Thousands Expected for Hilulat HaAvot on Rosh Hodesh Elul

As we do every year, we are preparing for the “Hilulat HaAvot” which
takes place on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul. This year the Rosh Chodesh, the First of
the Month falls on Shabbat, and therefore the celebration will be advanced to the
Thursday before it, the 28th of Av, or August 9, 2018.

Starting at 4:00 am, the Cave of the Patriarchs will reserved for Jewish prayer service,
including the Hall of Isaac and Rebecca, which is open to the public only 10 times a
year.

Closing at 10:00 PM, it is recommended to arrive at 9:00 pm at the
latest.

Rabbis, Admorim and thousands of worshipers from across the country are expected to
visit the site during the day.

According to tradition, the Month of Elul is the month of mercy and forgiveness. It
is the last month before Rosh Hashanna and writings from past generations have described
it as a day in which prayers at the Tomb of Machpela were recited. During Elul, it is
traditional to visit the tombs of the righteous and saintly. At the Tomb of Machpela,
(Ma’arat HaMachpela) the matriarchs and patriarchs of the Jewish nation are buried. It
is said that on Hilulat Avot, the celebration commemorating the patriarchs, prayers have
special significance. 

 

The Isaac Hall is the largest in the Machpela complex and is usually reserved for Muslim
prayer only. The rotation agreement with the Muslim Waqf and the Palestinian Authority
allows for ten days out of the year for Jewish prayer services and ten days for Muslim
prayer services in which the normally Jewish areas are open to Muslim worshipers. These
days correspond to Muslim and Jewish holidays respectively, with Rosh Hodesh Elul
being one of them.

The Hall of Isaac and Rebecca, or Ohel Yitzchak v’Rivka, as it is called in Hebrew, is
where the actual entrance to the underground burial chambers is located. A small
decoratively adorned hole in the ground, similar to a well, leads into the double caves
beneath the massive Machpela complex. If one outs their face over the hole, a breeze can
be felt emanating from underground. This is caused by back-draft from the underground
caverns. Jewish tradition teaches that this is the entrance to the Garden of Eden from
where Adam and Eve were expelled. Our sages say that Adam and Eve are buried in the
cave.

According to the writings of David Avisar, a resident of Hebron in the early
1900’s, Hebron was a place of Elul pilgrimage for generations. He wrote:

 

“The month of Elul in Hebron brought with it hundreds of visitors from afar.
The first to arrive, by foot, would be the young men from Tsor, Sidon and Damascus. When
the visitors would reach the out-skirts of Hebron, the youngsters and community leaders,
singing joyously, would go out to welcome them and accompany them to the community inn.
The visit of the young men would bring great joy to the Hebron community. During the day
the visitors would pray at the Cave of Machpela and other holy places in the city. At
night they would dance and sing, and the entire community would come to the inn to
participate in the festivities.” 

You can reach the site by private cars and public transportation. From Jerusalem, Egged
bus lines 381 and 383 go to Hebron.

We recommend that you combine a visit to the sites of the Jewish community of Hebron and
the unique Hebron Visitors Center, for details call 072-221-3660.

 

VISIT HEBRON TODAY!

 

United States contact info:



http://www.hebronfund.org

1760 Ocean Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11230

718-677-6886

info@hebronfund.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hebronofficial

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/hebronfund



Israeli contact info:

http://en.hebron.org.il/

02-996-5333

office@hebron.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hebron.machpela

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/hebronvideo



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