(Deut. 14:22:) YOU SHALL SURELY TITHE. This text is related (to Prov. 28:22): AN EVIL-EYED PERSON (i.e., a miser) MOVES QUICKLY AFTER WEALTH; AND HE DOES NOT KNOW THAT POVERTY WILL COME TO HIM. R. Hanina interpreted the Scripture verse with reference to Ephron (of Gen. 23),⁷. (Buber), Exod. 6:5; Lev. 9:1; Tanh, Deut. 4:10; Gen. R. 58:7; Exod. R. 31:17; PRK 10:1; see also BM 87a. Cf. above, Tanh. (Buber), Exod. 6:13, which identifies the man with Cain. for Rabbi Hanina said: All the shekels mentioned in the Torah are sela's, those in the Prophets are litrai,⁸ and those in the Writings are centenarii,⁹ except for the shekels of Ephron, which are not centenarii.¹⁰ 1:3 (59d), 5 (60c); Bekh. 50a; PR 1:4. This is what is written (in Gen. 23:9): LET HIM GIVE IT TO ME AT THE FULL PRICE. Because he brought the evil eye (of greed) for Abraham's wealth, the written text lacks the letter waw.

footnotes: ⁷ Above, Tanh ⁸ The Greek word means “pounds.” ⁹ The Latin word denotes weights of a hundred pounds. ¹⁰ For this valuation of the shekel, see yQid.

(Gen. 23:15:) MY LORD, LISTEN TO ME. WHAT IS A PIECE OF LAND WORTH FOUR HUNDRED SHEKELS OF SILVER BETWEEN YOU AND ME? He said to him: If you want to give me four hundred centenarii of silver from the goods {another reading is hervata, which is construed as "dung" in the 'Arukh}¹¹ of your house, you can give it to me. Because he brought in an evil eye (i.e., of greed) for Abraham's wealth, his name is lacking the letter waw, where it is stated (in Gen. 23:16): SO ABRAHAM HEEDED EPHRON, AND ABRAHAM WEIGHED OUT THE SILVER FOR EPHRON. It is the second EPHRON that is deficient.¹²

footnotes: ¹¹ This bracketed note appears in this form in the Buber text. ¹² An English equivalent might be the spelling, EPHRN, although Hebrew would add the second vowel, whether represented by a letter or not. The defective spelling also occurs in Gen. 25:9; 49:30; 50:13.