Gen. 23:1-25:18
Précis: The parasha begins with the counting the days of the life of Sarah (Chaye Sarah) and with her death. It continues with the purchase of Machpelah by Abraham for a family burial site. Abraham orders his servant to go to obtain a wife for Isaac, and after a series of fulfilled signs, the servant finds Rebecca. She and Isaac meet, become man and wife and fall in love. The parasha ends with the death of Abraham, and his burial by Isaac and Ishmael.
Gen. 23:1-2 “And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years; these were the days of the life of Sarah. Abraham arose from beside his dead, and spoke to the Hittites, saying, ‘I am a resident alien among you; sell me a burial site.’”
Abraham has been promised this land by God, yet he needs to purchase a burial plot. Why? The Torah calls him a “resident alien.” Exactly what this term means has been a subject of much commentary and the majority view is that a “resident alien” is an individual who opts to live within a particular society without becoming an actual member. This distinction becomes important, given the repeated Biblical commands to treat the “stranger” with care, and the Rabbinic distinction between resident aliens and the Jewish People.
This Biblical story has current applicability. Israel’s election last week resulted in no clear results. One issue of great importance is whether those opposed to Netanyahu as PM will accept Arab or Haredi parties in a potential coalition. Are Arab Israelis “resident aliens” entitled to some, but not all, rights of citizens of the Israeli state, or are they full-fledged citizens of a modern secular state? Should Haredi Israelis be required to match their fellow citizens in terms of national service? Here I am guided by Avi Mayer, a former colleague at Hillel and now the editor of the Jerusalem Journal, a leading Israeli spokesman on political matters. He noted recently the following:
A word about the Haredi and Arab parties. The former have seen their share of the vote shrink considerably, while the latter have achieved a record nineteen seats — nearly double the ten they hold in the outgoing Knesset — making them a political force to be reckoned with. But more important than the electoral fortunes of this or that sectoral party is the imperative to take these two communities and their needs seriously. Combined, the two groups account for more than a third of Israel’s population, and both face significant challenges, not least a sense of alienation…. that prevents them from becoming more fully integrated into mainstream Israeli society.
Both Haredi and Arab Israelis deserve a seat at the table, and not all parties purporting to represent either community are the same. Responsible leaders on both the left and the right must devise thoughtful and creative ways to include them in finding a path forward — not merely as convenient bedfellows in the quest to achieve a momentary Knesset majority, but as full and equal partners in governance and in imagining this country’s future. At the same time, inclusion must entail responsibility. Both communities will have to make compromises of their own, embracing military or national service as a shared civic obligation and marginalizing those within their ranks who reject Israel’s legitimacy or advocate violence.
The founding document of Israel – its Declaration of Independence – makes clear that citizens of Israel are given equal rights regardless of religious affiliation. Those who would prevent Haredi or Arab Israelis from joining the government have a major hurdle to overcome when the stigma of apartheid is levied. Should those Haredi or Arab Israelis opposed to the Jewish character of the state be excluded from its government? Certainly. But there are many Haredi and Arab citizens of the State who accept the concept of a Jewish homeland in Israel, where all have a stake and a role in Israel's future. As Mayer states, they deserve a seat at the table.
