Hebron

This last week, we read the parsha (Chayei Sarah) about the passing of our mother, Sarah. As is the custom in Israel, thousands of Jews from all over migrate to Hebron to pray at the Tomb of the Patriarchs, where Sarah is buried. Not being ones who like to miss out on holy, nationally significant and moving occasions, Yishai and I once again buckled on our sandals and hit the road to join our brothers and sisters (and our dear departed Mother) in Hebron, the Holy City.

I'll spare you the pain of our busrides - let's just say that we took 4 buses, there was a lot of shoving, I got elbowed somewhere I won't elaborate on, and we made it 10 minutes before shabbat. We peeled off our travel gear, threw on our shabbat clothes, and were down the road to Maarat ha Machpelah (the Tomb of the Patriarchs) before you could say Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaacov.

There were thousands and thousands of people. It was such a beautiful, colorful congregation of people, a veritable fashion show of hippie/biblical clothing (I collected a few store names that evening) and we were really psyched to be there. Davening (praying) was outside in the evening. With the night time energy and the lit-up Maarah, I got flash backs from my wedding night and I was really very moved.

Yishai ended up finding a Chabad minyan, which made him very happy, as we are huge Chabad/Rebbe lovers. I couldn't find a minyan which suited me, so I davened by myself - it was holy, holy, holy. There is something about Hebron. You feel as if your feet are rooted like trees, like you are part of the dusty dirt, like a pilgrim, an earthy princess of your people. But it feels like your energy, your soul, projects straight out of the center of your head and out of your eyes. You can feel in your skull the vibrations of the direct line between your forebears and you and your G-d. I know I sound like a flower child, but if you've been there, you know what I mean.

Here's a little Jewish trivia for you: According to the Jewish tradition, there are 4 holy cities in the world (we'll exclude Crown Heights, Uman, etc. for the time being, for the purposes of clarity and the common denominator), and they are all found in Israel.
The first and best known is Jerusalem. It has a sister element, fire. Jerusalem is a place of energy, of heatedness, the place where the whole land sort of ignites from. G-d used to send down fire from the sky to take our sacrifices from the Temple (be on the lookout for that again, soon).
Another holy city is Tiberias (Tiveria). Its corresponding element is water, as it is on the shores of the Kinneret. Rabbi Akiva is buried, there, as is the Rambam, and several other holy rabbis.
Tzfat (where Josh, Yishai's bro, is in Yeshiva), in the north of Israel, corresponds to air. The Kabbalah came out of Tzfat, and it is the world headquarters of mysticism. If you want to get transcendental and dip in the holiest mikvah in the entire world (the Ari's mikvah), head up there. The air is cool and clean.
Last, but definitely not least, is Hebron, holy city, city of Earth. There is so much to say about the religious and cosmic significance of Hebron, I'll narrow it down greatly to give you an idea: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah are all buried in the Tomb of the Patriarchs, as is the head of Esau. Great rabbis say that Adam and Eve are also buried in the Cave (the Tomb was built over the Cave of Machpelah), and I heard this weekend that a secret couple is also buried in the cave - none other than Moses and his wife, Tzipporah. Whoa. As if that weren't enough, Yishai, father of king David is buried there, and there is controversy over whether HIS mother, Ruth, is buried along beside him. David was king for 7 years in Hebron before his kingship in Jerusalem, and during the time of the Holy Temple, the Cohanim (priests) would wait to begin their work until the sun had risen in Hebron. It is said that all souls born into this world make their entrance through Hebron.

Now that you have the background, I'll move ahead with the story. Yishai and I went back to Maarat Hamachpelah on Saturday morning, and finally made it through the line to go into the building. We also made it into the Room of Isaac and Rebecca, a room which is only open to Jews 11 days a year thanks to a deal done between the Israeli government and the Waqf in response to an attack on the Arabs of Hebron by Baruch Goldstein. Yishai davened in the courtyard in the center of the building, and I davened in this room of Yitchak and Rivkah. I had a spot right by this hole in the floor which leads RIGHT DOWN INTO THE CAVE. After praying, I got down on the floor by this hole, put my face over it, and asked for a blessing from the great souls down below.

Later that day, we mingled with the people, went to the grave of Yishai and Ruth, and ate Shalosh Seudot at Baruch Marzel's house (he hosts approximately 300 people outside his small apartment every Chayei Sarah). Yishai met a man named Meyer, a citizen of Hebron, whose Singaporian mother and Indian father met and married here in Israel. Meyer took Yishai to this secret deep well in Hebron called the Well of Abraham, where Yishai took a mikvah dunk. The sun set, havdalah was said, and the glorious, whirlwind festivity had come to a close. Yishai did several interviews which will show up on Arutz Sheva's English website (be on the lookout). We ended up getting a ride back to Jerusalem from a man who served two years in Israeli prison for throwing tea in the face of a Knesset member who was protesting Jewish settlement in Hebron. Par for the course for me and the Yish.

Visit Hebron. You won't regret it.