Off-Limits Yet Limitless

During Chol HaMoed Sukkot, I was privileged to be among those who entered the usually locked halls inside Me’arat HaMachpela — the inner chambers known as Ulam Yitzchak and Rivka, along with the surrounding rooms of the ancient edifice.

The Hidden Corridors

Walking through the inner rooms and passageways — open to Jews only ten days each year — I felt as if I were moving through time itself. The thick stone walls, the quiet air, the faint light filtering through small arched windows — everything felt suspended between heaven and earth.

At one point, I stopped to place my hand on the stone — cool, rough, eternal. It’s hard to explain, but there’s a kind of stillness in that place that silences every distraction, leaving only heart and soul.

“The Entrance to Gan Eden”

Then I reached the small sign that reads “Entrance to Gan Eden.” I stood there for a long time. Tradition teaches that this is the doorway to the Garden of Eden — a gateway to something beyond our understanding.

It felt as though time folded in on itself, and the distance between us and our ancestors disappeared.

Glimpses Beyond the Familiar

Crossing into the areas reserved for Muslim prayer, I took in the rows of rugs stretching across the floor and the shoe cubbies lining the walls. I’ve read so much about Muslim prayer customs, but this was my first time seeing them up close.

A Journey That Stays With You

Leaving Me’arat HaMachpela, I felt deeply connected — as if I had touched the heart of our people’s story. On the surface, it’s a visit to an ancient edifice. But in truth, it’s a reunion — with those who laid the foundation of our spiritual DNA and our incredible inheritance.