Sicha, Chayei Sara 5729 & 5749
A. Sarah’s Burial in the Cave of Machpelah
Abraham, our forefather, seeks to purchase the field containing the Cave of Machpelah from the Hittites in order to bury Sarah. During the negotiations, Abraham bows to the Hittites. Based on the Midrash’s criticism of Jacob bowing to Esau, the Rebbe explains that this act of submission before the nations was undesirable.
Abraham’s behavior came from the perspective of the physical body – a natural human desire to resolve the problem peacefully through submission and accommodation. The Torah tells us this so that we can learn what not to do: we must avoid groveling and submitting ourselves before the nations of the world.
B. The Correct Approach – Firmness
The proper approach is learned from Abraham’s own words: “I am a stranger and a resident among you.” In other words, if you agree, I will pay as a stranger; if not, I will claim the land as a resident, based on the Divine promise.
Abraham understood that pleasant words alone would not accomplish anything. The only effective approach was to present a firm position grounded in G-d’s command.
C. Full Price
Despite his Divine right to the land and the possibility of claiming it by law, Abraham insists on paying for the cave “in full.”
Rashi draws a parallel to King David, who conquered Jerusalem (after the Jewish people had refrained from doing so for centuries because of Abraham’s oath to Abimelech), yet insisted on paying the full price for the site of the Temple to Araunah the Jebusite.
The reason is that both Abraham and David wanted to eliminate any future claim of ownership or connection by the nations of the world to these holy places. They therefore combined firmness in asserting their rights with full payment.
On a spiritual level, this teaches us that we should not fulfill mitzvot or serve G-d “for free,” without effort. Even someone with natural talents must invest personal effort and toil (pay the “full price”) to refine and elevate their portion of the world, rather than relying solely on a gift from Heaven.
