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Parshat Chayei Sarah
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Discovering the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

May it be Your Will our Father, our King... remember our love and endearment, return the Holy Presence to our Holy Temple and return to have delight in us as in yore... our innards long, and our souls yearn for the redemption of Your Holy Presence...’ (Prayer of the Holy Or HaHaim)

The Holy Presence in Biblical terminology is called the Name of God in addition to terms such as Shechina, 'the Eyes/Heart of God', and the like. One of many examples where the Name of God refers to the Holy Presence is in the verse 'in every place where I mention My Name I shall come to you and bless you',(Exodus 21, 20) where Onkelos translates the term 'My Name' as 'My Presence (Shchinti)'. Our Sages teach that not only does the Name of God carry significance, of course, but also all names on earth carry significance. So they interpret the verse, 'Go and see the works of HaShem Who has placed desolation - 'shamot' - on Earth' (Ps. 46, 9 - referring to the desolation put upon the nations who are enemies of Israel) to also refer to the significance of names - 'shemot' - on Earth. Indeed, our Sages in many places homiletically interpret the significance of names, whether of people, places, or the like. Interestingly, the word for name - 'shem' - is remarkably similar to the locale-centered term - 'sham' - 'there'. This again highlights how 'Presence' is especially tied to 'Name' and ultimately 'location', especially the Holy Land of the Holy Presence.

After last year's journey throughout the Land of Israel, the 'circulatory system'' of the Heart-Hebron, this year will focus on Hebron itself, visiting its various 'cardiac veins and arteries', in a similar way a visitor to Hebron would experience its roads, sites, and buildings. Thus, the Torah of this year will study the names of these sites today, even though they may have changed from the past or will change in the future. This is done with the faith that also what HaShem 'shows' us in the present is part of the Godly Plan, HaShem's Providence upon the Holy Land.

A common visitor to Ma'arat HaMachpela encounters three levels of Israel's sovereignty at this location today usually coined in the terms: 1. 'the Seventh Step' - open to Jews almost all of history 2. The Ma'arat HaMachpela Building - under Jewish sovereignty since the Six Day War 3. The Hall of Yitzhak - varying Jewish sovereignty (10 days a year etc.). These three levels seem to be hinted to the telling of Sarah's life-span in the beginning of this week's parsha, as Sarah's name means sovereignty/rulership - 'serarah'. 'A hundred years' hints to the Hall of Yitzhak, who was born to Avraham at the age of 100. Our Sages teach that Avraham represents the attribute of longing, while Yitzhak represents the manifestation of this longing into reality. For example, Avraham dug wells initially, but they were later covered by Philistines. Then, after Avraham, Yitzhak re-digs these same wells and establishes their presence in a way that will not be 'covered'/erased, bringing them into fuller 'reality'. (Yet again, we wish to remind that our wish is to have full Jewish jurisdiction even at the Hall of Yitzhak at all times, but even when that happens that will not negate the developmental process/levels we discuss here.)

Similarly, it took 2000 years of longing from the time that the Ma'arat HaMachpela Building was built in honor of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs for its 'dream' to be realized, i.e the honor given to them today when multitudes of Jews flock to this building under Jewish sovereignty. The number 2000 is hinted in the 'twenty years' of Sarah when multiplied by the archetypal number of bringing longing into realization (as described above in the age of Avraham at the birth of Yitzhak) - 100.

When we multiply the 'seven years' of Sarah by this archetypal number  - 100 - we arrive at the 700 years Jews longed and prayed at the Seventh Step before it was brought under Jewish sovereignty. This matter remarkably reminds us of the name 'the Seventh Step' itself which hints to the dominance of the number seven at this location. Indeed, these 700 years of longing at the Seventh Step fit well with what we have learned in the past how 'Hebron was built seven years before Tzoan' and how David ruled in Hebron seven years before his rule in Jerusalem. Indeed, the Maharal explains that the number seven corresponds to 'sanctity within nature/earth'. Indeed, this is Hebron Beacon of the Holy Land which shows God's 'imprint' on nature as King upon all Earth.

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #196

'One day someone at Ma’arat HaMachpela advised me to take my car to be repaired, since it made an initial abnormal noise at ignition. Although this initial noise had persisted for close to a year, this was the first time I heard anyone that I repair it. 'It turns out' that my car happened to be in a garage that very same day I received this advice, after not being in garage-repair for about 3 months, so I 'took-up' the advice, which improved the pleasantness of my driving significantly.' Y.G

Sources: Brachot 7b

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