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Parshat Vayikra
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
בס"ד
לשכנו תדרשו
Discovering the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land
אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לה'
"Blessed are You, Hashem, King of the Universe, Who prepares the steps of man." (Birkos HaShachar)
Every step in Hebron has a story, for this is the most ancient city of the Jewish People. Just as last year we concentrated on the Temple Mount's connection to Hebron throughout the book of Vayikra, so too this year we will focus on the Ma'arat HaMachpela Building, exploring its various chambers, throughout the book of Vayikra. As we mentioned in our piece on Chayei Sarah this year, the theme of this year's divrei Torah is to study the names of sites of Hebron itself. This is done on basis of our Sages' teaching that there is a special Providential nature to names, and that these names may be interpreted, whether simply or homiletically. Therefore, we should clarify that when we study the meaning of 'Avraham's Chamber', for example, in the Ma'arat HaMachpela Building this does not necessarily mean that Avraham is buried directly under this chamber [although he is buried under the Ma'ara Building in a general sense]. Rather, the purpose in studying the Chamber of Avraham is to understand the deeper meaning of this chamber's name, in the Providential nature of things and places.
Our title quote from this week's parsha uses the term 'Adam' when referring to the man who wishes to bring an offering in the Temple. The name 'Adam' clearly evokes the first man, called 'Adam'. Indeed, our Sages teach that Adam offered the first sacrifice which was a bull with one horn at its forehead (Shabat 28b). According to our Sages Adam is buried at Ma'arat HaMachpela alongside Chava his wife. Our Sages also remark that Avraham sited Adam's burial site here, smelled the spiritual 'fragrance' here and thereby decided to also be buried here. Another teaching of our Sages is that not only is Avraham connected to Adam in place of burial, but actually Avraham was a gilgul (reincarnated soul) of Adam (Zohar Behar). Based on these sources, we can say that when we enter the Chamber of Avraham at Ma'arat HaMachpela we also evoke the memory of Adam (and Chava who reincarnated as Sarah) as well.
We may say that the Chamber of Avraham is the first chamber named after the Patriarchs one encounters when facing the Ma'ara Building in the direction of Jerusalem, which is significant because this is the direction one faces in prayer (by the way, this is also the direction through which one enters the Ma'ara building today on an everyday basis). We may say that the significance of this can be explained by the fact that essentially the main merit of Ma'arat HaMachpela lies with Avraham and Sarah who initiated and actuated its purchase. Indeed, when we recall the kindness of the Patriarchs of Hebron we conclude with the merit of Avraham - '...And He remembers the kindness of Fathers and brings a redeemer for the children of their children for the sake of His Name with love...'
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Real Stories from the Holy Land #213
'One morning I accidentally took my wife's cellphone with me to work. My wife planned to go that morning to Jerusalem for an exam, but because I took her phone she was detained from travelling, for she had to call me on the land-line in our home. After talking, she told me that she doesn't know which hour the exam begins that day, so I made some calls to find out when the exam would begin. 'It turns out' that the exam was postponed to a week later, and if my wife would have had her cellphone with her, she would have most probably travelled hours out of her way to find that no exam was taking place...' A.Y
Sources: Shaar Hagilgulim
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Parshat Vayakel-Pikudei
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
בס"ד
לשכנו תדרשו
Discovering the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land
וּכְב֣וֹד יְקֹוָ֔ק מָלֵ֖א אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן
'Blessed are You HaShem our God Master of the Universe Who erects the borders of the Widow ('matziv gvul almana')'.
This blessing is said, at least on principle, on seeing houses of Israel 'settled', as brought in the Talmud. 'Settled' has various interpretations among the poskim. According to Rashi 'settled' refers to the same stature and beauty as was present at the Second Temple Era, while Rif limits this blessing to synagogues and batei midrash which represent the holy settlement of Israel. Neither the Rambam or the Shulhan Aruch mention the Rif's stipulation. Much of the Poskim are also of the opinion that this blessing should be said only in the Land of Israel, the Homeland of the Jewish People. The explanation of this blessing is that Israel in Exile are called a widow (see Lam.1), and therefore, when one sees the return of settlement in the Land of Israel one is to bless HaShem on the return of Israel to their Land.
One site which meets even the Rif's stipulation requiring specifically a synagogue or bait midrash in order to recite the fore-mentioned blessing, is the ancient synagogue adjacent to Jesse and Ruth's Tomb in the Admot Yishai neighborhood of Hebron. At this site one can see the cavity where the Aron Kodesh was placed in addition to other facets of a synagogue. How inspiring it is to pray at this synagogue, thereby continuing the prayers of all those before us who prayed in this inspiring air of Hebron, adjacent to Jesse's Tomb on whom it says, 'and a bud shall sprout from stump of Jesse.' Indeed, today we are continuing Jesse and his son David's legacy. David all his life was devoted to paving the way for the building of the Temple, essentially a continuation of the Mishkan, which is described at length in this parsha.
One of David's crucial steps in this process, according to the Zohar, Arizal, and more, was David's reign in Hebron. When we pray at this mini-sanctuary adjacent to Jesse's Tomb in Hebron we can see ourselves as returning and re-'sprouting' this spiritual process stemming from Hebron towards the Temple, the Main Sanctuary, in our era - 'Leshichno Tidreshu - Seek the Holy Presence of the Temple Through Hebron!'
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Real Stories from the Holy Land #212
'My husband and I were childless for many years. We prayed very much and went to many tzadikim for blessing to bear children, but to no avail. However, one tzadik told us to start thanking HaShem for our situation, with faith that it is God's Will, instead of asking for children. So we did, and within a year we had a baby girl...'
Sources: Orach Haim 224, 10
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Parshat Ki Teitzi
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
בס"ד
לשכנו תדרשו
Discovering the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land
כי יקרא קן ציפור לפניך בדרך
“Blessed are You HaShem our God Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us on the deliverance of the nest [‘shiluah haken’].” The Kabbalists teach that one should seek to commit the mitzvah of sending off the mother bird from her nest, because one should strive to commit in practice as much of the 613 commandments as possible in order to complete one's soul, except for mitzvoth that are not under initial human volition (such as pidyon haben, halitza, etc.) or preferably not done (such as divorce by get). The Kabbalists, based on Tikunei Zohar 23a, have a fascinating explanation of the mitzvah of "sending of the mother bird" in which the mother bird represents the Holy Presence and "her children" represent the People of Israel. According to the Tikunei Zohar, when one commits the commandment of releasing the mother bird, the mother birds cries out in compassion for her children, and the children in turn cry out longing for their mother. This action serves as a "reminder" or medium of compassion before HaShem about the state of Israel in Exile, in which the Holy Presence is apart from the People, and both the Holy Presence and the People "cry" out in longing for each other. "At that time (when committing this mitzvah) HaShem cries out and says, 'for My sake, for My sake I will do, and I will do for the sake of my Name', and with this (action) compassion will be aroused on the Holy Presence and upon His 'children' in Exile" (ibid).
We should note that the Torah describes the mother’s nest to be ‘on the way’ – ‘baderech’. Indeed, when the mother bird represents the Holy Presence in exile in the fore-mentioned analogy, then this Presence is described to be ‘on the way’, i.e in flux, and not in its proper place, the Holy Temple. For this reason we find that some of the righteous wished to connect to the Holy Presence by self-inducing exile upon themselves, to so-to-speak ‘participate in the ‘pain’ of the Holy Presence’. Nevertheless, we may say that even the common Jew who makes effort and ‘takes pain’ so-to-speak to go to a set location where the Holy Presence rests is also part of joining with and ‘aiding’, so-to speak, the Holy Presence in Her journey to the Temple. This matter can be accomplished in many ways, such as going from home to the synagogue, going from Diaspora to the Holy Land, going to holy locations within the Holy Land such as Hebron and Maarat HaMachpela, or going towards Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
One of the locations within Hebron that represents this journey in a poignant way is the ‘Worshipers Way’ – ‘Tzir Hamitpalalim’. In the midst of this path to Maarat HaMachpela is the Simtat HaGiborim – ‘Heroes’ Alley’ where twelve courageous men sacrificed their lives to protect the Kiryat Arba - Hebron community and the worshipers on this path. This site awakens our spirits to contemplate and appreciate the path to Maarat HaMachpela and the Holy Land in general. Let us appreciate and give honor to these men and also to the myriads of people who took pains and/or sacrificed their lives to come and/or let others come to the Holy Land.
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Real Stories from the Holy Land #233
"I had failed a number of driving tests over a period of many months, so I decided to try changing my driving-teacher and location of practice-driving. The very same day I decided to do so, my mother suddenly recommended to me in a phone conversation to learn driving in the very same location I decided to relocate my driving-practice (she had not been updated on my driving problems, and it was the first time she recommended me anything about driving). Shortly after, I passed the first driving test with the new teacher and location." Y.G
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Parshat Ki Tisa
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
בס"ד
לשכנו תדרשו
Discovering the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land
וְהָיָה֙ בַּעֲבֹ֣ר כְּבֹדִ֔י וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךָ בְּנִקְרַ֣ת הַצּ֑וּר
"I shall make pleasant songs, and weave verses; Because for You my soul longs. My soul desires to be in Your Hand's shade; To know all of Your deepest mysteries. (Shir HaKavod)"
The mysteries of HaShem and His Torah are only revealed through many partitions - 'the shade of God's 'Hand'', masking the great supernal light from Above, so we, beings of flesh and blood, may receive it, without being obliterated in this light's great intensity. This matter is hinted in this parsha when even Moshe Rabeinu, the greatest prophet, is told to hide in the cleft of the rock, when the Honor of God, referring to the Holy Presence, passes before this cave. A very similar episode occurs with Elijah who hides in the cave of Mount Sinai, where he receives the prophetic vision of 'the sound of silence'.
Hebron's most famous site is indeed a concealed cave, 'The Cave of Machpela', which represents, among other matters, the mysterious element of connecting to the Holy Presence of the Holy Land which rests here. There are actually numerous caves throughout Hebron, reflecting the mysterious element of this city. One of these caves is the Cave of Otniel ben Kenaz (to which Jews are allowed today access only a spare number of times a year). There are also other ancient caves, such as under some of the buildings of the Avraham Avinu neighborhood in Hebron.
One of the fascinating stories regarding one of the caves of Hebron is that of Rabbi Moshe Vital, grandson of the great kabbalistic master, Rabbi Haim Vital, primary student of the Arizal. Rabbi Moshe Vital recounts that at one cave in Hebron he found an old manuscript of his grandfather, R. Haim Vital. This manuscript was called 'Mevo Shearim', an introduction to the eight kabbalistic works known as 'Shemonah Shearim', which comprise the classic and most authentic works of the Arizal's teachings to his student R. Haim Vital. In kabbalistic circles today it is this work, found in a cave in Hebron, which is considered the most authentic, exact, and lucid work of the Arizal's teachings.
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Real Stories from the Holy Land #211
‘My shoes were old and worn, but I didn’t have enough money to buy new shoes. I prayed to HaShem for help, and then, out of the blue, someone offered to give me his new shoes that he doesn’t need. It ‘turns out’ that these shoes were exactly my size and were excellent for my needs...’ Y.A.B
Sources: Intro to Mevo Shearim
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Parshat Tetzaveh
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
בס"ד
לשכנו תדרשו
Discovering the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land
ויקחו אליך שמן זית זך
"And so give honor to Your People... happiness to Your Land, gladness to Your city, a budding of the horn of David your servant, and a setting of the lamp for the son of Jesse, speedily in our days...' (Amida of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur)
The 'lamp of Jesse' is not only a term pertaining to the spiritual light and enlightenment of Messiah, but also pertains to the oil used to anoint the Messiah. This anointing oil, in the case of the Davidic line, is none other than the sacred oil used to anoint the vessels of the Bait HaMikdash. This matter hints to the high spiritual energy that is involved not only in the House of God but also in Israel's regal system, which represents the 'Throne of God' and 'the Honor of God'. Indeed, royalty is very strongly connected to honor, as halacha bids a king not to pardon his honor, 'for his honor is the honor of the entire People of Israel.' Nevertheless, at the same time, the king is bidden to conduct his reign humbly and with deep consideration and care for all the citizens.
The concept 'honor' is linked by our Sages to clothing, as R. Yohanan called his garments 'my honor'. Just as we saw the connection between honor and majesty, so too in Megillat Ester its described as 'wearing royalty'. Actually, our Sages interpret this 'wearing royalty' as achieving Divine Inspiration - Ruah HaKodesh. This interpretation of the Sages can also be explained in light of what we have explained numerous times that the 'Honor of God' is synonymous to the Holy Presence. In other words, we can say that when Ester prepared to speak on behalf of all Israel, which by no doubt is a genuinely majestic role, she wore 'majesty/Honor' connected to the spiritual energy that resides with all Israel, the Holy Presence, thereby achieving its Divine Inspiration. In this way, we gain added meaning to the garments described at length in this week's parsha, of the priests, who serve before the Holy Presence in the Temple.
The Admot Yishai - 'Lands of Jesse' - neighborhood in Hebron, where Jesse is buried, clearly reminds us of the 'lamp of Jesse' and its olive oil of anointment. At the outskirts of this neighborhood lie groves of olive trees which produce excellent olive oil, of which one can benefit from today. When we ascend to the peak of this neighborhood, the Tomb of Jesse itself and the ancient synagogue next to it, we are summoned to feel our great role before countless generations before us, who so wished to come to the Holy Land, and come to such a special spot. Indeed, at this site we 'enrobe ourselves with majesty', 'for all Israel are sons of kings' (Mishna Shabat 14, 4), realizing our great role and mission for all Israel and for all the generations before us. Yes, it is here, 'enrobed in our great realization of will and purpose', that we feel the 'oil of inspiration and en'light'enment' trickling into our consciousness, transforming us, like Saul when he was anointed - 'and you shall be transformed into a different man' )Sam. I 10, 6).
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Real Stories from the Holy Land #211
'One month I was consistently late to work, since I needed to care for medical issues in my family. I 'signed in' each day to work, but did not make any conscious record comparing the hours I entered. However, my boss did notice at the end of the month, and he asked me, 'what is this that you keep signing in exactly at 9:23 am?' I admitted that the absolute truth was that this timing was totally unintentional, and it was only Providence that I consistently came late exactly at the same time...' Y.G
Sources: Megila 15a, Rambam Mlachim 2, 3
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