Ironically, Parashat Chayei Sarah does not deal with the life of Sarah Imeinu — rather her death and her burial. Sarah Imeinu passed away at the age of 127, a relatively young age for those days. Based on the Sage’s tradition, Sarah’s passing was caused by a misunderstanding. She mistakenly believed that Yitzchak was slaughtered by her husband.
Avraham seeks to bury Sarah, and that’s why he needs a cave to bury her. Since he is new in the land, and people usually bury their relatives in their own, private, family’s cemetery, it is very clear that he would find it difficult to find a burial plot for his dear wife. The Torah dedicates a long portion to describe the purchasing of Mearat HaMachpeilah. A story that we can summarize with one or two Psukim turns out to be a big story with twenty Psukim about his tiring negotiations with Efron, the owner of the cave. The negotiation ends with an excessive price. He needs to pay 400 shekels for a land with low value. In other words, not a good deal.
Why is it so important for the Torah to go into detail with this story? The Ibn Ezra says the reason we go into details is to show that the promise of HaShem comes true. HaShem promised Avraham Avinu the land, and purchasing Mearat HaMachpeilah is the beginning.
The Midrash looks at it in quite the opposite way. The Midrash starts with the story in which Moshe was sent by HaShem to go to Pharaoh and to ask him to let the Jewish people go. Pharaoh sends Moshe and Aharon back without accepting to let them go. Not only that, but he makes the work more difficult for the Jewish people. From then on they needed to collect the straw in order to make bricks, and still continued to produce as they did previously. Moshe is very disappointed by this turn out, and complains to HaShem, “Why did you ask me to go and speak for the Jewish people. Not only did it not get better, but it got even worse. The Gemara says that HaShem’s answer was, “חבל על דעבדין ולא משתכחין.” In other words, “Pity for those great people that lived in the past, and are not found anymore. You, Moshe, got upset because of what Pharaoh did, but I remember Avraham, whom I promised him the entire land, but when his wife passed away, he didn’t even have a burial plot to bury her, and yet he did not get upset or complain.
This is unlike what Ibn Ezra says, as he says that the purchasing of Mearat HaMachpeilah is a clear sign of the promise from HaShem. It will start with cave but he will eventually get the entire land. The Midrash looks at it differently, and says that this is another challenge for Avraham Avinu, and he passed the test by not complaining.
It seems that these two opinions have different views on how to build Eretz Yisrael. Some think that once HaShem promised the land, we don’t need to put any effort, because HaShem promised he would give the land, even if we don’t do anything.
Against this thought, the Ibn Ezra says that even though HaShem promised, we need to try and put in the effort, and this exactly what Avraham Avinu did. He started by buying a cemetery for his wife, but he also realized that he has to continue to put in effort by bringing more children and to buy more land. As opposed to the Ibn Ezra, the Midrash says that there is no need for us to work, as HaShem will do everything from above.
Am Yisrael had this view for the last two thousand years in the Galut until we started to wake up. We can also say that the Midrash is not arguing with this view. We can say that Avraham Avinu initially thought that he would get the land from HaShem on a silver platter. But, once he had understood that HaShem doesn’t work that way he didn’t just sit back and didn’t ask questions or complain. He understood that even if he couldn’t complete the job of inheriting the land in his lifetime, he cannot just give up. He has to do something.
Next week, there will be a rally in Washington DC, and it is very important to be there and to show support to the State of Israel. Maybe we won’t change the world by being there, but we need to do the best we can do and put in the effort, just as Avraham Avinu started the promise from HaShem by purchasing a small cave for the burial of his wife. If one cannot make, at least he can show support by putting a flag of Israel in front of his house, by praying, learning, or giving money to support the soldiers. Whatever you can do. Because every small action adds up to make a big change.
Rabbi Tal