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Parshat Vayikra/HaChodesh
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Inviting the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

This Month is the First of Months

'The One Who has done miracles for our fathers and redeemed them from bondage to freedom, may He redeem us soon, and ingather our exiles from the four corners of the Earth, as friends shall be all of Israel, and we shall say Amen'.

This blessing, linking the in-gathering of exiles to redemption from bondage, is said in all synagogues of the world before every new month. This blessing is especially poignant when blessing the 'first month of all months', the month of Nisan, on which it is said, 'in Nisan our ancestors were redeemed, and in Nisan the future redemption will occur.' Not only the Exodus, but many trailblazing events occurred in the month of Nisan throughout history, one of the most important being the inauguration of the Mishkan, where the Holy Presence rests among Israel. In regard to Hebron-City of the Patriarchs, one of the focal points of the Holy Presence in the Holy Land, we should also mention that our Sages attribute our Patriarchs' birthdays to Nisan and also the special blessing given from Yitzhak to Yakov to have occurred on Seder Night. The renewal of Jewish presence in Hebron also occurred in Nisan in our era on the famous Seder Night at the Park Hotel 50 years ago.

The term 'in Nisan our ancestors were redeemed, and in Nisan the future redemption will occur,' is not meant to limit the time of our redemption. Rather, this statement teaches us that there is opportune timing for redemption and for miracles - 'nes' - in 'Nisan.' This is the time to 'seize the day', to make bold and courageous strides to bring ourselves closer to HaShem, as the parshiot at this time of the year teach us about the 'korbanot.' The term 'korban' comes from the verb root 'karev', to 'come close', and indeed this is the opportune time of the year to come closer to HaShem and to His Holy Presence.

One of the trailblazing figures of Hebron before the renewal of Hebron's Jewish community in our era was Rabbi Malkiel Ashkenazi, who renewed Hebron's Jewish community about 500 years ago. In the year 5300 (1540) Rabbi Ashkenazi bought the 'Jewish Courtyard,' that had already housed a number of Jewish families, under rent. The Hida writes: "We heard from the elders of the city, that the Rav (Rabbi M. Ashkenazi) was the cause for Jews to be able to live in the holy city of Hebron." Rabbi M. Ashkenazi stood at the head of the community, added apartments and buildings to the Jewish community and was also responsible for the building of the Avraham Avinu Synagogue, that can be seen today in Hebron's Avraham Avinu neighborhood, after being renewed/rebuilt. Rabbi M. Ashkenazi wrote many halachic rulings and also wrote a sefer called 'Sefer Malkiel' about the righteous and the wicked, reward and punishment. The Shelah, Rabbi Yeshyahu HaLevi Horowitz, mentions his name with great reverence. Rabbi Shlomo Narvoni writes about him: "the fully wise, a pious and holy man."

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #259

'I have a Sefer Torah which I hadn't opened for a number of years. One day I had a sudden urge to open the sefer Torah (not knowing where it was rolled to). The scroll 'happened' to open up on the same parsha of that week.'

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