Weekly Sidra: Chayei Sarah (Sarah’s life)
Torah Portion: Bereshit / Genesis 23:1-25:18
Haftorah: Melachim Alef / Kings I 1:1-31

14 And Ephron replied to Abraham, saying to him, 15 "My lord, do hear me! A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver-what is that between you and me? Go and bury your dead." 16 Abraham accepted Ephron’s terms. Abraham paid out to Ephron the money that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites-four hundred shekels of silver at the going merchants’ rate. (Bereshit 23: 14-16)

This week’s reading deals with the death of Abraham’s wife Sarah and the taking of a wife for Isaac.

In the portion above we read that Abraham wanted to purchase a burial place for his wife from Ephron the Hittite. Now Ephron was prepared to give Abraham the plot for free. “No, my lord, hear 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.” (v. 11) Abraham does not want it for free “If only you would hear me out! Let me pay the price of the land; accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.” (v. 13)

Ephron offered Abraham the cave for free. So why not take the cave for free? Abraham was a righteous man who feared HaShem. We see his that he realized that all he had came from HaShem and not man. He states in Bereshit 14:21-23 “21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, and take the possessions for yourself." 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I swear to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth: 23 I will not take so much as a thread or a sandal strap of what is yours; you shall not say, ‘It is I who made Abram rich.’

Abraham wanted to give all the glory to HaShem. He did not want something for nothing. Even Paul said “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." (2 Thes 3:10)

There is something to be said about working for what we earn. This could have been a test for Abraham. Would he simply take the cave for free? This might lead Ephron to one day boast that he gave the cave for nothing. It may lead to possible pressure later. ‘Hey Abraham you remember that cave I gave you for free, well could I have…?’

This way Abraham knew that this was his cave because he paid for it.