Page 58 - HaMizrachi YmYm 2020 FLIPv3

Rabbi David Stav

Just Jerusalem?

riting about Jerusalem city among all the tribes of Israel for want to belong to everyone. Jerusalem
during these Corona times building a House where My name is the place that marks David's deci-
Wis not a very good idea. If might abide; but I have chosen David sion to give up tribalism and become
on normal days the gap between the to rule My people Israel.” The two one State.
“State of Jerusalem” and the “State of parts of the verse seem unconnected.
Tel Aviv” is large, these distances have In the first part, G-d says He has not We should note that this Israel-wide
now increased seven-fold. chosen a city to house His home since decision is also what made Jerusalem
the day of the Exodus, and in the the place of the Temple, the place
The city with the highest number of second part He says He chose David where G-d would rest. One who ana-
Corona patients in Israel versus the lyzes the Shemoneh Esrei prayer can
city with almost no Corona patients. to be king. What is the connection? really discern the confusion in under-
The city whose inhabitants are fight- The Zohar answers that when G-d standing what Jerusalem really is. We
ing to return to pray at the Kotel and wants to build His house, He first start with the words “to Jerusalem
in shuls versus the city begging to be decides who will be the leader of His Your city may You return with mercy
allowed to surf in the sea and relax in people and only then decides to build and dwell,” a blessing for a return of
theaters. These cities have never been His house. That is, Jerusalem is not the Shechina to Jerusalem, of build-
as far apart socially and spiritually as just a place for the Shechina to dwell. ing the Beit HaMikdash. Immedi-
they are today. It is also where the political leader- ately after, we add: “and the throne of
Jerusalem's sanctity stems from ship of Am Yisrael must be. It is only David, Your servant may You speedily
two sources, one being that it is the when this leadership is functioning establish therein,” a blessing to return
home of the Shechina. And this is properly that G-d wants to build His the kingdom to Jerusalem.
why, according to the Rambam – in house there. Indeed, Jerusalem is not There is a need to connect the con-
contrast to the Land of Israel as a only the site of the Temple, but it is cepts. One depends on the other. If we
whole – the sanctity of Jerusalem also the location of the palaces of want Jerusalem’s sanctity to become a
and the Temple did not expire even David and Solomon. value shared by all the Jewish people,
after the exile to Babylon: “Why do it must also pass through the rec-
I say that in the Temple and in Jeru- David's decision to relocate the cap- ognition that G-d’s leadership today
ital of his kingdom from Hebron to
salem the initial holiness is eternal. is also part of the new Kingdom of
The sanctity of the rest of Israel for Jerusalem was not easy. His support Israel. The route that runs from the
center was in the Judean tribe cen-
shvi’it and ma’asrot, and so on is not Knesset to the Kotel, where we dance
yet eternal. Because the sanctity of tered around Hebron. A king wants during the Yom Yerushalayim parade
to be surrounded by his family and
the Temple and Jerusalem come from each year, is capable of forming the
the Shechina and the Shechina is not previous acquaintances. Going and bond between the holy Jerusalem and
idle.” In other words, the sanctity of building a new and unfamiliar city Jerusalem, the capital of the kingdom.
Jerusalem is inherently religious. It is located on the border of Judea and Between the State of Jerusalem and
where G-d chose to rest His Divine Benjamin is both adventurous and the State of Tel Aviv.
Presence. frightening. David makes this deci-
sion mainly for one reason. He under-
But Jerusalem has another compo- stands that if he wants to be a King
nent too, as Shlomo said in his prayer of all Israel, or as the Zohar says 1 Sotah 12a.
at the dedication of the Temple: “Ever roeh tov, a “good shepherd,” he can't
since I brought My people Israel remain a man of one sector. He must Rabbi David Stav is Chief Rabbi owf
out of Egypt, I have not chosen a show all tribes that he does indeed Shoham

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