Genesis 24:67

וַיְבִאֶ֣הָ יִצְחָ֗ק הָאֹ֙הֱלָה֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִמּ֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֧ח אֶת־רִבְקָ֛ה וַתְּהִי־ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֖ה וַיֶּאֱהָבֶ֑הָ וַיִּנָּחֵ֥ם יִצְחָ֖ק אַחֲרֵ֥י אִמּֽוֹ׃

Isaac then brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he took Rebekah as his wife. Isaac loved her, and thus found comfort after his mother’s death.

When Isaac’s mother Sarah dies, the Torah does not go into detail about how broken his heart is. Rather, it’s left to the midrash to provide the details. The midrash teaches that while Sarah was alive there was a blessing in the dough, a cloud covered their tent, and a candle lit up the tent from week to week. Once she passed, these ceased to be. The midrash goes on to teach that once Isaac took Rebecca as a wife, those three things returned to their home once again.

When Sarah died, Isaac lost more that his mother. He lost the only loving presence he had left. What did that love feel like? “There was a blessing in the dough” – Whether there was a lot of food or a little, when they ate together their joy and affection made the meal feel bountiful. Even a simple dish was special when they shared it. “A cloud covered the tent” – the space never felt cold or unwelcoming. Being together was enough to provide warmth to their hearts even when it was cold. “There was a light lit week to week” – no matter how dark it became, his mother’s presence gave light, hope, and comfort to his soul. 

After his mother passed, Isaac felt like love was lost forever. However, he found it again in his wife. Love can be found in a parent, spouse, child, sibling, a close friend, and even a pet. To love and be loved is a profound blessing, one we ought to cherish. And when that loved one is gone, we feel as Isaac did: heartbroken, cold, empty. We learn from this that such a feeling does not last forever. Love can and will be found again, so long as our hearts remain open to the possibility.