At the start of this week’s parsha Avraham purchases Ma’arat HaMachpela (the cave of doubles also known as the tomb of the patriarchs) in order to bury his wife Sarah.
When I visited Israel for the first time, I became very nationalistic and anti-Muslim. I was upset that I could not travel freely throughout Jerusalem; I was upset that I could not travel safely to Jewish landmarks (like Ma’arat HaMachpela) and most of all I was upset about these “other” people in my country. The most spiritual experience I had on my trip to Israel was not at the Western Wall but was at Ma’arat HaMachpaela. As soon as I entered the tomb of Avraham the ancient texts I had studied since I was a child became alive and the smile of Avraham warmed my soul.
As you may know, Ma’arat HaMachpela is split, there is a Jewish side and a Muslim side. Jews are not allowed to enter the Muslim side and vice versa. Neither Jews nor Muslims are allowed to enter the area with the actual tombs. The Jews and Muslims pray on the same floor. There are two separate windows on opposite sides of the room containing the tombs. As I peered through the window on the Jewish side, I saw people on the Muslim side through their window. They looked at me and I looked at them and then I did something neither of us expected. I smiled and waved at them. They were shocked and taken a back, neither of us expected my reaction. They waved back.
The Siyum HaShas, a celebratory party upon completion of the entire Talmud, was another spiritual experience for me. Seeing over 70,000 Jews together, united, praying and learning as one was exhilarating. I was upset when I learned that a few of the groups pulled out of the event for various reasons. My brother-in-law Rabbi Shaya Sussman saw how upset I was that these groups were not participating. He said to me “your job is not to find fault in other Jews, your job is to love every Jew.”
Avraham was promised many blessings, the land of Israel which I walked through with great pride, many descendents which I witnessed at the Siyum HaShas with great awe and that he would be a father to many nations.
Avraham is known as Avraham Avenu, our father. This is Avraham’s legacy to the world, to love all people unconditionally just as a father loves his children unconditionally. This is the lesson I have tried to internalize from Avraham since the day I visited his tomb
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”- Mother Teresa
When I visited Israel for the first time, I became very nationalistic and anti-Muslim. I was upset that I could not travel freely throughout Jerusalem; I was upset that I could not travel safely to Jewish landmarks (like Ma’arat HaMachpela) and most of all I was upset about these “other” people in my country. The most spiritual experience I had on my trip to Israel was not at the Western Wall but was at Ma’arat HaMachpaela. As soon as I entered the tomb of Avraham the ancient texts I had studied since I was a child became alive and the smile of Avraham warmed my soul.
As you may know, Ma’arat HaMachpela is split, there is a Jewish side and a Muslim side. Jews are not allowed to enter the Muslim side and vice versa. Neither Jews nor Muslims are allowed to enter the area with the actual tombs. The Jews and Muslims pray on the same floor. There are two separate windows on opposite sides of the room containing the tombs. As I peered through the window on the Jewish side, I saw people on the Muslim side through their window. They looked at me and I looked at them and then I did something neither of us expected. I smiled and waved at them. They were shocked and taken a back, neither of us expected my reaction. They waved back.
The Siyum HaShas, a celebratory party upon completion of the entire Talmud, was another spiritual experience for me. Seeing over 70,000 Jews together, united, praying and learning as one was exhilarating. I was upset when I learned that a few of the groups pulled out of the event for various reasons. My brother-in-law Rabbi Shaya Sussman saw how upset I was that these groups were not participating. He said to me “your job is not to find fault in other Jews, your job is to love every Jew.”
Avraham was promised many blessings, the land of Israel which I walked through with great pride, many descendents which I witnessed at the Siyum HaShas with great awe and that he would be a father to many nations.
Avraham is known as Avraham Avenu, our father. This is Avraham’s legacy to the world, to love all people unconditionally just as a father loves his children unconditionally. This is the lesson I have tried to internalize from Avraham since the day I visited his tomb
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”- Mother Teresa
