Chapter 23

אויהיו חיי שרה מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים. לְכָךְ נִכְתַּב שָׁנָה בְּכָל כְּלָל וּכְלָל, לוֹמַר לְךָ שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד נִדְרָשׁ לְעַצְמוֹ, בַּת ק' כְּבַת כ' לְחֵטְא, מַה בַּת כ' לֹא חָטְאָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵינָהּ בַּת עֳנָשִׁין, אַף בַּת ק' בְּלֹא חֵטְא, וּבַת כ' כְּבַת ז' לְיֹפִי:

1ויהיו חיי שרה מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים AND THE LIFE OF SARAH WAS 127 YEARS (literally, 100 years, 20 years and 7 years) — The reason the word שנה is written at every term is to tell you that each term must be explained by itself as a complete number: at the age of one hundred she was as a woman of twenty as regards sin — for just as at the age of twenty one may regard her as having never sinned, since she had not then reached the age when she was subject to punishment, so, too, when she was one hundred years old she was sinless — and when she was twenty she was as beautiful as when she was seven (Genesis Rabbah 58:1).

בשני חיי שרה. כֻּלָּן שָׁוִין לְטוֹבָה:

2שני חיי שרה THE YEARS OF SARAH’S LIFE — The word years is repeated and without a number to indicate that they were all equally good.

אבקרית ארבע. עַל שֵׁם אַרְבַּע עֲנָקִים שֶׁהָיוּ שָׁם, אֲחִימָן שֵׁשַׁי וְתַלְמַי וַאֲבִיהֶם. דָּ"אַ עַל שֵׁם אַרְבַּע זוּגוֹת שֶׁנִקְבְּרוּ שָׁם אִישׁ וְאִשְׁתּוֹ, אָדָם וְחַוָּה, אַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה, יִצְחָק וְרִבְקָה, יַעֲקֹב וְלֵאָה (בראשית רבה):

1בקרית ארבע literally, the city of the Four, and it was so called because of the four giants who lived there: Ahiman, Sheshai, Talmai and their father (Numbers 13:22). Another explanation is that it was so called because of the four couples who were buried there, man and wife — Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah (Genesis Rabbah 58:4).

בויבא אברהם. מִבְּאֵר שֶׁבַע:

2ויבא אברהם AND ABRAHAM CAME from Beer-Sheba

גלספוד לשרה ולבכתה. וְנִסְמְכָה מִיתַת שָׂרָה לַעֲקֵדַת יִצְחָק לְפִי שֶׁעַל יְדֵי בְּשׂוֹרַת הָעֲקֵדָה, שֶׁנִּזְדַּמֵּן בְּנָהּ לִשְׁחִיטָה וְכִמְעַט שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁחַט, פָּרְחָה נִשְׁמָתָהּ מִמֶּנָּה וּמֵתָה:

3לספוד לשרה ולבכותה TO BEWAIL SARAH AND TO WEEP FOR HER — The narrative of the death of Sarah follows immediately on that of the Binding of Isaac, because through the announcement of the Binding — that her son had been made ready for sacrifice and had almost been sacrificed — she received a great shock (literally, her soul flew from her) and she died (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 32).

אגר ותושב אנכי עמכם. גֵּר מֵאֶרֶץ אַחֶרֶת וְנִתְיַשַּׁבְתִּי עִמָּכֶם. וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה אִם תִּרְצוּ הֲרֵינִי גֵּר, וְאִם לָאו אֶהְיֶה תּוֹשָׁב וְאֶטְּלֶנָּה מִן הַדִּין, שֶׁאָמַר לִי הַקָּבָּ"ה לְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת:

1גר ותושב אנכי עמכם I AM A STRANGER AND A SETTLER WITH YOU — A stranger having come from another land, but I have settled down amongst you. A Midrashic explanation is: if you agree to sell me the land then I will regard myself as a stranger and will pay for it, but if not, I shall claim it as a settler and will take it as my legal right, because the Holy One, blessed be He, said to me, (12:7) “Unto thy seed I give this land" (Genesis Rabbah 58:6).

באחוזת קבר. אֲחֻזַּת קַרְקַע לְבֵית הַקְּבָרוֹת:

2אחזת קבר A POSSESSION OF A BURYING PLACE — means possession of land to serve as a burying place.

אלא יכלה. לֹא יִמְנַע כְּמוֹ לֹא תִכְלָא רַחֲמֶיךָ (תהילים מ') וּכְמוֹ וַיִּכָּלֵא הַגֶּשֶׁם (בראשית ח'):

1לא יכלה means will not withhold, just as (Psalms 40:12) “Thou wilt not withhold (תכלא) Thy mercies”, and (Genesis 8:2) “And the rain was restrained (ויכלא).

אנפשכם. רְצוֹנְכֶם:

1נפשכם means YOUR WILL.

בופגעו לי. לְשוֹן בַּקָּשָׁה כְּמוֹ: אַל תִּפְגְּעִי בִּי (רות א'):

2ופגעו לי — This phrase signifies entreaty, as (Ruth 1:16) “Do not entreat (תפגעי) me”.

אהמכפלה. בַּית וַעֲלִיָּה עַל גַּבָּיו. דָּ"אַ שֶׁכְּפוּלָה בְּזוּגוֹת (עירובין נ"ג):

1המכפלה MACHPELAH (the root, כפל, means double) — it had a lower and an upper cavern. Another explanation of why it was so called is, because it has the characteristic of being doubled on account of the couples who are buried there (see Rashi in verse 2) (Eruvin 53a).

בבכסף מלא. שָׁלֵם, כָּל שָׁוְיָהּ; וְכֵן דָּוִד אָמַר לַאֲרַוְנָה בְּכֶסֶף מָלֵא (דברי הימים א כ"א):

2בכסף מלא FOR ITS FULL VALUE IN SILVER — מלא means שלם so that the phrase means all that it is worth. Thus, too, did David say to Ornan, (1 Chronicles 21:22) “for full money”.

אועפרון ישב. כְּתִיב חָסֵר, אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם מִנּוּהוּ שׁוֹטֵר עֲלֵיהֶם; מִפְּנֵי חֲשִׁיבוּתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם שֶׁהָיָה צָרִיךְ לוֹ, עָלָה לִגְדֻלָּה:

1ועפרון ישב The verb is written without a ו so that it may be read ישב he sat, thus indicating that on that very day they had appointed him (Ephron) to be an officer over them. Because of the high standing of Abraham who needed to negotiate with him, he was elevated to a dignified position (so that Abraham whom they esteemed as a great prince might have to negotiate with an equal and not with an inferior person (Genesis Rabbah 58:7).

בלכל באי שער עירו. שֶׁכֻּלָּן בָּטְלוּ מִמְּלָאכְתָּן וּבָאוּ לִגְמֹל חֶסֶד לְשָׂרָה:

2לכל באי שער עירו OF ALL THAT CAME IN AT THE GATE OF HIS CITY — for they all left their work and came to pay their last respect to Sarah (Genesis Rabbah 58:7).

אלא אדני. לֹא תִּקְנֶה אוֹתָהּ בְּדָמִים:

1לא אדני NAY, MY LORD — You are not to buy it with money.

בנתתי לך. הֲרֵי הוּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁנְּתַתִּיהָ לְךָ:

2נתתי לך I HAVE GIVEN IT TO THEE (a perfect tense) — See, it is as though I have already given it to you.

אאך אם אתה לו שמעני. אַתָּה אוֹמֵר לִי לִשְׁמֹעַ לְךָ וְלִקַּח בְּחִנָּם, אֲנִי אִי אֶפְשִׁי בְּכָךְ:

1אך אם אתה לו שמעני BUT IF THOU WOULDST ONLY HEAR ME — You tell me to listen to you (verse 11) and to accept it without payment. I do not desire this:

באך אם אתה לו שמעני. הַלְוַאי וְתִשְׁמָעֵנִי:

2BUT IF THOU WOULDST ONLY HEAR ME!—i.e. I only wish that you would listen to me and do as I ask.

גנתתי. דני"ש בלע"ז, מוּכָן הוּא אֶצְלִי, וְהַלְוַאי נָתַתִּי לְךָ כְּבָר:

3נתתי I GIVE (perfect with present sense) old French donne; English I give. I have the money ready and I only wish that I had already given it to you.

אביני ובינך. בֵּין שְׁנֵי אוֹהֲבִים כָּמוֹנוּ מַה הִיא חֲשׁוּבָה לִכְלוּם, אֶלָּא הַנַּח אֶת הַמֶּכֶר וְאֶת מֵתְךָ קְבֹר (בראשית רבה):

1ביני ובינך BETWEEN ME AND THEE — Between two such friends as we are, of what importance is that? Nothing at all! Leave business alone and bury your dead!

אוישקל אברהם לעפרן. חָסֵר וָי"ו; לְפִי שֶׁאָמַר הַרְבֵּה, וַאֲפִלּוּ מְעַט לֹא עָשָׂה (בבא מציעא פ"ז), שֶׁנָּטַל מִמֶּנוּ שְׁקָלִים גְּדוֹלִים שֶׁהֵן קַנְטָרִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עֹבֵר לַסֹּחֵר, שֶׁמִּתְקַבְּלִים בְּשֶׁקֶל בְּכָל מָקוֹם (שם ובכורות נ'), וְיֵשׁ מָקוֹם שֶׁשִּׁקְלֵיהֶן גְּדוֹלִים, שֶׁהֵן קַנְטָרִין צנטינא"רש בלע"ז:

1וישקל אברהם לעפרן AND ABRAHAM WEIGHED TO EPHRON [THE SILVER] — The name Ephron is written defectively (without the ו) to indicate that there was something missing in Ephron viz, sincerity — because he promised much but did not do even the very least (Bava Metzia 87a): He took from him big Shekels, viz., centenaria (worth a full 100 smaller units) as it is said, “money current with the merchant” which means, such coins as were everywhere accepted as worth a full Shekel — for there are places where their Shekels are of large size, centenaria; old French Centenars (cf. Ruth R. 7).

אויקם שדה עפרון. תְּקוּמָה הָיְתָה לוֹ, שֶׁיָּצָא מִיַּד הֶדְיוֹט לְיַד מֶלֶךְ; וּפְשׁוּטוֹ שֶׁל מִקְרָא וַיָּקָם הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ וְכָל הָעֵץ לְאַבְרָהָם לְמִקְנָה וגו':

1ויקם שדה עפרון AND THE FIELD OF EPHRON WAS MADE SURE (literally, it rose) — It received a rise in importance because it passed from the possession of a commoner (הדיוט an ordinary person) into the possession of a king (Genesis Rabbah 58:8). But the real meaning of the verse is: The field and the cave that was therein and all the trees … became secured to Abraham as a possession etc. (i. e. verse 17 is an incomplete sentence and must be read together with verse 18, thus: ויקם השדה וגו… לאברהם למקנה —The field etc. became secured to Abraham as a possession).

אבכל באי שער עירו. בְּקֶרֶב כֻּלָּם וּבְמַעֲמַד כֻּלָּם הִקְנָהוּ לוֹ:

1בכל באי שער עירו BEFORE ALL THAT CAME IN AT THE GATE OF HIS CITY — In the midst of all them, and with all of them standing by he gave him legal possession of it.

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org