Abraham bought the Tomb of the Patriarchs. Jacob bought Shchem. And David bought Jerusalem. We inherited these from them. It is part of their legacy.

Now for a Quick Dvar Torah

Parshat Chayei Sarah — Standing on the Side of Truth

This week’s parsha begins with the death of Sarah and ends with the death of Abraham. In a very real sense, we are witnessing the passing of one generation and the beginning of another.

Yitzchak now becomes the spiritual leader of the family. He inherits not only Abraham’s possessions but, more importantly, his spiritual legacy and his mission.

Ishmael, on the other hand, receives gifts from Abraham, but he does not inherit the spiritual leadership of the family. And who was responsible for making sure that Yitzchak would be the inheritor? Sarah.

Sarah understood something that Abraham, with his tremendous loving-kindness, had difficulty accepting. She saw the problems with Ishmael. According to the Midrash, Ishmael was involved in behavior that made him unfit to inherit Abraham’s spiritual mission. Even though Ishmael was the older brother, Sarah understood that being the firstborn did not automatically make someone worthy of leadership.

And God told Abraham to listen to Sarah.

Now, isn’t it interesting that we find a very similar situation in this week’s Haftarah?

King David is approaching the end of his life, and the question arises as to who will succeed him. Adonijah, one of David’s older sons, attempts to claim the throne. But Batsheva reminds David of his promise that her son, Shlomo, would become king.

Like Yitzchak, Shlomo was not the oldest son. Nevertheless, he was the one chosen to carry on his father’s legacy.

The other brothers might not have been happy about it, but ultimately David’s decision prevailed.

There is another interesting connection between Abraham and David.

David began his reign in Hebron, the very city where Abraham purchased the Cave of Machpelah in this week’s parsha. Later, David conquered Jerusalem and purchased the threshing floor of Aravnah, which would become the site of the Beit HaMikdash.

Notice something important here. Abraham purchased the Cave of Machpelah. David purchased the site of the future Temple. And Yaakov purchased a parcel of land near Shechem.

All three made formal purchases, establishing their ownership of these particular places. They did not simply take the land. They paid for it.

And yet, despite these transactions being recorded in the Tanach, there are people today who deny the Jewish people’s historical connection to these places.

This brings us to another important lesson.

When we are first introduced to Abraham, he is called Avram HaIvri, Abraham the Hebrew.

What does Ivri mean?

According to a famous Midrash, Abraham stood on one side, while the rest of the world stood on the other.

Think about that.

Abraham lived in a world dominated by idol worship. Everyone around him believed in idols, but Abraham recognized that there was only one God.

He was willing to stand alone.

He did not change his beliefs simply because everyone else disagreed with him. He did not worry about being popular. He was concerned with what was true.

And that is a lesson we desperately need today.

We live in a world in which terrible accusations are made against Jews and Israel. Some accusations are based on misinformation, others on prejudice, and still others on deliberate distortions of history.

We have to be willing to challenge falsehoods with facts, even when doing so is unpopular. Serious allegations, including accusations of genocide, must be examined carefully and honestly, not accepted or rejected simply because they fit someone’s political agenda.

Unfortunately, there are also Jews who are so concerned about being accepted by their political or social circles that they hesitate to defend their own people when confronted with false accusations.

But Abraham teaches us something different.

Truth is not determined by popularity.

Just because everyone around you believes something does not make it true. And just because you are standing alone does not mean you are wrong.

Of course, standing for truth also means being willing to examine the facts, acknowledge uncomfortable realities, and correct ourselves when necessary. That, too, is part of Abraham’s legacy.

As observant Jews, our responsibility is not simply to observe the mitzvot. We must also observe what is happening around us. We must understand the world, recognize falsehoods, and have the courage to stand for what is right.

And above all, we must remember that our ultimate reliance is not on politicians, governments, or public opinion.

Our ultimate reliance is on HaKadosh Baruch Hu.

Abraham was called HaIvri because he was willing to stand on the other side.

Sometimes we, too, will find ourselves on the other side of an argument, perhaps even standing alone.

And that’s okay.

Because the important question is not how many people are standing with us.

The important question is whether we are standing with the truth.

Shabbat Shalom.