Have you ever met someone who seems really nice, but then suddenly acts completely differently when things don’t go their way?
In Parshat Chayei Sarah, Avraham wants to buy the Cave of Machpelah from Efron. At first, Efron offers to give Avraham the field and cave for free. But when Avraham insists on paying, Efron suddenly asks for 400 silver shekels. Why did Efron change his mind so quickly?
One explanation is that Efron’s kindness was only on the outside. In front of everyone, he wanted to appear generous. But once he saw that Avraham was willing to pay, his true desire for money came out.
This teaches us that there is a difference between acting kind and actually becoming a kind person. Someone can behave nicely when everything is going well, but true character shows itself when things become difficult or when we have something to gain.
Real change is not about looking better to others; it is about becoming better on the inside.