Lesson 26

Jerusalem in the Days of David (III)

Tanakh

03.02.2016

Text file

<a
/">The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash</a>

<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
in the Bible 
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<o:p> </o:p>

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<o:p> </o:p>

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This
shiur is dedicated in memory of Dr. William Major z"l. 
*********************************************************

<o:p> </o:p>

Shiur #25: Introduction to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>

in the days of David (II)/

The Divine selection of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>

<o:p> </o:p>

Rav Yitzchak
Levi

<o:p> </o:p>

After
having dealt in the previous two shiurim with
the process of selecting <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
and the Mikdash, we hope in this lesson to
clarify the significance of the Divine selection in the days of Shelomo. As was mentioned in the previous lesson, God's
selection of Jerusalem was finalized in the days of Shelomo,
following the construction and dedication of the house of God and the house of
the king, the construction of the Milo connecting the city and the house of
God, and the construction of a wall around Jerusalem, encompassing the city,
the house of the king, the Milo, and the house of God.

<o:p> </o:p>

This
selection is in essence a fulfillment of what the Torah says regarding
"the place that the Lord will choose." We have already emphasized (Shiur #12, "The Place that the Lord Will
Choose") that "the place" refers to both the city and the <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:City>. The novelty in
this selection is that God chooses not only the sanctuary, but also the city.
A city is usually the site of ordinary, mundane life. The chosen city is unique
in that it was built around the Mikdash, which
leaves its mark upon it.[1]

<o:p> </o:p>

A.        Proofs
for the selection of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
in the days of Shelomo

<o:p> </o:p>

As we saw in the previous shiur, the
choosing of the city is first mentioned in past tense by Shelomo,
following the dedication of the house of God and the house of the king:

<o:p> </o:p>

Since the day
that I brought forth My people <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> out of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region>,
I chose no city out of the tribes of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region></st1:place> to build a house, that My
name might be there; but I chose David to be over My people. (I Melakhim 8:16)

<o:p> </o:p>

A fuller
version is found in the parallel passage in Divrei
Ha-yamim:

<o:p> </o:p>

Since the day
that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among
all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that My name might be there; nor
did I choose any man to be a ruler over my people Israel, but I have
chosen Jerusalem, that My name might be there; and have chosen David to
be over My people. (II Divrei Ha-yamim 6:5-6)

<o:p> </o:p>

It
should be remembered that in the previous shiur
we inferred from a precise reading of the wording found in the book of Melakhim that God chose the king, and then the king
chose the city, whereas the formulation of the parallel passage in Divrei Ha-yamim emphasizes
the Divine selection of both the king and the city.

<o:p> </o:p>

The
issue of the choosing of the city appears once again in Shelomo's
prayer:

<o:p> </o:p>

If the people
go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You shall send them, and shall
pray to the Lord towards the city which You have chosen, and towards the
house that I have built for Your name. (I Melakhim
8:44; paralleled by II Divrei Ha-yamim 6:34)

<o:p> </o:p>

And so they
return to You with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of
their enemies, who led them away captive, and pray to you towards their land,
which You did give to their fathers, the city which
You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name. (I Melakhim 8:48; paralleled by II Divrei
Ha-yamim 6:38)

<o:p> </o:p>

The
choosing of Jerusalem (and of David) appears once again in God's words to Shelomo regarding the rending of the kingdom because of the
sin of the bamot devoted to idol worship, as
justification for leaving one tribe in the kingdom of the house of David:

<o:p> </o:p>

Nevertheless, I
will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one
tribe to your son for David my servant's sake, and for the sake of <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City></st1:place> which
I have chosen. (I Melakhim 11:13)

<o:p> </o:p>

And in the
same context in the conversation between Achiya ha-Shiloni and Yeravam:

<o:p> </o:p>

But he shall
have one tribe for My servant David's sake, and for
<st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City>'s sake, the city which I have chosen out
of all the tribes of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region></st1:place>
Yet I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand.  But I will make him prince all the days of
his life for David My servant's sake, whom I
chose, because he kept My commandments and My statutes.  But I will take the kingdom out of his son's
hand, and will give it to you, that is the ten tribes.
And to his son will I give one tribe, that David My servant may have a lamp
always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself to
put My Name there. (I Melakhim
11:32-36)[2]

<o:p> </o:p>

<h4 style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:
0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify'>B.        ADDITIONAL REFERENCES TO THE SELECTION OF <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">JERUSALEM</st1:place></st1:City></h4>

<o:p> </o:p>

It is interesting to examine the contexts in which Scripture mentions
the selection of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
after the period of Shelomo:

<o:p> </o:p>

1)         In the book of Melakhim,
it is said about Rechav'am:

<o:p> </o:p>

And Rechavam reigned seventeen years in <st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City>,
the city which the Lord did choose out of all the tribes of <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>. (I Melakhim 14:21; paralleled by II Divrei
Ha-yamim 12:17)

<o:p> </o:p>

It
seems that the choosing of the city is emphasized in connection with the king
in whom the prophecy of the division of the kingdom is fulfilled, similar to
the mention in the prophecy of Achiya to Yeravam on this matter.

<o:p> </o:p>

On
the other hand, the selection of the city is mentioned in connection with Menasheh, in the context of the description of the idol
erected in the Mikdash:

<o:p> </o:p>

And he set the
carved idol of the ashera that he had made, in that
house, of which the Lord said to David, and to Shelomo
his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all
the tribes of Israel, will I put my My name for ever.
(II Melakhim 21:7; paralleled by II Divrei Ha-yamim
33:7)

<o:p> </o:p>

And
similarly it is mentioned in the first explicit prophecy of God's rejection of
the city that is, the removal of His selection on account of the sins of Menasheh:

<o:p> </o:p>

And the Lord
said, I will remove Yehuda also out of My sight, as I
have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have
chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be here. (II Melakhim 23:27)

<o:p> </o:p>

2. The idea of God's selection of
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City> is
mentioned twice in the book of Tehillim.
Here, Scripture speaks of the choosing of <st1:City w:st="on">Zion</st1:City>
or <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Mount</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Zion</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> (perhaps a poetic designation). In
the framework of the wide historical overview in psalm 78, the verse contrasts
the selection of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
with the rejection of Shilo:

<o:p> </o:p>

And He rejected
the tabernacle of Yosef, and chose not the Tribe of Ephrayim.  But chose the Tribe of Yehuda, <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Mount</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Zion</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> which He loved. (Tehillim 78:67-68)[3]

<o:p> </o:p>

In
psalm 132, which describes both David's longing to build a house for God and
the Divine selection of the city, it is stated:

For the Lord
has chosen Zion. He has desired it for His habitation. This is My resting place forever. 
Here will I dwell; for I have desired it. (Ibid. 132:13-14)

<o:p> </o:p>

3. During the second <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:City> period, the
prophet Zekharya strongly emphasizes the renewed
choosing of the city after its rejection in the days of Menasheh:

<o:p> </o:p>

Therefore thus
says the Lord; I have returned to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
with mercies.  My house shall be rebuilt
in it, says the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth over <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>. Proclaim
further, saying, Thus says the Lord of Hosts; My
cities shall again overflow with prosperity; and the Lord shall yet comfort <st1:City
w:st="on">Zion</st1:City>, and shall yet choose <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City></st1:place>. (Zekharya
1:16-17)

<o:p> </o:p>

And the Lord
shall inherit Yehuda as His portion in the holy land,
and shall choose <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
again. (Ibid. 2:16)

<o:p> </o:p>

And the Lord
said to the adversary, The Lord rebukes you, O adversary; even the Lord who
has chosen <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
rebukes you: for is not this man a brand plucked out of the fire? (Ibid.
3:2)

<o:p> </o:p>

The
expression "and He shall choose again" denotes continued and
renewed selection.

<o:p> </o:p>

In
summary: We have seen the most important passages in which the Divine choosing of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City></st1:place>
is explicitly mentioned. This begins in the days of Shelomo,
when the royal city turns into a city with a Mikdash.
In the days of Rechavam the Divine selection of
the city is once again emphasized as the prophecy concerning the rending of the
kingdom begins to be fulfilled. In the days of Menasheh,
the Divine choosing is removed with the heralding of
the destruction of the city and the Mikdash.
And, finally, at the beginning of the period of the return to <st1:City
w:st="on">Zion</st1:City> and the building of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Second</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Temple</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>,
the Divine selection of the city is renewed.

<o:p> </o:p>

<h4 style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:
0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify'>C.        CHOOSING OF <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">JERUSALEM</st1:place></st1:City>
- ETERNAL CHOOSING</h4>

<o:p> </o:p>

The promise
regarding the eternity of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
is based on several verses. In psalm 78, following the verses cited above, it
is stated:

And He built
His sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth which He has established for
ever. (Tehillim 78:69)

<o:p> </o:p>

And
in the verse in psalm 132 which we have already seen:

<o:p> </o:p>

This is My resting place forever: here will I dwell; for I
have desired it. (Ibid. 132:14)

<o:p> </o:p>

Shelomo himself says in his prayer:

<o:p> </o:p>

I have surely
built You a house to dwell in, a settled place for you
to abide in for ever. (I Melakhim 8:13)

<o:p> </o:p>

And
following the dedication of the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:City>,
God appears to Shelomo and says to him:

<o:p> </o:p>

For now I have
chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be
there for ever.  And My eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually. (II Divrei Ha-yamim
17:16)

<o:p> </o:p>

Rabbi Elazar relied on this verse when he said that "the Shekhina never departed from within the
Sanctuary," even after the destruction of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:City> (Shemot
Rabba 2). And similarly, another Midrash says about the verse, "Behold, he stands
behind our wall" (Shir Ha-shirim 2:9): "Behind the western wall of the Bet
ha-Mikdash. Why? Because the Holy One, blessed be
He, promised that it would never be destroyed" (Shir
Ha-shirim Rabba 2).

<o:p> </o:p>

We shall
conclude with the words of the commentators on the following verses in psalm
68:

<o:p> </o:p>

O mighty hill, O
hill of Bashan; O high beaked hill, hill of Bashan: why do you look askance, O
high peaked hill, at the mountain which God has desired for His abode? Truly
the Lord will dwell there forever. The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands: the Lord is among them: Sinai in holiness! (Tehillim 68:16-18)

<o:p> </o:p>

Rashi (ad loc., v. 17, s.v.
lama tirtzadun harim gavnunim) explains:

<o:p> </o:p>

He further
says to them: "Why do you look askance, O high peaked hill" Why do
you high peaked hills lie in ambush to destroy the mountain that God desired
for His abode, to rest His Shekhina upon
it, namely, the Temple Mount? Truly the Lord will dwell there forever, its holiness is for perpetuity. From the time that
it was chosen for His abode, the Shekhina did
not rest anywhere else.

<o:p> </o:p>

And
the Radak (ad loc.):

<o:p> </o:p>

Some explain tirtzadun in the sense of "you shall
dance" (tirkadun). That is to say: Why do
you praise yourselves? You are considered as naught in comparison to the hill
that God has desired for His abode, namely, the Temple Mount, where the Temple
stands, in which the Glory will always be seen. For the entire land fell under
the control of the hand of the enemy, but regarding <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>, it says: "[He shall not come
into this city,] nor shoot an arrow there" (II Melakhim
19:32; Yeshayahu 37:33). And it says:
"Truly the Lord will dwell there forever," for at <st1:place w:st="on">Mount
Sinai</st1:place> He did not dwell forever.

<o:p> </o:p>

We
see from all of these sources that the sanctity of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City> is eternal. This assertion has both
conceptual and halakhic significance.

<o:p> </o:p>

1)         The
Conceptual significance: <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
as "a resting place"

<o:p> </o:p>

The primary
significance that Chazal attached to
the eternity of the selection of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
is that it is a "resting place,"
as the verse states:

<o:p> </o:p>

For the Lord
has chosen <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Zion</st1:place></st1:City>.
He has desired it for His habitation. This is My
resting place forever.  Here will I
dwell; for I have desired it. (Ibid. 132:13-14)

<o:p> </o:p>

Several
Midrashim relate to this verse.  Thus, for example, Rabbi Shimon uses it to
explain another verse: "For you are not as yet come to the rest and to the
inheritance" (Devarim 12:9) (found
in the "to the place which the Lord your God shall choose" passage):

<o:p> </o:p>

Our Sages
taught: "For you are not as yet come to the rest and to the
inheritance." "Rest" this is Shilo,
"inheritance" this is <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>;
these are the words of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Shimon
says: "Rest" this is <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City></st1:place>
and it says, "This is My resting place
forever.  Here will I dwell; for I have
desired it." (Zevachim 119a)

<o:p> </o:p>

And
in greater detail in Midrash Tehillim (Shochar Tov) on psalm 71:

<o:p> </o:p>

Rabbi Shimon
says: "Rest" this is <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>.
And similarly it says: "This is My resting place
forever." And it says: "For the Lord has chosen <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Zion</st1:place></st1:City>. 
He has desired it for His habitation." Why is it called "a
resting place"? Because of the resting of the ark.

<o:p> </o:p>

This
exposition corresponds to what David said (as we saw in the previous lesson)
regarding the essence of the Mikdash:

<o:p> </o:p>

Then David the
king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my
brethren, and my people.  As for me, I
had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of
the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and I had made ready for
building. (I Divrei ha-Yamim
28:2)

<o:p> </o:p>

Midrash Shir Ha-shirim Rabba emphasizes the
difference between the rest in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
and the situation that preceded it:

<o:p> </o:p>

Another
explanation: "Also our couch is green" (Shir
Ha-shirim 1:16) just as this bed is made only
for pleasure, so too until the Bet ha-Mikdash
was built the Shekhina moved from place
to place. This is what is written: "I have walked in a tent and a
tabernacle" (II Shemuel 7:6). Once the Bet
ha-Mikdash was built, "This is My resting place forever" (Tehillim
132:14). (Shir ha-Shirim
Rabba 1)

<o:p> </o:p>

In
other words, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
being a place of "rest" signifies an end to the wandering. <st1:City
w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City> differs from the Mishkan
and from the great bama: <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City> is a place of "rest" a
fixed place that will not change. Moreover, the rest of <st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City>
is connected to the rest of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
a situation of peace and quiet from its enemies. This too finds expression in
the "to the place which the Lord your God shall choose" passage:

But when you
traverse the Jordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your God gives you to
inherit, and when He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that
you dwell in safety; then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall
choose to cause His name to dwell there (Devarim 12:10-11)

<o:p> </o:p>

As
Midrash Shir Ha-shirim Rabba
continues:

<o:p> </o:p>

Another
explanation: "Also our couch is green" just as this bed is made
only for pleasure, so too <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
until the Bet ha-Mikdash was built, moved from
place to place. "And they departed" "And they camped" (Bamidbar 33). Once the Bet ha-Mikdash was built, "And Yehuda
and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
dwelt in safety" (I Melakhim 5:5). (Shir Ha-shirim Rabba 1)

<o:p> </o:p>

In conclusion, we shall cite a surprising Midrash that draws a connection between the eternal rest in
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City> and
the eternal joy of God in the righteousness and justice that the Jewish people
perform:

<o:p> </o:p>

When <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> performs
righteousness and justice, the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoices in them. This
teaches that His joy is to the end of all the generations, as it is stated,
"For the Lord has chosen <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Zion</st1:City></st1:place>,"
and it says, "This is My resting place
forever." (Eliyahu Rabba,
chap. 16)

<o:p> </o:p>

We
have already discussed the significance of this Midrash
in our lesson on "<st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City> City of <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Righteousness</st1:City></st1:place>"
(lecture 6, note 11)[4]

<o:p> </o:p>

As stated
earlier, the Divine choosing of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City></st1:place> took place in the days of Shelomo, who is referred to as a "man of rest" (I
Divrei Ha-yamim
22:9). A man of rest will build a house of rest in God's eternal resting place,
after there will be rest from the enemies.

<o:p> </o:p>

2)         THe Halakhic
significance

<o:p> </o:p>

As
is our usual manner, here too we will try to demonstrate the connection between
the conceptual and halakhic aspects. We will cite the
words of the Rambam who related to this issue at
length. In his commentary to the Mishna, which
states: "When they came to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>,
the bamot were forbidden, and there was no
[further] allowance, and it was an inheritance" (Zevachim
14:8), the Rambam writes:

<o:p> </o:p>

<st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City> is called an
"inheritance"[5] because its sanctity and existence were fixed
forever. The prophet says about it: "Nor will He forsake His
inheritance" (Tehillim 94:14). For it was already stated earlier that God chose <st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City>
for His Shekhina, and He chose <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> as His
treasure. And afterward it says that God will abandon neither the nation
that He had chosen as His inheritance nor the place that He had chosen. This is
what it says: "For the Lord has chosen <st1:City w:st="on">Zion</st1:City>:
He has desired it for His habitation" (Tehillim
132:13); "For the Lord has chosen Yaakov to Himself, <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> for His
peculiar possession" (Ibid. 135:4); "For the Lord will not
cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance" (Ibid. 94:14).
And the eternity of its sanctity was already explained: "This is My resting place forever" (Ibid. 132:14).

<o:p> </o:p>

The
Rambam relates to the eternity of the sanctity of the
place, implying that a significant connection exists between selection and its
sanctity. In this context, it is interesting that the Rambam
chose to call the laws of the Bet ha-Mikdash
"Hilkhot Bet ha-Bechira,"
Laws of the Chosen House."

<o:p> </o:p>

At
the beginning of Hilkhot Bet ha-Bechira (1:3), the Rambam
writes:

<o:p> </o:p>

Once the Mikdash was built in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>, it was forbidden to build a temple
for God or offer a sacrifice in all other places. A temple for all generations
may only be built in Jerusalem, and on Mount Moriah,
about which it is stated, "Then David said, This is the house of the Lord
God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel" (I Divrei Ha-yamim
22:1); and it says, "This is My resting place forever" (Tehillim 132:14).

<o:p> </o:p>

The
Rambam relates here to two aspects of the eternal
choosing of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>.
One aspect is that with the construction of the Mikdash
in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>, bamot became forbidden forevermore with no further
allowance in the future. This rule is based on the Mishna
in Zevachim 14:4-8, and especially the Mishna cited above: "When they came to Jerusalem, the bamot were forbidden, and there was no [further]
allowance" (Ibid., Mishna 8); and
also on the Mishna in Megila:
"The sanctity of Shilo has an allowance after
it, but the sanctity of Jerusalem has no allowance after it" (Megila 1:11). The prohibition regarding bamot remained in place even after the destruction
of the Mikdash, because the sanctity of the Mikdash in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
remains forever, it being an inheritance, as explained in the Rambam's commentary to the Mishna
cited above.

<o:p> </o:p>

A second
aspect of the eternal choosing of <st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City> is
that <st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Mount</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Moriah</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>
are the place of the Mikdash for all
generations. This assertion has great significance regarding the precise location
of the Mikdash described by Yechezkel.[6]

<o:p> </o:p>

In
Hilkhot Bet ha-Bechira
6:14-15, the Rambam writes as follows:

<o:p> </o:p>

How was it
sanctified? Through the first sanctification of Shelomo,
for he sanctified the [<st1:City w:st="on">Temple</st1:City>] courtyard and <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City> for his time and
for the future.

Therefore, all
the sacrifices may be offered even if there is no <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:City> standing. And the holiest sacrifices
may be eaten in the entire courtyard, even if it is in ruins and not surrounded
by a wall. And sacrifices of lesser holiness and second-tithe may be eaten in
all of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
even if there are no walls, for the first sanctification was for its time and
for the future.

Why do I say
regarding the Mikdash and <st1:City
w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City> that the first sanctification was for the
future, whereas the sanctification of the rest of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Land</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Israel</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>
regarding the Sabbatical year and tithes was not for the future? Because the sanctity of the Mikdash
and <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
is because of the Shekhina, and the Shekhina never left. Surely it
says, "And I will bring your sanctuaries to desolation." (Vayikra 26:32), and the Sages have said, even though
they are in desolation, they remain sanctified.

<o:p> </o:p>

The
assertion made by the Rambam (and other Rishonim) that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City></st1:place>
and the Mikdash were sanctified even for the future imply that the sanctity does not depend upon the
building, but upon the place itself. The reason for this is that
"the sanctity of the Mikdash and <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City></st1:place> are because of
the Shekhina, and the Shekhina
never left." In other words, since the source of the sanctity is the Shekhina, which is above time and place, the
sanctity is eternal.[7]

<o:p> </o:p>

<h4 style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify'>SUMMARY</h4>

<o:p> </o:p>

In
this shiur, we have tried to demonstrate that
the final Divine selection of the city took place in the days of Shelomo and that this selection was for eternity. We have
also tried to show the conceptual and halakhic
significance of this assertion.

<o:p> </o:p>

In
our next shiur, we will finish the topic of
the selection of <st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City>, by examining the
relationship between kingdom and Mikdash and
between the selection of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
and the selection of the kingdom of the house of David.

<o:p> </o:p>

FOOTNOTES:

<o:p> </o:p>

[1] According to the Mishna in tractate Kelim
(1:8) the sanctity of the city the walled area expresses itself in the fact
that sacrifices of lesser holiness and second tithe may be eaten there, that is
to say, it constitutes sort of an expansion of the Mikdash.

It should be mentioned in this
context that in several places in his commentary to the Mishna,
the Rambam understands the term Mikdash
as referring to the entire city of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>.
In his commentary to Ma'aser Sheni 3:4,
the Rambam writes on "Produce in <st1:City
w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City> and money in the medina": "'<st1:City
w:st="on">Medina</st1:City>' refers to all the cities of Eretz Yisrael
except for <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>."
Now, in other places where the Mishna distinguishes between
Mikdash and medina (rather than between
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City> and medina)
the Rambam offers the same explanation. Thus, for
example, regarding what the Mishna states in Sukka 3:10: "At first, the lulav
was taken in the Mikdash for seven days and in
the medina for one day," the Rambam
writes: "Medina refers to the rest of Eretz
Yisrael outside of Jerusalem; and I already
explained this in tractate Ma'aser
Sheni." According to his explanation, then, the Mishna
refers to all of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
as the Mikdash. See also the Rambam's commentary to Shekalim
1:3 and Rosh Ha-shana 4:1.

<o:p> </o:p>

[2] As we noted in the previous
lecture, the emphasis on the selection of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>
in this context is not accidental. It comes to negate the possibility that the
division of the kingdom will bring to a division regarding the place of the Mikdash.

<o:p> </o:p>

[3] Attention should be paid to
the fact that Scripture draws a connection between the government (the Tribe of
Ephraim versus the Tribe of Yehuda) and the place of
worship (the tent of Yosef versus <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Mount</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Zion</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>).
We shall later relate to this essential connection between the place of
government and the place of Divine worship.

<o:p> </o:p>

[4] Several other Midrashim are based on the assumption that <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City> is called "a resting
place." For example: "How do you understand 'And Damascus will be His
resting place' (Zekharya 9:1)? In the future <st1:City
w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City> will reach <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Damascus</st1:City></st1:place>,
as it is stated, 'And Damascus will be His resting place.' And there is no
resting place other than <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City></st1:place>,
as it is stated, 'This is My resting place for ever' (Tehillim 132:12). He said to him: And how do you
understand 'And the city shall be built on its own tel'
(Yirmiyahu 30:18)? He said to him: In
the future it will not move from its place (Yalkut
Shimoni, Devarim
792).

<o:p> </o:p>

[5] The Rambam
discusses the Mishna's assertion that it is <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City> that is
referred to as the "inheritance" in the verse: "For you are not
as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance" (Devarim
12:9). The relationship between these two concepts, rest and inheritance, should
be examined. We have already seen above the disagreement between Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Shimon (cited in the Gemara
on this Mishna, Zevachim
119a) regarding the meaning of these terms. Actually, four Tannaitic opinions regarding the matter are cited in that
passage: "Our Sages taught: 'For you are not as yet come to the rest and
to the inheritance.' 'Rest' this is Shilo,
'inheritance' this is <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>;
these are the words of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Shimon
says: 'Rest' this is <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City></st1:place>
'inheritance' this is Shilo
A Tanna of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">school</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Rabbi Yishmael</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> taught: Both terms
refer to Shilo. Rabbi Shimon ben
Yochai said: Both terms refer to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City></st1:place>." (Ibid.;
see also Midrash Tehillim,
psalm 132). The fact that different Tannaim
(incidentally, it is interesting that two different opinions are cited in the
name of Rabbi Shimon) understand the words "rest" and
"inheritance" as referring to Jerusalem and Shilo
in all the possible combinations teaches us that these two terms are close in
meaning, and that both of them find expression in both places.

<o:p> </o:p>

[6] This is an interesting issue,
because in the "terumat ha-kodesh" (see Yechezkel,
chapters 45 and 48), there is a very great distance between the city and the Mikdash, and it is important to define the location
of each of them. This, however, is not the forum to discuss the issue at
greater length.

<o:p> </o:p>

[7] Interestingly, the Rambam does not cite the words of the Gemara
in Yoma (54b) regarding the connection between
the Holy of Holies and the creation of the world, nor does he even mention the
Foundation Stone. On the other hand, the Rambam
describes at length (Hilkhot Bet ha-Bechira 2:2) the connection between the creation of man
and the altar on Mount Moriah: "And there is a
widespread tradition that the place where David and Shelomo
built the altar at the threshing floor of Arvana is
the same place where Avraham built an altar and bound Yitzchak upon it; and it
is the same place where Noach built an altar when he
emerged from the ark; and this is the altar upon which Kayin
and Hevel brought offerings; and the first man
brought an offering upon it when he was created; and from there he was created.
The Sages said: Man was created from the place of his atonement." The Rambam emphasizes the place of the altar, rather than the
place of the Holy of Holies, because the sanctity of the place of the altar
first came to expression through human initiative. According to this, sanctity
rested in the world as a result of human action from the beginning of creation.
The Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, chose a place
for eternity as a result of human action. This idea corresponds to the approach
that we have followed, that the Divine choice of "the place that the Lord
will choose" took human choice into consideration.

<o:p> </o:p>

(Translated by David Strauss)

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