בס”ד
By Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
As in the last parsha’s painting, this painting also exhibits Hebron with many gateways, but with more emphasis on the earth/Land. We thought this is befitting this parsha, since parshat Ekev talks much about the praise of the Holy Land. Indeed, in this painting much of the houses are seen as if protrusions or “rocks”from the earth. We see four large same-looking trees which may hint to Hebron being Kiryat Arba, the City of Four, which has four saintly couples buried in it. This is supported with the fact that in parshat Shlach Rashi interprets “does it have a tree” to refer to a saintly figure called a “tree.” Next to the third tree from the left we see twelve bushes. This matter may hint to Yakov, the “third” Patriarch who had twelve sons that formed the twelve tribes of Israel.
In this painting we see many paths going in and out of Hebron. This may reflect Hebron’s influence on places and cities beyond. In the current war in Israel, we have studied some of the connections between Hebron and Gaza, one of the being the taking of the gates of Gaza to Hebron. This painting which emphasizes the gates, pathways, and earth of Hebron reminds me of how Hebron reminds us of the value of the Holy Land and earth, and by such how its “pathways” influence Gaza in valuing also Gaza as part of our Holy Land, and the importance in settling in it. In ancient times the “gates” of a city were where judges sat and judged the people, and Kabbalistically the gate sis also associated with the attribute of judgment. The taking of the gates of Gaza to Hebron by Samson may hint how the “kindness of its Patriarchs of Hebron” “sweetens” the gates of judgment. Yet today, may we make this connection and sweeten judgment upon Israel to bring Israel to full victory, defeating all it foes, to settle in Gaza and Lebanon, which are part of the Holy Land according to the Torah, and to bring full redemption!