Sarah, Esther, and Rabbi Akiva’s Riddle

Parshat Chayei Sarah – which translates to “The Life Of Sarah” – tells us that Sarah lived to the age of 127. It seems like mere trivia, the kind of thing that you forget as quickly as you read it.

But Rabbi Akiva, the great sage of the Talmud, noticed something curious… that this number, 127, pops up in one other place in the Bible: It’s the number of provinces in the Persian empire in the days of Achashverosh and Queen Esther.

Clearly, it’s got to be a coincidence, right? What could Sarah’s age possibly have to do with Persian provinces? But Rabbi Akiva doesn’t think it’s mere coincidence – and after watching this video, you might not either.