פרשת חיי שרה תש"ג - קניית מערת המכפלה

And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS, TWENTY YEARS. A quote from Rashi. The reason that the word “years” was written after every digit is to tell you that every digit is to be expounded upon individually: when she was one hundred years old, she was like a twenty-year-old regarding sin. Just as a twenty-year-old has not sinned, because she is not liable to punishment, so too when she was one hundred years old, she was without sin. And when she was twenty, she was like a seven-year-old as regards to beauty. He writes the same concerning the years of Avram's life. But Rashi's Midrashic interpretation is not sound. For in [counting] the years of Yishmael's life the Torah uses the same expression as in the years of Avram's life although Yishmael's years were "not'' all the same to each other in goodness f or at first he was wicked and repented at the end [of his life] Also the repetition of the word שנה implies [the 3 components of the number should be] "distinctly separate" entities and shouldn't be learnt [in aw way] that equates them. Rather the repetition of the word שנה is the normal manner of Hebrew. And when the Rabbis said in Breishit Rabbah that "[when she was] one hundred years old, she was like a twenty-year-old regarding sin [etc.]" they didnt derive this from the word שנה but from the extra expression [at the end of the passuk] when the Torah repeats "the years of Sarah's life" by which it combines y[her years] in one category and suggests an equivalence between them. And the Rabbis didnt expound like this in Avram's case.

And the land shall not be sold in perpetuity; for the land is Mine; for ye are strangers and settlers with Me.

’I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.’

I AM A STRANGER AND A RESIDENT. It was customary that people would have [private] burial spots each person and his family and one cemetery they would bury all strangers. Thus Avram said to the children of Chet, "I am a stranger from another land and [hence] I wasn't given a burial ground from my forefathers for this land. But now I'm a resident among you for I have desired to dwell in this land [permanently]. Therefore give me a burial place to be for me an everlasting possession, as though I were one of you" Now, because Avram said "Give me a burial site" they though he wanted it as a gift. And they answered "You are not regarded as 'a stranger and resident' in our eyes! Rathe you are a king who G-d has crowned over us, and we and our land are in your service, take any burial site you want and bury your dead there, and it will be a burial estate for you forever. for none of us will withhold it from you!"

If it is really your will. I will not bury my dead anywhere else, so if you wish to help me — intercede for me with Ephron. Which is at the end of his field. Avraham noted that Ephron did not use it as a burial ground but considered it simply part of his field.

If it is really your will. I will not bury my dead anywhere else, so if you wish to help me — intercede for me with Ephron. Which is at the end of his field. Avraham noted that Ephron did not use it as a burial ground but considered it simply part of his field.

If it is really your will. I will not bury my dead anywhere else, so if you wish to help me — intercede for me with Ephron. Which is at the end of his field. Avraham noted that Ephron did not use it as a burial ground but considered it simply part of his field.

that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in the midst of you for a possession of a burying-place.’

בכסף מלא FOR ITS FULL VALUE IN SILVER — מלא means שלם so that the phrase means all that it is worth. Thus, too, did David say to Ornan, (1 Chronicles 21:22) “for full money”.

בתוככם, in the presence of all of you. I do not ask for time to come up with the payment but am willing to pay cash at once. Compare verse 16 where Avraham does in fact pay cash immediately.

לא אדני NAY, MY LORD — You are not to buy it with money.

נתתי לך I HAVE GIVEN IT TO THEE (a perfect tense) — See, it is as though I have already given it to you.

נתתי I GIVE (perfect with present sense) old French donne; English I give. I have the money ready and I only wish that I had already given it to you.

And afterwards, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. The explanation of "And afterwards, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah,etc., which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan." is that the Torah returns to describe the field the place and land, for the whole section refers to the 'the children of Chet and Efron the Chiti; therefore the Torah mentions at the end that its "in the land of Canaan" which is Israel. Likewise, in the beginning it says "in Kiriat Arba, -dwhich is Chevron in the land of Canaan" And all this is to make it clear Sarah died in Israel and buried there fort the Chitim were one of the Canaanite families. In my opinion the reason for these passukim is only to note that this was the land of Canaan and not the land of Pelishtim. For the Torah says "Avram dwelt in the land of the Pelishtim many years" and all of his sojourning's were in that land- in Gerar, the Gerar valley, and Be'er Sheva, and from there to Chevron and from Chevron to there; therefore the Torah mentions that Chevron is in the land of "the Canaanites who dwells in the mountain" and not in the land of the Pelishtim which is [often] mentioned [in connection] with Avram. Then in the end The Torah adds [a description of where the cave was] to tell us that the cave which was in the field of Machpelah was "facing Mamre" for this name (i.e. Mamre) was better known at that time. This section was written to tell us of the many acts of kindness that G-d did for Avram. For ha became "a prince of G-d" in the land despite that he had come only to sojourn and he was a lone individual [without a following]. Also, everyone called him "my lord" though he didnt refer to himself this way [for he never said] to them he was a prince or important person. Also in his lifetime G-d fulfilled for him "I will make your name great and you shall be a blessing" [Another kindness G-d did for him] was that when his wife died she was buried in the "heritage land of G-d." Also the Torah wanted to tell us of the place of our forefathers burial., being that we are obliged to honor the site of our saintly forefathers burial. Our Rabbis say this too was one of Avram's tests, that he sought a place in which to bury Sarah, and didnt find until he bought it. I don't know any explanation for the words of Ibn Ezra, who says "[this section was written] to tell us of the eminence of Israel for the living and dead, and also to show the fulfilment of G-d's word to Avram that Israel would be his heritage land." For what eminence do we see here? For Avram wasn't going to transport her body to another place to bury her! Also G-d's promise is on the WHOLE land [not a single burial cave and its field like in tis case] so [its clear] the promise was fulfilled only for his future offspring.

AND AFTER THIS, ABRAHAM BURIED SARAH: