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The story of Avraham buying the cave of Machpelah is principly mentioned in Parshat Chayei Sarah Bereshit 23:3-20.

If so, why does the Torah stress again and again that Avraham bought the cave from Efron HaChiti in Bereshit 49:29-32 and Bereshit 50:13?

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  • Not an answer but it is worth noting that this is the first kinyan of "Klal Yisroel" in "Eretz Yisroel". Dec 30, 2012 at 17:57
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    @AvrohomYitzchok ...for definitions of "Klal Yisroel" which include Avraham.
    – Double AA
    Nov 17, 2013 at 17:41
  • See Netziv's commentary in both places.
    – Alex
    Dec 28, 2020 at 3:59

1 Answer 1

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"If so, why does the Torah stress again and again that Avraham bought the cave from Efron HaChiti?"

So that there wouldn't be any question as to ownership rights. See here for more.

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  • This answer would be even better if you could summarize what that linked page says. :) Nov 17, 2013 at 19:57
  • @CharlesKoppelman, that is the (very short) summary. The Chabad article gives much more information.
    – Seth J
    Nov 17, 2013 at 20:16
  • Note that nowhere in the article is dubious claim that the Torah's mention of a sale would somehow prevent any questions of land ownership actually stated. The closest it comes is quoting anonymous sources who supposedly claim that "there are three parts of Israel over which the Jewish right of ownership is most powerfully established." This doesn't mean that there would be no questions, and it certainly doesn't mean that that was the reason why the Torah elaborated on it.
    – mevaqesh
    May 30, 2017 at 18:20

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