Community

Torah Portion

Straighten Our Priorities:
Put Human Life Before Land

yourselves primary, as it is written
(Chronicles I 29:15):
"'Because we are strangers before
You and dwellers like our fathers;
our days on the earth are as a shad-
ow and there is no abiding.' And
likewise David said (Psalm 39:12-
14): "'... but futility is all mankind
...
hear my prayer, Oh Lord, to my
n this time of turmoil, as
cry
lend an ear, to my tears be not
Palestinians are killing Jews
mute, because I am a stranger before
and Jews are killing
You, a dweller like my fathers ...
Palestinians ultimately over
because I depart and am no more"'
who "owns" Jerusalem and the land
(Sifro, "Bettar" 39).
of Israel, we must take a
The Midrash indicates
closer look at a phrase from
the
real impact of these
this week's Torah portion.
words
"stranger and
After the death of his
dweller"
refers to the tem-
beloved wife Sarah,
porary
state
of human exis-
Abraham appeals to the
tence on this earth. We are
Hittites, among whom he
all here but for a fleeting
dwells in Hebron, to
moment in time. Thus, no
approach Ephron about
human being can claim
selling the Machpelah cave
absolute
rights over the
to him as a family burial
land
of
Israel;
that God
plot. Abraham begins his
RABBI ELIEZER
reserves
for
Himself
alone.
appeal by saying: "I am a
CO HEN
Thus,
Abraham
speaks
to.
stranger and dweller with
Specia l to the
the Hittites and declares:
you; give me a burial prop-
Jewis h News
"I am a stranger and
erty with you that I may
dweller 'with you"' — just
bury my dead ..." (Genesis
as
you
are.
23:4).
All human beings are strangers
While the commentaries offer a
and
dwellers upon this earth and
variety of interpretations for the
thus
must share the human condi-
phrase "stranger and dweller," I
tion
together
and, as such, share also
would like to present one that could
the land upon which we temporarily
help put the violence and nationalis-
abide. War and killing, destruction
tic and religious zeal on both sides
of human life and the imposition of
that produces it in another perspec-
suffering
upon others to protect or
tive.
assert
a
claim
over any piece of real
Actually, the phrase "stranger and
estate
—
especially
God's Holy Land
dweller" (gayr vtoshov) is also found
of
Israel
—
is
ultimately
arrogance,
in the Torah in Leviticus in reference
folly
and
desecration.
to the prohibition of selling land in
Israel (Leviticus 24:23):
"And the Land must not be sold
in perpetuity because the land (of
Israel) 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 they are simply the tempo-
Other than nationalistic pride
rary inhabitants and that He retains
and religious fervor, why such
the permanent ownership for
vehemence on both sides? Does
Himself.
anyone really believe that God
This interpretation is emphasized
wants us to kill for religious
even more in the Sifro (Midrash
reasons? Do nationalism and
"Halachah" on Leviticus), which
religious fervor — especially
explains the verse:
when combined — result in
"'Because the land is Mine' do
positive behavior towards the
not begrudge it. 'Because you are
"stranger?" Is it possible to live
strangers and dwellers' do not make
fully as Jews — religiously and
nationally — without such
Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of
tragic results?

Shabbat Chaye Sarah:
Genesis 23: 1-25: 18;
I Kings 1:1-31.

I

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