Chayei Sara: The Significance of the Historic Purchase of the Meoras Hamachpeila

Okay, good morning everyone. We have an amazing topic today. Actually, this topic is uh appropriate for the cause. Today's show is dedicated by my dear friend Dr. Fuges in honor of the yard site of Rabbi Mayor Kahana. Okay, the first 20ukum of this week's para are a very indepth description of the purchase of the cave of the patriarchs. What's of note is nearly every time the Tory references the it say oh the Abraham bought from the B. So even though we have 20ukim describing how he bought it from the b the tora will not waste an opportunity to describe how when they bury uh someone there being buried in the kev okay let's say at the end of where now really you would have thought it could stop there where Okay, so now we got the address. We got a very exact address and now we have to have the deed shares. I think we remember that Abraham bought it from the I think we remember that was the first 20 of the para. Then let's talk about Jacobu tells Y listen Y uh my days are coming uh upon me Um, I know. Let's see. And then Okay, then at the end of Oh, okay. Here we go. Where? Where is the >> [clears throat] >> But I think we know that already. We know who we know how we got it. Why nearly every time we we discuss the we have to say how it was bought. In other words, if I send a message shir tomorrow is at 8:30 at 5:30 peninsula in the house that was purchased on Arab shuis with the true mortgage company. I mean it's not tmi. Yeah, tmi. And then by the way, we're not done cuz when when Yakovu passes away the PK says, [snorts] um, so the sayan now here That's also in the burial spot that I bought in the land of Cananan. Well, we don't know what country it's in. Now, we need to know what country it's in. By the way, next Sunday, Shir will be in the United States of America. And then, okay, you ready for this? Oh, it's a good thing we mentioned Abraham, you know, I think we got the point. We know we are the is and we know how it was purchased. That's why the Torah dedicated 20 in the beginning of why is it so important every time we invoke we need to say that Abrau bought it from the So we have an interesting safer over here. It's called Ben Melik. It was written by Rev Lab Minsburg. I saw it quoted in a book called Dimensions in Kamish [snorts] by Rabbi Emanuel Bernstein. So let's see what he says and then I want to uh understand it in the context of something we've been learning recently. He writes over here on pageal second column The Torah describes in great detail one more I want to bring to your attention. Okay. Yeah, at the end it says, "Oh, it's it's in Israel." Oh, I didn't realize he buried her in Israel. Where was the burial? It was in Elmont in Long Island in New York in the United States of America. You're that kind of guy. You want to you need to you want to run. How how much information is it giving you? You know, in the northern hemisphere, in the planet Earth, in the Milky Way, >> in New York. >> Yeah. >> In the United States. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So, it's too much information. By the way, another thing we have to focus on is look what the Pik says. Abraham. So first it became a purchase to Abraham before the eyes of the in the presence of all the people in the city and then it says after discover not so there's a lot of repetition over here let's see what he says he says what's this all teaching me what is the significance and the specific implication. So he has a very interesting observation. His observation is it was the first possession of the Jewish people in the land of Israel because at first when the land of Cananan was promised to Abraham Abram had to buy it. He had to take possession of it to bury his dead. It is obvious that a person's burial spot reflects more than anything else his ancestral ownership. In a person's lifetime, people travel all over the place. Often people could go from one country to another who determines that he's pegging in nails, that this is his land. So when a person dies his place of burial is in his land. So when Abraham asked and he says his main goal was he wanted to take possession and ownership on the land that was promised to him. Welcome Kurasara lauza pratis. [snorts] Now skip the next paragraph. Go to the were astonished. Why do they need this ancestral plot? They said, "Listen up. Just bury your dead there. If you want a burial spot, we'll give it to you. We'll give you a very eminent spot." Abrau says no I don't want any gifts I don't want any presents I want to buy it I want to buy it with full at full price full purchase it's not only because he was afraid Ephron would retract he wanted to show full ownership on it final paragraph The implication of this para is the importance that is being conferred on the purchase of this field. This was a integral part of the acquisition of in other words his basic point is the first acquisition of the Jewish people in the land of Israel is >> [clears throat] >> Okay. So that's the significance of the first 20ukim of paras and it explains why every time we invoke the the location of the we mentioned by the way Abraham bought it from the so let's study this a little bit this was the first acquisition of Israel we mentioned that armu made various acquisitions in for example Hashem said walk in the land and the bas brings the opinion of Rabzar walking is a canyon there's an opinion that Abrainu built a misbehavu pitched his tents that was a Kenyan in Arat Israel there were many Amra who plowed the land there were many various thatu made init. So why exactly? What's the significance of his purchase of the mara? Abrain already made a kenyan. So what what is the big significance of this purchase over here? Kenyan has already been made. >> Can we say that the when when Abraham dug wells that that was Kenyan as well? >> Maybe maybe digging the wells was a Kenyan. So I want to offer a few important ideas. [clears throat] Number one, number one comes to the and he says, "Listen up. I'm a stranger. I'm avu says either sell it to me or it's mine anyway. So I don't understand. Would you go over to somebody, sell me your jacket? I like the north face because it's very insulated. Give it to me, sell it to me, or it's mine. Why would I ask somebody to sell me something that's mine? If it's mine, then let's just cut to the chase. Give it to me. It's mine. So why is Abrau even making the suggestion, sell it to me, cuz if you don't, I'm going to take it. So take it. It's yours. Why would Why would you spend one penny on something that that you own? And is right. He made various kenyan here. Okay. Now, so I would say on on a simple level like this, on a simple level like this, even though it's mine, but I don't want you to ever come and claim that that I stole something from you. Can I go over to your land and make a and walk on it and be kind? You can only acquire something from somebody if they allow you to acquire it. But if let's say you come into my land and you dig wells and you pitch a tent and you walk on it, it's meaningless. You know why? Cuz I'm the owner. All of these forms of acquisition only work if the owner of the land allow the purchaser to make those acquisitions. But if the owner says, "Get out of here. You don't own it." So you can make every kenyan in the world. It doesn't work. So the thing is who's the owner? The owner is God. It's the first Rashian. Rashi tells us that the reason why the Torah begins that Hashem created the world is so that we understand that owns the world and he's given it to Abrau. So have no questions about the fact that Amrau is walking on the land of Cananan and digging wells on the land of Cananan and um pitching his tent on land of Cananan. God's the owner and he gave it to Abrainu. But Abrainu doesn't want to exercise that right only because he knows that at a later point in history, the New York Times are going to come and claim that we're colonizing the land. So Abrainu wants to buy it so that to silence any accusations that anyone would have. So he goes to the B and he says, "Sell it to me. I prefer that you sell it to me and I'm going to pay top dollar for it, but if you don't sell it to me, it is mine. So then why is Aram buying it? Cuz Amraino knows that there's something called the New York Times and he doesn't want anyone ever accusing that he is occupying land that doesn't belong to him. So Abraino says, "Do me a favor. Sell me the land in full price." So I would say that what Revl Minsburg is offering is this is not the first necessarily acquired part of Arat Israel but it's the first acquisition that nobody can challenge because it was made with the consent of the seller and with a full-fledged canyon that requires what we call das bumm. In fact, there's a medish that says there are three areas of land that were purchased openly with full kenyan so that the nations of the world should not ever be able to uh make any accusation against it happen to so the nations of the world should never be able to contest. It happens to be that these three areas that we have uh an obvious and blatant acquisition are the three most contested piece of real estate in the whole world. And those three areas the Medra says are the cave of the patriarchs, the tome of Joseph and the and the temple mount. Those three areas the med says we have documented that it was purchased with a full canyon and was bought by Abrau by Jacob bought and by David from the so it's interesting. So I would say the significance of it's not the first acquired area of Israel. It's the first acquired area that cannot be contested. So you know the B says we want to we'll give it to you as a gift. You know doesn't want any he doesn't want like what you know the imprint of the giver on the area of land. He's going to buy it fair and square with for full price. That's one understanding. >> So the Ken was just the car itself, not the trees and >> Oh, okay. So let's let's let's Okay, that's one idea. Let's go to Gifter. Okay, take a look in the safe. It says that came the plain of the field. What does thiso say? Theo is bothered. Why did he have to buy the field and then make them? Just make them. Yeah. Theo writes very short words. How can we sing the song of the Almighty on foreign soil? The reason why Abrao bought the field in is because if he would have just made the misbay then the misb would could be construed to be on foreign territory. So he bought it and then he made the way he's not in violation of this is gave it to was and he made a kinion on it. Why would why would Yakovino have to buy the field? Okay. So, right off the bat, we see that even when something is given to you in Israel, until you buy it, it's foreign territory, which would explain why wanted to buy the we could whatever this says for the we could apply to the [clears throat] in other words, the same way we don't want to sing to Hashem on foreign territory. Well, a Aino doesn't want to bury Sor in foreign territory. But the obvious question is but it's not foreign territory because it was already given to Abrau. So look what um look what Rifter says. >> Was it given or his descendants? because it says uh >> or so >> but it wasn't really given yet in the it's given in the future only after the seven nations reach the fill of sin then will come in and take possession of it >> but based on what we learned made a kenyan and and that's why he's able to tell the b either either sell it to me or get out how could he say get out the kani are are still there the answer is because he he it was given to him already. So what does seems to be bothered by this? How is it foreign soil? So similar to what the parasim says that what was saying that was only given the the actual land Kenyan but he didn't have Kenyan Pero which means the grass that grew in it did not belong to him. That's why even though Yakabino says Abraino says give me the field if you don't give it to me I'm going to take it that's because he owns the land and he could bury S in the land but but doesn't own the grass that grows there. So gifter says similarly the um the ownership that were the possession of the nations of the world it gives us a status of foreign territory. For example when the gentiles the the Jew is no longer Why? Listen carefully. All the glorious mystical powers of the land of Israel only come to fruition when the Jewish people live there as owners. And that's the is the says that you'll have purchased land in Israel from a gentile even on [clears throat] Shabas and you could do to tell them to write aar for you because of the mitzvah of Israel. I but we own the land. The answer is listen carefully. So the way the param says is we have kenyan if we don't have kenyan payroce or he's saying it that the full mystical benefits of being in arat is can only be materialized if you have ownership of the land. Okay, I would say it's the same thing. It's Kenyan Peris. Well, you know, Kenyan Perisro are eating the grass. Kenyan Peris are enjoying the mystical benefits. And the same way for Jacobu to be considered singing in the land of Israel, he had to own it. Likewise, I would say why why does why is it so important to be buried in Israel or in Kevron? So, there's an idea. the pes of Ghana is by the and if you're if you're buried in it's you're like you're buried under the all the great benefits of being buried in Israel is that the kaka itself or is that the pay that's probably kenyan pay so I would say exactly what the faro says why Jacobino had to buy the field before he built the misbeh in order to in order to enjoy the Kenyan pay of Israel. Arau had a buy. In other words, he already owned Kenyan but now he needs to he needs Sah to have the benefits of being buried in he needed a purchase. So basically we're we uh said over this morning two approaches in understanding the sign significance of buying the either this is the first purchase in the land of Israel. So you'll ask what do you mean we already owned the whole land? No we owned it but it was an ownership that could be contested. The nations of the world said look we're still on it. We're still occupying it. Who exactly gave it to you? God. We're the owner. Yeah man. You you go to somebody's house and you move in and the guy says, "What what are you doing here?" Say, "God gave it to me." Okay, very nice. You know, have a have a have a great day. So, but when Aram bought it, this was the first cont um uncontested. In other words, this was the first ownership of the land of Israel that can't be contested. And in a sense, it gave us a handle on the land. This not just has the he now has by the way that's why the Torah emphasizes the which was where it's in Cananan. Oh, thank you for telling me what country this little 4x4 is. No, by by having an uncontested ownership in that little spot, it so to speak established his sovereignty over the entire country. That's what the Torah emphasizes, what country the the cave is in. And that's why every single time the cave is mentioned, it tells you how Avon bought it and what country it's in. That's the approach of Reblave Minsburg based on this faro later on that Yakovino had to buy the field before he made the misbeh cuz otherwise it has a dinner of adm and the way Gifter explains it is that the nations of the world have the ability that through if they are if they're act if they're practically speaking occupying the land they remove a certain status from the land what the paradim calls that that they maintain Kenyan pay but we're saying that the mystical benefits are analogous to Kenyan payro by the same token Abraino purchased with an absolute from the okay Rabai have a great day >> which is interesting because Stop.