Although the name of this week’s Parashah means “Sarah’s life”, it is actually her death and burial that are described in the opening verses. Verse 1 presents a
rather curious rendering of Sarah’s length of years: “And the life of Sarah was
a hundred years, and twenty years, and seven years, the years of the life of
Sarah” (literal translation). It is as though Sarah's life is divided into time periods: the first hundred years, then twenty, and the
last seven. Her place of death is also ‘overly’ specified: “Kiryat Arba, which
is Chevron in the land of C’na’an”. It then says,
“Avraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her”. Were Avraham and Sarah
separated before that? In 22:19 it says that Avraham dwelt at Beer Sheva. Could
it be that the couple separated? Some postulate that this indeed was the case,
after Avraham’s attempt to sacrifice his son. But now, with Sarah’s departure,
Avraham is seen looking to purchase a burial plot for his deceased wife and for
his family. He has his eye set on a particular site in Kiryat Arba, opposite
Mamre “which is Chevron” (23:19). Notice that both Kiryat Arba and Mamre are
mentioned as names of Chevron. The “Oaks of Mamre” is where we met Avraham
at the beginning of last week’s Parashat Va’yera. Earlier, in 14:13, Mamre (and his oaks) is mentioned with his two brothers, who were the Amorite allies of Avram, as he was then called. Hence the Amorites/Canaanites named the
place Mamre, whereas Arba was one of the giants (“anak”, e.g. Joshua 14:15).
Avraham seeks out Efron (Ephron), the Hittite1, who
is the owner of a cave called Machpela.
“Machpela”
stems from the root k.f.l (kaf, fey/pey, lamed), which means “double”. Most likely, the cave consisted of more than one chamber (making it especially suitable for burial).2 Efron’s name,
quite appropriately, is derived from the root “ah’far” (a.f.r. ayin,
fey, resh) meaning “dust of the ground”. It is the same dust that
is mentioned in B’resheet (Genesis) 3:19: “For dust you are and to dust you
shall return” - famous words that were pronounced over Adam after he had
succumbed to temptation. “Ah’far” is also the term YHVH uses when He makes His
promises to the Patriarchs concerning the multiplicity of their seed (see Gen.
13:16; 28:14). Thus, the combination of dust (in Efron’s name)
and duplication (in the name of the burial cave) point to
this very promise in spite of the themes of death and burial
and in their very presence.
Notice the
response to Avraham’s description of himself as a “stranger and an alien”
(23:4) by the sons of Het: “You are a prince of Elohim among us” (v. 6).
Avraham’s humility and lack of pretentiousness and presumptuousness are met by
great respect (cf. Matthew 23:12) and by a truthful pronouncement regarding his
position. Hebrews 12:9 confirms that even though he was a recipient of great promises,
“he [Abraham] lived in the land of promise as a stranger”, the Hebrew word
being “ger” of the root g.u.r (gimmel, vav, resh) which essentially means
‘fear’, speaking of the vulnerability of a stranger (more on this root
will be elaborated in another Parasha down the
road). Avraham pays a “full” amount (v. 9) for his acquisition
(in spite of the offer to the contrary, v. 6), as did his grandson Ya’acov when
the latter purchased a field in the town of Sh’chem (Shechem, in Gen. 33:19),
and likewise David, generations later, when he bought Ornan’s (Araunah)
threshing floor in Yerushalayim (2nd Sam. 24:24, upon which the Temple was
later built). Not coincidentally, Chevron, Sh’chem (where Joseph is buried),
and the Temple Mount are some of the most contested sites in
the land of Yisrael!
The
narrative of Chapter 23 presents some challenges, as it is characterized by ongoing repetition, with every point reiterated. Here
are some examples: In verse 6, “bury, burial, bury your dead” are repeated
over and over. In both verses 7 and 12, Avraham is said to be “bowing down to
the people of the land”, with the addition of “the sons of Heth” in the first
citing. The mention of the “sons of Heth” recurs so often that it sounds superfluous. The transaction for the purchase of the cave and its
field is mentioned in vs. 9, 13, 16, and 18, while verse 17 enumerates every
article within the property. The question arises as to the purpose of all this
repetitive information and detail, which is capped by “…
the cave of Machpelah, before Mamre, that is Hebron in
the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave were deeded to
Abraham by the sons of Heth as a property for a burial place” (vs. 19, 20). The
writer itemizes the conditions, details, and individuals involved, leaving no room for doubt or mistake. All of this leads to the
conclusion that B’resheet chapter 23 constitutes a legal document, a contract,
or a deed with all of its stipulations ensuring clarity regarding the ownership
of the said property, while also citing the many witnesses who were present. Therefore, contesting the rights to this land directly defies the Word of
Elohim!
Avraham paid in hard cash: 400 shekels of silver. The three consonants
that form the root for “shekel,” sh.k.l (shin, kof, lamed) also form the
verb “to weigh”. Thus, the price paid for the plot was made up of
400 equal units, each approximately one-half ounce. All in all, Avraham
paid about 200 “weighted” ounces or 12 pounds of silver. Soon, in
24:22, we will read about the “weight” (“mishkal”) of the gold nose rings and
bracelets that were given to a young maiden in exchange for water.
But back to
“Chevron,” a name made from the root ch.v.r (chaf, vet/bet,
resh), shared by the following: “to tie, bind, join, unite, friend,
and company”. Although in the course of its long history this town
has not seen much unity and friendship (it served as David's capital during his
seven-year rule over the house of Yehuda-Judah, before he united all of
Yisrael, and is currently divided between a hostile Muslim population and a
small Jewish presence), its name may point to conditions which will prevail
in the days to come. In addition to these positive meanings, ch.v.r. also acts
as the root for “chavura” – wounding, injury, bruises - such as we read in Yisha’yahu
(Isaiah) 53:5, regarding what was to be inflicted upon the Messiah. Only these
“bruises” can “heal” the breaches of Chevron and transform them into
“friendship and unity”.
Chapter 24
highlights Avraham’s senior servant, who “ruled over all his possessions” (v.
2). The servant is described as a “moshel” (one of the words for “ruler”).
“Moshel” shares its root (m.sh.l, mem, shin, lamed) with “proverb, parable,
example, to be like, resemble and comparable”. In Tehilim
(Psalms) 28:1 the writer cries: “I have become like – “nimshalti” - those who
go down to the pit”. The parable in Yechez’kel (Ezekiel) 12:22 is called a
“mashal”. In Shmuel Alef (1st Samuel) 10:12, Shaul (Saul) is made a public
example of (as a prophet), with the use of “mashal”. The people of Yisrael
likewise became a not-too-positive example among the nations, or an object
lesson, as described in Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) 24:9, where they are called: “a
reproach and a proverb… in all places where I shall drive them”
(italics added). There are many more examples of the usage of the verb and n
emanating from m.sh.l, but how is this connected to the elderly servant?
The servant,
as a representative of Avraham, was to carry out the duties that were delegated
to him. As such, we see him strive to serve by approaching his assignments the same way his master would have. This, therefore, is the model for the conduct of a true Godly ruler, or leader, who takes his orders from above and endeavors to carry them out like his Master, thus becoming a representative ‘sample’, a “mashal,” or a likeness of the One whom he follows.
The Elohim of Yisrael said: “he who rules over (“moshel”) men, by ruling
(“moshel”) in the fear of YHVH, will shine as the light of the sun in the
morning….” (2nd Sam. 23:3, 4). One such ruler was Yoseph, whose
trials and tests were the purifying work of “the Word of YHVH”. Once he was
“conformed” to this Word, he was appointed a “ruler [moshel] over all of the
king’s possessions” (Ps. 105:18-21). “What is man…” in the eyes of his Creator?
Tehilim (Psalms) 8:6 says, “You have made him to rule,” with the verb “tam’shile’hu,” which may also be read as “you have made him like…” or “you have made of him a proverbial example.” These examples point
to a representational form of rule, or leadership. Avraham's servant certainly
displayed this characteristic of conforming to his master, so much so that his
master’s Elohim became his! Yeshua’s words attest to the fact that he too
operated by this principle: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by
himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the
Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19). He, therefore, declared: “He who
has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
Avraham’s
representative, or delegate, is instructed to carry out a mission but is not told how to do it. He chooses to present a 'fleece' to "YHVH, the Elohim
of my master Avraham" (24:12). The fleece and its fulfillment have to do
with water, or the means of obtaining that commodity. Hence, we find here “well”
(v. 11), “spring (or source, v.13), and trough”
(v. 20). The first two are “be'er” and “ayin”, and the last one
is “shoket” (from the verb “le'ha'shkot” - "to give a drink").
“Ayin” is also the word used for “eye”. Although ‘officially’ no direct link
has been established between “spring” (or “source”) and “eye”, Yeshua refers to
the latter as a type of source when He says in Matthew 6:22:
“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body
will be full of light”. The root of “be'er” (“well”) is identical to the root
“ba'er” (b.a.r, bet, alef, resh), which means to “expound or clarify”, as it
appears in Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 1:5, 27:8, and in Chavakook (Habakkuk) 2:2
(where "make it plain" should read "clarify" or
"expound"). And thus it is the episode by the well which makes the
results of his mission clear to the inquiring servant, as he is "gazing at
her [the girl] in silence [and wondering]… whether YHVH had made his
journey successful or not” (24:1 italics added). But he did not
need to wonder for long…
"Success"
is “hatzlacha,” from the root tz.l.ch. (tzadi, lamed, chet), which is
also “to prosper", and is used a number of times in this
Parasha. The primary root means to “advance, or cross" (such as in 2nd
Sam. 19:17), and by extension also the “coming of the Spirit” (see Judges
14:6). Whenever its meaning is "success," the verb appears in the
active causative form rendering it: “to cause to advance". The verb and
noun teach us, therefore, that prosperity and success may be obtained only with
the help of an ‘external force’, as exemplified here by the servant, who
is completely dependent on YHVH to “cause him to advance”. The servant's
awareness of this fact is also expressed by his prayer in 24:12: "O YHVH
Elohim of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness
to my master Abraham". In this instance, the root tz.l.ch for
"success" does not show up at all. The literal wording here for
"give me success" is, "to bring about" - “hakreh” -
literally, “cause to happen”. “Happening, occurrence, incident” are “mikreh”.
Avraham’s servant, however, knowing that the Elohim of his master controls life’s supposed random happenstances, relies on Him to arrange the ‘natural’ circumstances so as to make
clear His choice of the sought-for bride.
The chain of the desired events that were brought about starts with the appearance of a young maiden named Rivka (Rebecca, 24:15). Her rather curious name originates from the root letters r. v/b. k.
(resh, vet/bet, kof), which are also the root letters of “marbek”, that
is, “stall”, itself stemming from an Aramaic word meaning "to crouch”. “Marbek”
is always used in connection with fatted calves (ref. 1st Sam.
28:24; Jer. 46:21; Amos 6:4; Mal. 4:2). Rivka's name points without question to
the importance her family attached to their possessions. By naming
her thus, they were also expressing hopes regarding their their livestock.
Later on,
upon her departure to the land of C’na’an, Rivka's family
blesses her saying "...Our sister, you will become [multiply into]
thousands of ten thousands and your seed shall possess the gate of their
enemies" (Gen. 24:60). This blessing is being uttered by Rivka’s family
members without being aware that a similar blessing, about the seed possessing
the gate of those who hate them, was also pronounced by YHVH's angel over
Avraham, when the latter was obedient to the call to offer up Yitzchak (Gen.
22:17). It is quite likely that Avraham’s servant was informed about this
blessing. Now, hearing it again in these present circumstances, the
"success" of his mission was being confirmed to him yet again.
This/blessing/promise
is further magnified when Yeshua says the following to His disciples, in
Caesarea Philippi: “….on this rock I will build My kehila, and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18, and continues to
elaborate on the Kingdom of Elohim).
“Gate”
is “sha'ar” in Hebrew (sh.a.r, shin, ayin, resh). Because much of the
administration, jurisprudence, and business took place at the city gate, he who
possessed the gate also had charge over the entire city (or area). The “gate of
the enemy" denotes, therefore, the enemy's area of control and dominion.
Earlier on in our Parasha, “gate” has been referred to in Avraham’s business
transaction: “And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the ears of the
sons of Heth, of all that went in at the gate of his city,
saying… ‘The field of Ephron was certified… to Abraham for a possession
in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of
his city’” (23:10, 18, italics added, cf. Ruth 4:1-11). These transactions
by the "gate" have lent that word yet other meanings: "measure,
calculate", or "recon," as we shall see in next week's Parasha
(Gen. 26:12), where the term used is "one hundred times/fold over”,
and in Hebrew, “she’arim” (“gates” plural).
In addition
to the themes of dominion and power in Rivka’s blessing, mention is made of
"tens of thousands" - “alfey revava” (24:60). “Revava” is “ten
thousand”, whereas “a thousand” is “elef”. “Elef” (a.l.f - alef, lamed, fey), which, with a slight modification, is the name of the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, “alef”, lending it a place of prominence, and by implication pointing also to a great numerical value. “Aluf” is
"chief", but at times also means “a companion”. A large group of
(proverbial) "companions" makes up the number one thousand - “elef”,
whereas “revava” (ten thousands) stems from the very common root of r.v/b.
(resh, vet/bet) meaning "much, great and chief".
In the next Parasha we will meet "the greater [who will
serve] the younger", which will also be designated by the term “rav” (25:23).
The Parasha
ends the same way it began: burials are the order of the day. First
Avraham dies "in a ripe old age, an old man satisfied…” (25:8). "Ripe"
or “full” here is “saveh'ah”, which also means
"satisfied" (of the root s.v.a, or sh.v.a), a word we examined last
week when we looked at the figure “seven” and “oath” (notice the last period in
Sarah’s life, in 23:1, is seven – “sheva”). And just as was mentioned about
Sarah, her husband’s lifespan is also divided up into “a hundred years, and
seventy years and five years” (v. 7). Avraham too is buried in
the Cave of Machpela (v. 9). Finally, the last verses of
the Parasha deal with the death of Yishma'el (v.17), whose burial place/is not mentioned.
Multiplicity
in various forms, leadership, prosperity, dominion, and greatness are some of
the terms we encountered in this Parasha, whose main narrative is ‘sandwiched’ between deaths and burials. These deaths, however, highlight all the more
the blessings granted to the progeny left behind, accentuating the abundance of
life for which this progeny was destined.
1 The Amorites and Hittites are both descendants
of Canaan, the
son of Ham (see Gen. 10:15, 16)
*Confirmed by archaeological evidence
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