Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 23:9/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ג:ט׳
אוְטַעַם וְיִתֵּן לִי וְיִתְּנֶנָּה לִי שֶׁאֶחְשֹׁב אוֹתָהּ כְּמַתָּנָה אִם בְּכֶסֶף מָלֵא אֶקָּחֶנָּה מִמֶּנּוּ, וְעַל כֵּן לֹא הִזְכִּיר לְשׁוֹן מְכִירָה, וְכֵן "אֹכֶל בַּכֶּסֶף תַּשְׁבִּרֵנִי וּמַיִם בַּכֶּסֶף תִּתֶּן לִי" (דברים ב כח), שֶׁהַמַּיִם הַנִּתָּנִים בְּמַתָּנָה אֶתֵּן בָּהֶם כֶּסֶף. אוֹ שֶׁהוּא דֶּרֶךְ הַלָּשׁוֹן לְהַזְכִּיר כֵּן בִּמְכִירוֹת:
1THAT HE MAY GIVE ME. The intent of this is “that he may give it to me in such a way that I will consider it as a gift (even) if I will buy it from him for its full value.” It is for this reason that Abraham did not mention the word “selling.” A similar usage is found in the verse, Thou shalt sell me food for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drink,30 meaning “for the water which is usually given as a gift I will give money.” It may be that such is the ordinary usage of the language to mention “giving” when describing sales transactions.
במְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית כ"ג:ט') בַּיִת וַעֲלִיָּה עַל גַּבָּיו. דָּבָר אַחֵר שֶׁכְּפוּלָה בְּזוּגוֹת (עירובין נג). וְאֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן, כִּי הַכָּתוּב אָמַר "שְׂדֵה עֶפְרוֹן אֲשֶׁר בַּמַּכְפֵּלָה" (בראשית כ"ג:י"ז), וְהִנֵּה הוּא שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ הַשָּׂדֶה, וְאֵין צֹרֶךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ טַעַם לְשֵׁם הַמְּקוֹמוֹת. וּבִבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה נ"ח:ח') אָמְרוּ שֶׁכָּפַל הקב"ה קוֹמָתוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן וּקְבָרוֹ בְּתוֹכָהּ. וְעַל דַּעְתָּם הָיָה כָּל הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא נִקְרָא כֵן מֵעוֹלָם, וְהֵם לֹא יָדְעוּ טַעְמוֹ, כִּי עֶפְרוֹן בִּדְמֵי הַשָּׂדֶה מָכַר לוֹ הַכֹּל עַל דַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁאֵין שָׁם קֶבֶר. וְהִנֵּה אַבְרָהָם לֹא הָיָה מְבַקֵּשׁ רַק לִמְכֹּר לוֹ הַמְּעָרָה, כִּי הִיא בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׂדֶה, וְיִשָּׁאֵר הַשָּׂדֶה לְעֶפְרוֹן, וְהוּא אָמַר לוֹ דֶּרֶךְ מוּסָר אוֹ מִרְמָה שֶׁיִּתֵּן לוֹ הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ, כִּי לֹא יִתָּכֵן לְאָדָם נִכְבָּד כָּמוֹהוּ שֶׁתִּהְיֶה לוֹ הַמְּעָרָה לַאֲחֻזַּת קֶבֶר וְהַשָּׂדֶה יִהְיֶה לְאַחֵר, וְאַבְרָהָם שָׂמַח בְּכָךְ וְקָנָה הַכֹּל בַּדָּמִים שֶׁהִזְכִּיר לוֹ:
2THE CAVE OF MACHPELAH. Rashi comments: “It had a lower and an upper cave. Another explanation [of why it was called Machpelah — the root of which is keiphel (double)] — is that it was ‘doubled’ on account of the four couples who were buried there: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah”. But this is incorrect since Scripture states, the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah.31 Thus we see that it is the name of the place in which the field was located, and there is no need to search for a reason for the names of places.In Bereshith Rabbah, the Sages have said:32 “The Holy One, blessed be He, bent double the stature of the first man and He buried him there.” In their opinion, this entire place was always called Machpelah though the people did not know the reason for it for Ephron sold him everything for the price of the field unaware that there was a grave in it. Abraham, on the other hand, desired only that he should sell him the cave which was in the end of the field, and the field might be retained by Ephron. But Ephron by way of good conduct or trickery, [possibly hoping to receive a higher price for the larger transaction], said that he would give him the field and the cave which was in it since it would be unbecoming for such an honorable person to own the cave as a possession for a burial-place while the field belonged to another. Abraham rejoiced at this suggestion, and he purchased it in its entirety for the price that Ephron mentioned.