The Zohar continues and writes that if Efron would have known what a treasure he had he would have never been so insane to sell it. But he never knew and never saw anything special about that dark cave, and to bring out the point even sharper. If we study the Pessukim we will see that Avraham Avinu asked to buy the cave, the part that was so special. Efron was busy selling what he thought was important, the field and by the way mentioned the cave was included.
Now we have to know that the Torah isn’t a history book and doesn’t tell us stories. Everything written in the Torah is there for us to learn from it.
There is such a powerful message in this story.
How many things in our lives that different people will look at with opposite opinions. Let us take a few examples.
How is it that throughout history and till today, so many millions of Jews saw and still see Shabbos as a day of rest, happiness, spiritual elevation, a taste of Olam Habba. A time to enjoy with one’s family, a time to spend learning Torah and singing songs of praise to Hashem. And at the same time so many people find it so difficult to keep Shabbos and they feel that it is a day full of restrictions, a day of boredom without anything to do. Those that don’t keep Shabbos look at those that do keep, with pity wasting a day of rest without being able to have any fun.
For some Shabbos is what Avraham Avinu felt in the Me’aras Hamachpelah, for others Shabbos is what Efron felt, darkness.
Throughout history Jews sat learning Torah and even today the Yeshivos and Kollelim are full with so many men learning Torah, feeling the sweetness and holiness of the Torah.
At the Siyum Hashas of the Daf Hayomi in Yerushalaim for English speakers, Rabbi Nosson Zvi Finkel zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir Yeshiva spoke and said when we finish the Shas we say, ‘Hadran Alach Talmud Bavli’ – (we will come back and revise you Talmud Bavli).The Rosh Yeshiva said these are the most beautiful words a person can ever say! Hadran Alach Talmud Bavli! `
How many of us deep down yearn to be able to say those words with the same passion that Rabbi Nosson Zvi said it. How many of us would be willing to give away so much of our pleasures and enjoyments to be able to feel the feeling, the pleasure, the enjoyment, the Olam Habba in this world that Rabbi Nosson Zvi felt when he learnt through Shas.
But at the same time there are so many people who have no clue what we’re talking about. They look at us and think we’re insane wasting our lives reading and studying some old book written thousands of years ago.
Then let’s look the opposite way.
How many people find pleasure in the most sickening and lowest sorts of enjoyments? And we look at them with such pity that they need to find satisfaction by stooping so low.
But for most of us reading this lines, we can relate, each on our own level, to the special gift of Shabbos Hashem gave us and it’s benefits. Most of us know deep down that Torah is the oxygen of the Jewish Nation. And however much we may have challenges from the outside world we know what is Kedusha, what is Tumaah and where we really want to be, even if we fall occasionally.
But there is another area where the contrast is even more.
Tefillah – prayer.
We go to Shul and we daven.
For some of us, Davening is such a special time. We can enter Shul, the mini Beis Hamikdash, daven, and when we daven, feel that we are similar to the Kohen Gadol in the Kodshei Hakodoshim (the holy of holies), enjoy that special closeness and privilege of having an audience with the King of Kings. We can open out our hearts bursting with gratitude thanking Hashem for all the kindness and mercy He bestows on us every moment of the day. We have the opportunity to pour out our hearts full of pain and suffering which we are enduring and if we have a Yiddishe heart, our hearts are bleeding with pain for the suffering of our friends and brethren. And we have Emunah that Hashem is listening to every word. Not a single word of prayer gets lost. Every word of Tefillah is saved. By the time we have finished praying we are a different person.
The Steipler used to say that everything about a person is written on the palm of their hand. But a person also has to know that one Shemone Esrei can change everything, and if you don’t believe it, you’re stupid.
