In the first recorded death and burial in the history of the people Israel, Abraham makes arrangements to acquire a burial plot for his wife, Sarah. The location he seeks, known as the Cave of Machpelah in Kiryat Arba (later to be renamed Hebron), belongs to Ephron the Hittite. In arranging the purchase, Abraham says to Ephron: “I am a resident alien among you; sell me a burial site among you, that I may remove my dead for burial (Gen. 23:4).”
Historians of this biblical period note, “The Hebrew phrase [translated] “resident alien” is a figure of speech in which two terms express a single notion. Abraham mentions his status because it is the underlying reason for the request that follows. A resident alien was unable to purchase real estate.” Ephron is under no requirement to sell the land. Knowing this, Abraham courteously and respectfully bargains with Ephron. In the end, Ephron sells the land to Abraham at a price well-above market value. Abraham neither argues nor distresses over the price. He thanks Ephron and buries Sarah.
Later Torah scholars note that Abraham’s journey from his home in Haran to Hebron, in the land of Canaan, began with God designating Canaan as the “Promised Land” for Abraham and his descendents. If this be the case, why need Abraham negotiate with Ephron at all? Ephron might think the land is his, but in fact God has promised it to Abraham! My colleague, Rabbi Brad Artson, writes, “Aren’t there people today who claim an exclusive possession of the truth, who insist that their monopoly on morality or compassion, or divine will, allows them to slander, to slight to distort or to oppress? From the liberal chic to the conservative smug, all over the world self-appointed spokespeople of the “correct” view trumpet their own infallibility and moral superiority. . .Despite his knowledge of God’s gift of Israel to the Jews, Abraham still made a point of respecting the humanity of his pagan hosts, still insisted on taking seriously the perspective of the Hittites, their customs, and their proprieties.”
We, in this country, have just completed an election cycle pitting two sides-each believing their ideological position was the truth-against one another. At the end of the day, the shining light of democracy chose one side over the other. To move forward, the American people and their elected officials must learn-like Abraham and Ephron-to replace elitism and smugness with pragmatism and compromise. If this be the case, we can say with conviction not “God BLESS America,” but “God BLESSED America.”
Rabbi Howard Siegel