The only way to neutralize the negative affects of the evil properties of dirt is to utilize the dirt of holiness. This is the spiritual power derived from faith. As the verse tells us, “dwell in the land [dirt of the land of Israel], and feed [yourself] with faith” (Psalms 37:3). Through holy earth one can be nourished and infused with true life and the holy power of faith. Just as physical earth causes plant-life to grow and flourish, so too does the spiritual power of holy earth, such as the dirt of the land of Israel, allow a person to grow, develop, and flourish spiritually. The spiritual properties contained in holy dirt can enable and assist one’s spiritual growth, if that is the goal a person truly strives to attain.
Therefore, Avraham had to buy the cave of Machpailah from a man specifically like Ephron. Ephron, whose essence came from the lowly spiritual elements found in dirt, had to own the cave of Machpailah prior to Avraham's ownership of the cave, much in the same way that the Canaanites had to possess the land of Israel prior the Jewish conquest of the land. There is a principal in the laws of spirituality that the peel precedes the fruit. This concept means that in order to attain a particular spiritual goal, one must encounter the forces of evil that block the way to that particular spiritual attainment. The spiritual power of the cave of Machpailah contains the highest level of potential for spiritual growth in the entire land of Israel. This is because it is the entranceway for souls to enter Gan Eden, which is the way in which souls come to be bound and united with Hashem. Ephron’s ownership of the cave, which was the ultimate in the negative properties found in dirt, reflects the exact opposite spiritual properties that the cave possessed, and represents the physical manifestation of the peel surrounding the fruit. (The same situation can be seen today, where millions of Arabs surround the holy land, the Kotel area, Yoseph’s grave, and the cave of Machpailah, who try to prevent the Jewish People from reaching these holy areas to attain their spiritual goals.)
So Avraham, due to his spiritual greatness, liberated this holy place
from the grip of evil, and eliminated the peel, Ephron, in order to reach
the fruit, the cave of Machpailah, the gate to Gan Eden. (Likutei Halachot:
Or HaChiam: Hilchot. Tefilin 5:40)
Holiness is always a process of doubling. Tefilin, as mentioned, is one example of a holy item that contains this aspect of doubling in its holy properties. The Torah introduces the mitzvah of lending money to the poor by using the term, “posayach tiftach,” you shall open your hand twice or more and lend money to the needy. The Torah uses a similar term by the requirement to provide a Jewish slave upon his release from slavery with gifts. The verse says, “hanik tanik.” you shall give an abundant amount of gifts. The Torah itself is doubled, as many Torah laws are repeated in Mishna Torah, Devarim. Even spiritual life is doubled. There is the spiritual life one leads in this world and the spiritual life one experiences in the after-life.
The following verses illustrate the double aspects of the properties
of holiness: "that He [Hashem] would declare to you [Iyov] the secrets
of wisdom [the Torah]; for it is double" (Iyov 11:6). "Therefore in their
[the Jews] land [land of Israel] shall they possess a double [portion]"
(Isaiah 61:7:).
Money contains the power of the greatness of Hashem within it and therefore has the power to chase away even the strongest forces of evil. Avraham’s purchase of the cave, using the immense spiritual power of money, activated the holiness of the power of Hashem to vanquish all the evil forces attached to the cave.
King David also did not want to accept the future site of the Holy Temple
as a free gift either. It was impossible to free the Temple-site
of the powerful forces of evil attached to it without having money of holiness,
as explained above by the purchase of the cave of Machpailah. (Lekutai
Halachot: Choshen Mishpat, Hilchot Matana 4:11)
The true definition of arechas yomim, length of days, is that each person
must lengthen each physical day one is allotted. When a physical
day starts off, it is very short because it doesn't contain any service
to Hashem in it as yet, and therefore is limited only to time, which stays
in this world. When a day is wasted by not using one's time to serve
Hashem, the day is lost forever never to be used again, since
the person didn’t deposit and store his allotted time in this world in
a place which is not subject to the rules of time. This stored time
could be used forever in Olam Habah. However, if one lengthens his
day by using the time allotted him in the service of Hashem, that day is
stored away forever to be used later in Olam Habah. Olam Habah is
called, "yom shekulo tov,” one long day that is completely good, that never
ends. There were many great tzadikim who had short physical lives,
such as Yonason ben Uziel, the greatest student of Hillel, Rabbah of the
Talmud, the holy Ari, the Ramah of the Shulchan Aruch, the Ramchal (Rabbi
Moshe Chayim Luzzoto), and Rabbi Nachman (who lived only until 38).
All these great tzadikim had short physical lives; however, in their short
lives, they accomplished more than an average person could accomplish in
many lifetimes. Their lives were truly called living a full and long
life. They came to Olam Habah with many more years than they actually
had on this earth, because they did mitzvot and taught Torah to the public.
For example, if a person is learning Torah in a class containing one hundred
people for one hour, he may have learnt one physical hour, but he gets
credit for learning one hundred hours. Why is this so? Each
persons presence caused a greater revelation of the Divine Presence, as
mentioned in Gemmorah Brachos. This causes an expansion of the mental
capability of everyone’s mind in the class. This allowed everyone
in the class to better understand the Torah lesson. Therefore everyone’s
presence in the class contributed to a better understanding of the lesson
and therefore everyone is given credit for the learning of everybody else
in the class. Doing public mitzvoth is the best way to add a tremendous
amount of extra time to one’s service of Hashem. The Ari HaKodesh
says that for learning one hour on Shabbas, one is given credit for as
if he learnt 100 hours because of the extreme holiness of the day.
Rabbi Nachman explains that their are many different decrees and levels of zivug, uniting the male and female half-souls to forming one complete soul. When two people talk about matching a particular boy with a particular girl, even without the boy and girl ever meeting each other, this is a type of zivug, union. The two people discussing the potential match causes a spiritual union of the half-souls of the boy and girl, similar to what happens in marriage. Even this type of distant union leaves a permanent impression on the souls of the boy and girl. The Ari HaKodesh says that if by accident a boy’s eyes meet and into the eyes of a girl, this is even a closer level of zivug which results in their souls merging. (Note that one shouldn’t intentionally look at strange women lustfully, this is a violation of a negative commandment.) An even stronger level of zivug, which leaves a permanent impression on one’s soul is talking on a date with a woman. Marriage is the strongest bond of zivug of all. Any union, however, which is not according to Halacha causes great spiritual damage to one’s soul. In all the previous mentioned cases there is a partial exchange of souls between the couples involved. The man takes part of the soul of the woman, containing all its spiritual qualities, and the woman receives part of the soul of the man, containing its spiritual qualities.
The same thing happens when two people talk to each other: there is a partial exchange of souls. Each participant of a conversation draws some the spiritual essence from the other person through the medium of speech. Each Jew has a unique soul that no other Jew has; therefore, Rabbi Nachman taught, that one should be careful to talk on a regular basis about spiritual topics, which will increase yiras shamayim, to one's friends and fellow Jews. By doing this one draws to oneself the spiritual qualities that one’s fellow Jew has that is in oneself.
This is why even if a date doesn’t work out lead to marriage, it wasn’t a waste. The boy and girl who dated received the good spiritual qualities it from each other’s soul s, which heaven arranged and determined to be necessary for the nourishment of their soul s. This provides a soul with spiritual growth. A the many different people that a person encounters in their dating career is partially due to what we just explained.
It is important to have many Jewish friends, so a person can give and receive the various good spiritual qualities found in each different Jewish soul among the people he meets. The Baal Shem Tov said that it is critical to have friends in order to be able to serve Hashem. This is what goes on in a minyan, a quorum of 10 Jewish male adults. All the spiritual good points of every member of the minyan merge together in the chazan, the minyan representative. The chazan elevates all the good points of each member of the minyan to point to heaven, which builds spiritual structures in heaven, which has a good effect on the world.
Rabbi Nachman teaches in, Likutei Morahan 12:1, that when a person learns any holy book one's soul becomes merged with the tzadik who wrote that book. This is called neshekim, the kissing of one soul to another. This brings great joy to the tzadik who taught that teaching, since the tzadik (if he is niftar) is now living in both worlds at the same time. The tzadik, only enjoys this experience if the person learning his teachings is learning for the right reasons. If a person is learning the tzadik's teachings to gain respect, this causes pain to the tzadik who taught that teaching.
King David prayed, “Let me dwell in your tent forever” (Psalms 61:5). The word for forever in the verse is “olamim,” which also can mean the plural for worlds. This word “olamim” indicates there are two worlds. The Talmud asks, “Can a person live in two worlds at the same time [as this verse in psalms implies]? The Talmud answers, “King David prayed that people should learn his teachings in his name, in this world, so it would always be as if he were still alive" (Yevamos 97A.) Thus a person by learning a tzadik’s teachings, even after he has long since passed away, can merge his soul with that tzadik.
This is the concept behind the verse, “"And Yaakov kissed Rachel" (Bereshis 29:11). This doesn't mean Yaakov actually kissed Rachel physically, but rather relates that their souls merged in the manner described above, as a detached zivug with soul kissing soul, but without physical contact being made (Likutei Morahan I, 12:1).
May we all merit to true arechas yomim and to be merged with the holy and be, connected with the truly righteous Amen'.