R. Judah opened with the verse: AND WHEN JACOB MADE AN END OF CHARGING HIS SONS, ETC. We should have expected here “blessing” instead of “charging”. What it means, however, is that he charged them to remain united with the Shekinah. He also charged them concerning the cave (of Machpelah), which is near the Garden of Eden, and where Adam was buried.
That place was called Kiriath Arba (lit. city of four) because four couples were buried there -Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah. A difficulty arises here. We have learnt that the patriarchs are the “holy chariot”, and a chariot consists of not less than four. We have further learnt that God joined King David with them so as to form a complete chariot. If so, then David ought to have been joined with them in the cave.
The reason, however, why he was not buried with them was because a fitting place was prepared for him elsewhere, namely Zion. As for Adam, the patriarchs were buried with him because he was the first king, though the kingship was taken from him and given to David, who derived his seventy years from the years of Adam. As the patriarchs could not go on living till David appeared, he was assigned a fitting place elsewhere and was not buried with them.’
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח קְרָא וְאָמַר, וַיְכַּל יַעֲקֹב לְצַוּוֹת אֶת בָּנָיו וְגו'. וַיְכַל יַעֲקֹב לְצַוּוֹת אֶת בָּנָיו, לְצַוּוֹת, לְבָרֵךְ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא דְּפָּקִּיד לוֹן לְגַבֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא, לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בַּהֲדָהּ. תוּ, דְּפָּקִּיד לוֹן עַל עִסְקֵי מְעַרְתָּא, דְּהִיא קְרִיבָא לְגַן עֵדֶן, דְּתַמָּן הוּא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן קָבוּר.
R. Judah opened with the verse: AND WHEN JACOB MADE AN END OF CHARGING HIS SONS, ETC. We should have expected here “blessing” instead of “charging”. What it means, however, is that he charged them to remain united with the Shekinah. He also charged them concerning the cave (of Machpelah), which is near the Garden of Eden, and where Adam was buried.
תָּא חֲזֵי, הַהוּא אֲתַר אִקְרֵי קִרְיַת אַרְבַּע. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּתַמָּן אִתְקְבָרוּ אַרְבַּע זוּגוֹת, אָדָם וְחַוָּה. אַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה. יִצְחָק וְרִבְקָה. יַעֲקֹב וְלֵאָה. הָא קוּשְׁיָא הָכָא, דְּתָנִינָן, אֲבָהָן אִינוּן רְתִיכָא קַדִּישָׁא, וּרְתִיכָא לָאו פָּחוֹת מֵאַרְבַּע, וְתָנִינָן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִחַבַּר לְמַלְכָּא דָוִד בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ, וְאִתְעֲבִידוּ רְתִיכָא שְׁלֵימָתָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים קי״ח:כ״ב) אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים וְגו'. דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא אִתְחַבַּר לְמֶהוֵי רְתִיכָא שְׁלֵימָתָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ. אִי הָכִי דָּוִד בָּעְיָא (נ"א לאתקשרא) לְאִתְקְבָרָא בְּגוֹ אֲבָהָן, וְיֶהוֵי קִרְיַת אַרְבַּע בַּהֲדֵיהּ, מַאי טַעְמָא לָא אִתְקַבַּר בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ.
That place was called Kiriath Arba (lit. city of four) because four couples were buried there -Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah. A difficulty arises here. We have learnt that the patriarchs are the “holy chariot”, and a chariot consists of not less than four. We have further learnt that God joined King David with them so as to form a complete chariot. If so, then David ought to have been joined with them in the cave.
אֶלָּא, דָּוִד מַלְכָא אֲתַר מִתְתַּקַּן הֲוָה לֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, וּמַאן הוּא צִיּוֹן, לְאִתְחַבְּרָא לֵיהּ כְּחֲדָא. וְאָדָם דְּאִתְקַבַּר בְּגוֹ אֲבָהָן, הָא אִינוּן אִתְקְבָרוּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ מֶלֶךְ קַדְמָאָה הֲוָה, וְאִתְעֲבַר מִנֵּיהּ מַלְכוּ, וְאִתְיְהַב לְדָוִד מַלְכָּא. וּמִיּוֹמוֹי דְּאָדָם, אִתְקְיַּים דָּוִד מַלְכָּא. דְּאָדָם אֶלֶף שְׁנִין אִתְגְּזַר עֲלוֹי, וְאִתְעֲבָרוּ מִנֵּיהּ שִׁבְעִין שְׁנִין, יוֹמוֹי דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא, וְהוּא יָהִיב לוֹן. וְאֲבָהָן הֵיךְ יְקוּמוּן עַד דְּיֵיתֵי דָוִד מַלְכָּא, אֶלָּא זָכָה לְאַתְרֵיהּ, כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ, בְּגִינֵי כָּךְ לָא אִתְקְבַר לְגַבֵּי אֲבָהָן.
The reason, however, why he was not buried with them was because a fitting place was prepared for him elsewhere, namely Zion. As for Adam, the patriarchs were buried with him because he was the first king, though the kingship was taken from him and given to David, who derived his seventy years from the years of Adam. As the patriarchs could not go on living till David appeared, he was assigned a fitting place elsewhere and was not buried with them.’
תוּ, אֲבָהָן בְּאֲתַר דִּדְכוּרָא שַׁרְיָין, וְדָוִד בְּאֲתַר דְּנוּקְבָא, וַאֲבָהָן נוּקְבָן אִתְקְבָרוּ בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ. וְדָוִד אִתְקְבַר וְאִתְחַבַּר בְּאֲתַר דִּדְכוּרָא, מִלָּה כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ.