Parshat Vayishlach 2016

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Category: Torah Portion

Published on Tuesday, 13 December 2016 20:31

Written by The Hebron Fund

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

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Discovering the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

ויבא יעקב אל יצחק אביו ממרא קרית הארבע הוא חברון

'May You arise and have compassion upon Zion for the time has come to redeem it, for this period has come!'

One of the well-known locations in Hebron which is 'awaiting' to be redeemed more fully is the Hall of Yitzhak and Rivka in Maarat HaMachpela, currently open only ten days a year to Jews. This Hall is probably the most mysterious of all chambers of Maarat HaMachpela, since within it is the 'flower-like' covering 'hiding' the entrance to the real cave underneath the Maarat HaMachpela Building where our Patriarchs and Matriarchs are buried...

Interestingly, both Yitzhak and Rivka's connection to Maarat HaMachpela is the most mysterious/'hidden' of all the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. (Yitzhak and Rivka are not necessarily literally buried underneath the Hall of Yitzhak - rather we are studying the Providence in the common usage of this name at this location). First, Rivka's death is not even mentioned explicitly in the Torah, and her place of burial at Maarat HaMachpela is only mentioned after the fact at Yakov's burial in parshat Vayishlah. Secondly, Yitzhak's death is mentioned in conjunction with his living in Hebron, but his burial is not mentioned explicitly to be in Maarat HaMachpela (as with Avraham, Sarah, and Yakov) till Yakov's burial, again in an after-the-fact fashion.

Regarding Rivka's mysterious/hidden burial our Sages explain that her burial was deliberately hidden, hinted in the Torah only by the Torah's telling that Rivka's nurse, Devora, died and was buried at Alon Bachut. Actually, our Sages say, it was not only Rivka's nurse who died but Rivka herself. The reason Rivka's death and burial is hidden, according to our Sages, is due to the fact that Esau the Wicked came from the womb of Rivka. Even though Yakov the righteous also came from the womb of Rivka, the Torah wished to spare even the partial 'shame', so-to-speak, of Rivka, in lieu of Esau, by hiding her death and burial.

As we just mentioned, Yitzhak's burial in Maarat HaMachpela is also relatively hidden. This matter fits very well with the attribute of Yitzhak, who held a feminine-like attribute, according to our Sages. According to our Sages, the feminine attribute is more internal, as the verse says, 'the honor of the daughter of the King is within/internal' (Ps. 45, 14). The masculine attribute, in contrast, is more external, and for this reason the husband is given the responsibility to earn a living in the external world in order to support his wife, according to the ketuba (marital contract). This matter explains why Yitzhak, who has a relatively feminine attribute (although a man) is not seen to conduct much novel enterprises as Avraham or Yakov, but rather re-digs the wells of his father, makes contracts just as his father, etc.

Similarly, Leah's death and burial are only mentioned after the fact in parshat Veyechi. Indeed, Leah, according to our Sages, is the archetypal symbol of hiddenness, representing the 'Concealed World'. Lea too is strongly connected to the attribute of Isaac, as our Sages interpret her name to mean 'weakened strong justice' (lea means weakened), just like Yitzhak represents 'strong justice' according to our Sages. Rachel (whose name means 'sheep'), in contrast, represents much softer judgment and also represents the 'Revealed World' (her death and burial are explicitly told in the Torah).

It should be clear that 'hiddenness' definitely does not mean inferior. On the contrary, hiddenness entails an aspect that is so above and beyond this world that it can barely be revealed. Perhaps by studying and appreciating more the hidden aspects of Maarat HaMachpela we will indeed merit to pray and study at the Hall of Yitzhak and Rivka continuously at all times... Amen.

The 'flower-like' covering 'hiding' the entrance to the real cave underneath the Maarat HaMachpela Building

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #199

'On Shabbos Chayei Sara - Shabbat Hebron - I invited guests from Kiryat Shemonah (about 200 kilometers away from Hebron). Then, when I visited Maarat HaMachpela that Shabbos I just happened to meet next to me in the Hall of Yitzhak two friends of mine, who also live in Kiryat Shemonah, out of thousands of visitors that Shabbat...'

Sources: Tanhuma Tetze 4

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Parshat Toldot 2016

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Category: Torah Portion

Published on Wednesday, 30 November 2016 19:55

Written by The Hebron Fund

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

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Discovering the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

וישב יצחק ויחפור את בארות המים אשר חפרו בימי אברהם אביו

'Please, King... I have come today to the Holy city of Hebron.. to ask from our King... till when will You not have compassion on Jerusalem? And if not for our sake, have compassion for Your sake and for the sake of Your Holy Presence trapped with us in Exile... Therefore, we have come before You.. that You should remember the merit of our holy Forefathers.. so that You should have compassion upon us... and end our Exile...' ('Prayer at Maarat HaMachpela' in 'Shaarei Dima')

Turning to God as our King is a dominant theme of the spiritual work attached to Hebron, the Cradle of Royalty. As we mentioned last week, the realization of sovereignty in our Land is a process that begins with the initial work and longing of Avraham which is more fully concertized into reality by Yitzhak. So we showed, by example, in the incidence of this week's parsha where Yitzhak re-digs the same wells his father Avraham dug (in our title quote), thereby bringing their existence into well-accepted concertized reality.

It seems that today Hebron, City of the Patriarchs, continues this legacy of the Patriarchs Avraham and Yitzhak in this process of longing and then concretization. One of the sites of Hebron that literally carries the message of our title quote is the Wellspring of Avraham (picturesd below), which lies on the hill between the Beit Romano and the Admot Yishai neighborhoods of Hebron. This Wellspring may represent the 'wells of Avraham', i.e. the countless generations of Jews who lived in Hebron, made use of this wellspring, and longed for the day Jewish sovereignty would return to this site, for the day 'Yitzhak re-digs these wellsprings'.

Today we are indeed realizing these very dreams, following in the footsteps of Yitzhak. Yet, as all know, this process of longing and realization of this longing is not complete. Yes, it is you, our dear reader, by your longing, your prayers, your love and endearment of the Holy Land in general and of Hebron in specific that will bring Israel's sovereignty in Hebron to the fullest reality.

 
The Wellspring of Avraham in Hebron

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #197

'We once regularly conducted our kollel during the summer, under the open sky, at a mid-ground between the flights of stairs leading up to the entrance of the Maaras HaMachpela Building. Then, during the winter we changed the kollel's location to the Gutnick Center, a heated building next to Maaras HaMachpela. After this winter, it 'turns out' that an extremely rare permit was given to build a 'white tent' at the exact same location our kollel learned in the summer before. Thank God, this winter we were able to return our kollel to this same spot, at the air-conditioned 'White Tent' at the staircase leading up to the entrance of the Maaras HaMachpela building...' M.G

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Parshat Vayetzei 2016

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Category: Torah Portion

Published on Wednesday, 07 December 2016 21:20

Written by The Hebron Fund

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

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Discovering the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

שֵׁ֤ם הַגְּדֹלָה֙ לֵאָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַקְּטַנָּ֖ה רָחֵֽל

"See our poorness and fight our bout, and redeem us with a full and speedy redemption for Your Namesake, for You are a Redemptive and Mighty God. Blessed are You HaShem Who redeems Israel." (Blessing of the Shemoneh Esreh)

This Blessing of Redemption evokes both the redemption of Israel, in its concluding words, and the redemption of the Holy Land as is hinted in the words 'for Your Namesake', which refers to the Holy Presence of the Holy Land, called 'the Name of God', as we have discussed two weeks ago (Chayei Sarah). Indeed, returning land to its original owners is called 'redemption' - 'geula' - in the Torah, as can be seen numerous times in parshat Behar of the book of Vayikra. In truth, the redemption of Israel and the redemption of the Land of Israel are really one. Redemption means leaving Exile to come back to the Holy Land which in turns brings about the redemption of this Land, i.e the return of this Land to its original owners - Israel, through the dominant presence of Israel upon it.

Interestingly, the word 'redemption' is also used in inter-personal relationships. The classic example of this usage appears in the story of Ruth and Boaz. Ruth asks Boaz to 'redeem' her, i.e to marry her, after her previous husband has died. Just as 'redemption' in the context of Israel and the Land refer to returning their state to their previous lofty status, so too Ruth wishes to be 're-lifted' (nisuin - marriage - means to lift - 'linso') in marriage again. Similarly, in Pirkei Avot we see that one who 'mentions a teaching in the name of its original teacher brings redemption to the world'. This matter yet again shows how returning something to its original source/owner is an act of 'redemption' - 'geula'. In the case of Boaz and Ruth this process of 'redemption' is finalized with a blessing: 'May Hashem make the woman who comes to your house to be like Rachel and Leah who together built the house of Israel, and acquire strength in Efrata and make Name in Bethlehem.' This blessing puts Ruth at the interesting crossroads between Rachel and Leah and also emphasizes Bethlehem. Last year we showed how Bethlehem represents the crossroads between the primary spiritual centers of the Land of Israel, Hebron and Jerusalem, which according to the Arizal parallel the Holy Presence associated with Rachel and Leah, respectively. This blessing was very much realized in the figure of David, the offspring of Ruth. It is David who ruled in Hebron and then in Jerusalem who united in his lifetime these harmonizing energies.

Today, with HaShem's kindness, our People have been able to show this harmony in Hebron itself through the redemption of the House of Rachel and the House of Leah adjacent to the Tomb of Abner. Indeed, it was also Abner who brought about the unity between the sides of Rachel, the Benjaminites, and Leah, the Judeans (tribe of Judah), who beforehand had been in civil war, by signing a peace treaty with David in Hebron, which united the Kingdom of David, the archetype of Messiah. Abner sacrificed his life (after signing this treaty he was suspected by Yoav who slew him) for this ordeal. When we work on redemption we turn to God as 'the Redemptive Mighty God'. This means that 'returning to the source', i.e redemption, requires the attribute of might, internal-strength, and self-sacrifice. However, at the end of the day, this might and self-sacrifice on our part is met with God's Divine Kindness and Love:  'and He remembers the kindness of our Fathers and brings a redeemer - 'goel' - for His Namesake with love.' 

 
Beit Leah and Beit Rachel

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #198

'One day I talked with someone, who I 'happened' to met on the way to my studies, about conducting a Torah class in Baruch Nahshon's gallery in Hebron, where there used to be a full-time operating yeshiva. A few minutes later I 'happened' to meet this same person again when he picked me up for a ride at a hitchhiker's corner, so I was able to talk with him also about the physical aspects of this gallery...' M.G

Sources: Ruth 4, 11, Shaar Hapsukim Shmuel II, Avot ch. 6

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Parshat Chayei Sarah 2016

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Category: Torah Portion

Published on Tuesday, 22 November 2016 22:46

Written by The Hebron Fund

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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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