NOVEMBER 21 • 2024 | 43 down before the people of the land, the Hittites. He said to them, ‘If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you. ’” He takes their vague commitment and gives it sharp definition. If you agree that I may bury my dead, then you must agree that I should be able to buy the land in which to do so. And if you say, no one will refuse me, then surely you can have no objection to persuading the man who owns the field I wish to buy. Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people, and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. “No, my lord, ” he said. “Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead. ” Again, an elaborate show of gen- erosity that is nothing of the kind. Three times Ephron said, “I give it to you, ” yet he did not mean it, and Abraham knew he did not mean it. Again, Abraham bowed down before the people of the land and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there. ” Ephron answered Abraham, “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth 400 shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you? Bury your dead. ” Far from giving the field away, Ephron is insisting on a vastly inflated price, while seeming to dis- miss it as a mere trifle: “What is that between me and you?” Abraham immediately pays the price, and the field is finally his. What we see in this brief but beau- tifully nuanced passage is the sheer vulnerability of Abraham. For all that the local townsmen seem to pay him deference, he is entirely at their mercy, he has to use all his negotiat- ing skill and, in the end, he must pay a large sum for a small piece of land. It all seems an impossibly long way from the vision God has painted for him of the entire country one day becoming a home for his descen- dants. Yet Abraham is content. The next chapter begins with the words: “ Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed him in all things. ” Gen. 24:1 That is the faith of an Abraham. The man promised as many children as the stars of the sky has one child to continue the covenant. The man promised the land “from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates” [Gen. 15:18] has acquired one field and a tomb. But that is enough. The journey has begun. Abraham knows “It is not for you to complete the task. ” He can die content. One phrase shines through the negotiation with the Hittites. They acknowledge Abraham, the alien and stranger, as “a prince of God in our midst. ” The contrast with Lot could not be greater. Recall that Lot had abandoned his distinctiveness. He had made his home in Sodom. His daughters had married local men. He “sat in the gate” of the town (Gen. 19:1), implying that he had become one of the elders or judges. Yet when he resisted the people who were intent on abusing his visitors, they said, “This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge!” Gen. 19:9 Lot, who assimilated, was scorned. Abraham, who fought and prayed for his neighbors, but maintained his distance and difference, was respect- ed. So it was then. So it is now. Non-Jews respect Jews who respect Judaism. Non-Jews disrespect Jews who disrespect Judaism. So, at the end of his life, we see Abraham, dignified, satisfied, serene. There are many types of hero in Judaism, but few as majestic as the man who first heard the call of God and began the journey we still con- tinue. Jew or American? J ews in America have been accepted as part of the fabric that makes up this great coun- try, and we have as many rights under the Constitution as any other citizen. Our grandpar- ents put it best, “ America is a goldene medina — a golden country.” Yet, we are still not the same as our neighbors; we, the Jews, are different. So, are we part and parcel of this country or do we stand apart? A deeper look at the behav- ior of Abraham will give us a glimpse into this answer. In this week’s Torah portion, Abraham demonstrates how to relate to nations who accept us as equal. After Sarah passed away, Abraham tried to purchase a plot of land from the sons of Heth for her burial. They wanted to give him a burial spot for free, yet he insisted on properly purchasing the land saying, “I am a stranger and an inhabitant with you.” Right there, Abraham categorized the essence of a Jew in this world; we are full “inhabitants” of the world, yet we are still “strangers.” On the one hand, we are inhabitants of this country in every sense of the word. We are involved in politics and government, do business together, go to the same universities and speak the same language. We are even prepared to stand right alongside our non-Jewish countrymen and sacrifice our lives defending our country. Still, we are total strangers to the people of this country, and our world is completely strange to them. We live our lives differently; we pray differently; we eat different foods and celebrate different holidays. When it came to burial, which is a part of that spiritual world of which our neighbors have no understanding, Abraham said to the Hittites, “Sell me a separate burial plot so that I may bury my dead.” The Hittites couldn’t understand why Abraham was talking about differences and separations. They wanted Abraham to feel at home among them and as one with them. They wanted him to bury his wife the way they buried theirs. Yet all their courtesy did not cause Abraham to sway. He insisted on buying the Machpelah cave because he wanted to demonstrate that although in certain ways Jews are one with their neighbors, when it comes to anything that is a part of our spiritual world (including death and life after death) we are completely strangers to them. Jews are a different breed. When our grandparents came to this country, they were complete strangers in the literal sense. Therefore, they did everything in their power to blend in and become integrated among the “inhabitants” of America. They were very successful; and we, their descendants, became so integrated that we forgot about being “strangers.” The mission of our generation is to reinstate ourselves in the “stranger” category. We must constantly remind ourselves and teach our children that we belong to a higher spiritual world. Let’s remember what makes us dif- ferent and be proud Jews who openly practice Judaism. Rabbi Schneor Greenberg is rabbi of the Chabad Jewish Center of Commerce, rabbi@ jewishcommerce.org. SPIRIT TORAH PORTION Rabbi Schneur Greenberg Parshat Chaye Sara: Genesis 23:1-25:18; I Kings 1:1-31.