Friday we woke up early in order to go visit our parents. Yes, you read that correctly. We travelled to Chevron and enjoyed a beautiful shacharit at Me’arat Hamachpaila. There is nothing that can compare to starting your day davening in Chevron. While we were there a bris was going on in one room and an upsherin in another. The joyous sounds that were heard from their happy occasions uplifted our time there.
After a meaningful davening, we learned at Ma’rat Hamachpaila. First off the structure one sees now is not form the original cave. When Avraham purchased the cave from Ephron it was a double cave. In ancient times our loved ones were buried in caves and their bodies were left there, unlike today when we dig graves.
The Torah tells us the first Jew that davened at the cave and that was Calev, when the spies came to scout the land. After that many Jews began to pray at this site where our patriarchs and matriarchs are buried. Fast forward to the Second Temple and Herod had the structure changed. By now you should know that Herod loved building BIG structures. Since so many Jews were visiting the cave, Herod decided that he would have a large structure built and then everyone would like him more than they already do. Well, we have no idea if this made Herod more popular, but we do know that the building he constructed gave the visitors more opportunity to visit this site. The building did cover over the actual caves.
In the 4th century the Byzantines built a church there and said no Jews allowed to visit. In the 8th century along came the Muslims, who built a mosque on the church on the structure Herod made on the cave that Avraham bought. They allowed Jews to visit again. In the 11th century the Crusaders arrived and built a church, on the mosque that was on the structure Herod made on the cave that Avraham bought. (Is this beginning to sound like a song you know?) The Crusaders do not allow Jews to visit. Eighty five years later the Muslims return and you can fill in what they build. These Muslims do not allow the Jews in and Jews are only allowed to pray outside near a specific staircase.
Sadly in 1929 a terrible pogrom takes place in Chevron and many Jews are hurt or murdered. The British answer is no Jews allowed to live in Chevron. Until 1967 there is no Jewish presence in this holy city. How sad our Patriarchs and Matriarchs must have been!
After the army liberated the Old City, it was onto Chevron. Rav Goren, Chief Rabbi of the IDF, wanted to be there. The next morning when he awoke, not one soldier was around him. He thought the unit had gone ahead without him. Rav Goren quickly rode into Chevron. The sight that greeted him was white flags all over indicating a surrender. The Arabs were worried about revenge from the 1929 pogrom and signed a surrender agreement. Rav Goren single handedly capture Chevron.
It still took time for a community to be populated in Chevron. Today Jews make up 3 % of Chevron’s population with a community of 800 Jews. We are so lucky to have had this special opportunity that will remain with us and strengthen our davening for a long time.