Sh'lah on the Torah
Parshat Chayei Sarah
The following translation by Mr. Eliyahu Munk is an excerpt from the book Shney Luchot HaBrit -- the Sh'lah
NER MITZVAH
It is a great
mitzvah to bury the dead and to eulogize them, and to take special pains to
eulogize a Torah scholar and to weep for his passing. Abraham taught us this as the Torah reports, “Abraham arrived to
mourn for Sarah and to weep for her” (Genesis 23,2). Even though this commandment is not enumerated as a separate
positive commandment in the 613 commandments, it is included in the general
commandment, “endeavor to emulate G-d’s ways; just as He buries the dead,
(quoting G-d burying Moses in Deut. 34,6) so you too are enjoined to bury the
dead,” as we have discussed at the beginning of parshat Vayera.
TORAH OHR
The whole subject
matter of burial is connected with Genesis 3,19: “For you are dust, and to dust
you shall return.” Adam’s origin was
dust from the earth. Our sages describe
G-d as having taken earth from the site that is described in Exodus 20,21:,
“Make for Me an altar of earth” (Talmud Yerushalmi, Nazir
7,2). The sages also describe G-d as
having gathered a little dust from every part of the globe so that wherever man
would die, the local earth would not reject his remains since he contained part
of it (Rashi Genesis 2,7). Both
statements are accurate and point us in the same direction.
It is well known
that Adam incorporated within him all subsequent generations of mankind, for
their very existence was through him.
Our sages described all subsequent mankind as being related to Adam
either through his head, his eyes, his hair, etc. [In present-day parlance this
means that all of our genes were at one time part of the genes of Adam.] Even
in death man is not totally severed from his connection with original man: the
earth Adam was made of was holy soil, from the site of the earth of the altar
mentioned. That piece of earth in turn
contained earth from all parts of the globe, seeing that this site is the site
from which the whole earth receives its sustenance.
Had Adam not sinned
he would have lived forever. Since he
sinned, however, and was expelled from the garden of Eden because G-d did not
want him to eat from the tree of life and live forever, he was bound to die
sometime. The experience of death when
it is the death of one of His pious ones, is something very precious in the
eyes of G-d (Psalms 116,15), because it enables man to return to his lofty
place in Gan Eden and his soul to live forever. Once there, his soul will ascend to ever higher levels. The reason Adam was buried in the cave of
Machpelah is that it is the site which has an opening to Gan Eden. The Zohar page 28 Sullam edition on Chaya
Sarah says that Abraham recognized a secret sign in the cave after he had
seen Adam and Eve buried there. How
could he have known? After all, had he
ever seen Adam and Eve? He had a vision
of Adam and a door opened to Gan Eden.
Adam had lived in Gan Eden at one time; it was appropriate therefore
that his burial place should adjoin it.
The Zohar continues that anyone who has a vision of Adam will die
immediately. Abraham, however, saw an
apparition of Adam and survived. He
beheld the cave light up and one candle remained lit. He now decided that he also wanted to be buried there. From then on his constant longing was to be
buried in that cave. Thus far the Zohar.
Original man, as we
have said, was created from earth from all parts of the globe, taken from the
site of the altar, whereas when he died he wound up in the cave of Machpelah
since from there he could ascend to the Heavenly Regions rising ever
higher. Only the Creator knows which
site on earth is suitable to create man from, and which is suitable for his
burial and transfer to Gan Eden.
Adam HaRishon
contained elements of all mankind. When
a person dies Adam becomes visible to that person seeing he is a “branch” of
him. Everyone’s burial site should
contain some connection with original man, however physically distant it might
be from either the original altar or the cave of Machpelah. Every person will benefit in some way from
the example of Adam, the degree of such benefit depending on his individual
merit. The point is that just as Adam
incorporated part of all mankind when he came into being, so he has something
in common with every human being when that human being dies.
Our sages have said that the souls of the righteous are offered as a sacrifice on the celestial altar. This statement is what is meant when the Talmud describes the time when the daily morning sacrifice was offered in the Temple. Yuma 28 describes how it was determined whether the sky had become sufficiently light to proceed with offering the tamid shel shachar, the daily morning sacrifice. The lookout watched in the direction of Hebron and, when the time was right, called out “Barkai.” Mattyah ben Shmuel would then query once more if the entire Eastern sky was already lit up, and the lookout would respond “yes!” The lookout towards Hebron was important because Adam HaRishon, who had been taken from the site of his atonement, the earthen altar, was buried there. From there he has to return to the site of the altar in the Heavenly Regions for his soul to be a sacrifice.
Although we have
stated that all generations subsequent to Adam contain some element of his, the
link to Adam is only via the patriarchs who serve as the go-between. The only people who are named Avot,
patriarchs, are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The same applies to the matriarchs.
Only Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah are considered Imahot,
matriarchs. We are all considered their
children seeing that they are the roots and we are the branches. This whole process commenced ultimately with
Adam and Eve, both of whom together are called Adam.