Efron was a simple farmer that lived in Chevron. He had a good piece of land that brought him plenty produce. At the edge of his land there was a big rock that had an entrance to a dark cave. Efron was very careful not to go close to the rock with his plowing tools so they shouldn’t get caught on the rock and break. Efron was bothered that this rock was in his field but comforted himself that at least it was at the edge of his field and not in the middle.
Then one day his fortune turned. The day he wouldn’t forget for the rest of his life.
The famous person called Avraham, who was busy preaching that there was a G-d to the world, this famous and great man was interested in buying his piece of land to bury his wife there. He was willing to pay four hundred silver shekels, an enormous amount of money that would make Efron a very wealthy man for the rest of his life. On top of all this, he was appointed that day to be the as the head of the town. Efron made it way ahead of any fantasy he could have imagined.
Now let us leave Efron aside for a moment.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the Sefer Zohar writes that Me’aras Hamachpelah had a connection to Gan Eden and Adam Harishon knew this. Therefore when Chava died he buried her there. When Adam died, his son, Sheis, buried him there too.
Then everyone forgot about it until the Avraham Avinu came along.
How did Avraham Avinu find out about Me’aras Hamachpela?
Rabbi Elazar the son of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai explains that when the three Malaachim came to Avraham Avinu (in last week’s Parsha), Avraham Avinu wanted to prepare a dinner and to slaughter three oxen to give each of the Malaachim a tongue with mustard. The Passuk tells us that Avraham Avinu ran to the cows. Why did he run?
When Avraham went to bring an ox, it started running away. Avraham Avinu ran after the ox but the ox kept on running and ran till the Me’aras Hamachpelah and ran inside. Suddenly Avraham Avinu found himself deep inside a cave that was shining with a Heavenly light, there was a smell of Gan Eden and Avraham Avinu saw that Adam and Chava were buried there. Avraham Avinu was so taken aback by the holiness of the place that he too desired to be buried there.
