100. Rabbi Elazar asks, How did Abraham enter the cave? WHY DID HE ENTER? HE RESPONDED, He was running after a calf, about which it is written, "And Abraham ran to the herd..." (Beresheet 18:7). This calf ran to the cave. Abraham ran after it and saw what he saw.

101. Another REASON was that Abraham prayed every day. He came out to the field that was fragrant with heavenly perfumes, saw light coming out of the cave, and entered there to pray. There the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke with him. As a result, Abraham wanted the cave and always harbored a desire for it.

102. You may ask, why did he not seek to buy it until then? HE SAYS, Because he had no need for it, he was afraid that they would check it, UNDERSTAND HIS WISH AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CAVE, AND THEN ASK FOR MORE MONEY. OR THEY COULD REFUSE TO SELL IT ALTOGETHER. Now that he needed it, the time had come to ask for it.

103. Come and behold, If Efron had seen in the cave what Abraham saw, he would never have sold it. But because nothing is revealed except to its owner, it was revealed to Abraham only and not to Efron. It was revealed to Abraham because it was his, and not Efron's, for Efron had no share in it. Therefore, Efron saw nothing of the cave, except darkness, and he sold it.

104. Moreover, he also sold him what Abraham did not ask for, because Abraham said only, "That he may give me the cave of the Machpelah...for the full price he shall give it me" (Beresheet 23:8) and did not mention the field. And Efron said, "The field I give you, and the cave that is in it, I give it you" (Ibid. 10), for Efron knew not what it was and found it all loathsome. EVEN THE FIELD, IN WHICH THE CAVE WAS, WAS LOATHSOME TO HIM. THEREFORE HE SOLD THE FIELD TOO, ALTHOUGH ABRAHAM DID NOT ASK FOR IT.

105. Come and behold, When Abraham entered the cave for the first time, he saw a light. The dust was removed from before him, revealing two graves. Adam rose from his grave in his rightful form, saw Abraham, and laughed. By that, Abraham knew that he was destined to be buried there.

106. Abraham said to him, 'If you please, is there an unroofed castle here?' HE ASKS THIS BECAUSE THE CAVE OF THE MACHPELAH IS DERIVED FROM THE WORD DOUBLE, THAT IS, A CAVE WITHIN A CAVE. INSTEAD OF COMPLETE DARKNESS, HE SAW LIGHT THERE, AS ONE WOULD IN AN OPEN HOUSE WITH NO ROOF. ADAM answered him, 'The Holy One, blessed be He, hid me here. From then until now, I have been hidden as a fish in a ditch. Since you came into the world, from now on, I and the world are maintained for your sake.'

107. Look at what is written, "And the field, and the cave that is in it, were made over (also: 'raised') to" (Beresheet 18:20). The field was truly raised, which had not happened previously. By BEING IN ABRAHAM'S POSSESSION, THE FIELD GAINED IN IMPORTANCE. THEREFORE IT IS WRITTEN, "RAISED." Rabbi Aba said, "And he raised the field" means actual raising, as the field was raised and elevated by Abraham, for nothing was seen there until then. Now, IN THE POSSESSION OF ABRAHAM, all that was hidden was raised and elevated according to its worth, as it should be.

108. Rabbi Shimon said, When Abraham entered the cave and brought Sarah thither, Adam and Eve rose and did not want Sarah to be buried there. They said, It is it not enough for us that we are in disgrace in the world before the Holy One, blessed be He, because of the sin that we committed, but now we will further be put to shame because of your good deeds.

109. Abraham said, I am ready to pray for you before the Holy One, blessed be He, so you shall never be disgraced before Him, NAMELY SO HE WILL FORGIVE YOU COMPLETELY FOR YOUR SIN. "And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife" (Beresheet 18:19). What is the meaning of, "And after this?" IT MEANS after Abraham undertook TO PRAY FOR ADAM.