Weekly Torah Lesson
Parasha: Chayei Sarah – “The Lives of Sarah”
Torah: Bereishit 23:1 – 25:18
“Bereishit 23:1 And Sarah was an hundred years and twenty years and seven years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.
** Sarah is the only woman to have her age listed in The Scriptures. There has been much speculation about the way that her age is listed. The verse is an anomaly and I think that we will have to wait for Meshiach to return before we can truly understand this puzzle.
** Avraham was 137 years and Yitzak was 37 years old when Sarah died.
2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan:
** 2 Hevron is an area near Beit Lechem;
and Avraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
*** “So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word to him: for they saw that his grief was very great.” (Job 2:13 )
*** “19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.” (John 11:19-20 )
** The verb “sat still” doesn’t appear in the Greek. Most modern versions eliminate the phrase. It may have been added by a zealous translator who was familiar with Jewish customs.
**Sitting Shiva Most contemporary sects of Judaism practice a mourning process referred to as “sitting shiva”. After the body is quickly buried, the family spends seven days sitting on low stools and receive visitors who bring them food and spend time consoling the mourners through the grieving process.
** These verses might indicate what Avraham went through for Sarah.
3 And Avraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth,
** The Hebrew seems to indicate that Avraham went to the city “gate of council” where the rulers of the area sat to judge local disputes to negotiate with the owner of the field that he wanted to purchase.
** “the sons of Heth” were known as Hitites.
saying, 4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burial plot with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. 5 And the children of Heth answered Avraham, saying to him, 6 Hear us, Adoni: you are a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchers bury your dead; none of us shall withhold from you his sepulcher, but that you may bury your dead. 7 And Avraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. 8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah,
** Avraham buys the field and cave which is close to Beit Lechem and buries Sarah ; The Hebrew root for MacPelah is “fallah” meaning “double”;
which he has, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a burial plot among you. 10 And Ephron dwelled among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Avraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, 11 No, Adoni, hear me: the field give I you, and the cave that is therein, I give it you; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it you: bury your dead. 12 And Avraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. 13 And he spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if you will give it, I pray you, hear me: I will give you money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there. 14 And Ephron answered Avraham, saying to him, 15 Adoni, listen to me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between me and you? bury therefore your dead.
** Avraham offers to buy the cave of Machpelah from Ephron; “silver” also means “longing”
16 And Avraham listened to Ephron; and Avraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. 17 And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure 18 To Avraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. 19 And after this, Avraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.
**Jewish tradition teaches that the highest “act of kindness” that one person can do for another is to bury them.
20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure to Avraham for a possession of a burial plot by the sons of Heth.
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