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b.‘Eruvin 53a: “The cave of Machpelah” (Genesis 23:9). Rav and Samuel— One says: Two structures, one inside the other. And one says: Two structures,1 a house and an upper chamber on top of it.2 It is well for the one who says Two structures, one on top of the other—this is what is written: Machpelah [= double]. However, for the one who says Two structures, one inside the other—what is “Machpelah”? —It is double with couples.3 Other than the fact that the Hebrew root lpk normally has the meaning of “double,”4 the Bible does not provide an explicit etymology for the name Machpelah , which is attached to the burial cave purchased by Abraham for Sarah. In fact, it is unclear whether Machpelah originally designated the cave itself5 or the larger district in which it was located.6 Genesis Rabbah 58:87 includes some discussion about the meaning of the word machpelah: “And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah”— This teaches that they became doubled in the eyes of each person. For everyone who is buried in it is assured that his reward is doubled and redoubled. Says Rabbi Abahu: that the Holy One doubled over the full stature of the first man and buried him inside it.8 All these interpretations contain homiletical lessons.9 The first sings the praises of Abraham and Sarah, whose honour multiplied the market value of their property. Similarly, the second explanation10 extols the righteousness of the Hebrew Patriarchs and God’s just apportioning of rewards in the next world. The third explanation, which places Adam (and Eve) in the Patriarchal mausoleum , thereby ties the history of Israel in with God’s primal design in creating the human race. 33 5 : The Cave of Machpelah Nothing of the sort can be said for the Babylonian dispute between Rav and Samuel.11 If they were interested in anything other than the meaning of the name machpelah and the physical structure of the cave, then that purpose is not spelled out by the Talmud. Notes 1 “Two structures”—these words are missing in several texts (Rabbinowicz, Dikduke soferim, n. h). 2 Several texts read “One on top of the other.” See Rabbinowicz, Dikduke soferim, n. d; cf. b. Bava Batra 58a. The order in which these two opinions are presented is reversed in several texts. 3 Maharsha rightly objects to the logic of this passage: “If the word Machpelah is not appropriate to describe two structures one inside the other, which compelled them to say that it was the couples who were doubled, then what is his basis for asserting that there were two structures one inside the other?” He concludes that Rav and Samuel could not have been arguing about the meaning of Machpelah; rather, each was in possession of a received tradition regarding the physical shape of the cave. While Maharsha’s reconstruction makes better sense than the actual talmudic passage, it is not easily harmonized with the Talmud’s wording. 4 Brown, Driver, and Briggs, 495. 5 As suggested by verse 9. 6 As stated in verse 17: “And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein.” See Skinner’s commentary on Genesis, 338–39: “The cave below has never been examined in modern times, but is stated by its guardians to be double. There is no reason to doubt that the tradition as to the site has descended from biblical times; and it is quite possible that the name Makpelah is derived from the feature just referred to.” Cf. Rashbam (Bromberg, 20); Speiser, 170; Wenham, 128; Sternberg , 28–57; Zohar 128a. Rashi’s commentary to the Pentateuch paraphrases the interpretations of Rav and Samuel, replacing the “one inside the other” with the Talmud’s concluding solution that it was “double with couples.” Nah· manides challenged Rashi’s exegesis on the grounds that the name belongs primarily to the district, and hence there is no further need to seek a specific connection between the name and the cave (Chavel, Perush ha-torah, 1:130; in English: Chavel, Commentary on the Torah, 286–87]; Kasher, 929. The view that the cave itself was double is reflected in the ancient translations, including the Septuagint (to\ diplou=n) and Onqelos. See Naveh, 965–66. 7 Theodor and Albeck, 628. 8 On the legends regarding Adam’s burial in the Machpelah cave, see Ginzberg, Legends...

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