ויהיו חיי שרה מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים, “Sarah lived for 127 years.” Rashi explains that the reason why the word is repeated twice is to draw our attention to the fact that each period so designated represented a separate part of her life. She was as free from sin at 127 as she had been at the age of 7 and as beautiful at the time of her death as she had been at the age of 20. Nachmanides writes that Rashi does not derive this information from the repetition of the word שנה, seeing that there is nothing exceptional in this, and the sum total of the lives of lesser individuals has been described in similar terms, Ishmael’s death being reported in a similar fashion to that of Sarah’s, for instance. Rather, we derive this interpretation quoted by Rashi from the superfluous sounding introduction of the words חיי שרה-followed by the words שני חיי שרה. This formulation indicates that all these years had been lived under the aegis of purity and beauty. There are some books in which the version in the Bereshit Rabbah is as follows בת ק כבת עשרים ליופי ובת עשרים כבת שבע לחטא, “at 100 she was as beautiful as she had been at 20, and at 20 she was as free from sin as at 7. This is the correct version, seeing that girls are more beautiful at 20 than at 7 having learned in the intervening years how to use cosmetics to bring out their beauty.

ויבא אברהם, “Avraham came, etc.” According to Rashi he came from Beer Sheva. Nachmanides adds that Rashi did not mean to imply that at that time Avraham resided in Beer Sheva on a permanent basis, whereas Sarah had resided in Kiryat Arba, (Chevron) as it is quite inconceivable that Avraham and Sarah lived in different locations from each. Avraham heard the news of Sarah’s death while he was in Beer Sheva on “business.” Some commentators think that Avraham at the time was in the process of establishing residence in Beer Sheva, and had wanted to prepare everything before bringing Sarah there also. According to the Bereshit Rabbah, Avraham arrived on his returned from Mount Moriah to find that Sarah had died from the distress that Yitzchok had been sacrificed. Nachmanides writes that according to the report in the Torah the commandment to offer up Yitzchok as a burnt offering was issued when Avraham was in Beer Sheva, where he resided at the time. This was the meaning of 22,34-35 “he planted an orchard in Beer Sheva and he resided there for many years.” This is why it took him three days to get to Chevron, seeing that the land of the Philistines was not that close to Chevron. If Avraham would have had to return from Mount Moriah to Chevron it would not have taken more than a single day at most, whereas the Toah reports that it took him three days to reach Mount Moriah on his way to binding Yitzchok on the altar there. If the Midrash were correct in saying that Sarah died [precisely during the time Avraham performed the binding of Yitzchok, we must assume that at the time of the Akeydah, Avraham and Sarah had both lived in Chevron, so that the meaning of 22,4 “it was on the third day (of Avraham and Yitzchok’s journey to Mount Moriah) must be that G’d for reasons best known to Him, did not want Avraham to locate the mountain until the third day of his journey. He had been walking in the neighbourhood until G’d indicated to him which of the mountains He had had in mind. The reason that he went to Beer Sheva after the binding of Yitzchok was to give thanks for the miracle he had been allowed to experience, and while there the news of Sarah’s death reached him. It is the consensus of all the commentators that Avraham was not at home at the time that Sarah died. My personal opinion is that Sarah had a tent which served as her home as well as the home for her maidservants. She died within her own tent, and the words ויבא אברהם simply mean that he came to her tent upon hearing what had happened It is also possible that the term described Avraham’s preparation to eulogize Sarah appropriately. Whenever a person prepares himself to carry out a certain assignment, the term used to describe the preparation for such an undertaking is ויבא, He came, i.e., “he became ready.” In my opinion, it is most unlikely that the word ויבא means that Avraham came from another city, as the Torah would have mentioned from which city Avraham had to come in order to make burial arrangements for Sarah.

לספוד לשרה ולבכותה, “to eulogize Sarah and to weep for her.” At this point the Torah does not add the words: “and to bury her,” as he had not yet secured a suitable site where to bury her.

גר ותושב אנכי עמכם, “I am both a stranger and a resident amongst you.” What he meant was that as far as not having been born in the land of Canaan he was a “stranger,” so that he did not have a piece of earth that would serve as his burial ground by right. If he were to bury Sarah on a piece of land belonging to someone else, that someone could raise valid objections and even dig up the soil forcing him to rebury Sarah elsewhere. Nachmanides understands the prevailing custom as each family owning burial plots for members of their respective families, whereas for strangers (not born locally) there was a mass grave where all such people would be interred. Avraham pointed out that as far as local custom was concerned he was indeed a stranger, though he had lived in this land for over 60 years. Still, he had not inherited a burial site from his father as he had not lived in the land of Canaan. He now requested that he be given the benefits of the status of a resident. He did not want to deprive anyone of part of their ancestral holdings, but he required to own in perpetuity, in a manner that could not be challenged, a piece of ground wherein to bury his wife. The local inhabitants were under the mistaken impression that he requested to be given such a piece of land for free, seeing Avraham had used the expression תנו לי, “give me.” This is why they responded that his standing was such that no one would refuse to give him even a site he had earmarked for his own burial in the future. Such a piece of burial ground would indeed be deeded to him in perpetuity. Other commentators hold that just as Avraham had used the term תנו לי, “give to me,” as a figure of speech, never intending to receive such as a present, so when the locals used the same expression they also did not mean literally to give him such a burial place. When they used the expression במבחר קברנו, they did not refer to the “choicest,” but to a random grave site belonging to some family without adding anything about the final status of such a piece of land. Avraham paid strict attention to the nuances in the Hittites’ offer and proceeded to offer generous payment.

את מערת המכפלה,”the cave Machpelah;” Rashi explains the word מכפלה as related to כפול, double, and that it was named so because couples were buried side by side, starting with Adam and his wife Chavah. Nachmanides disagrees seeing that the Torah described it as שדה עפרון אשר במכפלה, “the field of Efron situated at Machpelah.” The phrasing makes it clear that “Machpelah” is the name of a location that contained the cave. There is no need to investigate why certain locations had been named in a certain manner by the locals of the time In Bereshit Rabbah, 23,8 we are told that G’d miraculously reduced the size of Adam’s body when he died so, that the cave could accommodate his earthly remains. If so, the name Machpelah dates back to the time of Adam’s burial in that cave. Clearly, this had not been known to Efron as he would have multiplied the amount he asked for that cave from Avraham had he known that the first human being had been buried in that cave.

אשר בקצה שדהו, “which is at the edge of his field.” Avraham mentioned this, implying that his burying Sarah there would not in the least interfere with Efron’s activities on the field itself. Avraham would not even need to walk across the field as it was situated at the edge, allowing access from another direction. Avraham requested to purchase only the cave from Efron, leaving him in possession of the adjoining field. Efron, ingeniously, implying that it would be unseemly for a distinguished personage such as Avraham to bury his dead in a cave without having title to the adjoining land, suggested that he would deed to him both cave and field. Avraham replied that he had already set aside the money required to purchase the entire field. [He had realised that the price was likely to be sky high. Ed.]

לכל באי שער עירו, “in the presence of all the assembled citizens of the his town.´ In connection with the dealings of Chamor and Shechem with their subjects, the Torah uses the expression לכל יוצאי שער עירו, “in the presence of all the inhabitants of his town who had come out (to the square)”. Avraham wanted to publicise his request for a burial ground even to people who were not residents of the region. The relatives of Efron, or anyone who would witness the transaction were disqualified as witnesses, whereas total strangers were fit to testify to the transaction legally.

לעיני בני עמי, “in full view of all my people.” He called upon everyone present to be a witness to the transaction. He implied that everyone knew that he, Avraham, would not renege on an offer made by himself. In fact, as soon as he had handed over the money he took possession of both the field and the cave adjoining it. This act of taking possession was performed in full view of the people assembled be they rich, poor, tourists passing through, or local residents.

נתתי כסף השדה קח ממני, “I have as good as given the money for the field, all that is needed is that you accept it from me.” He meant, not as Efron had indicated that “you” have given me the field, I have already given the money for this purpose; you only have to accept it, pick it up.

ארבע מאות שקל כסף, “400 silver shekel.” According to Onkelos this was the objective value of the field. Our sages understood Efron as having greatly overcharged Avraham, and they describe Efron as an individual who says a lot, but falls far short in his performance of what he promised. According to Rabbi Meir, (Maha’ram from Rotenburg) Efron had never meant to give Avraham more than the cave for free, a promise he kept. He only charged Avraham for the field, seeing that it did not appear as proper to acquire only the cave. Nachmanides, following the plain text, writes that the words ארבע מאות שקל כסף,” 400 silver shekel,” refer to the price either Efron himself or his forebears had paid when they had bought the field originally.”

ויקם שדה עפרון, “Efron’s field ‘arose.” The Torah means that the handover of the money was not yet the conclusion of this transaction. The site had not become a recognized cemetery by Avraham handing over the purchase price, but the Torah means that after it had become his property Avraham designated the site as a burial site and then proceeded to bury his wife there. It was not admissible in those days to convert a piece of earth into a cemetery until such a change had been approved by the local community.

ואחרי כן קבר, “after (all) this he proceeded to bury, etc.” Rabbi Meir points out that throughout the entire chapter thus far, Avraham had always spoken of burying מתי, “my (singular) dead,” whereas Efron and his townspeople had spoken about Avraham being allowed to bury מתיך, “your dead (plural).” According to this Rabbi the words ואת מתך קבור (verse 15) of Efron, (after the price had been agreed upon), also have to be understood as including other dead family members in the future.

ואחרי כן קבר אברהם את שרה אשתו אל מערת המכפלה...היא חברון בארץ כנען. “After this, Avraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of Machpelah. which is in Chevron in the land of Canaan.” The Torah goes to great lengths to describe the location of this field and its adjacent cave in great detail. The reason is that throughout the inhabitants of that land had been described as members of the tribe known as Hittites, a major tribe of the Canaanite nation, Whenever “the land of Canaan” is mentioned, the Torah, by implication, reminds us of the loving Providence of G’d Who gave this ancestral land to the Jewish nation. Although Avraham had only come to that land as a stranger with no claim on any part of that land, he had risen to be a highly respected member of that society, so much so that the people ceded a little of their ancestral land to have him use it as his in perpetuity. An additional reason for describing this location in such detail was so that we should be aware of where our patriarchs have been buried, in order to honour their memory on the occasions when we are obligated to honour the dead of our people who had led sainted lives .by visiting their graves.