Dec 25, 2023
by R. Eliezer Simcha Weisz
In the final chapters of the Sefer Bereshis, the narrative unfolds as Yosef leads the procession to bury his father, Yaakov, in the Me'aras HaMachpela:
So Yosef went up to bury his father, and all Pharaoh's servants, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt went up with him. (50:7)
However, an unexpected challenge arises at the Me'aras HaMachpela when Esav attempts to obstruct the burial, leading to a dispute that unfolds before Yaakov's descendants.
The gemara in (Sota 13a) relates the following:
When [the funeral procession] arrived at the Me'aras HaMachpela, Esav came and tried to prevent [the burial there], saying to them... '[Yaakov] had buried Leah in his portion and what remains belongs to me'. They replied to him, 'You sold it'. He said to them, 'Granted that I sold my birthright, but did I sell my right as a plain heir?' They replied: 'Yes, for it is written: In my grave which I [Yaakov] have dogged for me', and R. Yochanan has said in the name of R. Shimon b. Yehotzadak: The word kirah [dig] means 'sale'... He said to them, 'Produce a document [of sale] for me'. They replied to him, 'The document is in the land of Egypt. Who will go for it? Let Naphtali go, because he is swift as a hind'; for it is written: Naphtali is a hind let loose, he gives goodly words - R. Abahu said: Read not 'goodly words' [imre shefer] but imre sefer [words of a document].
Among those present was Chushim, the son of Dan, who was deaf; he asked them, 'What is happening?' They said to him, '[Esav] is preventing [the burial] until Naphtali returns from the land of Egypt'.
