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Parshat Lech Lecha
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Discovering the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

ודור רביעי ישובו הנה

"Return us, HaShem, to You and we shall return, renew our days as of old."

Returning to God also means returning to His Holy Land where His Holy Presence rests. This concept is clear from the "Repentance Passage"/"Parshat HaTeshuva" found in the parsha of Nitzavim which describes the return to God in context of the return to the Holy Land. As Hebron plays the role of being Beacon of the Holy Land, we also find that the return to the Holy Land after years of exile is promised to Avraham in Hebron, as our title quote declares: 'the fourth generation will return here'. Interestingly, we find that the theme of the number four as representing return is repeated in this same vision of Avraham when he is told that his offspring will be '400 years in a land that is not theirs', which by inference means that after 400 years his offspring will return to the Land which is theirs.

The theme of the number four as representing return can be explained by the laws of Orlah in which fruit grown on a tree is forbidden for the first three years from the time this tree was planted. Only on the fourth year can this tree's fruit be eaten, on condition that this fruit is brought to Sanctified Jerusalem. On yet a deeper level we can say that the number three represents the extent of attachment to a previous situation, while four represents the ability to break forth from the previous situation and the ability to take on a new identity capable of change and return. This idea is exemplified by the concept of 'lavud'-'connectedness' as found in halacha, which teaches us that two pieces of solid material which are only three hand-breaths apart are considered to be as if 'connected', rendering the gap of air between these two solid pieces as if filled with solid material. However, when these three hand-breaths are passed, i.e beginning the 'fourth hand-breath', this gap is not considered 'connected'/'filled', but rather the new solid piece takes on a new identity.

The significance of the number four in context of return may also interestingly explain the return to Hebron after the Tarpat Massacre of 1929 in 1933, four years later. The Jews who returned to Hebron at this time built a second floor to the Hason Building, found next to the Beit Hadassa neighborhood. This floor was meant to house a yeshiva in name of the Hebron Kabbalist Rabbi Amram ben Duan. However, this return to Hebron did not last long, as riots began again and the British forced the Jewish community to leave Hebron once again. Then, four decades after the Tarpat Massacre Jews returned yet again to settle Hebron after the Six Day War. The Jewish Community of Hebron of today built yet a third floor to the Hason Building. Thus, the Hason Building of Hebron, by its three floors, represents the constant dedication of Jews to Hebron even at the most difficult times. Indeed, the name 'Hason' represents the 'Hosen', the 'strength and vigor', of our People's connection to Hebron despite all odds.

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #240

"After shopping at the supermarket my wife told me to go back to get another item. However, I was already on the bus far away from the supermarket I had just shopped at. Nevertheless, I thought to myself that HaShem must be showing me something in this request, so I decided to go the supermarket close to my planned destination (not the previous supermarket). I looked for the item my wife asked me about and found it there for about half of the original price."

 

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