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INTRODUCING
Torah Portion
Ownership Of The Land,
Both Ancient And Modern
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StAdevrttacketX--e....eavirfi .rifle aPtikstaff
the Torah in Leviticus in reference to
the prohibition of selling land in Israel
(Leviticus 24:23), "And the land should
not be sold in perpetuity because the
land is Mine (God's) because you are
strangers and dwellers with Me." God
tells the Jewish people that the land of
Israel is not actually theirs, but that
n the beginning of this week's
they simply are the temporary inhabi-
portion, the wife of Abraham
tants and that He reserves the perma-
dies and Abraham must obtain a nent ownership for Himself.
burial place for her body.
Essentially, this interpretation is
He appeals to the Hittites among
reflected in the Sifro (Midrash
whom he dwells in the city of Hebron.
Halachah on Leviticus), which
(It is interesting to note that we have
explains the verse (Sifro
three places in the Jewish
Behar 39), "Because the
Bible where land is bought
land is Mine ..." Do not
and paid for: this time in
begrudge it "... because you
Hebron; later by Jacob at
are strangers and dwellers
Shechem (Genesis 33:19); and
..." Do not make yourselves
the site of the Temple in
primary as it is written (I
Jerusalem (II Samuel 24:24).
Chronicles 29:215),
In our day, these three places
"Because we are strangers
seem to be the most disputed
before You and dwellers like
of territories.)
our fathers, our days on the
Abraham requests that the
earth are as a shadow and
RABBI
Hittites approach Ephron
there is no abiding."
ELIEZER
about selling the Machpelah
And likewise David said
COHEN
cave to him for a family bur-
(Psalms 39:12 14), " btit
Special
to
The
ial plot. Abraham begins his
futility is an mankind ...
Jewish News
appeal to the Hittites by stat-
hear my prayer, 0 Lord, to
ing, "I am a stranger and a
my cry lend an ear, to my
dweller with you; give me a burial
tears be not mute because I am a
property with you that I may bury my
stranger before You, a dweller like my
dead ..." (Genesis 23:4). While the
fathers — because I depart and am no
commentaries offer a variety of inter-
more."
The midrash indicates that the real
import of these words "stranger and
dweller" refers to the temporary state
of human mortality on the earth. We
are all here for a fleeting moment in
time. Thus no human being can
claim absolute rights over the land of
Israel that God reserved for Himself.
Thus, too, Abraham speaks to the
Hittites and declares, "I am a stranger
and dweller with you," just as you
are.
All human beings are strangers and
temporary dwellers upon this earth
pretations of these words, I would like
and thus must share the human condi-
to present one that I believe is relevant
tion together; and, as such, we must
and thought provoking.
also share the land upon which we
What is Abraham trying to say
temporarily reside.
with the phrase "stranger and
War and killing, destruction of
dweller"? Is he emphasizing his alien
human life to protect a nonexistent
status or implying that he is settling
claim over any piece of real estate —
with them (as the purchase of a fami-
especially the land of Israel — is ulti-
ly burial plot itself would indicate)?
mately arrogance and folly. 111
Either way, how would this phrase
help induce the Hittites to accede to
his request?
Actually, this phrase "stranger and
Is there any indication why
dweller" (ger v'toshov) is also found in
Abraham wanted the Machpelah
Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of
cave for a family burial plot?
Congregation Or Chadash.
Shabbat Chaye Sarah:
Genesis 23 :1-25: 18;
I Kings 1:1-31.
I
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All human beings
are strangers and
temporary
dwellers upon
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