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Rabbi Reuven Taragin Rabbanit Shani Taragin

Yom Yerushalayim 5780

DAVID HAMELECH REVISITS AKEIDAT YITZCHAK

his year, Yom Yerushalayim Let Your hand, I pray You, be against 5. Other literary parallels: Bere-
5780, is not the first year we’re me, and against my father’s house” ishit 22:13 and Divrei HaYamim
Tcelebrating the establishment (Shmuel Bet 24:17). I 21:16; Bereishit 22:4 and Shmuel
of our holy city in the wake of plague, Gad immediately commanded David II 24:13; and Bereishit 22:7 and
still socially distant one from the Shmuel II 24:22.
other and mourning the loss of to build an altar on Aravna’s threshing
hundreds who have died in Israel, and floor. David understood his act of sac- As we read David’s story of personal
rifice was necessary to end the plague,
hundreds of thousands worldwide. sacrifice to save the people of Israel,
Over 3,000 years ago, the very first but it was insufficient. He insisted on we are reminded of the paradigmatic
“Yom Yerushalayim” was celebrated purchasing the land and sacrificial sacrifice of Avraham – sacrificing
by David HaMelech as he purchased supplies to demonstrate his com- his son for the G-d of Israel. In both
Har HaBayit from foreign hands mitment. His investment paid off as stories, Hashem commanded the sac-
under similar circumstances. 1 Hashem answered him through reve- rifice in the same place – Har HaBa-
lation, confirming “This is the house
3
David had enjoined of his neph- of Hashem, and this is the altar of yit, Yerushalayim. As Avraham Avinu
ew-general, Yoav, to conduct a burnt-offering for Israel” (ibid. 22:1). proclaimed: “And Avraham called
national census, only to be repri- the name of that place “Hashem shall
manded by the prophet Gad for such Although this story explains the see,” as it is said to this day: ‘In the
a pretentious initiative. Though selection of the location for the Beit mount where Hashem is seen’ (Bere-
immediately regretting and admit- HaMikdash, it is written with numer- ishit 22:14).
ting his sin, David was given a choice ous parallels to another story of sac- Avraham recognized that Yerusha-
of subsequent punishments: seven rifice; one that took place at the very layim was Divinely selected as a
years of famine, three years of mili- same location in the hills of Moriah – place where Hashem awaits our sac-
2
tary unrest, or three days of plague. the story of Akeidat Yitzchak. In both rifices and submissions for eternity,
David chose the latter, recognizing stories:
that though famine and war may be 1. Someone builds an altar and sac- our commitment to follow His word
overcome through human strategy, rifices a burnt-offering. with humility. Avraham also recog-
plagues/viruses are beyond man’s 2. It is G-d who chooses the site of nized that if we are willing to come to
control (and it takes months to create the altar: He sends Avraham to Yerushalayim with a mindset of devo-
a vaccine)! David appreciated that he the land of Moriah, and David to tion to G-d and to Am Yisrael, we will
was meant to demonstrate submis- Aravna’s threshing floor. merit Divine revelation there as well.
sion and vulnerability, cognizant of 3. Avraham and David rise early in David revisits Avraham’s story of sac-
Hashem’s power and simultaneously, the morning. rifice, underscoring the Divine mes-
compassion. sage of Yerushalayim – if we properly
4. An angel of G-d is involved in express our religious and national
The plague killed 70,000 people as preventing the expected contin- devotion, we will merit revelation and
the destructive angel approached uation. In Akeidat Yitzchak, it is salvation.
Yerushalayim with the intention of the angel himself who stops Avra-
causing more casualties. At that point, ham: “And the angel of the Lord...
Hashem commanded the angel to “Avraham, Avraham… Lay not 1 See Shmuel II, 24.
wait by the threshing floor of Aravna your hand…” (Bereishit 22:11-12). 2 In Divrei HaYamim I 21:10-12, three years
of famine.
the Jebusite, directly north of David’s For David HaMelech, it is G-d
palace in Ir David. When David saw who stops the angel, using similar 3 Based on account in Divrei HaYamim I
21:26-30.
the angel, he pleaded before Hashem wording: “And when the angel
on behalf of the people: “Lo, I have stretched out his hand... “It is Rabbanit Shani Taragin is Educational
sinned, and I have done iniquitously; enough; now stay your hand” Director of Mizrachi and the Director of the
but these sheep, what have they done? (Shmuel II 22:16). Mizrachi Matan Lapidot Educators' Program

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