Page 50 - HaMizrachi Yom Yerushalayim - Shavuot 5782 USA

What Bothered the Qadis

at the Delegation

Rabbi Yosef
Zvi Rimon in Cyprus?

everal years ago I traveled to When I saw that it would be impos- in general, people remember things
Cyprus for a meeting of reli- sible to convince him of the truth, I that existed in the past and can no
gious leaders; the gathering asked him: “Why do you care so much longer exist in the present and future.
S included rabbis, priests and about where the Beit HaMikdash was? The most prominent example of such
qadis (judges of Muslim Law) from Why are you so angry?” He answered: ‘remembering’ is a remembrance day
Israel. The goal of the trip was to try “If the Beit HaMikdash was on the for someone who has died (of course,
to speak about matters that we shared Temple Mount, that means that you we look forward to the revival of the
in common, in an effort to reduce the were there before us, and if that is the dead, but in the simplest, most imme-
tensions between us and our commu- case, we will have to leave the place diate sense, it is a day of remembering
nities. This is why I agreed to attend, and give it to you!” the past).
to try to bring some calm to the Land. ה ָ ׁשי ִר ְ ּ ד י ֵע ָּ ב םִי ַל ָ ׁשּורְי, “Jerusalem requires The verse clarifies that ‘remembering

I was asked to give a lecture about seeking out”. The Mishnah says that Jerusalem’ is not a remembering of the
Jerusalem. I decided to avoid contro- we must make a ׁש ָ ּ ד ְק ִמ ְל ר ֶכ ֵז, “a remem- past, but rather a looking ahead, to the
versy. I don’t enjoy provocations, I brance of the Beit HaMikdash”, and so future – ה ָ ׁשי ִר ְ ּ ד י ֵע ָּ ב םִי ַל ָ ׁשּורְי, “Jerusalem
don’t enjoy battling and I don’t enjoy Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai estab- requires seeking out”. We remember
fighting with people. And so I decided lished the practice of taking the four in order to seek out and to demand, to
species on all of the days of Sukkot,
to speak only about the Jerusalem of in every place and not only in the Beit remember at all times that Jerusalem
the past, and not to touch upon the HaMikdash, which was the original is ours, and that she will, G-d willing in
Jerusalem of the present and future. the near future, be returned entirely
mitzvah. The Gemara asks how we to us. This is not merely remembering
I began my lecture with a presenta- know that we must make a remem- the past, but yearning and seeking out
tion about Mount Moriah, the place brance of the Beit HaMikdash, and cites – a cry of “may the Mikdash soon be
of the Akeidat Yitzchak (the binding a verse in Yirmiyahu: rebuilt!”
of Yitzchak), and an explanation as How do we know that we must make a Jerusalem requires seeking out. If this
to where the Beit HaMikdash actually ׁש ָ ּ ד ְק ִמ ְל ר ֶכ ֵז, a remembrance for the Beit is clear to us, then with Hashem’s help
stood. Suddenly, there was an erup- HaMikdash? For the verse says: But I will and with many prayers, we will soon
tion of shouting and yelling; the qadis bring healing to you and cure you of your merit the building of Jerusalem!
made a ruckus! I didn’t understand wounds, declares Hashem, though they ָ
how there could already be such an called you ‘Outcast, that Tzion whom no ּ ה ָכֹות ְּ ב ןֹו ּ כ ְ ׁש ִת ְו בּו ׁש ָּ ת םי ִמ ֲח ַר ְּ ב ך ְרי ִע םִי ַל ָ ׁשּורי ִל ְו
uproar. I hadn’t even said anything one seeks out’ (Yirmiyahu 30:17). This .ם ָלֹוע ןַיְנ ִּ ב ּוני ֵמָי ְּ ב בֹור ָק ְּ ב ּ ה ָתֹוא ה ֵנ ְבּו ָּ ת ְר ַּ ב ִ ּ ד ר ֶ ׁש ֲא ַּ כ
yet! implies that Tzion requires seeking out. Return in mercy to Jerusalem Your city and
(Rosh Hashanah 30a) dwell therein as You have promised and
One of the qadis stood up and said:
“The Beit HaMikdash was not on the Why do we need a verse to teach rebuild it, soon in our days, as an everlast-
Temple Mount!” I said to him: “It’s a us that we must make a ׁש ָ ּ ד ְק ִמ ְל ר ֶכ ֵז? ing edifice!
simple fact that the Beit HaMikdash was Shouldn’t this be obvious?  This essay was originally published in
on the Temple Mount – it’s a clear his- It seems that the verse is not simply Hebrew in Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon’s book
torical fact, an archeological fact, and allowing us to create a ׁש ָ ּ ד ְק ִמ ְל ר ֶכ ֵז, but Yemei Nissan V’Iyar.
there are even ancient Muslim sources it is also defining what a ׁש ָ ּ ד ְק ִמ ְל ר ֶכ ֵז
A member of Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon is Head of Mizrachi’s
the Mizrachi that state this as a fact!” But he stood actually is. The simple understand- Educational Advisory Board and Rabbinic
Speakers Bureau his ground, and shouted again, “The ing of ׁש ָ ּ ד ְק ִמ ְל ר ֶכ ֵז is that we remember Council. He serves as the Rabbi of the Gush
mizrachi.org/ Beit HaMikdash was not on the Temple what we once had in the past. But with Etzion Regional Council and is the Founder
speakers Mount!” ‘remembering’ there is a great danger: and Chairman of Sulamot.

50 |