A Burial Plot Purchased for Abraham's Family
- Light of Torah
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Chapter 23 of Genesis continues the drama of Abraham’s family life. It opens with the death and burial of his wife, Sarah. In Jewish commentary, the proximity of this scene to the previous week’s Torah reading of the Binding/Sacrifice of Isaac led to a startling thought: when Sarah discovered that Abraham had intended to kill their son Isaac, did she die of a broken heart?
Our focus today, however, is a business deal: Abraham’s purchase of a piece of land that will become the family burial plot. Read this passage in 23:1-20.
"After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. The field and the cave that is in it passed from the Hittites into Abraham’s possession as a burying place” (Gen.23:19-20).
“After this” says the text. After what?
“After this” says the text. After what? The preceding negotiations over the purchase of the cave and land are curious in their detail. As you read Gen. 23:1-20, perhaps you noticed:
The juxtaposition of emotion (‘mourning,’ ‘weeping’) and business terms (‘property,’ ‘price,’ ‘possession’).
The repeated references to the legal witnesses of the negotiations (‘in the hearing of, ‘in the presence of’).
Abraham, a foreigner, is well regarded by the locals.
The interaction between Abraham and Ephron. Ephron offers the land as a gift, but Abraham wants legal title.
What else do you notice about this text?
Certainly, from an historical perspective, this passage contains interesting information about ancient eastern burial customs and business etiquette. But how does the Torah’s preoccupation with Abraham’s land package contribute to the way we relate to G-d? This is
the question that fascinated the sages. How do you enter the conversation?
In the discussions of the sages, two insights emerge in creative tension. On the one hand, our Torah passage represents the realization of G-d’s promise to Abraham: “I will give to you, and your offspring after you, the land where you are now an alien” (Gen.17:8). Sarah’s grave site—where Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah will also be buried—represents the chosen people’s first permanent legal foothold in the land of Canaan. The dream is now reality.
Yet this momentous step comes at a high price. As well as being charged a hefty sum, Abraham—a man of wealth and status in his country of origin—is required to humble himself, bowing down not only to Ephron but "to the people of the land" (v.12). Says Ramban (13th c. Torah scholar), Abraham, while respected by the Hittites, was still an alien among them and required not only the consent of Ephron, but the support of all the people. Thus Jewish tradition regards the acquisition of the cave of Machpelah as one of the trials of Abraham, one in which he performed admirably. For through Abraham’s humility and unswerving dedication to the task, G-d’s vision became a reality in time and place.
Table topic:
Today's Torah reading describes a business deal. Lofty spiritual visions do not escape the practicalities of living in the real world (e.g., a person of holiness and prayer still has to pay the mortgage!) Describe the material-spiritual tensions and opportunities in your own life and how you respond to them.
Bibliography: Eskenazi & Weiss, eds., The Torah: A Women’s Commentary (New York, 2008); Leibowitz, New Studies in Bereshit (New York: Lambda, 1994). Scripture: NRSV.
Image: City of Hebron, with Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs (Shutterstock via Wix). "The Cave of Machpelah in Hebron is the world’s most ancient Jewish site and the second holiest place for the Jewish people, after the Temple Mount in Jerusalem... Because Abraham is also revered in Islam as the father of Ishmael, the tomb is holy to Muslims who refer to it as the Sanctuary of Abraham and converted a Byzantine basilica built on the site into the Ibrahimi Mosque... Today, Hebron is a tense city where about 700 Jews live among more than 200,000 Palestinians." (Jewish Virtual Library)
© Teresa Pirola, 2013. www.lightoftorah.net
Light of Torah is a Sydney-based grassroots ministry that encourages Christians to reflect on Torah with the help of Jewish insights. More... The reflection above refers to Parashat Chayei Sarah (Genesis 23:1 - 25:18), the Torah portion read for this Sabbath in the Jewish liturgical cycle. Shabbat shalom!
Download your free Jewish and Christian Liturgical Calendar, thanks to the generosity of Etz Hayim-Tree of Life Publishing. This resource allows you to see at a glance the festivals and weekly readings for both traditions. It is a way of developing interfaith awareness as we proceed through the liturgical year.
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