88. Rabbi Yehuda said, Abraham recognized a sign in that cave, NAMELY THE CAVE OF MACHPELAH, and his heart and desire were there. For he had entered it before and seen Adam and Eve interred there. HE ASKS, How did he know it was they, FOR HE DID NOT KNOW THEM? HE ANSWERS, He saw the form OF ADAM and looked at it. Then a door to the Garden of Eden opened before him AND HE UNDERSTOOD that this was the form of Adam before him. HE UNDERSTOOD THAT HE DESERVED TO BE BURIED IN THE GATE OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN DURING HIS LIFETIME.

93. Once the sons of Chet said to him in the presence of Efron, "Hear us, my Lord, you are a mighty prince among us" (Beresheet 23:5), it is written, "And Efron dwelt (lit. 'dwells') among the children of Chet." 'Dwells' is written without vowels and can be conjugated as 'dwelt,' which would mean that Efron was already there as they started talking. Then Abraham said, "Hear me, and entreat for me to Efron, the son of Tzochar, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has" (Ibid. 8). If you say that, since my honor is greater than yours, I ASK FOR THE CAVE OF THE MACHPELAH FROM EFRON, because I do not want to dwell among you, THIS IS NOT TRUE. But "with you" AND "AMONGST YOU" (IBID. 10) - IN OTHER WORDS, to be interred among you. THIS IS WHAT I MEANT, because I want you, so that I shall not be separated from you.

111. Rabbi Elazar asks Rabbi Shimon, his father, if the cave is really the Machpelah, for although it is written, "The cave of Machpelah" (Beresheet 23:8), it is later written "the cave of the field of Machpelah" (Ibid. 19). Thus, the field is called Machpelah AND NOT THE CAVE.

112. RABBI SHIMON replies that indeed it is called the cave of Machpelah, as it is written, "That he may give me the cave of Machpelah" (Beresheet 23:8), but neither the cave nor the field alone is Machpelah. It refers instead to the field with the cave, TOGETHER they are called Machpelah. Only the field is of Machpelah, not the cave, WHICH MEANS THAT ONLY THE FIELD BEARS THE NAME OF THE MACHPELAH, NOT THE CAVE, because the cave is in the field, and the field is in something else, AS WILL BE DISCUSSED PRESENTLY.

116. Although the cave was indeed double, a cave within a cave, it is called the cave of the field of Machpelah for a different reason as we said, AFTER THE SWEETENING OF MALCHUT BY BINAH. Abraham knew that, and when he spoke to the sons of Chet, he concealed it by saying "that he may give me the cave of Machpelah," which was called by that name because it was double. HE DID NOT SAY THE FIELD OF MACHPELAH CALLED AFTER THE SWEETENING BY BINAH. In Torah, though, it is called the cave of the field of Machpelah, as it ought to be called, FOR THE SWEETENING OF MALCHUT BY BINAH WAS ONLY OVER THE FIELD AND NOT IN THE CAVE.