Chayei Sarah 23:13 · unit 1

Parashas Chayei Sarah · Passuk 23:13

The Complete Passuk

וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֶל־עֶפְר֜וֹן בְּאׇזְנֵ֤י עַם־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַ֛ךְ אִם־אַתָּ֥ה ל֖וּ שְׁמָעֵ֑נִי נָתַ֜תִּי כֶּ֤סֶף הַשָּׂדֶה֙ קַ֣ח מִמֶּ֔נִּי וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת־מֵתִ֖י שָֽׁמָּה׃

and spoke to Efron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If only you would hear me out! Let me pay the price of the land; accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.”

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Kiddushin 26a.

TT lemma: נתתי כסף השדה.

Sefaria — Kiddushin 26a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אִי נָמֵי: בַּחֲבִילֵי זְמוֹרוֹת. מַתְנִי׳ נְכָסִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם אַחְרָיוּת – נִקְנִין בְּכֶסֶף וּבִשְׁטָר וּבַחֲזָקָה. שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם אַחְרָיוּת – אֵין נִקְנִין אֶלָּא בִּמְשִׁיכָה. נְכָסִים שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם אַחְרָיוּת נִקְנִין עִם נְכָסִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם אַחְרָיוּת בְּכֶסֶף וּבִשְׁטָר וּבַחֲזָקָה, וְזוֹקְקִין אֶת הַנְּכָסִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם אַחְרָיוּת לִישָּׁבַע עֲלֵיהֶן. גְּמָ׳ בְּכֶסֶף מְנָלַן? אָמַר חִזְקִיָּה: אָמַר קְרָא: ״שָׂדוֹת בַּכֶּסֶף יִקְנוּ״. וְאֵימָא עַד דְּאִיכָּא שְׁטָר, דִּכְתִיב: ״וְכָתוֹב בַּסֵּפֶר וְחָתוֹם״! אִי כְּתִיב ״יִקְנוּ״ לְבַסּוֹף – כִּדְקָאָמְרַתְּ, הַשְׁתָּא דִּכְתִיב ״יִקְנוּ״ מֵעִיקָּרָא, כֶּסֶף – קָנֵי, שְׁטָר – רְאָיָה בְּעָלְמָא הוּא.

English: Our deeds of sale, even though they contain the language “I have sold and I have given,” are not merely evidentiary documents, because “I have given” can also mean for the future, as it is written “I have given the money of the field; take it from me.”

On the daf / in context: Kiddushin 26a discusses the language of acquisition documents. The verse shows that past-tense “I have given” can function as a present transfer of title when payment is still to be accepted.

Type of Learning

Custom (Bavli — language of kinyan documents)

What Is Learned

Language of “I have given / I have sold” in a deed can effect a present transfer of title and is not limited to past description; the verse of Avraham’s payment supports this reading.