אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא הָא רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, דְּהָא דוּמָה יָדַע קוֹדֶם מִשׁוּם דְּמַכְרְזֵי עֲלָהּ בְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן. אֲבָל אֲנָא כָּךָ שָׁמַעְנָא, דִּי בְּעִדָּנָא דְּיָהֲבִין (ליה פנקסא חזר על גופא לאעיל ליה בפתקא דצדיקיא על ידוי דדומה. הדא הוא דכתיב אך אם אתה לו שמעני נתתי כסף השדה קח ממני. מהו כסף השדה, דא כסופא דעלמין ארבע מאות דיהבין ליה לאחסנא).
R. Eleazar said: ‘Abraham came to enter the cave in this way. He was running after that calf of which we read, “and Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf’ (Gen. 18, 7), and the calf ran until it entered a cave, and then Abraham entered after it and saw what we have described.
Further, Abraham used to offer up his prayer daily, and in so doing used to proceed as far as that field, which emitted heavenly odours. Whilst there he saw a light issuing from the cave, so that he prayed on that spot, and on that spot the Holy One communed with him. On that account Abraham now asked for it, having always longed for it since then.
Why did not he ask for it before that time? Because the people would not have listened to him, as he had no obvious need for it. Now that he needed it, he thought it was time to demand it.
Observe that had Ephron seen inside the cave what Abraham saw, he would never have sold it to him. But he never saw there anything, since such things are never revealed except to their rightful owner. It was thus revealed to Abraham and not to Ephron: to Abraham, who was its rightful owner, but not to Ephron, who had no part or portion in it, and who therefore only saw darkness in it; and for that reason he sold it.
Nay, he even sold him more than he had mentioned in his original request. For Abraham only said, “that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he hath… for the’ full price let him give it to me”, whereas Ephron said, “the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein”, as he felt indifferent to the whole thing, not realising what it was.
Observe that when Abraham entered the cave for the first time he saw there a bright light, and as he advanced, the ground lifted, revealing to him two graves. Adam then arose in his true form, saw Abraham and smiled at him. (Abraham thereby knew that there he was destined to be buried.)
Abraham then said to him: “Could you tell me, is there not a tent for me close to you?” Adam replied: “The Holy One buried me here, and from that time until now I have been lying hid like a corn seed in the ground, until thou camest into the world. But from now there is salvation for me and for the world for thy sake.
Hence it is written, AND THE FIELD AND THE CAVE THAT IS THEREIN AROSE , that is, there was literally an arising before the presence of Abraham, as up to that time nothing there had been visible, but now what had been hidden rose up, and thus the whole spot was devoted to its lawful purpose.’
R. Simeon said: ‘When Abraham brought Sarah in there for burial, Adam and Eve arose and refused to receive her. They said: “Is not our shame already great enough before the Holy One in the other world on account of our sin, which brought death into the world, that ye should come to shame us further with your good deeds?”
Abraham made answer: “I am already destined to make atonement before the Almighty for thee, so that thou mayest nevermore be shamed before Him.” Forthwith Abraham after this buried Sarah his wife, to wit, after Abraham had taken upon himself this obligation.
Adam then returned to his place, but not Eve, until Abraham came and placed her beside Adam, who received her for his sake. Hence the text says, AND AFTER THIS, ABRAHAM BURIED (eth) SARAH HIS WIFE: the augmenting particle eth indicates that the burial included, as it were, Eve. Thus they were all settled in their proper places. Hence the Scripture says, “These are the generations of heaven and earth when they were created (b’hibar’am)” (Gen. 2, 4), which according to tradition, means “on account of Abraham” (b’Abraham). Now “the generations of the heaven and the earth” can only be Adam and Eve, they having been the direct issue of the heaven and earth and not of human parents, and it was they who became established through Abraham: before Abraham, Adam and Eve were not established in their places in the other world.’
R. Eleazar asked his father, R. Simeon, for an explanation of the term Machpelah (lit. “twofold”, or “folded”). ‘How is it,’ he said, ‘that first it is written “the cave of Machpelah”, and subsequently “the cave of the field of Machpelah”, implying that the field and not the cave was “Machpelah” (doubled)?’
R. Simeon replied: ‘The term Machpelah belongs properly neither to the cave nor to the field, but to something else with which both were connected. The cave belongs to the field, and the field to something else.
For the whole of the Land of Israel and of Jerusalem is folded up beneath it, since it exists both above and below, in the same way as there is a Jerusalem both above and below, both of the same pattern. The Jerusalem above has a twofold attachment, above and below; similarly the Jerusalem below is linked to two sides, higher and lower. Hence it is folded in two;
and that field partakes of the same character, seeing that it is therein situated. The same reference is contained in the passage, “as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed” (Gen. 27, 27), to wit, both above and below. Hence its name, “field of folding”, but not “folded field”.
It is, indeed, true that the cave was a twofold one, a cave within a cave, yet the name “cave of the field of Machpelah” has a different connotation, as already explained. Abraham, on his part, who knew its true character, in speaking to the children of Heth called it simply “cave of Machpelah”, as if to imply merely “double cave”, which it also was in fact. Scripture, however, describes it as “the cave of the field of Machpelah”, this being its true description.
For the Holy One has disposed all things in such a way that everything in this world should be a replica of something in the world above, and that the two should be united so that His glory should be spread above and below. Happy the portion of the righteous in whom the Holy One finds pleasure both in this world and in the world to come!’
תּוֹסֶפְתָּא רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָזִיל לְמֵיחֱמֵי לְרַבִּי חִיָּיא, אָמַר לֵיהּ לֵימָא מַר אִי שָׁמַע הַאי פַּרְשָׁתָּא הֵיךָ אָמְרוּ מָארֵי מַתְּנִיתָּא דְּפֵּרְשׁוּהָ בְּעִנְיָינָא דְּנִשְׁמָתָּא. אָמַר זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּצַּדִּיקַיָּא בְּעַלְמָא דְאָתֵּי, דְּכָךָ הִיא אוֹרַיְיתָּא בְּלִבְּהוֹן כְּמַבּוּעָא רַבָּא דְמַיָא, דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּמַסְתִּימִין לֵיהּ, מִסְגִּיאוּתּ מַיָּיא פָּתְּחִי מַבּוּעִין דְּנָבְעִין לְכָל עֵיבַר.
תָּא שְׁמַע רַבִּי יוֹסֵי רְחִימָא אַתְּ, אֲנָא אֵימָא לָךָ בְּהַאי פָּרְשָׁתָּא, לְעוֹלָם אֵין גּוּף הָאָדָם נִכְנַס בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן הַצַּדִּיקִים עַל יַד דּוּמָה, עַד שֶׁתַּרְאֶה הַנְּשָׁמָה פִּנְקָס סִימָנָא שֶׁנּוֹתְּנִין לָהּ הַכְּרוּבִים בַּגַּן עֵדֶן. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אֲנָא שְׁמַעֲנָא דְּהָא נִשְׁמָתָּא בָּתַּר דְּעַיְילַתּ תַּמָּן הִיא אָזְלַתּ לְסָלְקָא לְאַתְּרָה לְעֵילָא ולָא לְמֵיחַתּ לְתַּתָּא, אֲבָל קוֹדֶם שֶׁתַּעֲלֶה ותִּכָּנֵס נַעֲשֵׂתּ אַפַּטְרוֹפּוֹס הַגּוּף על יַד דּוּמָה וּמַרְאָה לוֹ שֶׁרָאוּי הוּא לְקַבֵּל שָׂכָר אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹתּ עוֹלָמוֹתּ.
אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא הָא רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, דְּהָא דוּמָה יָדַע קוֹדֶם מִשׁוּם דְּמַכְרְזֵי עֲלָהּ בְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן. אֲבָל אֲנָא כָּךָ שָׁמַעְנָא, דִּי בְּעִדָּנָא דְּיָהֲבִין (ליה פנקסא חזר על גופא לאעיל ליה בפתקא דצדיקיא על ידוי דדומה. הדא הוא דכתיב אך אם אתה לו שמעני נתתי כסף השדה קח ממני. מהו כסף השדה, דא כסופא דעלמין ארבע מאות דיהבין ליה לאחסנא).
רַב יוֹסֵף כַּד הֲוָה שָׁמַע פָּרְשָׁתָּא דָא מִמָּארֵיהוֹן דִּמְתִּיבְתָּא, הֲוָה אָמַר, מַאן דְּאִיהוּ עַפְּרָא מַאי קָא (ריקנא) זָכֵי לְהַאי. מַאן יִזְכֶּה וּמַאן יָקוּם הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִּיב, (תהילים כ״ד:ג׳) מִי יַעֲלֶה בְּהַר יְיָ וגו'.
אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא תָּא חֲזֵי מַאי דִכְתִּיב ויִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָהָם אֶל עֶפְּרוֹן ויִּשְׁקֹל אַבְרָהָם לְעֶפְּרוֹן אֶתּ הַכֶּסֶף, דָּא הוּא כִּסוּפָּא רַבָּתָּא דְּאִינוּן עָלְמִין וְכִסוּפִּין. אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹתּ שֶׁקֶל כֶּסֶף, אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹתּ עוֹלָמוֹתּ וְהֲנָאוֹתּ וכִסוּפִּין. עוֹבֵר לַסוֹחֵר. רַב נַחְמָן אָמַר שֶׁיַּעֲבוֹר כָּל שַׁעֲרֵי שָׁמַיִם וירוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁל מַעְלָה ואֵין מוֹחֶה בְּיָדָהּ.
תָּא חֲזֵי מַה כְּתִּיב ואַחֲרֵי כֵן קָבַר אַבְרָהָם אֶתּ שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ, ונִמְנֶה עִם שְׁאָר הַצַּדִּיקִים בַּחֲבוּרָתָּם מִפִּתְּקָא דִּמְמַנָּא עַל יְדוֹי דְדוּמָה. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְּחָק הָכִי גְמִירְנָא כָּל אִינוּן דִּכְתִּיבִין בִּידוֹי דְדוּמָה וּמְמַנָּן עַל יְדוֹי יְקוּמוּן לְזִמְנָא דְּזָמִּין לְאַחֲיָא דָיְירֵי עַפְּרָא. וַוי לְהוֹן לְרַשִׁיעַיָּא דְּלָא כְתִּיבִין על יְדוֹי בְּפִּתְּקָא, שֶׁיֹּאבְדוּ בַּגֵּיהִנָּם לְעָלְמִין, וְעַל דָּא נְאֱמַר (דניאל י״ב:א׳) וּבָעֵתּ הַהִיא יִמָּלֵט עִמְךָ כָּל הַנִּמְצָּא כָּתּוּב בַּסֵפֶּר, (עד כאן תוספתא)
רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּעָאל אַבְרָהָם בִּמְעַרְתָּא הֵיךְ עָאל. בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה רָהִיט אֲבַתְרֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא עֶגְלָא דִּכְתִיב וְאֶל הַבָּקָר רָץ אַבְרָהָם וְגו'. וְהַהוּא בֶּן בָּקָר עָרַק עַד הַהוּא מְעַרְתָּא וְעָאל אֲבַתְרִיהּ וְחָמָא מַה דְּחָמָא.
R. Eleazar said: ‘Abraham came to enter the cave in this way. He was running after that calf of which we read, “and Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf’ (Gen. 18, 7), and the calf ran until it entered a cave, and then Abraham entered after it and saw what we have described.
תוּ בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ צַלֵּי כָּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא וְהֲוָה נָפִיק עַד הַהוּא חֲקַל דְּהֲוָה סָלִיק רֵיחִין עִלָּאִין, וְחָמָא נְהוֹרָא דְּנָפִיק מִגּוֹ מְעַרְתָּא וְצַלֵּי תַּמָּן, וְתַמָּן מַלִּיל עִמֵּיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ בָּעָא לֵיהּ, דְּתִאוּבְתֵּיהּ הֲוָה בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר תָּדִיר.
Further, Abraham used to offer up his prayer daily, and in so doing used to proceed as far as that field, which emitted heavenly odours. Whilst there he saw a light issuing from the cave, so that he prayed on that spot, and on that spot the Holy One communed with him. On that account Abraham now asked for it, having always longed for it since then.
וְאִי תֵימָא אִי הָכִי אַמַּאי לָא בָעָא לָהּ עַד הַשְׁתָּא, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁגְּחוּן עֲלֵיהּ הוֹאִיל וְלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ. הַשְׁתָּא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ, אָמַר, הָא שַׁעְתָּא לְמִתְבַּע לֵיהּ.
Why did not he ask for it before that time? Because the people would not have listened to him, as he had no obvious need for it. Now that he needed it, he thought it was time to demand it.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אִי עֶפְרוֹן הֲוָה חָמֵי בִּמְעַרְתָּא מַה דְּהֲוָה חָמֵי אַבְרָהָם בָּהּ, לָא יַזְבִּין לָהּ לְעָלְמִין. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי לָא חָמָא בָהּ וְלא כְלוּם, דְּהָא לֵית מִלָּה אִתְגַּלְּיָא אֶלָּא לְמָארִיהּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ לְאַבְרָהָם אִתְגַּלְּיָיא וְלָא לְעֶפְרוֹן. לְאַבְרָהָם אִתְגַלְּיָיא דִּילֵיהּ הֲוָה, לְעֶפְרוֹן לָא הֲוַת אִתְגַּלְּיָא לֵיהּ דְּלָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בֵּיהּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ לָא אִתְגְּלִי לְעֶפְרוֹן כְּלוּם, וְלָא הֲוָה חָמֵי אֶלָּא חֲשׁוֹכָא, וְעַל דָּא זַבִּין לָהּ.
Observe that had Ephron seen inside the cave what Abraham saw, he would never have sold it to him. But he never saw there anything, since such things are never revealed except to their rightful owner. It was thus revealed to Abraham and not to Ephron: to Abraham, who was its rightful owner, but not to Ephron, who had no part or portion in it, and who therefore only saw darkness in it; and for that reason he sold it.
וּמַה דְּלָא תָּבַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקַדְמִיתָא דְּיַזְבִּין לֵיהּ זָבִין, דְּהָא אַבְרָהָם לא קָאָמַר אֶלָּא וְיִתֶּן לִי אֶת מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה אֲשֶׁר לוֹ וְגו'. בְּכֶסֶף מָלֵא יִתְּנֶנָּה לִי וְגו', וְאִיהוּ אָמַר הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לָךְ וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ לְךָ נְתַתִּיהָ וְגו'. בְּגִין דְּכֹלָּא הֲוָה מָאִיס עֲלֵיהּ דְּעֶפְרוֹן דְּלָא יָדַע מַה הִיא.
Nay, he even sold him more than he had mentioned in his original request. For Abraham only said, “that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he hath… for the’ full price let him give it to me”, whereas Ephron said, “the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein”, as he felt indifferent to the whole thing, not realising what it was.
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד עָאל אַבְרָהָם בִּמְעַרְתָּא בְּקַדְמִיתָא, חָמָא תַּמָּן נְהוֹרָא, וְאִתְרְמֵי עַפְרָא קַמֵּיהּ, וְאִתְגְּלִי לֵיהּ תְּרִין קִבְרִין אַדְהָכִי אִסְתַּלַּק אָדָם בִּדִיוּקְנֵיהּ וְחָמָא לֵיהּ לְאַבְרָהָם וְחַיֵּיךְ, וּבֵיהּ (הוה) יָדַע אַבְרָהָם דְּתַמָּן (הוה) הוּא זַמִּין לְאִתְקְבָרָא.
Observe that when Abraham entered the cave for the first time he saw there a bright light, and as he advanced, the ground lifted, revealing to him two graves. Adam then arose in his true form, saw Abraham and smiled at him. (Abraham thereby knew that there he was destined to be buried.)
אָמַר לֵיהּ, אַבְרָהָם, בְּמָטוּ מִינָךְ, קוּסְטְרָא קְטִיר אִית הָכָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא טְמָרַנִּי הָכָא וּמֵהַהוּא זִמְנָא עַד הַשְׁתָּא אִתְטַמַּרְנָא כְּגִילְדָא דְּקִירְטָא עַד דַּאֲתִית אַנְתְּ בְּעַלְמָא, הַשְׁתָּא מִכָּאן וָאֵילָךְ הָא קִיּוּמָא לִי וּלְעַלְמָא הֲוָה בְּגִינָךְ.
Abraham then said to him: “Could you tell me, is there not a tent for me close to you?” Adam replied: “The Holy One buried me here, and from that time until now I have been lying hid like a corn seed in the ground, until thou camest into the world. But from now there is salvation for me and for the world for thy sake.
חָמֵי מַה כְּתִיב וַיָּקָם הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ, קִימָה מַמָּשׁ הֲוָה לֵיהּ מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ עַד הַשְׁתָּא. רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר וַיָּקָם הַשָּׂדֶה, וַדַּאי קִימָה מַמָּשׁ דְּקָם וְאִסְתַּלַּק קַמֵּיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם בְּגִין דְּעַד הַשְׁתָּא לָא אִתְחֲזֵי תַּמָּן כְּלוּם, וְהַשְׁתָּא מַה דְּהֲוָה טָמִיר קָם וְאִסְתַּלִּיק וּכְדֵין קָם כֹּלָּא בְּנִמּוּסוֹי.
Hence it is written, AND THE FIELD AND THE CAVE THAT IS THEREIN AROSE , that is, there was literally an arising before the presence of Abraham, as up to that time nothing there had been visible, but now what had been hidden rose up, and thus the whole spot was devoted to its lawful purpose.’
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּעָאל אַבְרָהָם בִּמְעַרְתָּא וְאָעִיל שָׂרָה תַּמָּן, קָמוּ אָדָם וְחַוָּה וְלָא קַבִּילוּ לְאִתְקְבָרָא תַּמָּן, אָמְרוּ וּמַה אֲנַן בְּכִסּוּפָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא בְּגִין הַהוּא חוֹבָא דְּגָרִימְנָא וְהַשְׁתָּא יִתּוֹסַף לָן כִּסּוּפָא אָחֳרָא מִקַּמֵּי עוֹבָדִין טָבִין דִּבְכוּ.
R. Simeon said: ‘When Abraham brought Sarah in there for burial, Adam and Eve arose and refused to receive her. They said: “Is not our shame already great enough before the Holy One in the other world on account of our sin, which brought death into the world, that ye should come to shame us further with your good deeds?”
אָמַר אַבְרָהָם הָא אֲנָא זַמִּין קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגִינָךְ דְּלָא תִכְסִיף קַמֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין. מִיָּד וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן קָבַר אַבְרָהָם אֶת שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ, מַאי וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן. בָּתַר דְּקַבִּיל אַבְרָהָם עֲלֵיהּ מִלָּה דָא.
Abraham made answer: “I am already destined to make atonement before the Almighty for thee, so that thou mayest nevermore be shamed before Him.” Forthwith Abraham after this buried Sarah his wife, to wit, after Abraham had taken upon himself this obligation.
אָדָם עָאל בְּדוּכְתֵּיהּ חַוָּה לָא עָאלַת, עַד דְּקָרִיב אַבְרָהָם וְאָעִיל לָהּ לְגַבֵּי אָדָם וְקַבִּיל לָהּ בְּגִינֵיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן קָבַר אַבְרָהָם אֶת שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ, לְשָׂרָה לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא אֶת שָׂרָה לְאַסְגָּאָה חַוָּה, וּכְדֵין אִתְיַישְׁבוּ בְּדוּכְתַּיְיהוּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית ב׳:ד׳) אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם, וְתָנִינָן בְּאַבְרָהָם. תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ דָּא אָדָם וְחַוָּה. אֵלֶּה הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ לֹא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְלֹא תּוֹלְדוֹת בַּר נָשׁ. וְאִינוּן אִתְקָיְימוּ בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם. וּמְנָא לָן דְּאִתְקָיְימוּ בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם. דִּכְתִיב וַיָּקָם הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ לְאַבְרָהָם. וְעַד דְאָתָא אַבְרָהָם לָא אִתְקָיְימוּ אָדָם וְחַוָּה בְּדוּכְתַּיְיהוּ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא.
Adam then returned to his place, but not Eve, until Abraham came and placed her beside Adam, who received her for his sake. Hence the text says, AND AFTER THIS, ABRAHAM BURIED (eth) SARAH HIS WIFE: the augmenting particle eth indicates that the burial included, as it were, Eve. Thus they were all settled in their proper places. Hence the Scripture says, “These are the generations of heaven and earth when they were created (b’hibar’am)” (Gen. 2, 4), which according to tradition, means “on account of Abraham” (b’Abraham). Now “the generations of the heaven and the earth” can only be Adam and Eve, they having been the direct issue of the heaven and earth and not of human parents, and it was they who became established through Abraham: before Abraham, Adam and Eve were not established in their places in the other world.’
רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר שָׁאִיל לְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוֹי, אָמַר הַאי מְעַרְתָּא לָאו אִיהוּ כָּפֵילְתָּא, דְּהָא כְּתִיב מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה, וּקְרָא קָרֵי לָהּ לְבָתַר מְעָרַת שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה, מַכְפֵּלָה קָא קָרֵי לֵיהּ לַשָּׂדֶה.
R. Eleazar asked his father, R. Simeon, for an explanation of the term Machpelah (lit. “twofold”, or “folded”). ‘How is it,’ he said, ‘that first it is written “the cave of Machpelah”, and subsequently “the cave of the field of Machpelah”, implying that the field and not the cave was “Machpelah” (doubled)?’
אָמַר לֵיהּ הָכִי קָארֵי לֵיהּ מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וְיִתֶּן לִי אֶת מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה, אֲבָל וַדַּאי חַיֶּיךָ לָאו מְעַרְתָּא אִיהוּ מַכְפֵּלָה. וְלָאו שָׂדֶה אִקְרֵי מַכְפֵּלָה, אֶלָּא הַאי שָׂדֶה וּמְעַרְתָּא עַל שׁוּם מַכְפֵּלָה אִקְרוּן שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה וַדַּאי וְלָא מְעַרְתָּא, דְּהָא מְעַרְתָּא בַּשָּׂדֶה אִיהִי, וְהַהוּא שָׂדֶה קָאִים בְּמִלָּה אָחֳרָא.
R. Simeon replied: ‘The term Machpelah belongs properly neither to the cave nor to the field, but to something else with which both were connected. The cave belongs to the field, and the field to something else.
תָּא חֲזֵי, יְרוּשָׁלַ ם כָּל אַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְכַּפַּל תְּחוֹתָהּ. וְאִיהִי קָיְימָא לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דָא יְרוּשָׁלַם לְעֵילָא יְרוּשָׁלַ ם לְתַתָּא, אֲחִידָא לְעֵילָא וְאַחִידָא לְתַתָּא, יְרוּשָׁלַ ם לְעֵילָא אֲחִידַת בִּתְרֵין סִטְרִין לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא (ירושלם לתתא אחידתבתרין סטרין לעילא ותתא) וּבְגִין כָּךְ כָּפֶלְתָּא הִיא.
For the whole of the Land of Israel and of Jerusalem is folded up beneath it, since it exists both above and below, in the same way as there is a Jerusalem both above and below, both of the same pattern. The Jerusalem above has a twofold attachment, above and below; similarly the Jerusalem below is linked to two sides, higher and lower. Hence it is folded in two;
וְעַל דָּא הַאי שָׂדֶה מֵהַהִיא כָּפֶלְתָּא אִיהוּ דְּבֵיהּ שַׁרְיָא. כְּגַוְונָא דָא כְּתִיב כְּרֵיחַ שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַכוֹ יְיָ לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה וַדַּאי וְלָא שָׂדֶה כָּפוּל.
and that field partakes of the same character, seeing that it is therein situated. The same reference is contained in the passage, “as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed” (Gen. 27, 27), to wit, both above and below. Hence its name, “field of folding”, but not “folded field”.
תוּ רָזָא דְמִלָּה שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה וַדַּאי, מַאן מַכְפֵּלָה, ה' דְבִשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִיהִי מַכְפֵּלָה. וְכֹלָּא קָיְימָא כְּחַד, וּבְגִינֵיהּ קָאֲמַר בְּאוֹרַח סָתִים ה' מַכְפֵּלָה דְּלָא הֲוֵי בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אָת אָחֳרָא מַכְפֵּלָּה בַּר אִיהִי.
Further, the esoteric implication of the term Machpelah relates it to the Divine Name, in which the letter He is doubled, though both are as one.
וְאַף עַל גַּב דִּמְעַרְתָּא כָפֶלְתָּא הֲוָה וַדַּאי דְּאִיהִי מְעַרְתָּא גּוֹ מְעַרְתָּא, אֲבָל עַל שׁוּם אָחֳרָא אִקְרֵי מְעָרַת שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. וְאַבְרָהָם יָדַע, וְכַד אָמַר לִבְנֵי חֵת כַּסֵּי מִלָּה וְאָמַר וְיִתֶּן לִי אֶת מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָּה, עַל שׁוּם דְּאִיהִי מְעַרְתָּא כָּפֶלְתָּא, וְאוֹרַיְיתָא לָא קָרֵי לָהּ אֶלָּא מְעָרַת שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה כְּדְקָא יְאוּת.
It is, indeed, true that the cave was a twofold one, a cave within a cave, yet the name “cave of the field of Machpelah” has a different connotation, as already explained. Abraham, on his part, who knew its true character, in speaking to the children of Heth called it simply “cave of Machpelah”, as if to imply merely “double cave”, which it also was in fact. Scripture, however, describes it as “the cave of the field of Machpelah”, this being its true description.
וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבַד כֹּלָּא לְאִשְׁתַּכָּחָא הַאי עַלְמָא כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא, וּלְאִתְדַּבָּקָא דָּא בְּדָא, לְמֶהֱוֵי יְקָרֵיהּ לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרָעֵי בְּהוּ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי:
For the Holy One has disposed all things in such a way that everything in this world should be a replica of something in the world above, and that the two should be united so that His glory should be spread above and below. Happy the portion of the righteous in whom the Holy One finds pleasure both in this world and in the world to come!’