Two stories take center stage in Parashat Chayei Sara: the story of Avraham's purchase of Makhpela Cave and the story of Rivka's joining Avraham's family. These two stories are told at great length and in great detail. The detailed account is so excessive that it gives rise to Chazal's dictum:
The ordinary conversation of the patriarchs' household servants is more pleasing to God than even the Torah of their children. (Bereishit Rabba, Chayei Sara 60:8)
We must, however, examine the matter: why in fact does the Torah go on at such length in these two stories? Surely it would have been possible to summarize our entire parasha in a verse or two at most: "And Avraham purchased Makhpela Cave, and buried his wife Sara in it. And Yitzchak took Rivka the daughter of Betuel the Aramaean as his wife, and he loved her." Why does the Torah choose to present these stories as it does?
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