Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 23:11/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ג:י״א
אוְטַעַם לְעֵינֵי בְנֵי עַמִּי לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה כָּל הָעָם הֵנָּה וְהֵם הַיּוֹדְעִים וְעֵדִים, וְאַל תָּחוּשׁ לִכְפִירָה אוֹ לַחֲזָרָה וּקְבֹר מֵתְךָ שָׁם מֵעַתָּה, כִּי שֶׁלְּךָ הִיא וְלֹא אוּכַל לָשׁוּב. וְאַבְרָהָם לֹא עָשָׂה כֵן, כִּי גַּם אַחֲרֵי שֶׁפָּרַע הַכֶּסֶף מָלֵא הֶחֱזִיק תְּחִלָּה בַּשָּׂדֶה וּבַמְּעָרָה וֶהֱקִימָם בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ לְעֵינֵי בְּנֵי הָעִיר וְכָל בָּאֵי שַׁעַר הָעִיר, הַסּוֹחֲרִים וְהַגֵּרִים הַנִּמְצָאִים שָׁם, וְאַחַר כֵּן קָבַר אוֹתָהּ:
1IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SONS OF MY PEOPLE. The intent thereof is to state: “Behold, all the people are present, and they are knowledgeable witnesses to the sale. Therefore do not fear denial or retraction, and so bury thy dead from now on, for it is yours and I cannot retract.” But Abraham did not do so for even after he paid its full value in silver he first took symbolic legal possession of the field and the cave. He established them as his possession in the presence of the people of the city, and all those who came in at the gate of the city,33 the merchants and the residents who happened to be there, and after that he buried her.