Q:
The Rabbi said tonight that he believes that Moshe Rabeinu was the greatest man who ever lived. Who was the greatest woman who ever lived? And why?
A:
That’s a big question. I think it was Sarah. And I think I can substantiate that by saying that she had the greatest husband. Now, although I said that I believe Moshe Rabeinu was even greater than Avraham, but Tziporah, Moshe’s wife, was a different story. Although she certainly was a tzidkanis, we don’t have any evidence that Tziporah participated in Moshe Rabeinu’s career. The truth is that she didn’t. Moshe Rabeinu had to separate from her for many years until the end of his life in order to be with Hashem.
But Sarah, she was Abraham’s partner. That we know. They lived together and their idealism was shared till the end. אברהם מגייר את האנשים ושרה מגיירת את הנשים – They were a team: Avraham was teaching about Hakodesh Boruch Hu to the men, while Sarah was doing the same for the women.
So it seems to me that it’s simple to say that it was Sarah who was the greatest woman who ever lived. Now, I really should say, that maybe Chava was greater. Our first mother may have been greater than Sarah. And so I’ll have to leave that open for now.
TAPE # 144 (November 1976)
