Monday, August 8, 2011
Chevron In Ancient Times
Chevron In Ancient Times
The city of Chevron - also once called Elonei Mamrei and Kiryat Arba - is known as one of Eretz Yisroel's four holy cities. (The others are Yerushalayim, Tzfas and Teverya.) It is located approximately 20 miles southwest of Yerushalayim and lies about 3,000 feet above sea level. It was here that our Avos lived for many years and it was here that Avraham's wife Sara died. It was also the city in which the great four giants Shesai, Talmai, Achiman and their father Arba (or Anak) lived. It was here that Dovid was proclaimed king and ruled for 7 1/2 years before going on to Yerushalayim and turned it into his capital. This city also served as one of the three Orei Miklot - cities in which those who killed someone inadvertently (b'shogeg) could find refuge. The other two cities of refuge were Kadaish up north and Shechem. It was also here that his son Avshalom rebelled against him and had himself proclaimed king. While the city belonged to Shevet Yehuda, it was actually given to the Leviim (the Kahati). It was the city captured by Kolev ben Yefuna and the fields of the city and its villages were granted to him by Yehoshua in accordance with Moshe's instructions . (Yehoshua 21:11-12).
As one drives through her outskirts, one can see the fields filled with fig trees, olive trees and grape vines; three of the fruits that Eretz Yisroel is noted for.
The Jewish Quarter
When the Jews were exiled from Spain during the sixteenth century, they established an area here which became known as the Jewish Quarter. Here they lived for more than 450 years. Here they built a shul which they named the Avraham Avinu Shul, one of the most beautiful and renowned shuls in the country.
Many great and noted rabbis lived here. Amongst them were Rabbi Shlomo Adani (author of Meleches Shlomo), Eliyahu Di Vidash (Reishis Chochmo), Avraham Azoulai (Chesed L'Avraham) and his grandson Chaim Yosef Dovid Azoulai (the Chida).
During the eighteenth century many Lubavitcher Chasidim moved here as well. In 1879, Avraham Romano, a wealthy Jew from Turkey built a beautiful house known as Beit Romano. In the 1900's an additional floor was added and a medical clinic by the name Beit Hadassah was opened.
In 1925, the Yeshiva of Slobodka moved from Lithuania to Chevron. In 1929 the Jewish community numbered about 1,500 persons.
The Riots of 1929
In 1929, the Arabs broke into the Chevron Yeshiva and massacred more then 50 people in cold blood. Because of the constant Arab violence, the Jews of the city were forced to leave. The riots were instigated by Haj Amin al-Husseini who had been appointed by the British as Mufti of Jerusalem. The riots started on Friday afternoon, August 23rd. Hordes of marauders attacked every Jew they saw. The next Shabbos, Aug. 24th, thousands of Arabs armed with knives, axes and pitchforks launched an attack on Jewish homes. The bloodthirsty mob killed, wounded and tortured the Jews in a most barbarous manner. Three days later, the British loaded the remaining Jews on trucks and evacuated them from the city. The old Avraham Avinu Shul was torn down and replaced by an animal stable. The ancient Jewish cemetery was completely destroyed.
In 1948, the U.N. gave this city to the Arabs and no Jew was allowed to enter it. It was only in June of '67 (the Six-Day War) that the Arabs fearing revenge, surrendered to the Israeli Army without a single shot being fired and Jews could once again pray at the Meoras Ha'Machpelah.
Jews have always lived in this holy city except when they were banned to live there by their foreign rulers. In 1971, religious Jews built a beautiful town in the outskirts of Chevron and named it Kiryat Arba. By 1996, Kiryat Arba had a population of about 7,000 people.
Settlement of Beit Hadassah
In 1979, a group of ten women and 40 children succeeded in entering the building in the middle of the night and remained in the demolished building for more than a year under very harsh conditions. They had no water and electricity and were cut off from their families. The government had put up a closure around the building. One Friday night in 1980, a group of yeshiva boys were attacked on their way there by terrorists who killed six of them. Only then did the government finally decide to allow restoration of the Jewish community of Chevron.
The Jewish quarter
The ancient Jewish Quarter was now reconstructed and the Avraham Avinu Shul was restored into an exquisite architectural masterpiece. Beautiful new homes were built. The wholesale produce market, built on the ruins of the old Jewish quarter was closed off. Beit Hadassah was renovated and rebuilt.
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Kirjath-arba, in Hebron
ReplyDeleteThese are the City of Refuges shall be appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. These six cities are on either side of the Jordan and are under the supervision of the Levites. These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the stranger that sojourned among them, that whosoever killed any person unaware might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation. (Joshua 20:1-9).
Hebron is a city in south in the mountain of Judah. approximately twenty miles south of Jerusalem and approximately twenty miles north of Beersheba and near where Abraham built an altar unto the LORD. Abraham dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, there Abraham built an altar unto the LORD. (Genesis 13:18).
Sarah, the wife of Abraham, died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. (Genesis 23:2).
Abraham spoke to the sons of Heth and asked them to buy a burying place for his family. The children of Heth sold Abraham a sepulcher to bury their dead. Abraham paid four hundred shekels of silver for the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre. Abraham bought the field, the cave all the trees that were in the field that bordered around from Ephron the Hittite. Then Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. (Genesis 23:1-19). This cave is called the Cave of the Patriarchs and where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah are buried. It is interesting to note this cave is considered to be holy by both the Jews and the Muslims. It is the second holiest site in Judaism. Part of the structure is used as a mosque by the Muslims. The Muslims revere the site as the burial place for their Father Abraham.
When the land of Canaan was divided between the tribes of Israel, Joshua gave Caleb the son of Jephunneh of the tribe of Judah, Hebron, for an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that Caleb wholly followed the LORD God of Israel. The name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. The land had rest from war. (Joshua 14:13-15).
David was anointed King over Israel, according to the word of the LORD given by Samuel in Hebron. (1 Chronicles 11:3).