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Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon                                                              Rabbanit Sharon Rimon



                                                                    Investing

                                                                 in Blessings



           arashat  Chayei Sarah describes   Perizzite abode then  in  the Land,’  so   G-d has promised Avraham that
           Avraham’s last three actions,    that Avram was not yet entitled to     “through Yitzchak shall your seed be
     Pwhich epitomize the direction         possession.” Avraham understands       called.” Yitzchak is meant to continue
      and essence of his life.              that the Land does not yet belong to   the  dynasty,  the  host  of  descendants
                                            him, so his shepherds cannot graze     promised to Avraham. He is meant
      The  first action is the purchase of                                         to father the  “great nation” G-d has
      Ma’arat HaMachpela (Chapter 23).      freely (compared to Lot’s shepherds
                                            who act as if the Land is theirs).     described to Avraham.
      Why does the Torah elaborate at such                                         Towards the end of his life, Avraham
      length on the purchase of the cave?   G-d tells Avraham, “Arise, walk about
      Why was it not enough to simply state,   in the Land, throughout its length and   works to ensure the realization of
                                                                                   G-d’s promise of descendants, by
      in one single verse, “He purchased the                                       seeking  a worthy  wife for Yitzchak.
      Cave of Machpela and buried Sarah in                                         This act is of dual significance: first,
      it?” There must be more to this story
      than  just  the  burial  of  Sarah.  The                                     it addresses the need for successors
      text records the sale in great detail,                                       and descendants; second, it addresses
                                                                                   the  need  for  the  coming  generations
      emphasizing that Avraham did not                                             to be worthy of G-d’s covenant. It is
      agree to accept the plot as a gift but
      rather insisted on paying for it – and a                                     therefore vital that the wife chosen for
      hefty sum, at that.                                                          Yitzchak be worthy of her role.
                                                                                   The  third action is declaring a
      G-d  had  promised  Avraham  the  land
      of Canaan, but Avraham is aware that                                         successor (Chapter 25:1-6).
      he cannot sit back and wait for things                                       Before his death, Avraham ensures
      to fall into his lap. Rather, he knows                                       there will be no dispute with regard
      he must act for the promise to be                                            to his estate. He makes it clear that
      fulfilled. Therefore, throughout his life                                    Yitzchak is his heir. The children of
      he acts not as a person who knows that                                       the concubines are sent elsewhere,
      the Land already belongs to him, but                                         while  Yitzchak   inherits  all  of
      rather as a  “stranger and sojourner,”                                       Avraham’s vast wealth.
      aware he must act in order to acquire   its breadth, for I shall give it to you.” 1
      the Land.                             Avraham understands that he must       These  three  acts  teach  us  that
                                            become familiar with the Land if he    although G-d Himself promised
      This is reflected in the story of the   is to receive it. Indeed, this is what he   the Land and the seed to Avraham,
      quarrel between Avraham’s shepherds                                          Avraham does not view these
      and Lot’s shepherds. Following the    does throughout his life.              promises as  assurances or  gifts,
      Midrash, Rashi says: “Because Lot’s   In addition, Avraham purchases the     but rather as a destiny requiring
      shepherds were wicked men and         land, personally, and for full price.   his own human efforts to assure its
      grazed  their  cattle  in  other  people’s   Ma’arat HaMachpela is the first place   fulfillment..
      fields. Avram’s shepherds rebuked     Avraham acquires in Canaan. Not
      them for this act of robbery, but they   only does Avraham buy land, he buys
      replied, ‘The Land has been given to   a burial plot, which most strongly    1   Bereishit 13:17.
      Avram, and since he has no son as     expresses his connection to the Land.
      heir, Lot will be his heir: consequently                                     Rabbanit Sharon  Rimon  teaches Tanach
      this  is  not  robbery.’  However,  the   The  second action is finding a wife   and is Content Editor for the Tanach website
      Torah states: ‘The Canaanite and the   for Yitzchak (Chapter 24).            www.hatanakh.com/en
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