“Abraham arose from before his dead, and he spoke to the children of Ḥet, saying” (Genesis 23:3). “Abraham arose from before his dead” – this teaches16The verse can also be translated: “Abraham arose from before death.” The angel of death was intimidating him and urging him to bury Sarah promptly. that he saw the angel of death provoking him. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From where is it derived what we learn in a mishna: One whose dead one [a deceased relative] is lying before him17That is, he is charged with burying the body. is exempt from the recitation of Shema, from prayer, and from wearing phylacteries, as well as all mitzvot in the Torah?18Mishna Berakhot 3:1.
It is from here: “[Abraham] arose…and he spoke.”19He did not engage in any other activity prior to his burying his dead. “I am a sojourner and a resident among you: give me a burial plot with you, and I will bury my dead from before me” (Genesis 23:4). “A sojourner [ger] and a resident”; ger means one who dwells as a tenant; toshav means a landlord. [Abraham was saying:] ‘If you prefer, I will act as a tenant,20Humbly beseeching your permission to bury Sarah. but if not, I will act as a landlord,21And take it without your consent. as this is what the Holy One blessed be He has said to me: “To your descendants I have given this land”’ (Genesis 15:18).
“Give me a burial plot with you, and I will bury my dead from before me” – I am requesting [a plot] for only one dead person, as it is stated: “Give me a burial plot with you, [and I will bury my dead].” “The children of Ḥet answered Abraham, saying to him” (Genesis 23:5). “Hear us, my lord: you are a prince of God in our midst, in our choicest graves bury your dead; none of us shall withhold his grave from you, from burying your dead” (Genesis 23:6).
“The children of Ḥet answered Abraham…Hear us, my lord…” – you are king over us, you are prince over us, you are like a god to us. He said to them: ‘Let the world not fail to accept its true King, let the world not fail to accept its true God.’ “In our choicest graves” – in the choicest one of our many graves. “Bury your dead” – many dead.22Although Abraham had requested a single grave site, for Sarah, the children of Ḥet offered him a site for many burials.
“Abraham prostrated himself before the people of the land, the children of Ḥet” (Genesis 23:7. “Abraham prostrated himself before the people of the land”23The verse does not say that Abraham bowed “to” the people, but that he bowed “before” them. He bowed to God in their presence, giving thanks for his good fortune in obtaining the permission he had sought. – from here we learn that one should give thanks [to God] over hearing good tidings.