[Avodah] Whose Burial Place

[Micha Berger]

Started shenayim miqra for Chayei Sarah. I think there is something going
on here that I never heard pointed out.

Avraham asks to be a gravesite as an achuzas qaver.

Benei Cheis often him a grave saying, You are a nasi Elokim amongst us,
"is mimenu es qivro lo yikhleh mimekha". Seforno points out that they
offer Avraham to bury quickly, as is appropriate, and not spend time on
buying real estate.

But I was thinking... Couldn't they be trying to assimilate Avraham
into their nation? Sure, you're a great man... Any of us would want
/your/ deceased in /his/ grave. It would be an honor for the family
to have Sarah buried among them.

But the plot would stay a Hittite burial ground, and Sarah would be
Avraham's roots in their community.


Decades ago I hear R Menachem Zupnick suggest that that Avraham acquires
the field and me'arah twice -- once from Efron, and a second time in
18-20, "... leAvraham la'achuzas qaver Mei'eis Benei Cheis. From Efron he
acquires the field as property, but then he acquires soveignty from the
Hittite nation. Note the word "achuzah" in that quoted snippet from 23:20.

But now looking at the earlier pesuqim, it seems there is a whole tension
here... Avraham opens by defining himself as a geir vetoshav, Benei Cheis
suggest making him one of them, no element of geirus. He pushes back,
establishing himself a toshav, but of an independent nation.

Gut Voch!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 The thought of happiness that comes from outside
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   the person, brings him sadness. But realizing
Author: Widen Your Tent      the value of one's will and the freedom brought
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF    by uplifting its, brings great joy. - R' Kook