Dr. Yitzhaq Hayut-Man takes us on a journey that spans the entire Middle East and Asia. The connections are intriguing and believable. Enjoy once again this amazing series on the Semantic Insights of the weekly Parasha/Readings.
Dr. Yizhaq Hayut-Man
This Parashah starts with the dealings of Abraham, the nomad, with the native people of the Land so to allow him to have a permanent possession of a piece of that land (Gen. 23:2-20). His desire was for the edge of the field of a certain Hittite named EFRON. This name is repeated eight times in this short passage. Six times it is rendered as EFRON, with the letter W’aw (here pronounced as O); then when he received the money he is called EFRN, without the letter W’aw. But the field itself still retained the name of “the Field of EFRON”. It seems that something happened to Efron when he received the money, something symbolized by the lost letter W’aw.
The name EFRON is connected with AFaR, that is, Soil or Dust of the earth. Adam was formed from AFaR (Gen. 2:7) and Adam was later told Ki AFaR ata ve’el AFaR tashub – “you are dust and shall return to dust” (3:19). So EFRON is who – or what – needs to be attended for burial and to perpetuate the cycle of life.
After some remarkable negotiations scene, Efron named his price of four hundred weights of silver (the Hebrew word Kesef means both silver and desire), which Abraham paid unflinchingly, but which sounds an exorbitant price – in somewhat similar situation King David paid just 50 weights of silver for a much larger place in Jerusalem (II Sam. 24:24). (Interestingly, the shorter name, the dust element, AFaR has Gematria value of 400).
There is, however, an interpretation that the scheming Efron could have asked for much more. Abraham had received from Abimelekh one thousand weights of silver as compensation for blemishing the name of Sarah (21:16), and presumably would have paid the same for keeping up her honor in perpetuity. So Efron lost potential six hundred silver weights, which is hinted by the Gematria value of the lost letter W’aw, which is six. At the end of this survey we may show where these extra 600 silver pieces might have gone.
Another way to regard Efron’s loss of that W’aw notes that this letter, which is a part of the Tetragramaton YHWH, is also known as “Waw haHibur” – “The hook of connection”. The field that Abraham bought from Efron was at the city of Hebron – a name to do with connecting – Hibur. It was the proper place to connect, “The city that makes all Yisra’el Haverim”,(close friends) the place had the potential for connecting heaven and earth. When Efron sold it, he lost that potential which was given to Abraham.
Abraham’s Oriental Children (Gen. 25:1-6)
Almost every one – Jew, Christian or Muslim – knows that Abraham had two sons: Isaac-Yizhaq and Ishmael-IShMAEL. Very few have noticed that actually Abraham had eight children – with the added six Sons of Qeturah. These six sons were sent away – to the Lands of the East – so to allow space for Isaac-Yizhaq. For many generations, this detail was of no consequence, but nowadays, with the establishment of the State of Israel in Western Asia and the rise of the states in South and East Asia where the majority of humankind dwells – and the rise of Bible studies in some – this story may well become relevant. The names of Abraham’s additional sons were recorded in the Torah to establish a pattern. Though these particular names are lost, their positions in the pattern remain as empty slots waiting to be filled. They may make a comeback – much as indeed happened to Ishmael through the prophet Muhammad.
Qeturah-QeTURaH: This is the name of Abraham’s third wife.[1] Not much is told about her and her sons, but it has already been shown that seemingly trivial mention of names in the Torah – like of the eight kings who ruled over Edom – may be a code for the greatest cosmological secrets. So what may be gleaned of her name? And why should it be of significance?
Literally, the word QeTURaH is much the same as QeShURaH – namely “bound” or “connected”. This choice of name might then have some allusion to the binding – the Aqedah – of Isaac-Yizhaq.[2] But seen in this Parashah, Qeturah connects with the theme of Hebron – the site/city of connecting.
What else may we discover in Qeturah’s name?
The Gematria of QeTURaH is 320. Now 320 = 5 x 64 – and these two numbers are the prime patterns for major oriental world views. Five is the number of the Elements in Chinese philosophy of nature (and human nature included), while 64 is the number of archetypal situations in the I-Ching, employed as the format for fortune telling, Feng Shui and many other pursuits.[3] The rather meager text still states clearly that the six Sons of Qeturah were given presents and sent away to “the Land of the East” – to Erez Qedem. QeDeM signifies both what is ancient and primal, yet also nowadays what is “Progressive” – of QiDMaH
The text brings the names of these six sons, as well as of ten of the descendents of Yoqshan and of Midyan. Of these 16 names (and 16 x 20 = 320 again), only few are mentioned again in the scriptures (mainly Midyan, Sheba and Ashurim), who are reported to dwell in the Middle East and Africa and to have some transaction with Israel. The rest are unmentioned and presumably dwelt elsewhere, in the further East.
All indications show that the 21st century, and in Biblical terms, the end of the sixth millennium is the time for the Asian nations, primarily China and India, to achieve global prominence. The flows of goods and of ideas are reciprocal, and interest in the bible is rising in Eastern and Southern Asia. Whether through Christianity or Islam, the name of Abraham is becoming well known. The idea that certain Asian cultures may have their roots in Abraham may find adherents in various places in Asia.
Abraham and Sara’s Indian Connection
There is, for example, a growing trend to associate the names of Abraham and Sarah of the monotheistic scriptures with an illustrious couple of gods in the polytheistic
Hindu mythology – that of Brahma (the Creator god and grandfather of humankind) and Saraswati.[4] Is this phonetic-semantic connection of any use or worth?
It seems that this association may help to further associate India and the Biblical world view. There are, for example, those who claim that Jesus lived in India. Indian Christianity may well develop versions that associate India with Abraham’s progeny, and even with Israel. Likewise, Islamic offshoots may further the connection between India-Pakistan and the Abrahamic traditions. Our Parashah tells the story of Israel’s patriarch’s tomb, so we may mention that there is already an Ahmedia tomb of Jesus in Ladakh, and like the Makhpelah Cave that Abraham bought from Efron – Makhpelah means “doubling” or “multiplication” – by side of the Jesus Tomb in Ladakh there is also shown a Tomb of Moses.
Such modern myth-makers find other word associations to make connections between Abrahamic and Vedic lore, for example “Christ and Krishna” (further associating by writing this name as “Christna”), or “Jesus/Issa/Yeshu’a and “Yus-Asaf”.
Interestingly for our discussion, one of the sons of Abraham’s son Midyan was called Afar (soil or dust of the earth). This recalls the name of Efron whom we met at the beginning of the Parashah. Here we find that Abraham gave presents to these sons before he sent them out to the Far East. It seems these six sons got the extra 600 that Efron did not dare ask for.
For the Full treatment this Parasha:
http://www.global-report.com/thehope/a102-parashat-%E1%B8%A5aye-sarah-lives-of-sarah
[1] The sages debated whether Qeturah is the same person as Hagar. Some commentators thought so and this much is stated in Rashi’s commentary. Others have argued that she was a different person, and Ibn Ezra shows (conclusively for me) that since the scripture refers to Abraham’s concubines in a plural form – Pilagshim (Gen 25:7), Qeturah must be an independent personality.
[2] We have already seen that the Gematria of the name of Isaac-Yizhaq (208) is equal to that of the name of Hagar, Abraham’s first concubine
[3] See various articles by Anthony Judge that applies the I-Ching pattern for discussing and comprehending world issues http://www.laetusinpraesens.org/themes/azching.php
[4] From our semantic perspective, we can see a certain pattern here, with parallels in the Biblical Book of Esther. There it is quite evident that the names of the Jewish protagonists – Mordekhay and Esther – are akin to the names of the Babylonian gods of Marduk (the head of the Babylonian pantheon) and Ishtar (goddess of fertility, love and war). The reason for making this connection seems to make these gods to be known as subservient to the One Lord God of Israel – and still to enlist the appeal of their names for the protagonists of the story.
