ייִדישער מחשבֿה אויף תהילים 49:15

The Talmud Sanhedrin 22 states that anyone whose "first wife dies, is as if the temple had been destroyed in his lifetime." Rabbi Alexander compares such a tragedy to someone having lost his eyesight, the world becoming dark for him. Rabbi Abahu says that a person experiencing such a trauma loses his ability to make sound judgments. It is clear that neither of the three Rabbis quoted, refers to the natural physical wife, i.e. what we have termed "the second mating." It must refer to someone who has lost his mazzal, i.e. who has corrupted it. What the Rabbis are talking about is that just as we have a tradition that the wicked are called "dead" already during their lifetimes (Berachot 18), so in this example they are referring to those who have abused their G-d given endowments to the point that they have forfeited them. Our Parshah, though obviously dealing with the "second zivvug,” mating, may nonetheless contain some allegorical comments about the first zivvug. When the "lives" of Sarah are described, this may be a reference to the fact that Sarah had converted her original mazzal into the kind of personality that "lived" on, beyond physical death, inspired her husband for the rest of his natural life, not to mention her son. The fact that man is able to overcome the mazzal, i.e. zivvug rishon, may be hinted at in the verse "and to the woman He said, ‘Towards your man (husband) will be your inclination, and he can be in charge of you.’" (Genesis 3,16). If we view "woman" in this verse as the "first zivvug,” the meaning is "although it is your tendency to exert influence over your partner, he in turn can exercise control over you" (if he tries).

(7) When one observes the changing of people's situations in this world, the swift changing of governments and rulers, and the passing of people from one condition to another, and the fall of one nation promoting the rise of another, while the end of all is death, as written "Like sheep, they are destined to the grave; death will devour them" (Tehilim 49:15), he will submit and will not pride himself on any worldly possessions, and he won't place his trust on any matter of them, as written "Praiseworthy is the man who made the L-ord his trust, and did not turn to the haughty and those who turn to falsehood" (Tehilim 40:5).