Parashat Chayei Sarah: The Cave of Machpelah

Sarah died in Kiryat Arba, also known as Hebron… Abraham came to eulogize Sarah and to bewail her… And the field of Efron, which was in Machpelah… and the cave which was in it….were made over to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Het… Abraham then buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah (Genesis 23:2, 17, 19).

The Torah attaches great importance to Abraham’s purchase of the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron as a burial place for his wife Sarah.

The purchase of the Cave of Machpelah was the first documented Jewish acquisition of property in the Land of Israel. Throughout the centuries, the Cave of Machpelah has continued to be a focus of yearning for the Jewish people, despite the difficulties of the journey. In the unbroken chain of our connection to Hebron, on this Shabbat of Chayei Sarah some 3,800 years later, many Jews will go to celebrate in Hebron.

The word machpelah comes from the same Hebrew root as kaful, “double.” One explanation of this name is that it refers to the holy couples buried there: Abraham and Sarah; Isaac and Rebecca; Jacob and Leah. Another explanation is that the cave is said to consist of two chambers, one above the other. A third explanation of the name Machpelah is “folded.” The Zohar explains that “Jerusalem and all the Land of Israel was folded under it.” In this first purchase, the purchase of the entire Land of Israel was implied.

According to the Zohar, not only the three holy couples but also Adam and Eve are buried in the Cave of Machpelah. When the angels came to inform Abraham of the birth of Isaac, he went to his herd to select animals for the feast. One of the calves ran away into the cave, and when Abraham entered it he saw Adam and Eve with a spiritual light above them. The entire cave was enveloped in a fragrance like incense, and he realized that this was the entrance to the Garden of Eden. It is said that the souls of the righteous go to the Garden of Eden through the Cave of Machpelah.

The Zohar also tells us that the field where Isaac “went out to meditate” (Gen. 24:63) was the field of Machpelah, where he saw the Divine presence, and the field became filled with holy fragrances. Jacob’s last words to his sons are about the cave: He asks to be buried there with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, and Leah, and ends by recalling the purchase of the cave from the children of Het. The Ramban (Nachmanides) explains that the purpose of repeating these details is “to tell us where our forefathers are buried because everyone is required to honor their burial place.”

Hebron: A city of earth and unity

THE ROOT of the name Hebron means “to unite, to connect.” In Hebron, the end of temporal life connects to the next world and eternity. At the same time, the cave in Hebron is our first, still-enduring connection to the land. Hebron is one of the four holy cities of Israel – Jerusalem, Hebron, Tiberias, and Safed – which is each associated with one of the four elements. The element of Hebron is earth, and its quintessential image is the Cave of Machpelah.

Looking at Yoram Raanan’s abstract painting Cave of Machpelah, one feels the earthiness, the ground of the cave, in the medium in which it was painted. Within the surrounding darkness, the space of the cave glows with shades of gold, buff, white, and gray, creating a feeling of complexity and depth. The cave seems to recede into a linear depth that opens into eternity, ascending to a spiritual world, living within the dark space that surrounds it. There is ample space for contemplation in this painting, with suggestions of animals, people, rocks, trees, and landscapes. The deep earth colors convey mourning for Sarah; yet glowing golden tones emanate from the warm darkness. Gold hints at something beyond temporal reality and the transition and/or connection between material and spiritual. It gives a sense of hope and promise even in the darkest times.

THE PAINTING began with big sweeps of the arms (both forward and backhanded), spilling and pouring coffee grounds mixed with acrylic binder, across a large canvas (160 cm.) to create the feeling of arches.

Later, Raanan spilled buff, white, and gray paint to give a sense of reflection and to lighten the dark, rich earth energy. Golden copper and iridescent fine gold added a golden hue that hints at eternity and transcendence.

As the pigment coagulated and the dark rich grounds caked on, it created the density of the cave. Gradually, suggestions of images revealed themselves. At the lower right, an animal appeared. Perhaps this was the calf that Abraham pursued while preparing the feast for the angels. The four possible figures on the left may allude to the four matriarchs.

According to the Zohar, the prayers of the “Slumberers of Hebron” sustain the world. “When God remembers His children, He drops two tears in the great sea. The sound of these tears falling upon the waves reaches the Cave of Machpelah and awakens the Forefathers. They rise, thinking that the Almighty wants to destroy the world. Soon a voice is heard: ‘Do not fear, holy and beloved ones! It is for your sake that God remembers your children and desires to redeem them... and so you will see’” (Zohar Shlach 172:a-b).

In these dark times, may we be strengthened by our connection to the “Slumberers of Hebron” by being grounded in both the spiritual world and the earth of our holy land. ❖

Meira Raanan is the author of Art of Revelation: A Visual Encounter with the Jewish Bible, a commentary on the paintings by her husband, Yoram Raanan. She also teaches Jewish meditation. Esther Cameron is a poet, scholar, and essayist living in Jerusalem. She is editor-in-chief of The Deronda Review.