By Joseph Shulam.
22nd November 2024.
The Torah reading on this Shabbat is called Chaiey Sarah, which means “The Life of Sarah.” Although the story of Abraham is coming to an end, Abraham is brilliant in every way in his old age, even if God essentially ignores him after the intended sacrifice of Isaac.
We will be reading from the Torah from.
From the prophets, we will be reading from 1 Kings 1:1-31.
From the New Testament, we will be reading from John 4:3-14.
Biblical narratives that start with the phrase “life of” usually indicate the death of the person mentioned in the text. This is evident in several of the texts in the Bible that tell us about the death of the Character. Sarah is the first, Abraham is the second, and Joseph is the third, who ends his life in the portion that starts with the same phrase: These are the days of Sarah” or Abraham, or Joseph.
Abraham’s death notice is:
“This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.”
(Genesis 25:7-8 NKJV)
This phrase appears seven times in the Torah except for Sarah’s.
The lesson I would like to share with you concerning our Torah portion has nothing to do with the main storyline of the Torah text. I want to share from our Torah text this week how to do business with Arabs, Jews, Armenians, Lebanese, Jordanians, Egyptians, Iraqis, and Iranians.
“Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. Genesis 23:1
But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had, and while he was still living, he sent them eastward, away from Isaac, his son, to the country of the east. Genesis 25:6-7
“This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years.
These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years, and he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people.[1]
Rabbi Abraham Iben Ezra, who lived in the 11th century C.E., Was a Bible Scholar, philosopher, and important commentator of Biblical and Rabbinical texts. He says the following about the phrase “gathered to his people:”
“AND WAS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE. Some say that this refers to the soul of life, which, even while functioning in the body, is a separate entity. When it separates from the body, it returns to its source. Others say that what was gathered to his people is a mere idiom. One who follows in the footsteps of his ancestors is said, as it were, to be joining them. But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace (Gen. 15:15) is similar.”
What is interesting to me about this phrase is that according to Abraham Eben Ezra, the soul of man has two characteristics:
1) “The soul is a separate entity. In other words, it is not made from the same substances as the rest of the body.
2) It doesn’t belong to the physical body; it only dwells in the body and gives it life. But it returns to the Bank of Souls that belongs to the family to the status of the community where it belongs.
Interestingly, Abraham has to find a place to bury his wife, Sarah. He doesn’t own land in the land God promised to give him as an everlasting inheritance. He has to buy a place for the burial of Sarah, his wife. He and his camp are close to 1000 people, and Abraham has to buy a place for Sarah. (I say 1000 people because just the men between the age of 20 – 50 numbered at least 318 men trained to be soldiers.)
“These are the souls that Abraham acquired in Haran.” (See Genesis 12:4-5 and Genesis 14:14). It Is the Hebrew idiom for evangelism. Abraham and Isaac are described as fishers of man in the Hebrew Bible. Still, the translators of the Hebrew Bible into English understood the meaning of Genesis 48:16 and translated the meaning but not the words. The Hebrew is: הַמַּלְאָךְ֩ הַגֹּאֵ֨ל אֹתִ֜י מִכׇּל־רָ֗ע יְבָרֵךְ֮ אֶת־הַנְּעָרִים֒ וְיִקָּרֵ֤א בָהֶם֙ שְׁמִ֔י וְשֵׁ֥ם אֲבֹתַ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם וְיִצְחָ֑ק וְיִדְגּ֥וּ לָרֹ֖ב בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃”
“The Messenger who has redeemed me from all harm—Bless the lads. In them may my name be recalled, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they be [Fishers] teeming multitudes upon the earth.”
Abraham lived in a camp next to the Hittite City of Hebron, so he knew of a cave on the outskirts of Hebron that would suit Sarah and his family as a family tomb. Ancient people buried their relatives in a family grave. Abraham went to the marketplace, where the town’s men usually gathered to hear news and chat about the families’ politics, business, and children.
I want you to understand the market tactics for buying something from the native population here in the Middle East and see Abraham’s wisdom. I will put numbers before each step of the negotiation. Please pay attention to the knowledge and tactics of both Ephron the Hittite and Abraham the Hebrew. SEE FOOTNOTE TWO BELOW FOR COMMENTARY.
1 Then Abraham stood up from before his dead and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,
2 I am a foreigner and a visitor among you.
3 Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
4 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, “Hear us, my lord: You are a mighty prince among us. Don’t give us this fake humility and say that you are just a tourist in the land. We know exactly who you are, and you are a Lord here, a mighty man who knows what he is doing.
5 bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you this burial place; we honor you, and we give it to you as a gift.”
6 Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field.
7 Let him give it to me at the full price as property for a burial place among you.”
8 Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying, “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!”
9 Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land, and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”
10 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, “My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. 11 What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.”
12 And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, the currency of the merchants.
13 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
14 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah, his wife, in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.” (Genesis 23:3-20 NKJV)
Another seemingly simple but essential element that appears for the first time in our Torah reading is the phrase “Grace and Truth,” which later becomes a necessary element in the Gospel concerning Yeshua and us today.
This phrase appears in Genesis 24:49. Eliezer, Abraham’s old servant, is sent to Haran (Aleppo) in northern Syria to Sarah’s brother Laban to find Isaac a bride. Isaac is 40 years old and not married because of an incident in which Sarah saw Ismael seducing Isaac when he was a young child, and Ismael was already a teenager. (See Genesis 21:9-12.) The word translated into English as “scoffing” has a sexual connotation that also explains why Isaac was not interested in women and married Rebecca, who was specially brought from northern Syria when Isaac was 40 years old. The same word is used in the story of Rebecca and Abimelech and in the story of Joseph and the wife of Potiphar, the Egyptian who falsely accused Joseph of trying to have sex with her, and that landed Joseph in jail for a prolonged time.
The English translators could not explain the Hebrew text correctly within the Puritan mental context of the 16th Century CE, and the mindset prevented them from translating it literally.
Here are several places from the Old Testament where the exact phrase Grace and Truth appears but was never translated into the English Bible. You see, Christian translators didn’t want you to find “Grace and Truth” in the Old Testament as the phrase in the New Testament is one of the significant attributes of Yeshua, who fulfilled the impeccable divine attribute of having both grace and truth in the judgment of our Lord. Two times in the gospel of John, we find this exact phrase attributed to Yeshua, our Lord and Savior. In the Old Testament, the exact phrase appears in the following texts: Genesis 24:49, 47:29; Exodus 34:6, Num. 20:17; Deut. 2:27; Josh. 2:14; Psalm 61: 85:11, Prov. 3:3. This exact phrase appears in many more places in the Hebrew Bible. However, the English Bible is translated differently to prevent Christians from thinking that Grace and Truth exist in the Old Testament.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Here are examples of the Old Testament’s English translation of grace and truth.
Psalm 85:11, “Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven.”
Psalm 85:15, “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.”
Exodus 34:6: “And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,”
2 Samuel 2:6: “And now may the LORD show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness because you have done this thing.”
All these quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible. You, my dear brothers, need to know that you can trust the King James translation of the Bible. The new edition and translation are even more accessible to read with the same accuracy.
Many Bible Translations are created by Christian denominations that have their own interests. Sometimes, like in this case, the rewrites are also an example of some not-so-hidden antisemitism. Political internal issues in these denominations forced them to change their words and understanding, which now exposes their antisemitism in their translations of God’s word, the Old Testament.
Ephron the Hittite said to Abraham after they closed the sale of the Field of Machpelah, ” What is a little Business between friends?”
For me, it is vital that you, my dear brothers, know that the same God that is the father of our Lord Yeshua is also the God of Israel. Every other god is a false idol, no matter what name you give your god. There is only one Creator who formed the sun and the moon and the flowers and the trees and the humans of all colors and races.
You can trust the big picture of the Bible, including the New Testament. Generally speaking, the Bible is trustworthy in most translations and languages, but if you are a scholar looking in every way with a microscope, you see things sometimes that, with the so-called naked eye, can be hard to see. As a teacher of God’s word, I feel responsible for what I teach people.
I ask you to pray for my health and Marcia, my wife’s health.
Stand with Netivyah Bible Instruction Ministry in Israel and Netivyah International, based in the United States. Both organizations have the same goals and DNA.
Netivyah is my baby from birth till my death. The same goes for the Teaching from Zion in Brazil and our brothers in Finland and Bulgaria. Also, for the battle for the restoration of the Anussim (The Jews who were forced to become catholic during the 15th and 19th centuries ), we are fighting and working for their restoration to the fold of Israel and return to the land of Israel.
Please pray, stand, support, visit, and participate in the conferences our dear brothers in Brazil organize. These brothers and sisters are so gifted with talent. I ask you for encouragement and empowerment to continue restoring the first-century community of saints who spread the good news from Jerusalem to the outermost corners of this world. We are trying to do the same today. We all need your prayers and partnership in this unique, special, blessed, and successful mission, which has blossomed beyond our imagination. Donate, contribute, and pray for us.
Netivyah International fights the international Battle against Antisemitism and, at the same time, spreads the Good News and the Teaching from Zion around the world, as I have done and as the next generation of leaders continue to do. I also, in my old age and illness with cancer, continue to work, train, and lead and encourage you to stand with Israel and with the Netivyah Bible Instruction ministry based in Jerusalem.
[1] “Gathered to his people” is an interesting way to describe death. This description of what happens after death appears seven times in the Torah only:
“Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. “These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years, and he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people.
So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.” “Aaron shall be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the children of Israel because you rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah.
And strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar, his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there.” and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people;”
(Genesis 25:8, 17; 35:29; 49:33; Numbers 20:24, 26; Deuteronomy 32:50 NKJV)
[2] 1 – Abraham is in the marketplace in Hebron. The marketplace is where the men gather in the morning to discuss politics, do business, joke, and have a kind of parliament of older and retired men who have nothing better to do than shoot the bull! The first thing that Abraham does is make himself vulnerable, “My wife has died.” 2 – I don’t belong here; I am a foreigner; my stay in this town is temporary. ((you are there to buy property, land, a burial cave, and a family tomb. But you imply that you are not a permanent resident.)) 3 Abraham is not asking to buy a place yet. He wants the local owner to give him the property. 4 The Hittites “Listen, Mr. Big (Lord). We know who you are and what an important person you are. 5 We give you this place to bury your dead as a gift. If you receive the gift – you will pay for it dearly for the rest of your life. 6. Again, Abraham stands up to make an important and formal statement. Suppose you are serious about giving me a place to bury my wife, bring the owner of this field here, and bring Ephron, the owner of this field (not only the cave for burial but the whole field. If he buys only the cave in the future, they will ask him for money as a toll payment every time he wants to visit the place or bury someone else in the same tomb. 7 Let the owner of this field come and give me the right price for this real estate, and I will pay him what is fair as a burial place. (In other words, Abraham wants them to know that he is not buying this property to develop it, but just as a family tomb. 8. Notice the place where this whole discussion is taking place. It is the gate of the city just near the marketplace. This was always near the marketplace and the judgment place where the elders of the city would gather and negotiate and do business and arbitrate before the elders of the city. Ephron is acting very generous, but if you are dumb enough to receive his generosity, you will pay for it all your life. 9 Abraham now bowed in front of Ephron and the parliament of the old and leading men of the city. Abraham is honoring the occasion and the business. He told me to give him the actual price and that I would not argue. The reason that Abraham says this is because he is not talking to Ephron alone. He is talking to the elders (city council) of Hebron, and there are plenty of witnesses. If Ephron takes advantage of Abraham or is not a fair price given by Ephron, the community will always know and hold him as a dishonest person.
10 Ephron now gives the price – remember that it is all done in front of the community’s leaders. He can’t cheat Abraham in public after he gives him honor in the opening of the negotiation for the land. Ephron provides the price of 400 Shekel of Silver. This is not a cheap price, but Abraham needs the cave and the field of Machpelah. Once the price is set – there is not much to talk about – Abraham gives the price that the owner asks, and all is done in front of the town’s dignitaries, important elders, and leaders. 11 Ephron is now a little apprehensive and is trying to soften the situation by saying: We are friends. What is money – it is nothing – between friends. You need the place to bury your dead and we are friends. 12 Abraham gives Ephron 400 pieces of silver in front of all the elders of the city, and everyone is satisfied. 13 When you buy anything from the local population, always have a receipt in writing, and a deed for the land is needed. The deal between Ephron the Hittite and Abraham the Hebrew was sealed and done correctly. Now Abraham can bury his wife Sarah in Hebron. Even today, the Cave of Machepela is held as a holy place where Sarah and Abraham, Rebeca, Isaac, and Jacob are buried, along with Leah, his wife. Rachel is buried near Bethlehem, as the Bible states later. —- You can come to Israel and visit the city of Hebron even today, where our patriarchs are buried, and some of their wives are in a building built by King Herod, the same king of Israel in the time of Yeshua.
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