Tour & Explore with Yair Lior

01/11/2021

Maarat Hamachpelah, (The Cave of the Patriarchs)
Sedei Hamachpelah ( The Field of the Patriarchs),
Beit Hamachpelah(The House of the Patriarchs).

What does the "Machpelah" mean and what is hidden there?

Maarat Hamachpelah is located inside the City of Fathers and Mothers - Hevron.

It was chosen and purchased by Avraham, the Father of the Jewish, nation to serve as the eternal place of rest for the patriarchal couples, hence the name Machpelah, which literally translates "double".
אֲדֹנִי שְׁמָעֵנִי אֶרֶץ אַרְבַּע מֵאֹת שֶׁקֶל כֶּסֶף בֵּינִי וּבֵינְךָ מַה הִוא וְאֶת מֵתְךָ קְבֹר: וַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָהָם אֶל עֶפְרוֹן וַיִּשְׁקֹל אַבְרָהָם לְעֶפְרֹן אֶת הַכֶּסֶף אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּאָזְנֵי בְנֵי חֵת אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שֶׁקֶל כֶּסֶף עֹבֵר לַסֹּחֵר: וַיָּ֣קָם | שְׂדֵ֣ה עֶפְר֗וֹן אֲשֶׁר֙ בַּמַּכְפֵּלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י מַמְרֵ֑א הַשָּׂדֶה֙ וְהַמְּעָרָ֣ה אֲשֶׁר־בּ֔וֹ וְכָל־הָעֵץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּכָל־גְּבֻל֖וֹ סָבִֽיב: (בראשית פרק כג פסוקים טו-יז)

"My lord, listen to me; a [piece of] land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is it between me and you? Bury your dead."
And Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, accepted by the merchant.
And so the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, facing Mamre, was established (as Abraham's possession). [This included] the field and the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within its entire border around
Bereish*t 23: 15-17

In the Zohar Hadash (Rut, 113) it is written that Rabbi Kasma Amer says that the cave, serves as the entrance to Heaven.
Calev Ben Yefuneh, one of the 12 spies representating the tribe of Judah, visited Maarat Hamachpelah while carrying out the mission sent by Moshe Rabbeinu.

The Rambam (Maimonides), Ramban (Nachmanides), and many others went to great pains, when they visited the Land of Israel , to go specifically to Hevron, to pour out their hearts in prayer before God and ask the Patriarchs and Matriarchs to beseech the Creator of the world in their behalf.

King Herod built a huge and powerful structure over the burial cave and despite all the earthquakes that struck the land, the structure was not damaged since it stands on a stable and strong bedrock.
Fifty four years ago, the late Rabbi Goren hoisted the Israeli flag on the roof of the building and a Torah scroll was brought into the building and the site was declared a worthy and dignified place of prayer.
Many scholars have researched this site and many articles have been written. It has been proven that this is where the most important and influential real estate deal of our nation took place.

Maarat Hamachpelah, The Cave of the Patriarchs, is a site visited by hundreds of thousands of worshipers all year round. Near the Maarat Hamachpelah is a building called the "Beit Hamachpelah" (House of Hamachpelah), where several Jewish families live in a pioneering style and with endless dedication and devotion.
Beit Hamachpelah gives the visitor a sense of connection and belonging, mixed with Jewish courage and heroism.

17/10/2021

Alfe Menashe, Menashe Ben Yosef, what is the origin and meaning of the name? The town of Alfe Menashe is an official Local Council. When Joseph's brothers went to purchase food in the bountiful warehouses that were in ancient Egypt, his son Menashe served as an interpreter between him and his brothe...

31/08/2021

08/08/2021

Mount Gerizim, Mount Eval, and the settlement, Bracha.

Where are these sites and what is the source of the names?

These mountains are located in the Samaria Regional Council and rise above the ground, to a height of about 881 meters.

Approximately 2488 years ago, there was a turning point for the Jewish nation when Joshua Ben-Nun arrived at these mountains as the head of the nation, after wandering in the desert for 40 years.

וְהָיָ֗ה בַּיּוֹם֘ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּֽעַבְר֣וּ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן֒ אֶל־הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֑ךְ וַֽהֲקֵמֹתָ֤ לְךָ֙ אֲבָנִ֣ים גְּדֹל֔וֹת וְשַׂדְתָּ֥ אֹתָ֖ם בַּשִּֽׂיד:
(דברים כ"ז, ב')
And it will be, on the day that you cross the Jordan to the land the Lord, your God, is giving you, that you shall set up for yourself huge stones, and plaster them with lime. (Deuteronomy chapter 27 verse 2)

The physical positions of the tribes was as written:
אֵ֠לֶּה יַֽעַמְד֞וּ לְבָרֵ֤ךְ אֶת־הָעָם֙ עַל־הַ֣ר גְּרִזִּ֔ים בְּעָבְרְכֶ֖ם אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן שִׁמְעוֹן֙ וְלֵוִ֣י וִֽיהוּדָ֔ה וְיִשָּׂשכָ֖ר וְיוֹסֵ֥ף וּבִנְיָמִֽן:
וְאֵ֛לֶּה יַֽעַמְד֥וּ עַל־הַקְּלָלָ֖ה בְּהַ֣ר עֵיבָ֑ל רְאוּבֵן֙ גָּ֣ד וְאָשֵׁ֔ר וּזְבוּלֻ֖ן דָּ֥ן וְנַפְתָּלִֽי:
וְעָנ֣וּ הַֽלְוִיִּ֗ם וְאָֽמְר֛וּ אֶל־כָּל־אִ֥ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל ק֥וֹל רָֽם:
(דברים כ"ב, י"ב – י"ד)

When you cross the Jordan, the following shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. And the following shall stand upon Mount Eval for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naftali. The Levites shall speak up, saying to every individual of Israel, in a loud voice (Deuteronomy chapter twenty-two verses 12-14)

Shechem (Nablus) is situated in a valley between these two mountains , where God sealed an alliance with the Jewish people which is still intact today and will last forever as it says:

רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה וּקְלָלָה: אֶת הַבְּרָכָה אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל מִצְוֹת ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם: וְהַקְּלָלָה אִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ אֶל מִצְוֹת ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְסַרְתֶּם מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדַעְתֶּם: וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בָא שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ וְנָתַתָּה אֶת הַבְּרָכָה עַל הַר גְּרִזִּים וְאֶת הַקְּלָלָה עַל הַר עֵיבָל: הֲלֹא הֵמָּה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן אַחֲרֵי דֶּרֶךְ מְבוֹא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בְּאֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַיּשֵׁב בָּעֲרָבָה מוּל הַגִּלְגָּל אֵצֶל אֵלוֹנֵי מֹרֶה: כִּי אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן לָבֹא לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם נֹתֵן לָכֶם וִירִשְׁתֶּם אֹתָהּ וִישַׁבְתֶּם בָּהּ: וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵת כָּל הַחֻקִּים וְאֶת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם.
(דברים פרק יא פסוקים כו-לב)
Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse .
The blessing, that you will heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today;
and the curse, if you will not heed the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn away from the way I command you this day, to follow other gods, which you did not know.
And it will be, when the Lord, your God, will bring you to the land to which you come, to possess it, that you shall place those blessing upon Mount Gerizim, and those cursing upon Mount Ebal.
Are they not on the other side of the Jordan, way beyond, in the direction of the sunset, in the land of the Canaanites, who dwell in the plain, opposite Gilgal, near the plains of Moreh?
For you are crossing the Jordan, to come to possess the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you, and you shall possess it and dwell in it.
And you shall keep to perform all the statutes and ordinances that I am setting before you today.

Today, you can visit Mount Gerizim and the developing and growing Bracha settlement, and see children playing in the playgrounds, and look towards Mount Eval where Joshua built an altar, as it is said:
אָז יִבְנֶה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ מִזְבֵּחַ לַה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַר עֵיבָל
(יהושע פרק ח פסוק ל)
Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel on Mount Ebal.
(Joshua chapter 8 verse 1)

https: //www.waze.com /.../% D7% 94% D7% A8-% D7% 92% D7% A8% D7% 99 ...

27/07/2021

Jordan, the Jordan River- what is the origin of the name and what does it mean?

The Jordan River is located at the depth of the Syrian-African rift, which is about 6,000 kilometers long and part of which passes through the Land of Israel. It separates the Eastern Land of Israel from the Western Land of Israel. It is very winding and therefore is about 251 kilometers long.

To remember the names of the three water sources flowing into its channel we will define them in one word:
HaBaD - Hasbani, Banias, Dan.

The name Jordan consists of two words.
A commentary on Deuteronomy (chapter 33 verse 22) explains the name:
The Jordan (river) exits from the Cave of Pemace (Banias) and through the land of Dan, which is why the Jordan River (the "Yarden" in Hebrew) is called "Yored" – (descending) from "Dan" "descending to Dan" .

The brothers Moshe and Aharon, under whose leadership the people of Israel stayed for 40 years in the Sinai desert, were punished by the Creator and told:

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָה֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֒ יַ֚עַן לֹא־הֶאֱמַנְתֶּ֣ם בִּ֔י לְהַ֨קְדִּישֵׁ֔נִי לְעֵינֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לָכֵ֗ן לֹ֤א תָבִ֨יאוּ֙ אֶת־הַקָּהָ֣ל הַזֶּ֔ה אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי לָהֶֽם׃ (במדבר,פרק כ,פסוק יב)

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Since you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly to the Land which I have given them. (Numbers, chapter 20 verse 12)

Moshe Rabbeinu finds it difficult to come to terms with this severe punishment and tries to appeal to the Creator in 515 different styles of prayer and supplication so that he will give in and allow him to cross the Jordan, enter and live in the land to which he leads the nations a whole 40 years.

20/07/2021

Site and Source
With your tour guide:
Yair Lior

Tel Beit Mirsim-Mirsham - where is it? And what was the original name of the place?

Not far from the village "Shomriya" a hill rises to a height of about 450 meters, which was settled about 5000 years ago.

Both Pharaoh Shishak and the Assyrian Sennacherib and the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar, wanting to conquer Jerusalem, passed, fought, and destroyed the city that was on this hill.
מב לִבְנָה וָעֶתֶר, וְעָשָׁן.
Liveh and Eter and Ashan (Joshua chapter 15 verse 42)
ז עַיִן רִמּוֹן, וָעֶתֶר וְעָשָׁן: עָרִים אַרְבַּע, וְחַצְרֵיהֶן.
The Eiyin Rimon, and Eiter, and Ashan. Four cities, with their courtyards (Joshua chapter 19 verse 7)
The archaeologists who dug the hill thought the name of the city was actually Ashan.
Today, the area is cozy, blooming, quiet, and a beautiful place to visit.


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20/06/2021

Banias.

Is this the original name or a distortion?
And how does this place relate to Parah Aduma?
In the Mishnah in Tractate "Parah", the sages of the Mishnah who lived about 2000 and more years ago, clarify which pure water can used to purify oneself before Passover, and they identified the source of water in the Cave of Pemis as such, as stated:
בְּאֵר אַחְאָב וּמְעָרַת פַּמְיָס, כְּשֵׁרָה.
(מסכת פרה פרק ח משנה יא)
Be'er Ahab and the cave of Pamias, kosher.
(Tractate Parah Chapter 8, Mishnah 11)
Later in the period of writing the Talmud before about 1500-1600 it was written:
אמר רב כהנא: עיקרו של ירדן, ממערת פמייס (רש"י)
(מסכת בכורות דף נה עמוד א)
Rabbi Kahana said: The essence of Jordan (river), is from the Cave of Pemis (Rashi)
(Tractate Bechorot Daf Ne Page A)

Rabbi Ovadia of Bartenora, who lived about 510 years ago in about the year 1510, in Jerusalem writes in his commentary:
"and the Cave of the Panias:"
"A cave near the city of Dan, from which Jordan (river) emerges. And in the language of Ishmael "Dan" is called "Banias".

The languages and dialects of the many different peoples who were here, distorted the name of the cave from whose depths fresh,pure water flows.

These waters flow into the Jordan and fills the Sea of Galilee and from which multitudes of people satisfy their thirst.

Ninety Eight years ago, in 1923, an agreement was signed between France and Britain called:
"Paula-Newcomb" (French-British) left this cave in British territory and in fact was included in the territory of the State of Israel.

08/06/2021

Why is the name - Eshkol?

Eshkol, Eshkol Region, Eshkol Park ,Regional Council Eshkol.
What is the origin of the name and what does it mean?
For several years now, the residents of the Eshkol region, who live heroically in the South of Israel, have had the serenity, peace and quiet disturbed by loud explosions.

The flowering and fruit-bearing area is called 'Eshkol' after the 3rd Prime Minister, Mr. Levy Eshkol. But why was the name Eshkol attached to this area?

בספר במדבר פרק יג פסוקים כג-ד נאמר: וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ עַד-נַ֣חַל אֶשְׁכֹּ֗ל וַיִּכְרְת֨וּ מִשָׁ֤ם זְמוֹרָה֙ וְאֶשְׁכּ֤וֹל עֲנָבִים֙ אֶחָ֔ד וַיִּשָּׂאֻ֥הוּ בַמּ֖וֹט בִּשְׁנָ֑יִם וּמִן-הָֽרִמֹּנִ֖ים וּמִן-הַתְּאֵנִֽים: {כד} לַמָּק֣וֹם הַה֔וּא קָרָ֖א נַ֣חַל אֶשְׁכּ֑וֹל עַ֚ל אֹד֣וֹת הָֽאֶשְׁכּ֔וֹל אֲשֶׁר-כָּֽרְת֥וּ מִשָּׁ֖ם בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל
Book of Numbers Chapter XIII verses 23-24 says

They came to the Valley of Eshkol and they cut a branch with a cluster of grapes. They carried it on a pole between two [people] and [they also took] some pomegranates and figs.They called that place the Valley of Eshkol because of the cluster [eshkol] the children of Israel cut from there.

The same two spies who marched here on a mission about 3,330 years ago found vineyards with huge clusters of grapes from the seven species that the Land of Israel was blessed with. Therefore, the Govrnmant Names Committee, sought to commemorate the Prime Minister whose last name was 'Eshkol' and changed the name of the Region from the B'sor Region to the Eshkol Region .

We wish and pray that the population of the area will be privileged to cultivate the land and bring out of it the best fruits in peace, happiness and joy all their days.