Chayei Sara - 1st Portion

Join me as we learn together for paras which begins in chapter 23 verse one and sah's lifetime was 127 years in seven years 100 years and 20 years and then seven years was the lifetime of Sah. One of the first and obvious questions that many ask is why is the Torah reading called the life of Sah if it talks about the exact opposite the passing of Sah and as the Rebi explains it is brought in the Talmud that this is the Torah reading which tells us about her son's marriage and continuing life and continuing the legacy of Sarah. So therefore what is the greatest life of Sarah is the fact that her children continue in her ways. As we know the life of a sadic is not life of flesh and blood but a life of spirituality and the legacy they leave. And this as well is the life of Sara that she continues to see her legacy continue through her children and that's why the Torah reading is called the life of Sara. Why does the Torah split it up to say may the estim splitting up the 127 years putting shun after each one of them? So Rashi explains as follows. Therefore, he writes sh by each one of the numbers of years to tell you that each one of these years need its own explanation and are alluding to something great. When she was 100 years old, she was like 20 years old concerning sin just like by 20 she had no sin. So too shimbased because a person until age of 20 was not allowed to be punished by the uh heavenly court as it's discussed in the track date of Shabas there. So too by the time of 100 she also had no sins and she was 20 years old. She was like seven-year-old concerning her beauty that her beauty has not been taken away from her and she always stayed a beautiful woman. The Torah if it tells us already how at her age why does it have to conclude by telling us this is the lifetime of Sah that they were all her years were good ones. Verse two curious and s died in the place called curious which isan in the land of cananan came to beva to eulog from to eulogize s and to weep for her curious why was the place called curious arba what does that mean sashi tells us verse two I'll shame If it was why was it called curious? Because of the four giants who lived there. They were and their father. Another reason. There were four couples who were buried in the cave of the patriarchs. The three patriarchs with Sarah, Rebecca, and Leia. And then Adam and Eve as well. Is husband and wife and Leia. Aram it says Nam came where was he coming from? So Rashi tells us why did he why was he in Beerva? Why wasn't he with his wife? Because if you recall in last week's Torah reading he was still there from after the binding of Isaac on Mount Mariah. He went to Beerva. What did he come for? To eulogize Fis and to cry for her. So what does this mean? Why does it tell us the death of Sarah right after the binding of Isaac? The death of Sarah is just to the binding of Isaac. Rashi is telling us that one of the reasons why the two are together is because of the news that she got that she heard that her son was almost brought as a sacrifice on Mount Mariah. because of that she uh her soul left her because of the great shock that she had from it and because of that she died according to some it's explained in the medish that I think it was o that lifted her that she should see it occurring that she while Isaac was bound up and had a knife on top of him even though she didn't see the actual occurrence but she was the shock in itself that her son could be brought as a sacrifice that in itself caused her to pass verse Three and a rose from the presence of his dead wife and he spoke to the Hittites as follows. Lear saying verse four I am a foreigner and a sjourer amongst you to I'll give to me allow me a burial ground within amongst you the so that I can bury my dead for my presence he tells them as we're soon going to see in rashi why does he use a double terminology Is he a g? Is he a foreigner? Or is he a sjourer? Which one is it? Therefore, ashi explains and says as follows. Text verse four. Was he living from another land or was he living here? Which one was it? He says, I'm considered a stranger because I came here from another land. However, now I'm settling amongst you. The med explains as follows. And he tells them as as follows. And he says, "Listen here. If you want and you're gonna give it to me like I as I'll ask, I'll be acting like a foreigner and I'll buy it from you. But if you're going to give me a hard time, I'm going to be like one who lives here and I'll take it by force. God told me already that to your children the land will be given. So therefore technically this land belongs to me. So either you can have it the nice way and sell it to me or I'll take it by force. What does it mean? A burial place. So the word Rashi explains a parcel of land to use for a burial for me and my family. Verse five. And the replied, saying to him, verse six, "Listen to us, my lord, my master. You're a prince of God in our midst." Bury your dead in the most choicest of our burial burial sites. No one amongst us will deny you will deny you from his burial site to bury your dead. What is the word tells us in verse six would not withhold from you like we have to that God does not withhold his mercy or he withheld the rain. Verse seven got up and he ro bowed to the people of that region who were the Hittites. Verse eight, and he spoke with them, saying, "If it is really your will that I should be able to bury my dead Milan before you, then listen to me and inreat the son of my behalf." What does it mean? If you have a desire, what does it mean touched? Usually pigu means come to touch or plague. Therefore, he says in this case it means a request. Ask Ephron on my behalf. Like Ruth says, don't ask of me that I will then leave you. Verse nine and he will give to me the cave of the belongs to him that's on the edge of his field. I'm willing to pay top dollar full price he can give it to me amongst you for a burial ground. What does this mean? What is this cave of the verse 9? He says bias it's a house that has like an attic a two-story building and that's why it was called a double cave because it has two stories. Another explanation she said it's a duplicate place for that couples will be buried there. Now according to many of course Ara wanted the place because he knew by divine prophecy that this was the place that Abbot and Eve were buried. He did not express that to them because he or else they wouldn't sell it to him. So therefore he said I want to buy this cave of the patriarch this cave that's double because it has a twotory or because he intends to bury couples there with top dollar full money I'm going to pay the full price we also find that later when king David wants to buy the city of Jerusalem or temple mount he says I'm going the temple mount the place where the base of mish was built of malle for top dollar full amount of money, no discounts whatsoever. Verse 10, the Ephine and Ephine was sitting seated amongst the Hittites and Ephine answered answered in the presence of theites so that all who came to the city gate can hear what he is saying. The word does not have the in it. It's missing that VV because he just became the fellow in charge of theites. Why? because today a transaction was going to go down between the so they needed Eph that he should be considered a great person an important person being that Ara was an important person and important person had to sell the property to another important person and that's why Ephraim was appointed their leader what does it mean to all the people of their gateway at the gates of the city that at that point everybody stopped what they were doing, stopped working and everybody came to show kindness to Sah and respect to Sah that she was being buried. Verse 11, listen to me. The field I have given to you. And the cave that's in it I have given to you as well. And before in view of all my compatriots, I'm giving it to you. Go ahead and bury your dead. Verse 11. So Rashi explains what does it mean? Know my master. Was he not willing to sell it? He said, "No, I'm not going to sell. I'm not going to give it to you for money. I want to give it to you. I want to give it to you. It's a gift. He said this. I have already given it to you. It's as if I already gave it to you. Verse 13. And bowed before the people of this place. Verse 13. And he spoke to Eph saying that all the local people can hear. Lamer saying, If only you would listen to me. I'm giving you the money of the field. Take it from me. The sh and I will bury my dead there. Verse 13. What does this mean? You're telling me listen to you and take it. Take it without money. But I do not want to. I'm not interested in taking any freebies. Therefore, you listen to me. And maybe at least if only you will listen to what I have to say. I gave I am giving. He uses a past terminology meaning I got the money ready. Should only be as if I gave it to you already. Verse 14. And Ephraim replied to saying to him, verse 15, my lord, listen up. Listen to me, what's 400 silver shekels worth of land between you and me? What's it worth this and bury your dead? What was he telling him? As we see over here in Rashi, meaning making it worth 400 like two friends me and you 400 shekel is worth nothing just u put down the let go of the purchase and we and just bury her for free meaning he's saying why do we have to handle this is what it is and you can bury her but it's up to What did and understood what Ephine really meant when he was saying that what's it worth only 400 shekele but really you can have it for free and gave the money that he spoke and he had mentioned in the presence of theites he gave him 400 shekele which were the bestsized sheack echo which are negligible for currency wherever you go. Over here we see while Ephine said or mentioned the price he unders really understood what he really wanted and thereby gave him the best top dollar paying for it tells us verse 16 it's missing a from the word Ephe said a lot of money first he said a lot but he didn't even do a little he said I'm going to give it to you for free but then When it came time that he said, "I'm willing to pay for it," he didn't even give him a discount. He gave him the top top dollar. He took from him the biggest coin that one can ever imagine that go the currency where they go everywhere because it says a a 400 shekel that's negotiable currency. What does that mean? Negotiable currency. Any place that he goes, somebody will accept it. There's a place that the shekele is very big which are called which are worthund and therefore had to give him the top dollar for it. What do we see from over here is very clearly that when it came to time to paying for as one of these places that the we find in the Torah biblically that we paid for it and it belongs to the Jewish people and nobody can take it away from us. This concludes the first Torah reading of parasura.