מערת המכפלה

(3) Then Abraham got up from attending his dead and spoke to the Hittites, saying: (4) “I am a resident alien among you; sell me a burial plot as a possession from among you, that I may bury my dead from in front of me.” (5) Then the Hittites replied to Abraham, saying to him, (6) “Listen to us, my lord: you are a leader of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial plots; none of us will withhold his burial plot from you for burying your dead.” (7) Abraham stood up and prostrated to the people of the land, the Hittites. (8) Then spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish [to permit me] to bury my dead from in front of me, listen to me and introduce me to Ephron son of Tzochar. (9) That he will sell me the cave of Machpelah that he owns, which is at the edge of his field. Let him sell it to me, at the full price, as a burial plot possession.” (10) Now Ephron was dwelling among the Hittites; then Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham within earshot of the Hittites, for all those entering his town's gate, saying, (11) “No, my lord, 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 sight of my people. Bury your dead.” (12) Then Abraham prostrated before the people of the land, (13) and spoke to Ephron in earshot of the people of the land, saying, “If only you would listen to me! I will pay the price of the field; accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.” (14) And Ephron replied to Abraham, saying to him, (15) “My lord, listen to me! Four hundred shekels of silver land—what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” (16) Abraham listened to Ephron. Then Abraham weighed for Ephron out the silver that he spoke about within earshot of the Hittites—four hundred shekels of silver at the going merchants’ rate. (17) So Ephron’s land that was in Machpelah, facing Mamre—the field and the cave that was in it and every tree that was in the field anywhere within its borders transferred (18) to Abraham as a purchase in sight of the Hittites, all those entering his town's gate. (19) After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre—which is Hebron—in the land of Canaan. (20) Thus the field and the cave within it transferred from the Hittites to Abraham, as a burial plot possession.

(9) Then his sons, Isaac and Ishmael, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Tzochar the Hittite, facing Mamre, (10) the field that Abraham had purchased from the Hittites; there Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife.

(27) Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, at Kiryat-Arba—which is Hebron—where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. (28) The days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years. (29) Then Isaac became a corpse and died. He was gathered to his people, in ripe old age; then his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

(29) And when the time approached for Israel to die, he summoned his son Joseph and said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, place your hand under my thigh and deal kindly and truthfully with me: please do not bury me in Egypt. (30) When I will rest with my ancestors, take me up from Egypt and bury me in their burial-plot.” He replied, “I will do as you have spoken.”

(13) His sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah since Abraham purchased the field as a burial plot possession from Ephron the Hittite, facing Mamre.

When they reached the Cave of Machpelah, Esau came out and blocked them. He said to them, "Mamre, Kiryat Arba is Hebron," (Genesis 35:27). And Rabbi Yiztchak said, "Kityat Arba. Four couples were there. Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebeccah, and Jacob and Leah." "He [Jacob] buried her [Leah] in his own [spot]. The one that remains is mine." They said to him, "You sold it." He said to them, "Granted that I sold the birthright, but did I sell my regular inheritance?" They said him, "Yes. As is written, 'In my grave that I dug [kariti] for myself,'" (Genesis 50:5). And Rebbi Yochanan said in the name of Rebbi Shimon son of Y'hotzadak, "Kira is necessarily the language of selling [m'khira]."As such, in the cities abroad they call selling, "Kira." He [Esau] said to them, "Bring me the bill of sale." They said to him, "The bill of sale is in Egypt. Who will go? Naftali will go for he is as swift as a doe." As is written, "Naftali is a doe set free giving words of beauty," (Genesis 49:21). Said Rebbi Abahu, "Don't read it words of beauty [shefer] but words of a book [sefer]."

Chushim the son of Dan was there and was hard of hearing. He said to them, "What is this?" They said to him, "This one is blocking [us] until Naftali comes back from Egypt." He said to them, "And until Naftali comes back from the land of Egypt will Grandfather be laid out in degradation?" He took a staff and hit him [Esau] on the head. His eyes fell out and fell on the legs of Jacob. Jacob opened his eyes and smiled. That is what is written, "The righteous will rejoice when he sees revenge, he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked," (Psalms 58:11). At that moment, the prophesy of Rebecca was fulfilled, as is written, "Why should I be bereaved of both of you on one day?" (Genesis 27:45). And even though their death was not on one day, their burial, however, was on one day.

"Naftali is a doe set free." (Genesis 49:21)... You find that at the time that they [the children of Jacob] ascended [to Canaan] to bury our father, Jacob, the Hittites came to make a claim against them regarding the burial. Naftali ran like a doe and brought the document from Egypt and through it pacified [the situation].

Rebbi Yudan son of Simon said: This is one of the three places about which the nations of the world cannot cheat Israel saying, "These that you have are stolen." These are they: the cave of the Machpela, the Holy Temple, and the grave of Yosef. The cave of the Machpela, as it is written, "Abraham listened closely to Ephron. Then Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron..."(Genesis 23:16).