A most central source on the cities of the Land of Israel is Chessed LeAvraham, written by the Chida’s grandfather, Rabbi Avraham Azulay. He extensively discusses the sanctity of the Land of Israel and mentions four holy cities: Tzfat, Tiberias, Hebron, and Jerusalem, in this specific order. He also corresponds them to the sefirot. The first two are self-explanatory from a geographic perspective: Tzfat corresponds to victory (netzach) which is called “the extreme height” (מֶ קֹע רוּם) in Sefer Yetzirah. Likewise, Tiberias corresponds to acknowledgment (hod) described as “the extreme low” (מֶ קֹע תַּ חַ ת). Hebron he corresponds with foundation (yesod) because it literally means to connect or to couple and foundation corresponds to the procreative organs in the body. Finally, Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish people and the capital of the Almighty, is easily corresponded with kingdom (malchut). Indeed, Jerusalem contains the palace of the king of Israel as well as the Holy Temple which is the palace of the King of all kings of kings, the Almighty.
The Mitteler Rebbe writes in a letter to the Chassidic settlement in the Land of Israel that before reaching Jerusalem, one must first be in Hebron, just like King David himself. David is the archetypal soul of kingdom, and his ultimate destination is certainly Jerusalem. However, he first reigned for seven years in Hebron. Why? To unite with the three Patriarchs. This means that specifically in Hebron, one can connect with the Patriarchs, who correspond to the emotive sefirot: loving-kindness, might, and beauty.
How can we understand the reason that only from foundation can one draw down influence from the emotive sefirot and from the Patriarchs? The situation is similar to how we find in the Torah that it is Joseph, the archetypal soul of foundation, who extends from the Patriarchs and transmits their influence downward to the rest of the tribes, the sons of Jacob.
We might have thought that Shechem should be the city that corresponds with foundation, since that is where Joseph himself is buried. Indeed, there certainly is an aspect of foundation associated with Shechem. For example, we find that Jacob blessed Joseph, “And I have given you one portion (Shechem) above your brothers.” But for some reason Shechem is not mentioned in Chesed LeAvraham as one of the four holy cities.
- Chesed LeAvraham, Ma’ayan 3, Nahar 13.
- The value of the names of these four cities “Tzfat Tiberias Hebron Jerusalem” (ןֹרוְבֶח אָיְרֶבְט תַפְצ םִַלָׁרוּשְי) is 1644, also the value of “you shall love Havayah your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all your might” (ָתְּבַהָאְו תֵא י-הוהָיךֶהֹלֱא לָכְבָּךְבָבְל לָכְוּבָךְׁשְפַנ לָכְוּבָךֶדֹאְמ). It is also the product of 4 times “chaos” (הוֹּת) indicating that the settling and developing of these four cities is a remedy for “chaos,” following the words of Isaiah, “So says Havayah, the Creator of the heavens, He is God, who formed the earth and made it, who alone established it, who did not create it to be a wilderness [chaos] but formed it for habitation” (כִּי הֹכ אָמַר י־הוה רֵאֹבּוָּמַיִםׁהַשהוּא הִיםֹהָאֱ־ל צֵרֹי הָאָרֶץ ָהּׂשֹוְע הוּא נְנָהֹּכו אֹל הוֹּת בְרָאָהּ ֶבֶתׁלָש יְצָרָהּ) and that it brings about a sense of God creating reality at every moment out of “nothing” (i.e., that which cannot be perceived). 1644 is also the product of 4 times “being from nothing” (ׁשֵי ןִיַאֵמ), suggesting that the perception that God is continuously creating reality ex nihilo emanates from these four cities.
