Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
What's going on here? מַה זֶה?
Why was the cave called “Makhpelah”?
Avraham refers to the cave he purchases as the “Cave of Makhpelah,” which remains its Hebrew name even today!
What does Makhpelah mean?
Rashi points out that “Makhpelah” comes from the שֹׁרֶשׁ (shoresh, root), “כֶּפֶל (kefel, double).” Based on this, he offers two explanations:
- It is a double-cave, with two levels—an upper level and a lower one.
- It is a cave of doubles, or couples, because it became a burial place for married couples: Sarah and Avraham, Rivkah and Yitzhak, and Leah and Yaakov.
The only one of the אִמָּהוֹת (imahot, matriarchs) who is not buried in the Cave of Makhpelah is Rahel. She dies near Beit Lehem and is buried there (Bereishit 35:19-20). The Torah never mentions where Bilhah and Zilpah are buried.
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