At the time when Jews had full control of the Cave of Machpelah, the shamash was in charge of the keys to the gate. His name was Yitzhak and he was a poor widower. He had one daughter named Dina, a kind hearted and beautiful girl.
The time came when Dina reached marriageable age and was betrothed to a fine young man.
Yitzhak worked hard to save money for his daughter’s wedding needs. Yitzhak remembered that the tradition of the Chevron community was to provide for a bride a gold necklace to wear at her wedding. However, he did not have enough money to buy one for Dina. Yitzhak became very sad. This adornment was a great matter of pride among the women of the community.
As the wedding day approached, one night Dina had a dream that she was standing at the gate of the Cave of Machpelah. There she was, holding her father’s chain with the keys to the gate. A woman dressed in white came up to her. The woman had a face filled with light like the sun. She said to Dina, “This big chain with these keys to this holy place should be your necklace at your wedding. This necklace is more precious than any necklace of gold and jewels.”
Then, the woman disappeared. Dina awoke and remembering her dream, she decided not to tell anyone about it.
The wedding day finally came and Yitzhak’s face was grey with dread about what would be. Dina’s friends came to help her get ready for the wedding. After Dina dressed in her wedding dress, she asked her father if she could have a word with him alone. With a broad smile on her face, she said, “Father, please give me the keys to the Cave of Machpelah. They will be my wedding necklace. They have much more merit that any gold or jewels.” Yitzhak was surprised and relieved. He ran to fetch the keys and gave them to his daughter.
Wearing the iron chain with the keys of the Cave of Machpelah, Dina’s face and neck radiated with a Heavenly shine. People exclaimed the she was more beautiful with the necklace of iron than brides of the past with gold and jewels.
From that day, Chevron’s brides wore this special “necklace of iron” instead of gold and jewels at their wedding.
