, her ability to act righteously gave Sarah the strength to endure the emotional pain required to rid her home of negative influences, in order to pave the way for Yitzchak's stewardship. (1) Avraham was reluctant to banish Hagar and Ishmael, but Hashem command: "Whatever Sarah says to you, accept from her. " (Bereishis 21: 12) The longest discourse about Sarah concerns her death and burial. Such detailed treatment of this subject is unprecedented in Torah. In this case, however, the passage about Sarah's death and burial is the key that unlocks the essence of her greatness. (1) The nature of this accomplishment and what we learn from Sarah is that she did not differentiate between mundane and holy. She forged a whole new relationship to the physical world by connecting it to Hashem as its spiritual source. Her unwavering commitment to sanctifying every aspect of life remains a Jew's central purpose to this day.

What can we learn from the name of the Parsha discussing Sarah's death, "Chayil Sarah"- The Life of Sarah? The rabbis have taught that "the righteous are called living even after death, while the wicked are called dead even in life. " (4) And so Sarah, the righteous mother of Israel, still lives because her example continues to inspire acts of goodness among her descendants. The reason why it says she had a good life, is because of the way she, Sarah, looked at life. The negative things that occur in ones life can be a devastation or an opportunity to grow. As one tries to believe that life has a higher purpose than the here and now, we can strive to cultivate a life like that of Sarah Imeinu. In this parsha we are told the way Sarah saw her troubles, how she reacted to the hardships.

In her perspective, everything was for the best, and it was a good life. (5) Rashi is teaching us that Sarah's service of Hashem was not negatively affected by her experiences, either good or bad. For all of her years, her service of Hashem was equal in goodness. Sarah passes away at the age of 127, in the town of Kiryas Arba. From the the wording of the park we learn that at 100 years Sarah was like a 20 year old in terms of sin.

And we learn further that in the accounting of the world to come, a 20 year old has not yet acquired any sin. And when she was 20 years old she was like 7 years old with regard to her beauty. Rashi attributes the name of the city of Kiryas Arba to the four giants that lived there. Torah Meir Schwartzman, zl, in his sefer, "Meir Eine Yesharim, " offers an alternative explanation for this name. (6) He states that Sarah Imeinu possessed four unique traits. First, she was a good wife, who was devoted to her husband and supportive of his spiritual endeavors, standing by his side throughout their lives together. Second, she was an exemplary mother who supervised her son, Yitzchak, dedicating herself to his spiritual advancement.

She was devastated to observe Hagar's son, Ishmael, expose Yitzchak to the immorality that was endemic to his life. Sarah took immediate action by demanding that Avraham send Hagar and her son away from their home. We should note that this is the same person who opened her home to all strangers, in order to care for their physical and spiritual needs. Third, Sarah was involved with her community, pursuing acts of loving kindness and charity to help those in need. We infer this from the fact that everyone left his / her place of work to attend her funeral.

Fourth, she was the spiritual Matriarch, setting the standard for Jewish motherhood. She was the paradigm of the "eim b'Yisrael, " mother in Yisrael. She reached out to the pagan women to bring them closer to the Shechinah. She embodied all four models: an exemplary wife, a devoted mother, a woman of valor in her community; and the mother of Kill Yisrael. When Sarah passed away, these four attributes died with her. Her passing left a void.

The giants implied in the name, Kiryas Arba, represent her characteristics. Sarah was a role model for all, and her death was a great loss. People abandoned work to pay respect to this great pillar taken from the world. Amongst those at the funeral, were the 2 sons of North, Mamrei, Eshkol, Air, Avimelech and Ever, along with many other great people of the generation. Sarah was laid to rest with Adam and China. (6) Sarah was a shining example of how beautiful it is to serve Hashem. Sarah is idealized by chayil as the perfect woman. (5) We are told that when Shlomo HaMelech composed "Ashes Chayil, " which we sing before Kiddush on Friday Nights, he had Sarah Imeinu in mind.

The stanzas follow the Aleph-Bais, from "aleph" to "tav, " because Sarah fulfilled the Torah from "aleph" to "tav. " (7) All throughout her life, 3 miracles surrounded her tent. According to the midrash, the Shabbos candles used to burn non-stop from Shabbos to Shabbos, the dough she kneaded would produce more than was prepared, and a special cloud enveloped her tent (reminiscent of the special Clouds of Glory that would later envelope the Jewish people during their forty years in the desert after leaving Egypt). (7) Once Yitzchak brought his new wife, Rivka, into his mother's tent, and was comforted after the loss of his mother. There and then, Rashi points out, all the miracles that had happened for Sarah, and had ceased upon her death, resumed once again for Rivka (Bereishis Rabbit 60: 16). (7) It was as if she was the spiritual heir of her deceased mother-in-law. Sarah was originally called Sarai - in Hebrew, "my princess. As her life evolved, and through her partnership with Abraham, she earned a new appellation, Sarah - no longer "my princess but "princess over the whole world. (2) Indeed, if Abraham earned the sobriquet "our father, then Sarah most certainly merited the parallel title "our mother. Rav Nissan Alpert suggests that in spite of all that happened, Sarah did rule over the entire world.

A person who can maintain her equilibrium, her serenity and faith, in spite of the events that surround and effect her is indeed a person who "rules over the entire world." (8) We cannot change the course of events. There are things that will happen between nations; there are natural phenomenon; there are things that will happen in a family. This is what life is all about. As anyone who has lived for any significant amount of time knows, life is a series of going from one crisis to another. How does one rule over all that and manage to "dominate events"? Only by maintaining one's serenity and equilibrium throughout it all.

That is what the life of Sarah was. For a woman to remain barren for 90 years and experience so many the trials and tribulations was not a simple matter. And yet we see the same Either Chayil, the same Ba " alas Cheese, the same Matriarch Sarah throughout. This is indeed a person who ruled over the entire world. To this day, Sarah is a role-model of the Jewish woman. Her story teaches us many things about ourselves, and our walk with God.

Her life was an unceasing labor of welcoming guests and teaching them about Hashem. She possessed the ability, above all else, to transform her non-spiritual reality into one of tremendous spirituality, even when all the surrounding elements are working against her. From Sarah, we learn that we should make ourselves into role models for others, show how special it is to live a life of Torah. This was Sarah Imeinu, and this was the legacy that she left to her descendants.


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Research essay sample on Role Models Entire World

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