HEVRON A PLACE TO INSPIRE and ASPIRE

The Sidra opens on Avraham Avinu A’H coming to bury Sara. Ever since the city of Hevron has occupied an important place in the Jewish consciousness throughout time.
Aside from being the burial place of Adam & Chava, Avraham & Sara, their son Yitzchak & Rivka and their child Ya’akov & Leah. Hevron was the first seat of the Davidic dynasty (II Shmuel 2:2). Throughout the exile till the 20th Century Hevron stood alongside Jerusalem, Teveria and Zafat as centers of Jewish life in Eretz Yisrael,these cites were known as the “Four Lands of Life”

Hevron was originally a city set aside for the Levi’im so its present location surrounding the Cave of Machpalah is not Hevron’s original location. The Levi’im needing to maintain a higher level of purity so building a city around a cemetery would be untenable. Rather, in honor of the righteous the modern city of Hevron was built around the Ma’arat HaMachpalah. (See Sefer Chibat Yerushalyim pg.194). As of this writing it is a modern tradition for thousands to spend Shabbat Chayai Sara in Hevron to show solidarity with the Four Hundred courageous Jews who presently make the City of the Avot their home.

The special nature of Hevron is alluded to in the opening sentences of the Sidra.”And Sara died in Kiryat Arbah which is Hevron . . ” Rashi ZT’L ZY’A offers the name Kiryat Arbah possibly refers to the Four couples buried there Adam & Chava, Avraham & Sara, their son Yitzchak & Rivka and their child Ya’akov & Leah.

The Ohr HaChaim ZT’L ZY’A takes what seems to be a different approach which in reality complements Rashi. Kiryat Arbah translates as the Settlement of Four and Hevron literally translates as connector. Sara departed the physical world composed of the Four elements (as known in early science Fire, Air, Water and Soil) . After leaving behind the physical world Sara by virtue of her righteousness would continue to connect material existence with an infusion of spirituality as she did in life through their personifying G-D’s will as expressing the Torah, letter and spirit.

Rabbi Natan of Berslov ZT’L ZY;A comments about the Cave of Machpalah. The Four Fathers buried there allude to the Tefilin worn on one’s head and the Four Mothers buried there associated with the arm Tefilin the marshalling of head and heart to G-D. The totality of dedication to G-D which Tefilin evoke is reenforced by the nature of Machpalah, to increase in exponential manner as this is the nature of Zaddikim to constantly strive to augment their holiness and intensify their relationship with G-D and otherwise positively positively influence their surrounding inspiring others to aspire to emulate not just their holy conduct but adopt their sensibilities and values. All to inspire the ordinary to become extraordinary servants of G-D.

It light of the above why Hevron is important to Jewry in particular and Humanity in general is clear. Therefore, consider some of what Rav Kook said about a Jewish Settlement in Hevron.

Judaism nor the Jewish people can give up on Hevron, the City of the Patriarchs.
. . . .

.Judaism and Jewry cannot agree to bring the Jewish settlement of Hevron to an end. To do so is a shameful disgrace upon the Jewish nation.
Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook ZT’L
27 Nissan 5690, April 24,1930
R’YIAH HaOirot V’Ir HaAvot pg.105

Rav’ Kook’s impassioned statements concerning the imperative nature of a continuing Jewish settlement in Hevron were not just said in the aftermath of the 1929 riots’ devastation. After a 1922 visit Rav Kook called for branches of the great Yeshivoth in Jerusalem be established in the Patriarchs’ city Hevron (See R’YIAH HaOirot V’Ir HaAvot, pg 100-101.

Hevron inspires to aspire how can that be negotiated?