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Parshat Shlach
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Discovering the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

ויבא עד חברון

"Trust in HaShem forever, for in Yah the Lord, is the Rock of eternity." (Isaiah 26, 4)

HaShem is Eternal and His Name is sanctified when His eternal covenant with our forefathers is realized through the settlement of their descendants in the Holy Land promised to them forever. The term in Hebrew for 'forever' in the fore-mentioned quote is 'Adei Ad', which is linked to the verb root 'ad' - 'everlasting'. In this parsha we find the term 'ad' used in the context of Kaleb's arrival to Hebron. The Torah could have more simply said that Kaleb arrived 'at Hebron' - ויבא לחברון, however, the Torah uses a more peculiar way of describing Kaleb's arrival at Hebron - 'Ad Hebron', which literally means he reached 'up until Hebron.'

There are various explanations of this peculiar usage of 'ad', but we would like to homiletically interpret this term, 'ad', to refer to the 'eternal-everlasting' aspect of Hebron which is so essential to this city. This city is the Jewish People's first possession of the Holy Land promised to us by God forever. This city is the City of the Patriarchs, the origins of our People, who lived and were buried here, and this city is also the source of miracles of the Redemption at the End of Days (see Tikunei Zohar tikun 21). This city is both the location of the living and the gateway to the afterlife (at Maarat HaMachpela). This city also expresses our People's consistent attachment to our Holy Land by our People's insistence to come back to this city, despite all the odds and despite all periods of exile. Indeed, this is the only city mentioned in the Torah re-visited by our people after periods of exile. Where did Yakov return after years of exile at Laban's house? Where did the tribes return to bury Yakov after their initial stage of exile in Egypt? Where did Kaleb, as the representative of Israel, return after the Exile of Egypt in this parsha? And where did Kaleb return after the forty years in the wilderness to settle permanently? Yes. this is Hebron the Eternal City, the City of Return, the City of Redemption, reminding us always of our real and eternal homeland.

Indeed, by our homiletic interpretation of our title quote we may say 'Kaleb entered the eternity of Hebron'. It is also by this interpretation that we may understand the secret of Kaleb's courage and endurance of spirit despite the plots of the other spies. By tapping into the eternity of Hebron, Kaleb gained the aid of the Eternal One in saving him and imbibing him with such spirit of courage. We find in many verses of the Tanach that the attribute of trust in God in directly linked to the 'Eternal' aspect of God. This can simply be explained by noticing how trust is built upon the feeling of good and calming confidence in the past by which one has continued hope and optimism towards the future ad infinitum (see 'Duties of the Heart' - 'Bitachon').

One of the locations within Hebron that touches on in this dominant theme of Hebron as our eternal homeland is the museum located in the 'Beit Hadassa' neighborhood, called 'Touching Eternity' - 'Lagaat Banetzach'. This museum takes the visitor through a journey of time, describing the various periods of Hebron's history, which also sheds light on our history at large. This multi-media adventure through time provides all visitors to Hebron a glimpse into the everlasting power of Hebron.

As we mentioned, contemplating the eternal ways of God is key to trusting God. Our Sages teach that in the afterlife one is asked 'Did you hope for salvation?' Commentators explain that 'hoping for salvation' is an essential part of one's faith 'in the God Who took us out of Egypt' - the first of the ten commandments, which means that God will ultimately redeem us and not leave us anymore in exile, in Egypt or any other exile. Our Sages also teach that 'hoping and having trust in God for salvation' is not only necessary, but it is also a conduit towards the redemption itself. Indeed, this is Hebron, the City of Unity, where past, present and future are united in one continuous whole, uncovering the Redemption of eternity.

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #223

'During one Torah class I was studying one [unrelated] Torah text at the same time I listened to the Rabbi delivering the Torah class... As I read the text and listened simultaneously I suddenly noticed that what I was reading was identical to what I was listening to - the idea that some of the righteous are able to transcend this world in their lifetime and experience in this world the same spiritual state of the World to Come as one with this world...' I.G

Sources:Duties of the Heart - Shaar Habitachon, Shabat 31a and Smag's interpretation, See Igeret Habitachon

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