-41 111101111 MININMINISININNIONINNow !TORAH PORTION THE ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA Metropolitan Detroit District. Abraham Searches For Holy Ground RABBI RICHARD C. HERTZ Special to The Jewish News M THE MUSICAL EVENT OF THE FALL SEASON PLAN NOW TO ATTEND: Sunday, November 3, 1991, 7:30 p.m. Masonic Temple Auditorium FOR RESERVATIONS PHONE 569.1515 Transportation available. ANNE GONTE SILVER, President Metro Detroit District/Sidney Silverman, National President, ZOA The metro area's largest selection of watches, bands and batteries! For the area's largest seiection of watches. Kee-ping Detroiters right on time since 1927 SOUTHFIELD: (Southfield & 12 Mile) 552-0080 PO NTIAC: (Voorheis & Telegraph) 333-2263 FARMINGTON HILLS: (Orchard Lk. & 13 Mile) 851-0440 54 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1991 Full service watch and jewelry repair. WATCH BANDS MT. CLEMENS: (Canal & Garfield) 263-7700 MADISON HEIGHTS: (12 Mile & Dequindre) 541-0808 achpelah Cemetery in Detroit, well- known for being the site of hundreds of burials of Jewish residents, is located on Woodward Avenue just North of Eight Mile Road. The cemetery gets its name from the portion of this week. Just as when Abraham was confronted with the reality of the death of his beloved wife, so in later centuries the need for a burial place consecrated as holy ground was always the first act when Jews came to the New World. Here in Detroit, when Jews first came in 1850 and one of the Jewish residents died, the first act of the newly created Congregation Beth El was to create a cemetery, now on Lafayette Street. This week's 'Ibrah portion deals with the death of Sarah who died in Kiriat-arba, known today as Hebron. The description is the first burial in Scripture. Since the land of Israel was largely sandy, it became a common practice in ancient times to bury in caves, but with the death of Abraham's wife, he was' sud- denly faced with a decision of what to do. Abraham had been sear- ching for a piece of earth that would be his own. God had promised Abraham and his descendents the land of Israel, but until now there had been no place to bury the dead. Moreover, Abraham was not a resident of Hebron. The sedra describes the bargaining that follows in typical ancient Oriental style. Abraham asked permission of the Hittites to possess the land, permission to select one of the caves for family tribal vaults in which to bury his wife. But what was to be the price of the burying place? The negotiations went on back and forth. Moreover, there was no way of measur- ing the price, for there were no coins of standard size or shape. Pieces of silver had to be weighed before their value could be ascertained. Four hundred shekels of silver was asked for, whereupon Abraham weighed the she- kels and the cave that was in the Machpelah field became his. Dr. Hertz is rabbi emeritus of Temple Beth El. The incident is evidently recorded in Scripture to demonstrate how the land of Israel over the centuries was a place both for the living and the dead. Moreover, it shows how God's promise to Abraham was fulfilled. Others interpret the purpose of the narrative in Scripture to suggest that the purpose is to indicate that although Abraham came to the land of Israel as a stranger, God's pro- mise to make his name great, was fulfilled even in his life- time. It was demonstrated in the way in which he was ad- dressed by the men of Efron as a "mighty prince." (Genesis 23:6) One commentator notes that the place was designated Shabbat Chayye Sara Genesis 23:1-25:18 Kings I 1:1-31 in the land of Canaan, lest anyone think it was in the land of the Philistines. The cave became a posses- sion of Abraham. Abraham wanted to be buried in the Holy Land of Israel. Abraham himself, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah, were all to be buried there. Jacob specifical- ly commanded his son not to bury him in Egypt but to bring him to rest to be buried in the cave of Machpelah. (Genesis 47:28-41; 49:30) In later centuries, the Byzantines built a Christian church in the area which was later converted into a mosque by the Moslems who had gained possession of Kariat- arbat. In time, both Jews and Christians were prohibited from praying inside the area. After 1967, when Israel con- quered the city, all faiths were once more permitted to visit the tombs. The actual cave, which is below the site, is presently in- accessible. ❑ SYNAGOGUES Oak Park Chabad Melava Malka Congregation Bais Chabad of North Oak Park will host its annual Melava Malka 8 p.m. Nov. 9 at Cong. Dovid Ben Nuchim, The speaker will be Rabbi Chaim Dovid Kagan on "Crossroads in History — Reading the Chasidic Map." For reservations, call Rabbi Morozow, 967-4113. •