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How could Avrohom claim ownership of the land at the Cave of Machpelah when Rashi (רש"י) earlier states the land wasn't yet his until the Canaanites' sin was complete? The shiur resolves this by distinguishing sovereignty from usufruct rights: Hashem (ה׳) granted Avrohom sovereign ownership immediately, but the Canaanites retained a leasehold until their iniquity ripened. This explains why Avrohom could expropriate the land at a lower price than purchasing it as a stranger.
The shiur addresses a fundamental contradiction in Rashi (רש"י)'s commentary regarding Avrohom Avinu's relationship to the land of Canaan. In Parshas Chayei Sarah, when Avrohom seeks to purchase the Cave of Machpelah, Rashi explains his statement "ger v'toshav anochi imachem" as presenting two options to the Bnei Ches: either sell to me as a stranger (ger), or recognize that I am the owner (toshav) and I will take it by right (meidin), based on Hashem (ה׳)'s promise "l'zaracha natati es ha'aretz hazos." However, this appears to contradict Rashi's earlier commentary in Parshas Lech Lecha (Perek 13) regarding the dispute between the shepherds of Avrohom and Lot. There, Lot's shepherds grazed in others' fields, claiming the land already belonged to Avrohom and that Lot, as Avrohom's heir, had the right to use it. Avrohom's shepherds countered that this was theft because "l'zaracha natati adayin" - the land wasn't yet given to Avrohom's seed, as he had no children yet. This earlier passage suggests the land did not yet belong to Avrohom, making it gezel (theft) to use it without permission.
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Bereishis 23:4, 13:7
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Why didn't Noach daven for his generation while Avrohom advocated for Sedom? Noach viewed each person as an independent island responsible only for their own teshuvah. Avrohom understood that all humanity is interconnected through shared perspective and values, making prayer for others both possible and necessary.
