Page 25 - HaMizrachi #10 Yom Yerushalayim - Shavuot 5779

Dr. Bryna Jocheved Levy

SinaJieArNDusalem

‫ְצ ֶאי ָנה ּוְר ֶאי ָנה ְּבנ ֹות ִצ ּי ֹון ַּב ֶּמ ֶל ְך ׁ ְשֹל ֹמה ָּב ֲע ָטָרה‬ “When the Jewish people declared ‘We Zman Matan Torateinu (the time of
.‫ׁ ֶש ִע ְּטָרה ּל ֹו ִא ּמ ֹו ְּבי ֹום ֲח ֻת ָּנת ֹו ּו ְבי ֹום ִ ׂש ְמ ַחת ִל ּב ֹו‬ will do and we will listen,’ 600,000 receiving our Torah).
angels descended and crowned them
“Oh maidens of Zion go forth and with two crowns, one for ‫ ַנ ֲע ֶ ׂשה‬and one But there is one more crown,
gaze upon King Solomon wearing the for ‫ ִנ ׁ ְש ָמע‬.” described by Chazal as the “crowning
crown that his mother gave him on his glory” in the following Midrash: Rabbi
wedding day and on his day of bliss.” “And the day of his bliss” – in Pinchas in the name of Rabbi Meir and
Jerusalem. On a simple level, the Rabbi Yirmiya in the name of Rabbi
(Song of Songs 3:11) Rabbis were asserting that the Chiya bar Abba said, at the time that
ultimate jewel in Solomon’s crown Israel prays, you don’t find all of them
What sort of crown was it was the Temple he constructed in praying together, but rather each and
that Solomon is depicted Jerusalem. But consider if you will the every gathering prays by itself… but
as wearing on his wedding following Mishna (Sotah 9:14): when all the gatherings finish their
day? Let us consider the rabbinic prayers, the angel in charge of prayers
rendering of this verse. The Rabbis ,‫ַּב ֻפ ְלמ ּוס ׁ ֶשל ַא ְס ַּפ ְס ָינ ּוס ָּג ְזר ּו ַעל ַע ְטר ֹות ֲח ָת ִנים‬ takes all the prayers prayed by all the
depict the crown not merely as a ‫ ְּב ֻפ ְלמ ּוס ׁ ֶשל ִטיט ּוס ָּג ְזר ּו ַעל ַע ְטר ֹות‬.‫ְו ַעל ָה ִאיר ּוס‬ different gatherings and makes them
symbol of his kingly station but as into crowns, which he puts on the
the pinnacle of his achievement. .‫ַּכל ֹות‬ head of the Holy One, Blessed be He,
Moreover, Solomon in the Midrash as it says, “unto You (adecha) does all
ceases to be Solomon and is “During the war with Vespasian, flesh come” and adecha means crown,
transformed into the Jewish people: when joy diminished, the custom of as it says (Isaiah 49:18) “I will clothe
crowns for grooms was discontinued, yourself with them all like jewelry (ke-
“Oh maidens of Zion go forth”: my and during the time of Titus (Roman adi) and adorn yourself like a bride,”
children found in Zion. “Wearing the general and governor of Judea in 117 and as it says (Isaiah 49:3) “Israel in
crown… on his wedding day”: at Sinai, BCE) the custom of brides wearing whom I take glory,” that the Holy One,
“and on his day of bliss”: in Jerusalem. tiaras was abolished.” Blessed be He who adorns Himself
with the prayers of Israel, as it says
The ultimate wedding day for Am The Gemara (Sotah 49a) asks: what (Ezekiel 16:12) “A crown of glory on
Yisrael is of course Shavuot. At Sinai, was the nature of the bridal crowns? your head.”
G-d is portrayed as a groom who The answer “a city of gold,” a crown in
sets out to meet his bride. In point the shape of Jerusalem of Gold. And This year as we walk to the Kotel after
of fact, in Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer, so, “the day of his wedding” is at Sinai a night of Torah study, let us hope that
G-d is described as going first to the and “the day his heart is jubilant” is in all of our prayers make their way to
women, certain that they will prevail Jerusalem. the heavenly throne and are placed at
upon their husbands. Collectively, the the forefront of G-d’s consciousness.
women and men declared ‫ ַנ ֲע ֶ ׂשה ְו ִנ ׁ ְש ָמע‬, The custom of wearing a veil is as May the angel in charge of prayers
“We will do and we will listen.” old as the Bible, but the wearing of a place crowns upon the head of ‫ֶמ ֶל ְך ַמ ְל ֵכי‬
wedding crown or tiara by both brides ‫ ַה ְּמ ָל ִכים‬, which the King of the Universe
The Gemara (Shabbat 88a) portrays and grooms in Jerusalem has been will don with pride.
the crowning of the bride at Sinai: around since the rabbinic period. The
significance of this custom under the Dr. Bryna Jocheved Levy is the Rector of
‫ ְּב ׁ ָש ָעה ׁ ֶש ִה ְק ִ ּדימ ּו ִי ְ ׂשָר ֵאל‬:‫ָ ּדַר ׁש ַר ִּבי ִסי ְמ ָל ֵאי‬ chuppah is clear, as is the profound
‫ ָּבא ּו ׁ ִש ׁ ּ ִשים ִר ּב ֹוא ׁ ֶשל ַמ ְל ֲא ֵכי‬,‫ַנ ֲע ֶ ׂשה ְל ִנ ׁ ְש ָמע‬ meaning for us, as we transition the Bellows Eshkolot Graduate Program in
‫ ְל ָכל ֶא ָחד ְו ֶא ָחד ִמ ִּי ְ ׂשָר ֵאל ָק ׁ ְשר ּו ל ֹו ׁ ְש ֵני‬,‫ַה ׁ ּ ָשֵרת‬ from Yom Yerushalayim to Shavuot,
Biblical Studies at Matan
.‫ ֶא ָחד ְּכ ֶנ ֶגד ַנ ֲע ֶ ׂשה ְו ֶא ָחד ְּכ ֶנ ֶגד ִנ ׁ ְש ָמע‬,‫ְּכ ָתִרים‬

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