Where else would Avraham bury his wife? Furthermore, the entire land was promised, not to Avraham, but to his children; there is no fulfillment of a promise here. This parsha illustrates the chesed Hashem in fulfilling a different promise, to make Avraham and his name great in the land, ואגדלה שמך והיה ברכה
How do we make sense of this machloket? The first step it to recognize that according to the Ibn Ezra, this parsha is focusing on Avraham and his actions, while the Ramban maintains that it is focusing on Hashem and the impact of His chesed on Avraham. This distinction is key to understanding the machloket.
According to the Ramban, this perek describes the end of an era; the torch will soon pass from one unique couple, Avraham and Sara to another, Yitzchok and Rivka. Even as Avraham is eulogizing his wife, reflecting on the accomplishments of חיי שרה, the Torah is presenting its own reflection on חיי אברהם. The process that began with “לך לך” is reaching its conclusion, and the חסד השם is an important factor in the success that Avraham enjoys during his lifetime.
The Ibn Ezra presents a contrasting viewpoint. The death of Sara is a tragedy for Avraham, the man. But to Avraham, the father of the nation, it presents an opportunity to launch yet another building campaign and add a new wing to the classroom he has built all over the land of Israel. Through Mearat Hamachpela, he can expand the concept of חבוב הארץ, love of this unique land that teaches the philosophy of ה’ אחד. Avraham can insure that Sara, even in death, will continue to inspire her grandchildren and educate them for generations to come. Additionally, though the ultimate promise of the land is yet to be realized, Avraham can demonstrate the importance of taking the initiative and establishing a limited ownership in the land. It is Avraham who is fulfilling the word of Hashem that it will be for him an inheritance. Yaakov does the same when he enters Canaan and purchases a portion in Shechem. The Ibn Ezra says: And the text mentioned this to make known that there is a great virtue to the land of Israel, and the one who has a portion, it is considered like a portion of the world to come.
This theme is truly relevant to our present relationship to ארץ ישראל. We pray that our initiatives will continue to create a pathway to the ideal land that Avraham and Sara envisioned.
Shabbat Shalom!
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