Chayei Sarah 23:9 · unit 1

Parashas Chayei Sarah · Passuk 23:9

The Complete Passuk

וְיִתֶּן־לִ֗י אֶת־מְעָרַ֤ת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה֙ אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בִּקְצֵ֣ה שָׂדֵ֑הוּ בְּכֶ֨סֶף מָלֵ֜א יִתְּנֶ֥נָּה לִּ֛י בְּתוֹכְכֶ֖ם לַאֲחֻזַּת־קָֽבֶר׃

Let him sell me the cave of Machpelah that he owns, which is at the edge of his land. Let him sell it to me, at the full price, for a burial site in your midst.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Eruvin 53a.

TT lemma: מערת המכפלה.

Sefaria — Eruvin 53a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וּגְשָׁרִים וּנְפָשׁוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶן בֵּית דִּירָה — מוֹצִיאִין אֶת הַמִּדָּה כְּנֶגְדָּן. וְעוֹשִׂין אוֹתָהּ כְּמִין טַבְלָא מְרוּבַּעַת, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא נִשְׂכָּר אֶת הַזָּוִיּוֹת. גְּמָ׳ רַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל: חַד תָּנֵי ״מְעַבְּרִין״ וְחַד תָּנֵי ״מְאַבְּרִין״. מַאן דְּתָנֵי ״מְאַבְּרִין״ — אֵבֶר אֵבֶר, וּמַאן דְּתָנֵי ״מְעַבְּרִין״ — כְּאִשָּׁה עוּבָּרָהּ. מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה, רַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל, חַד אָמַר: שְׁנֵי בָתִּים זֶה לִפְנִים מִזֶּה, וְחַד אָמַר: בַּיִת וַעֲלִיָּיה עַל גַּבָּיו.

English: Rav and Shmuel disagreed about it. One said: two chambers, one inside the other; and what is “Machpelah”? That it was doubled with couples. The other said: two chambers, one above the other — and that is [the meaning of] Machpelah.

On the daf / in context: Eruvin 53a continues the discussion of the name and structure of the Me’aras HaMachpelah. Both views treat “Machpelah” as describing the physical layout of the cave rather than merely a place-name.

Type of Learning

Dispute (Rav / Shmuel — structure of the cave)

What Is Learned

The name Me’aras HaMachpelah is understood as referring to a doubled structure — either two chambers one within the other, or one above the other — consistent with the pairs buried there.