Genesis Rabbah 58

¹“Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah” (Genesis 23:1). “Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred years.” “The Lord knows the days of the faultless; their inheritance will last forever” (Psalms 37:18) – just as they are faultless, so their years are faultless: When twenty years old she was like a seven year old girl regarding beauty, and when a hundred years old she was like a twenty year old regarding sin. Another matter, “the Lord knows the days of the faultless [ temimim ]” – this refers to Sarah, who was faultless in her actions. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Like a calf without blemish [ temima ]. “Their inheritance will last forever,” as it is stated: “Sarah’s lifetime was” – why was it necessary to say: “The years of the life of Sarah” at the end? It is to tell you that the lives of the righteous are beloved before the Omnipresent in this world and in the World to Come. ²“The sun rises and the sun sets” (Ecclesiastes 1:5) – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Do we not know that the sun rises and the sun sets? The meaning is, however, that before the Holy One blessed be He causes the sun of a righteous person to set, he causes the sun of his righteous counterpart to rise. The day that Rabbi Akiva died, Rabbeinu [Yehuda HaNasi] was born, and they applied this verse in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” On the day that Rabbeinu died, Rav Ada bar Ahava was born, and they applied this verse in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” On the day that Rav Ada bar Ahava died, Rabbi Avun was born, and they applied this verse in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” On the day that Rabbi Avun died, his son Rabbi Avun was born. On the day that Rabbi Avun died, Abba Hoshaya of Teriya was born. On the day Abba Hoshaya died, Rabbi Hoshaya was born, and they applied this verse in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” Before He caused Moses’ sun to set, He caused Joshua’s sun to rise, as it is stated: “The Lord said to Moses: Take you Joshua, the son of Nun […and lay your hands upon him]” (Numbers 27:18). Before Joshua’s sun set, the sun of Otniel ben Kenaz rose, as it is stated: “Otniel son of Kenaz…captured it” (Joshua 15:17). Before Eli’s sun set, Samuel’s sun rose: “The lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was lying in the Sanctuary of the Lord” (I Samuel 3:3). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Like a calf without blemish. ). Before the Holy One blessed be He caused Sarah’s sun to set, Rebecca’s sun rose. First, “behold, Milka, she too has borne children” (Genesis 22:20), and only then: “Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred years….” ³Rabbi Akiva was once sitting and lecturing and the audience began to doze off. He sought to rouse them. He said: ‘Why was Esther seen fit to reign over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces? The explanation is: Let Esther, who was a descendant of Sarah, who lived one hundred and twenty-seven years, come and reign over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces.’ ⁴“Sarah died in Kiryat Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan; Abraham came to lament for Sarah, and to weep for her” (Genesis 23:2). “Sarah died in Kiryat Arba” – it was called by four names: Eshkol, Mamre, Kiryat Arba, Hebron. Why does it [the Torah] call it Kiryat Arba? It is because four [ arba’a ] righteous men resided there: Aner, Eshkol and Mamre, and Abraham, and four righteous men were circumcised there: Abraham, Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre. Alternatively, it is because four righteous men, patriarchs of the world, were buried there: Adam the first man, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Alternatively, it is because four matriarchs are buried there: Eve, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah. And [it is called this also] after its lords, who numbered four, the giant and his three sons. Rabbi Azarya said: It is [so named] because it was from there that our patriarch Abraham departed when he pursued [the armies of] the four kingdoms, who were world leaders. It is [so named also] because it fell by lottery to four parties: Initially to Judah, then to Caleb, then to the Levites, and then to the priests. Also, it is one of the four undesirable places in the Land of Israel. What were they? Rabbi Yitzḥak and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Dor, the Dor District, Timnat Seraḥ, and Hebron. The Rabbis say: Dana, Kiryat Sana, Timnat Seraḥ, and Hebron. ⁵“Abraham came to lament for Sarah, and to weep for her” – from where did he come? Rabbi Levi said: He came from Teraḥ’s burial to [that of] Sarah. Rabbi Yosei said to him: But is it not so that Teraḥ’s burial preceded Sarah’s burial by two years? Rather, from where did he come? From Mount Moriah. Sarah died as a result of grief over that incident. That is why the binding [of Isaac] is juxtaposed to “Sarah’s lifetime was.” ⁶“Abraham arose from before his dead, and he spoke to the children of Ḥet, saying” (Genesis 23:3). “Abraham arose from before his dead” – this teaches that he saw the angel of death provoking him. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From where is it derived what we learn in a mishna: One whose dead one [a deceased relative] is lying before him is exempt from the recitation of Shema , from prayer, and from wearing phylacteries, as well as all mitzvot in the Torah? 3:1. It is from here: “[Abraham] arose…and he spoke.” “I am a sojourner and a resident among you: give me a burial plot with you, and I will bury my dead from before me” (Genesis 23:4). “A sojourner [ ger ] and a resident”; ger means one who dwells as a tenant; toshav means a landlord. [Abraham was saying:] ‘If you prefer, I will act as a tenant, but if not, I will act as a landlord, as this is what the Holy One blessed be He has said to me: “To your descendants I have given this land”’ (Genesis 15:18). “Give me a burial plot with you, and I will bury my dead from before me” – I am requesting [a plot] for only one dead person, as it is stated: “Give me a burial plot with you, [and I will bury my dead].” “The children of Ḥet answered Abraham, saying to him” (Genesis 23:5). “Hear us, my lord: you are a prince of God in our midst, in our choicest graves bury your dead; none of us shall withhold his grave from you, from burying your dead” (Genesis 23:6). “The children of Ḥet answered Abraham…Hear us, my lord…” – you are king over us, you are prince over us, you are like a god to us. He said to them: ‘Let the world not fail to accept its true King, let the world not fail to accept its true God.’ “In our choicest graves” – in the choicest one of our many graves. “Bury your dead” – many dead. “Abraham prostrated himself before the people of the land, the children of Ḥet” (Genesis 23:7. “Abraham prostrated himself before the people of the land” – from here we learn that one should give thanks [to God] over hearing good tidings. ⁷“He spoke with them, saying: If you are willing to bury my dead from before me, heed me, and intercede for me with Ephron, son of Tzoḥar” (Genesis 23:8). “He spoke with them, saying: If you are willing…[intercede [ pigu ] for me]” – prevail upon him for me, mediate on my behalf; and if that is not [sufficient], entreat him on my behalf. can connote all of these meanings. “Ephron was sitting among the children of Ḥet and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Ḥet, of all those coming to his city gate, saying” (Genesis 23:10). “Ephron was sitting [ yoshev ] among the children of Ḥet” – Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Yashav is written; , “was sitting,” is usually spelled with a vav , but here the vav is missing, so that the word could be read yashav , “he sat.” If the verse is saying that “he sat,” it means that at that point in the narrative he sat down among the children of Ḥet, meaning that he assumed a position of honor among them. on that day they appointed him chief officer [over them], so that there would not be [a situation in which] a person of great stature [Abraham] would be purchasing from a person of low stature. “Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Ḥet, [of all those coming to his city gate]” – Rabbi Pinḥas said: This teaches that they all locked their doors and went out to show kindness towards Abraham [by attending Sarah’s funeral]. “No, my lord, heed me; the field I have given to you, and the cave that is in it, I have given it to you; before the eyes of my people I have given it to you; bury your dead” (Genesis 23:11). “He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying: But if you please, hear me: I will give the price of the field; take it from me, and I will bury my dead there” (Genesis 23:13). “And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him” (Genesis 23:14). “My lord, heed me: Land worth four hundred shekels of silver, between me and you, what is it? Bury your dead” (Genesis 23:15). “Abraham heeded Ephron, and Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver that he spoke in the hearing of the children of Ḥet, four hundred shekels of silver, in the currency of merchants” (Genesis 23:16). “No, my lord, heed me; the field I have given to you, and the cave…My lord, heed me: Land worth four hundred shekels of silver” – Rabbi Ḥanina said: All the shekels that are stated in the Torah refer to sela’im ; in the Prophets, litrin ; being equal to twenty-five sela’im . and in the Writings, centenaria . being equal to one hundred sela’im . Rabbi Yudan said: The exception is the shekels of Ephron, which were centenaria . That is what is written: “A greedy man rushes after wealth, and he does not know that diminishment will befall him” (Proverbs 28:22). “A greedy man rushes after wealth” – this refers to Ephron, who cast a greedy eye upon the wealth of the righteous man [Abraham]. “And he does not know that diminishment will befall him” – as the Torah diminished the letter vav from him. , but here, where he overprices his field, his name is spelled without the vav . Thus, because of his greediness, diminishment befell him. That is what is written: “Abraham heeded Ephron and Abraham weighed for Ephron [the silver…]” – Ephron is written without a vav . “Four hundred shekels of silver, in the currency of merchants” – Rabbi Abba bar Bizna said: It was usable for all merchandise. ⁸“The field of Ephron that was in Makhpela that was before Mamre, the field and the cave that was in it, and every tree that was in the field, that was within its border all around, were established” (Genesis 23:17). “As possession for Abraham before the children of Ḥet, of all coming to his city gate” (Genesis 23:18). “The field of Ephron…were established [ vayakam ]” – it had been lowly and was now elevated [ vekamat ], as it had belonged to an insignificant person and now it became that of a great person. “The field of Ephron that was in Makhpela” – this teaches that it doubled [ nikhpelu ] in value in the eyes of everyone, and that anyone who is buried in it can be certain that his reward is doubled [ kaful ]. Rabbi Abahu said: It is because the Holy One blessed be He folded up [ kafaf ] the [great] height of Adam the first man 12:6. and buried him in it [the Cave of Makhpela]. “The field and the cave that was in it…” – Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] said: From where is it derived what we learned: One who sells his field must write down the field and its [specific] border markers? It is from here: “The field and the cave that was in it, and every tree that was in the field that was within its border all around, as possession for Abraham before the children of Ḥet.” Rabbi Elazar said: How many inkwells are emptied, how many quills are broken in order to write “the sons of Ḥet”? “The sons of Ḥet” is repeated ten times, corresponding to the Ten Commandments, to teach you that anyone who endorses the transaction of a righteous man, it is as though he fulfilled the Ten Commandments. Rabbi Yudan said: “The sons of Barzilai” is written five times, corresponding to the five books of the Torah, to teach you that anyone who feeds a slice of bread to a righteous man, it is as though he fulfilled the five books of the Torah. ⁹“Then, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Makhpela opposite Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan” (Genesis 23:19). “Then, Abraham buried” – that is what is written: “One who pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor” (Proverbs 21:21). “One who pursues righteousness” – this refers to Abraham, as it is written [of him]: “[For I love him, so that he will command his children and his household after him,] that they observe the way of the Lord to perform righteousness” (Genesis 18:19). “And kindness” – as he performed an act of kindness for Sarah. “Will find life” – “The years of Abraham's life that he lived, one hundred and seventy-five years” (Genesis 25:7). “Righteousness, and honor” – Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said: The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘My craft is performing kindness. You have adopted My craft, now come and don My garment:’ “Abraham was old, advanced in years” (Genesis 24:1).