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RAV KOOK’S TEACHINGS THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND
THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND

Rabbi Chanan Morrison

Burial in the Double Cave

ccording to tradition, Sarah Torah. The Torah is independent holiness of the soul. While the soul is
was not the first person to be of the physical body, unaffected by corrected in the World of Souls, the
Aburied in Ma’arat HaMachpelah its proclivities and desires. It is an body is repaired through burial, as it
in Chevron. Already buried there were immutable guide to the path of integ- returns to its original elements.
Adam and Eve. Subsequently three rity and holiness. Certainly the powers What does this have to do with
more couples joined them: Avraham of the human mind can never provide Ma’arat HaMachpelah? Burial in the
and Sarah, Yitzchak and Rivka, Ya’akov for the same level of sanctity as can double cave is a metaphor for the two
and Leah. be attained through the G-d-given methods by which the body is refined
Why was this burial cave called instructions of the Torah and its and elevated.
“Machpelah”? Machpelah means mitzvot. The first method, utilizing human
“doubled.” The Sages (Eruvin 53a) Yet, the path of the human intellect intelligence and reason, is exempli-
explained that it is a double cave, con- retains a special advantage. The obser- fied by Adam and Eve. The first man
taining two rooms or two floors. The vance of mitzvot, while very lofty, has and woman were created with the
Talmud tells of one scholar who risked no direct influence on the body itself. highest level of pristine talents and
entering the cave. He found the Avot The body is still attracted to physical powers. With their robust mental fac-
(the Patriarchs and Matriarchs) in desires, and remains at odds with the ulties, they embodied the use of native
one room, and Adam and Eve in the Torah’s spiritual goals. intellect and reasoning for spiritual
second. Optimally, the two methods should advancement.
What is the significance of Ma’arat be combined. If our performance of On the other hand, the Patriarchs
HaMachpelah having two rooms? mitzvot can awaken our hearts and and Matriarchs were the origin of the
And what is the function of burial in inspire our minds, a harmony is estab- Jewish people, paving the way for the
general? lished between our physical actions Torah’s revelation at Sinai. They repre-
and our inner awareness. Since our
There are two paths of spiritual mental faculties are part of our basic sent the second spiritual guide, that of
growth and enlightenment, each with nature, when the mind connects the Torah.
its own advantages. The first path with the Torah, the physical side also The double burial cave of Machpelah
utilizes our natural faculties of rea- becomes integrated with the precepts. combined these two paths. One room
soning and analysis. When function- This refinement of the body could contained Adam and Eve, the pinnacle
ing properly, our powers of intellect not have occurred without combining of natural intellectual capability. The
can achieve wonderful results. They the Torah with our natural powers of second room hosted the Avot, the pro-
enable us to acquire precious charac- intellect and reason. genitors of the Torah. The name of the
ter traits, and serve G-d through an After the sin of Adam, death was city, Chevron, comes from the word
inner awareness. decreed upon humanity. This was not chibur (“connection”), hinting at the
However, the mind is bound and influ- an arbitrary punishment. The pur- fusion of both paths to elevate the Jew.
enced by the body. When the body pose of death is to separate body and Adapted from Gold from the Land of Israel,
is swept away by cravings for physi- soul, enabling both to be repaired and pp. 53-55. Originally adapted from Midbar
cal pleasures, the mind also loses its refined. The soul, unburdened with Shur.
direction. These physical desires can the body’s physical desires, is mended
distort our perceptions and warp our and refined in the World of Souls.
reasoning, and we are left without The body also requires spiritual cor-
guidance to enlightened living. rection. It too was formed in G-d’s
Therefore, G-d created a second image and has tremendous spiri- Rabbi Chanan Morrison is the author of sev-
means for spiritual progress: the tual power when it complements the eral books on Rav Kook’s writings.

Background illustration of Rav Kook courtesy of www.gedolimcanvas.com | 25