R. Judah and R. Hiya were once walking together. Said R. Hiya: ‘When members of the Fellowship journey together they must be of one heart and mind, and should sinners or persons who have no place in the King’s Palace chance to fall in with them, or to be in their company, they must separate from them. They should take example from Caleb, of whom it is written: “But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully…” (Num. 14, 24). “Another spirit” signifies that Caleb separated himself from the other spies and went alone to Hebron in order to prostrate himself at the cave of Machpelah before the graves of the patriarchs;
And Hebron was allotted to him as his inheritance, as it is written: “To him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon” (Deut. 1, 36). And why was Hebron given to him?
There is an esoteric reason for this, the same which also underlies David’s connection with Hebron. For we find that when Saul died and David enquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?”, the answer was that he should go up into Hebron (2 Sam. 2, 1). Now, since Saul was dead and David already the rightful king, why did he not at once proclaim his rule over the whole land? Why was it necessary for him to go to Hebron and there become anointed as king over Judah only for seven years, not being declared monarch over the whole of Israel till after the death of Ish-Bosheth?
Truly, the Holy One, blessed be His Name, had a deep purpose in this. The holy kingdom could not be fully established without first attaching itself to the patriarchs in Hebron. When that contact was established the kingdom was firmly erected with support from the world above, whose symbol, in David’s case, was “seven years”. seven being the number of perfection, because it contains all.
Now, David desired to build the perfect kingdom here below as a counterpart of the Kingdom above; but before he could achieve his desire he had to acquire power for the task by attaching himself to the patriarchs for “seven” years. Thus only was he enabled to establish his kingdom in perfection, in the fashion of the Kingdom of supernal light: a kingdom never to be shaken. And, guided by a similar inspiration, Caleb also went to Hebron.
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרִבִּי חִיָּיא, הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאוֹרְחָא. אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, חַבְרַיָּיא כַּד אִינּוּן בְּאוֹרְחָא, בַּעְיָין לְמֵהַךְ בְּלִבָּא חַד. וְאִי אִיעֲרָעוּ, אוֹ אַזְלֵי בְּגַוַויְיהוּ חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא, אוֹ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּלָאו אִינּוּן מֵהֵיכָלָא דְּמַלְכָּא, בָּעוּ לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנַּיְיהוּ. מְנָא לָן. מִכָּלֵב, דִּכְתִּיב, (במדבר י״ד:כ״ד) וְעַבְדִּי כָלֵב עֵקֶב הָיְתָה רוּחַ אַחֶרֶת עִמּוֹ וַיְמַלֵּא אַחֲרָי. מַאי רוּחַ אַחֶרֶת. דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵאִינוּן מְאַלְּלִין, דִּכְתִּיב, (במדבר י״ד:כ״ד) וַיַּעֲלוּ בַנֶּגֶב וַיָּבֹא עַד חֶבְרוֹן. דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵאִינוּן מְאַלְּלִין וְאָתָא אִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי לְחֶבְרוֹן, לְאִשְׁתַּטְּחָא עַל קִבְרֵי אֲבָהָן.
R. Judah and R. Hiya were once walking together. Said R. Hiya: ‘When members of the Fellowship journey together they must be of one heart and mind, and should sinners or persons who have no place in the King’s Palace chance to fall in with them, or to be in their company, they must separate from them. They should take example from Caleb, of whom it is written: “But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully…” (Num. 14, 24). “Another spirit” signifies that Caleb separated himself from the other spies and went alone to Hebron in order to prostrate himself at the cave of Machpelah before the graves of the patriarchs;
וְחֶבְרוֹן, אִתְיְהִיב לֵיהּ חוּלָק אַחֲסָנָא לְאִתַּתְקְפָא בֵּיהּ, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, (דברים א׳:ל״ו) וְלוֹ אֶתֵּן אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר דָּרַךְ בָּהּ. אֲמַאי יָהִיבוּ לֵיהּ חֶבְרוֹן. אִי בְּגִין דְּאִשְׁתָּטַּח בְּקִבְרֵי אֲבָהָן לְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא מֵהַהוּא עֵיטָא דִּילְהוֹן דְּאִשְׁתְּזִיב. לָא.
And Hebron was allotted to him as his inheritance, as it is written: “To him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon” (Deut. 1, 36). And why was Hebron given to him?
אֶלָּא, רָזָא דְּמִלָּה שְׁמַעְנָא. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא כְּתִיב, (שמואל ב ב׳:א׳) וַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִד בַּיְיָ' לֵאמֹר הַאֶעֱלֶה בְּאַחַת עָרֵי יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ' אֵלָיו עֲלֵה וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אָנָּה אֶעֱלֶה וַיֹּאמֶר חֶבְרוֹנָה. הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, כֵּיוָן דְּהָא מִית שָׁאוּל, וְדָוִד בְּיוֹמֵי דְּשָׁאוּל אִתְמְשַׁח לְקַבְּלָא מַלְכוּ. כֵּיוָן דְּמִית שָׁאוּל אֲמַאי לָא אַמְלִיכוּ לֵיהּ לְדָוִד, וְלָא קַבִּיל מַלְכוּ עַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָתָא לְחֶבְרוֹן, ומַלְכוּ קַבִּיל עַל יְהוּדָה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, וְאִתְעַכָּב תַּמָּן כָּל הָנֵי שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים. וּלְבָתַר דְּמִית אִישׁ בּוֹשֶת, קַבִּיל מָלְכוּ עַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם.
There is an esoteric reason for this, the same which also underlies David’s connection with Hebron. For we find that when Saul died and David enquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?”, the answer was that he should go up into Hebron (2 Sam. 2, 1). Now, since Saul was dead and David already the rightful king, why did he not at once proclaim his rule over the whole land? Why was it necessary for him to go to Hebron and there become anointed as king over Judah only for seven years, not being declared monarch over the whole of Israel till after the death of Ish-Bosheth?
אֶלָּא, כֹּלָּא הוּא רָזָא קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. תָּא חֲזֵי, מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא לָא קַבִּיל מַלְכוּ שְׁלֵימָתָא, עַד דְּאִתְחֲבָּר (בראשית ע"ט ע"ב) בַּאֲבָהָן. וְכַד אִתְחֲבָּר בְּהוּ, אִתְבְּנִי בְּבִנְיָינָא שְׁלִימוּ, מֵעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, וְעָלְמָא (בראשית רמ"ז ע"א) עִלָּאָה אִקְרֵי שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ בֵּיהּ.
Truly, the Holy One, blessed be His Name, had a deep purpose in this. The holy kingdom could not be fully established without first attaching itself to the patriarchs in Hebron. When that contact was established the kingdom was firmly erected with support from the world above, whose symbol, in David’s case, was “seven years”. seven being the number of perfection, because it contains all.
וְסִימָנִיךָ (מלכים א ו׳:ל״ח) וַיִּבְנֵהוּ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, דָּא עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה. וְלָא כְּתִיב וַיִּבְנֵהוּ בְּשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים. כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שמות ל״א:י״ז) כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה ה' אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ. מַאן שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים, דָּא אַבְרָהָם. דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית ב׳:ד׳) אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם, בְּאַבְרָהָם. וְאַבְרָהָם שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים אִקְרֵי. וּבְגִין (נ"א וביה) דְּאִיהוּ שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים, אִתְבְּנֵי עָלְמָא. בְּהַהוּא (נ"א בהאי) גַּוְונָא וַיִּבְנֵהוּ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים.
So when it is said of the Temple, “And he built it seven years”, the same perfection is suggested.
וְתָא חֲזֵי, דָּוִד בָּעָא לְאִתְבְּנָאָה בְּמַלְכוּ שְׁלֵימָתָא לְתַתָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, וְלָא אִתְבְּנֵי, עַד דְּאָתָא וְאִתְחֲבָּר בַּאֲבָהָן. וְקָאִים שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים לְאִתְבְּנָאָה בְּגַוַויְיהוּ. לְבָתַר שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, אִתְבְּנֵי בְּכֹלָּא, אִתְמַשְּׁכָא מַלְכוּתֵיהּ דִּי לָא תַּעְדֵּי לְעָלְמִין. וְאִי לָאו דְּאִתְעָבַד בְּחֶבְרוֹן לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בְּדוּכְתֵּיהּ, לָא אִתְבְּנִי מַלְכוּתֵיהּ לְאִתְמַשְׁכָא כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת. כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא כָּלֵב, אִתְנְהִיר בֵּיהּ רוּחָא דְּחָכְמְתָא, וְאָתָא לְחֶבְרוֹן, לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בַּאֲבָהָן, וּלְדוּכְתֵּיהּ אָזִל, וּלְבָתַר, דּוּכְתֵּיהּ הֲוָה, וְיָרִית לֵיהּ.
Now, David desired to build the perfect kingdom here below as a counterpart of the Kingdom above; but before he could achieve his desire he had to acquire power for the task by attaching himself to the patriarchs for “seven” years. Thus only was he enabled to establish his kingdom in perfection, in the fashion of the Kingdom of supernal light: a kingdom never to be shaken. And, guided by a similar inspiration, Caleb also went to Hebron.