For the week ending 3 November 2007 / 22 Heshvan 5768
The Cave and its Owners
The first of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs to be buried in the Cave of Machpelah was Sarah, about whose death and burial we read in this week's Torah portion.
It is important, in light of modern Arab claims to the area, that this burial site was purchased by our forefather Avraham from Ephron the Hittite and it is therefore indisputably the property of his descendants.