Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Congregation, Toronto, Canada

Death of the Righteous

Weekly Sidra: Chayei Sarah (Sarah’s life)  Torah Portion: Bereshit / Genesis 23:1-25:18 Haftorah: Melachim Alef / Kings I 1:1-31 Cave of Machpelah is a curious place only found in the text of Torah and Tanach in the book of Bereshit. Why?  It is here because we needed insight into the death of the righteous.  Avraham acquired the cave for the body of his beloved wife, who died shortly after being told to sacrifice his son on Moriah as an Olah to Hashem.  But why Machpelah? The Midrash states that during the visit of the three men/angels Avraham’s, choice calf for the meal he was going to serve to them, ran from him and he found it at the mouth of the cave.  He was amazed to find that Adam and Chavah were buried there and want to be laid to rest there with them [1] We find that ultimately Sarah, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Leah, and Yoseph were buried in this site.[2] These are the men and women represent Israel as a nation and we consider them as a model of what we are to live. But what does their deaths’ come to teach us?  We can find the answer in why Avraham chose this cave in particular. Avraham was a prophet and “friend”(Isa 41:8) of Hashem was guide by Hashem in what he did. What does Machpelah come to teach us? With...