Parshat Chaye Sarah 5778-The dilemma of giving up part of Eretz Yisrael (based on an insight given by Rabbi I. Bernstein in a shiur in London in 1994)

We find tremendous praise for Avraham in overcoming the ‘test’ of buying the cave of Machpelah from the “Benei Chet’. A major discussion is found in TB Sanhedrin(111a), with reference to the first pasuk in Parshat Vaera(Shemot ch.6) as follows:

ב  וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה; וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, אֲנִי יְהוָה.

2 And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: 'I am the LORD;

ג  וָאֵרָא, אֶל-אַבְרָהָם אֶל-יִצְחָק וְאֶל-יַעֲקֹב--בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי; וּשְׁמִי יְהוָה, לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם.

3 and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name YHWH I made Me not known to them.

אמר לו הקב"ה חבל על דאבדין ולא משתכחין הרי כמה פעמים נגליתי על אברהם יצחק ויעקב באל שדי ולא הרהרו על מדותי ולא אמרו לי מה שמך אמרתי לאברהם (בראשית יג, יז) קום התהלך בארץ לארכה ולרחבה כי לך אתננה בקש מקום לקבור את שרה ולא מצא עד שקנה בד' מאות שקל כסף ולא הרהר על מדותי

The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses: Woe over those who are gone and are no longer found; as several times I revealed Myself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty [El Shaddai] and they did not question My attributes, and did not say to Me: What is Your name? I said to Abraham: “Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto you I will give it” (Genesis 13:17). Ultimately, he sought a place to bury Sarah and did not find one until he purchased it for four hundred silver shekels, and he did not question My attributes and did not protest that I failed to fulfill My promise to give him the land.

The Talmud is suggesting that the greatness of Avraham here was that he looked for a place to bury Sarah and eventually found the cave, for which he had to pay a hefty sum. The question here is simple: why is this considered such a great deed for Avraham to have carried out? Surely he was just spending money here and as ‘they’ say; ’Its only money!’ What is the great test for Avraham here that the Talmud sings his praises so highly in this story?

We see the same praise for Avraham in the words of the ‘Satan’ as well (T.B. Bava Batra 16a)

‘The Satan said before God: Master of the Universe, I have gone to and fro across the entire world and have not found anyone as faithful as your servant Abraham, to whom you said: “Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it to you” (Genesis 13:17). And when he wanted to bury Sarah, he could not find a place to bury her, and yet he did not criticize Your ways, or accuse You of having failed to keep Your promise…………’

Again the same question can be asked as before. What is so praiseworthy?

The solution to understanding why this event was so great a test for Avraham is found by looking at another Chazal, found in the Pirkei D’R’Eliezer (authored by R’ Eliezer Hagadol, a talmid of Bet Shamai).

Pirkei D’R’ Eliezer ch.36

שלשה אבות כרתו ברית עם עמי הארץ ואלו הם אברהם יצחק ויעקב אברהם כרת ברית עם עמי הארץ

………..Therefore he desired to have the Cave of Machpelah as a burial possession. He spoke to the sons of Jebus, in order to purchase from them the Cave of || Machpelah by a purchase with gold,12 and by a perpetual deed for a possession of a burying-place. Were they Jebusites? Were they not Hittites? But they were called Jebusites according to the name of the city of Jebus.1 The men did not accept (this request).2 He began to bow down and prostrate himself unto them, as it is said, "And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land" (ibid. xxiii. 12)…………

……..They said to him: We know that the Holy One, blessed be He, will give to thee and to thy seed in the future all these lands; make a covenant with us by an oath that thy seed shall not take possession of the cities3 of Jebus, and we will sell unto thee the Cave of Machpelah by a purchase with gold and by a perpetual deed and for a perpetual possession. He made with them a covenant with an oath that the Israelites would not take possession of the city of Jebus4save by the consent of the sons of Jebus, and afterwards he bought the Cave of Machpelah by a purchase with gold, and a perpetual deed, for a perpetual possession,5 (as it is said), "And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron;6 and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant" (ibid. 16)……

…….What did the men of Jebus do? They made images of copper, and set them up in the street of the city, and wrote upon them the covenant of the oath of Abraham. When the Israelites came to the land (of Canaan), they wished to enter the city of the Jebusites,7 but they were not able (to enter),1 because of the sign of the covenant of Abraham's oath,2 as it is said, "And the children of Benjamin did not drive out3 the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem" (Judg. i. 21). || When David reigned4 he desired to enter the city of the Jebusites, (but) they did not allow him, as it is said, "And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land; which5 spake unto David, saying, Thou shalt not come in hither" (2 Sam. v. 6)……..

………David said to his men: Whoever will go up first, and remove those images upon which the sign of the covenant of Abraham's oath1 is written, he shall be the chief.2 And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, went up,3 and he became the chief, as it is said, "And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, || and was made chief" (1 Chron. xi. 6). Afterwards he4 bought the city of the Jebusites for Israel by a purchase with gold and with a perpetual deed for a perpetual possession. What did David do? He took from each tribe fifty shekels; verily all of them amounted to six hundred shekels,5 as it is said, "So David gave to Ornan6 for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight" (ibid. xxi. 25).

This is a remarkable insight into the whole negociation of Avraham with Ephron. It was agreed to sell him the cave of Machpelah on condition that Avraham (and his descendants) would not ask for the city of Yevus(which became known as Jerusalem).Certain idols were placed on the road to Jerusalem as a reminder for future generations of the covenant made by Avraham and it was not until the days of David that these idols were removed and the city was finally captured by the Jews(see Samuel 2 ch.5)

וַיִּלְכֹּ֣ד דָּוִ֔ד אֵ֖ת מְצֻדַ֣ת צִיּ֑וֹן הִ֖יא עִ֥יר דָּוִֽד׃

But David captured the stronghold of Zion; it is now the City of David.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא כָּל־מַכֵּ֤ה יְבֻסִי֙ וְיִגַּ֣ע בַּצִּנּ֔וֹר וְאֶת־הַפִּסְחִים֙ וְאֶת־הַ֣עִוְרִ֔ים שנאו [שְׂנֻאֵ֖י] נֶ֣פֶשׁ דָּוִ֑ד עַל־כֵּן֙ יֹֽאמְר֔וּ עִוֵּ֣ר וּפִסֵּ֔חַ לֹ֥א יָב֖וֹא אֶל־הַבָּֽיִת׃

On that occasion David said, “Those who attack the Jebusites shall reach the water channel and [strike down] the lame and the blind, who are hateful to David.” That is why they say: “No one who is blind or lame may enter the House.”

The Mefarshim explain that by removing these idols(‘the lame and the blind’) David was able to enter Jerusalem and cancel the covenant made by Avraham many centuries earlier.

The challenge for Avraham over the cave of Machpelah is now perfectly clear. Was he prepared to buy Machpelah and forego Yevus/Jerusalem in the process? He had just returned from Har Hamoriah and had recognized the special holiness of that place for the akeda. However, he agreed to the compromise and it took many centuries before this covenant was destroyed by David and Jerusalem became the capital of Israel.

This is a second episode where Avraham had compromised on part of Eretz Yisrael. He had also agreed to allow Avimelech, the Philistine leader to remain in his own territory (Bereshit.ch21), even though it was designated for to become part of Israel in the future. The Rashbam (Bereshit ch.22) suggests that Avraham was punished for this compromise, with the events  of the akeda, being a lesson to him that giving away Eretz Yisrael is like sacrificing one’s own child.

This whole concept is very significant in our days when such acts of compromise have proven to be disastrous (with hindsight). We can learn from Avraham about the struggle involved with giving up part of Eretz Yisrael, and even though he did compromise, we can learn how unsatisfactory this arrangement about Yevus/Jerusalem was, in the end. Israel without Jerusalem is unthinkable in those days and even more so today and this story serves as a warning for future generations, that whenever compromise of land in Israel comes up, it is a test where we have to be  tremendously careful to weigh up all sides, before agreeing to the deal. Avraham did agree twice to compromise and we can feel his struggle but also realize that this may not be an option for us in the future, based on the evidence of the recent past. This (future) evidence was not available to Avraham, and had he known it, the history of his day may have been different (certainly regarding the land of the Philistines). This insight is worthy of consideration in any future negotiations which may take place, where it is suggested that we give up ‘land for peace’ in the land of Israel.

Rabbi Ian Shaffer                             Cherry Hill NJ/SCW  Cheshvan 5778