Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all eternity. Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah. Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Amein.
הנה ילדה מלכה
Gen 22:20 And it came to be after
these events that it was reported to Aḇraham, saying, “See, Milkah too has
borne children to your brother Naḥor:
Gen 22:21 “Uts his first-born, and
Buz his brother, and Qemu’ěl the father of Aram,
Gen 22:22 and Keseḏ, and Ḥazo, and
Pildash, and Yiḏlaph, and Bethu’ěl.”
Gen 22:23 And Bethu’ěl brought
forth Riḇqah. These eight Milkah bore to Naḥor, Aḇraham’s brother.
Gen 22:24 And his concubine, whose name was Re’uwmah, also bore Teḇaḥ, and Gaḥam, and Taḥash, and Ma‛aḵah.
Gen
9:27 “Let Elohim enlarge Yapheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shěm.
And let Kena‛an become his servant.”
Hos 5:7 “They have acted
treacherously against יהוה, for they have brought
forth strange children. Now a new moon shall devour them with their
portions. Hos 6:10 “I have seen a horrible matter in the house of
Yisra’ěl: the whoring of Ephrayim is there, Yisra’ěl is defiled.
Hos 6:11 “Also, a harvest is appointed for you, O Yehuḏah, when I turn back the captivity of My people.
Gen 23:1 And
Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.
א וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי
שָׂרָה
‘’…they are
becoming the lives of Sarah….’’She is the only woman
whose age is mentioned in Scripture
It is said that Sarah was one hundred years old and twenty seven years
old. The Torah mentions this age by
stating the 100 and the 20 and the 7 separately. We are meant to pause and
consider the significance of this. This emphasis possibly refers to the
blessedness of the life that was granted her - One hundred years speaks of a
long life where much maturity and wisdom was gained; twenty years speaks of the
youthfulness and vigour of this life and seven years old speaks of the
innocence of this life. Sarah
lived a long and blessed life. She may have been barren for many years but she
was richly rewarded for her patience.
This Torah portion is
titled “Chai Sarah” or the life of Sarah. It may appear strange to call this
section ‘’the life of Sarah’’ when speaks about her death. The intention for
this is that Sarah’s life would not be forgotten but would continue to live in
the lives of righteous Hebrew woman.
Gen 23:2 And Sarah died in Qiryath Arba, that is
Ḥeḇron, in the land of Kenaʽan, and Aḇraham came to mourn for Sarah and to
weep for her. (וְלִבְכֹּתָהּ)
There is an appearance of a Tittle(marking) over “ve livkotah” or “and to
weep for her”, vs 2, the letter “kaph” is diminished. There are many possible
interpretations of this diminished “kuph”. The root word “bakah” means to
“weep”. The diminished ‘’kuph’’ possibly implies a greater mourning would
follow because there would not be many righteous women such as Sarah in her generations.
“There is a custom at
the Friday night Shabbos table to sing the ancient hymn known as "Eshet
Chayil" - A Woman of Valour - which is found in the concluding chapter of
the Book of Proverbs. The Midrash cites a tradition that it was composed by
Avraham as a eulogy to Sarah, and it later became part of the Book of Proverbs
(Midrash Tanchuma on Genesis 24:1). Within this eulogy to Sarah, we find the
following words of praise:
"She spreads out
her palm(Heb ‘’kapha’’) to the poor and extends her hands to the
destitute." (Proverbs 31:20)
The Midrash teaches
that the doors of Sarah's tent "were open wide" - a metaphor for her
warm hospitality; moreover, "a blessing was bestowed upon her dough"
(Genesis Rabbah 60:16). In his commentary on this Midrash, the Tiferes Zion, a
20th century sage of Jerusalem, explains that the "blessing" on her
dough means that she was able to feed all the needy guests; there was always
enough for everyone.
Gen 23:3 Then Aḇraham rose up from beside his dead,
and spoke to the sons of Ḥĕth, saying,
Gen 23:4 “I am a foreigner and a sojourner among you. Give me property for a burial site among you, so that I bury my dead from my presence.”
Cheth in Hebrew means “terror” sons of terror. We learn from this that
Hebrews will face opposition and even “terror” from the people of this world.
We will also be exploited as Avraham was by paying as much as 25 times more for
the burial plot than he should have.
This is
the first time we encounter a Hebrew burial. Hebrews did not
cremate their dead as the heathen nations did. To this day the dead are treated
with great respect. We see that Avraham is possibly sitting or lying on the
ground next to Sarah (today this is still a custom for people who mourn to sit
and sleep on the ground) We come from the ground and we return to the ground.
Gen 23:5 And the sons of Ḥĕth answered Aḇraham,
saying to him,
Gen 23:6 “Hear us, my master: You are a prince of
Elohim among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of
us withholds from you his burial site, from burying your dead.”
Gen 23:7 So Aḇraham rose and bowed himself to the
people of the land, the sons of Ḥĕth.
Gen 23:8 And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is
your desire that I bury my dead from my presence, hear me, and approach Ephron
son of Tsoḥar for me,
Gen 23:9 and let me have the cave of Maḵpĕlah which
he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me for the
complete amount of silver, as property for a burial site among you.”
Gen 23:10 And Ephron dwelt among the sons of Ḥĕth. And
Ephron the Ḥittite answered Aḇraham in the hearing of the sons of Ḥĕth, all
who entered at the gate of his city, saying,
Gen 23:11 “No, my master, listen to me! I shall give
you the field and the cave that is in it. I shall give it to you in the
presence of the sons of my people. I shall give it to you. Bury your dead!”
Gen 23:12 And Aḇraham bowed himself down before the
people of the land,
Gen 23:13 and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the
people of the land, saying, “If only you would hear me. I shall give the amount
of silver for the field, take it from me, and let me bury my dead there.”
Gen 23:14 And Ephron answered Aḇraham, saying to him,
Gen 23:15 “My master, listen to me! The land is worth
four hundred sheqels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your
dead.”
Gen 23:16 And Aḇraham listened to Ephron, and Aḇraham
weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons
of Ḥĕth, four hundred sheqels of silver, currency of the merchants.
Throughout the chapter
Ehpron’s name is spelled with a “vav” – after the sale of the property Ephron’s
name is spelled without the “vav” Thereby the Torah implies that his stature
had diminished as he has overcharged Avraham for the property.
It is rather ironic
that YHVH had promised Avraham the land and only towards the end of Avraham’s
life was he able to purchase a very small piece of that land.
Will this scenario
repeat itself again in the last days as the sons of Chet (Terror). All the land
purchased by the patriachs is in the hands of muslims today.
“The 400 shekels of silver that Abraham paid Ephron the Hittite to buy the cave of Machpelah and adjoining land in Genesis 23:14–16 reminds us of other small land purchases in Yisrael by Yisraelites: The 100 pieces of silver that Yaqov paid the children of Hamor for the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent outside the city of Shechem in Genesis 33:18–19; the 50 shekels of silver that King Dawid paid Araunah the Yebusite for Araunah's threshing floor, oxen, and wood; The 17 shekels of silver that Yermiyahu paid his cousin Hanamel for his field in Anathoth in the land of Benyamin in Yermiyahu 32:7–9.”
Perhaps these are
significant “gateways” into the Promised Land. The one who owns these gateways
owns the right of entrance and possession of the land.
Shechem was where the
children of Yisrael first entered to come into the Promised Land after the 40
year wilderness wandering. This was also the same place where Yahshua spoke to
a Samaritan woman(John 4) telling her that He was the Messiah. This could be a
possible reference to the return of the gentiles to Yisrael.
Hebron speaks of an
entry point for all those especially the uhadim/YJews who return to the faith
of their forefathers.
Yerushalyim is the
city to which Messiah will return and rule and reign for 1000 years before the
arrival of a New Heaven and Earth.
Gen 23:17 Thus the field of Ephron which was in
Maḵpĕlah, which was before Mamrĕ, the field and the cave which was in it, and
all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding
borders, were deeded
The literal Hebrew says that the field was “raised up” (kayam). Some
commentaries state that Hebron is second only to Yeruashalayim/Jerusalem in set
apartness. The ancient name Kiryat Arba is believed to be a reference to the
fact that in Machpelah are the graves of Adam and Eve (Chawwah in Hebr) as well
as the three patriarchs and their first wives.
The word “Machpelah” figuratively means to “repeat or to double”. The
life and promises that YHVH has given to our ancestors will be given and even
fulfilled in their descendants. The life of these fathers and mothers of our
faith was not meant to be forgotten in a grave, it was meant to be passed on to
their descendants. (Repeated and doubled)
Gen 23:18 to Aḇraham as a possession in the presence
of the sons of Ḥĕth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
Gen 23:19 And after this Aḇraham buried Sarah his wife
in the cave of the field of Maḵpĕlah, before Mamrĕ, that is Ḥeḇron, in the
land of Kenaʽan.
Gen 23:20 Thus the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Aḇraham by the sons of Ḥĕth as property for a burial site.
The scriptures single out the life of Sarah as an example that righteous woman would follow.
The
Woman Who Fears the Lord
Pro 31:10 Who does find a capable wife? For she is worth far more than rubies. Pro 31:11 The heart of her husband shall trust her, And he has no lack of gain. Pro 31:12 She shall do him good, and not evil, All the days of her life. Pro 31:13 She shall seek wool and flax, And with delight she works with her hands. Pro 31:14 She shall be as the ships of Tarshish, She brings in her food from afar. Pro 31:15 She also rises while it is still night, And provides food for her household, And what is lawfull (dole)for her girls. (dowry, the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband or his family in marriage.)
Pro
31:16 She shall consider a field and buy it; From her profits she shall
plant a vineyard.
Pro
31:17 She shall gird herself with strength, And strengthen her
arms.
Pro
31:18 She shall taste when her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out by
night.
Pro
31:19 She shall stretch out her hands to the distaff,(loom?) And her hand shall hold the spindle.
Pro 31:20
She shall extend her hand to the poor, And she shall reach out her hands to the
needy.
Pro
31:21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household
is dressed in scarlet.
Pro
31:22 She shall make tapestry for herself; She is dressed in fine linen
and purple.
Pro
31:23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of
the land.
Pro
31:24 She shall make fine linen (shirts)and
sell them, And shall give girdles for the merchants.
Pro
31:25 Strength and splendour are her garments, And she rejoices in time to
come.
Pro
31:26 She shall open her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the
Torah of loving-commitment(kindness).
Pro
31:27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the
bread of idleness.
Pro
31:28 Her children shall rise up and call her blessed; Her husband too,
and he praises her:
Pro
31:29 “Many daughters have done nobly, But you have risen over them
all.”
Pro
31:30 Loveliness is deceptive And prettiness is vain, A woman who fears יהוה is
to be praised.
Pro
31:31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her works praise her in
the gates.
1Pe 3:1 In the
same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that if any are
disobedient to the Word, they, without a word, might be won by the behaviour of
their wives,
1Pe 3:2 having seen your blameless behaviour in fear.
1Pe 3:3 Your adornment should not be outward –
arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on dresses –
1Pe 3:4 but the hidden Man of the heart, with the
incorruptible ornament of a meek and peaceable spirit, which is of great value
before Elohim.
1Pe 3:5 For in this way, in former times, the
set-apart women who trusted in Elohim also adorned themselves, being subject to
their own husbands,
1Pe 3:6 as Sarah obeyed Aḇraham, calling him master,
of whom you became children, doing good, and not frightened by any fear.
1Pe 3:7 In the same way, husbands, live understandingly
together, giving respect to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being
heirs together of the favour of life, so that your prayers are not hindered.
Rom 8:19 For the intense longing
of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of Elohim. Rom
8:26 And in the same way the Spirit does help in our weaknesses. For we do
not know what we should pray, but the Spirit Himself pleads our case for us
with groanings unutterable.
Rom 8:27 And He who searches the
hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for
the set-apart ones according to Elohim.
Baruch atah YHVH,
Eloheinu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chai-yeh o’lam
nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH, notein ha-Torah. Amein.
Blessed are you YHVH,
our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have
planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the
Torah – Amein.