A close friend recently visited Israel for the first time in his life to see his son in yeshiva. Although it is one city, it is really two, and we struggle to straddle between the two. The real Jerusalem needs schools and bus routes and garbage collection. It can seem like the exact opposite of the exalted holiness we expect.
A close friend recently visited Israel for the first time in his life to see his son in yeshiva. Although it is one city, it is really two, and we struggle to straddle between the two. The real Jerusalem needs schools and bus routes and garbage collection. It can seem like the exact opposite of the exalted holiness we expect.
A close friend recently visited Israel for the first time in his life to see his son in yeshiva. Although it is one city, it is really two, and we struggle to straddle between the two. The real Jerusalem needs schools and bus routes and garbage collection. It can seem like the exact opposite of the exalted holiness we expect.
By Rabbi Reuven Spolter, Director of Recruiting and Special Projects
A close friend – a relatively recent Ba'al Teshuvah -
recently visited Israel for the first time in his life to see .ֵּל ְך : ְלדָוִׁשד,ִׁש יר ַה ַםעֲלֹות ֵּ בֵּית ה' נ--ְאֹמרִׁשים לִׁשי ְ ב,ש ַמ ְח ִׁשתי . יְרּו ָ לִָׁשם, ִׁשב ְ ָערַיִׁש ְך-- ָהיּו ַרגְלֵּינּו,עֹמדֹות ְ ָ his son studying in yeshiva. After spending a week at a hotel in Yerushalayim, he came to us for Shabbat in Yad Binyamin .ַחדָוְ לָּה י- ֶׁ ֺח ְברָה, כְעִׁשיר--יְרּו ָ לִַׁשם ַהבְנּויָה before returning to the United States. :ָאלֵּ ִׁששר ְ עֵּדּות לְי--יָּה-ְטי ֵּ ִׁש ב,ָטים שם עָלּו ְ ב ִׁש ָ ֶׁ "How has your visit been?" I asked him. The look he gave me .' ְל ֵּ ם ה,לְהֹדֹות spoke to a certain degree of disappointment. Something לְבֵּית,ִׁשסאֹות ְ כ:ְמ ְ פָט ִׁשסאֹות ל ִׁש ְ יָ ְ בּו כ,כִׁשי ָ ָםה .דָוִׁשד bothered him, and I prodded a bit. .אֹהבָיִׁש ְך ֲ , ְ לֹום יְרּו ָ לִָׁשם; יִׁש ְ לָיּו,ַ ֲאלּו "It's just not what I expected. From the descriptions I had . נֹותיִׁש ְך ָ ְמ ְ ְב ר,יל ְך; ַ ְלוָה ֵּ ְחֵּ ָ לֹום ב-ְהי י ִׁש heard, I expected something different, ancient, and holier .מָא ָ לֹום ָב ְך- ֲא ַד ְברָה--ְרעָי ֵּ ַחי ו,ְמעַןַל perhaps. But it reminded me more of a shopping district in .ַק ָ ה טֹוב ָל ְך ְ ֲאב--ה' ֱאלֹקינּו- בֵּית,ְמעַן ַל Michigan than what I thought Jerusalem should look like." A Song of Ascents; of David. His comments highlighted a problem that Yerushalayim I rejoiced when they said to me: 'Let us go to struggles with both ideologically and logistically. Although it the house of the LORD.' is one city, it is really two, and we struggle to straddle Our feet are standing within your gates, O between the two. On one hand, Yerushalayim represents an Jerusalem; ideal, the meeting place between heaven and earth. It, as a Jerusalem, which is built as a city that is city, forms the spiritual and ideological center of not just the compact together; Jewish people, but the entire world. It serves as the seat of To there the tribes went up, even the tribes of justice for mankind; the footstool of God that connects us to the LORD, as a testimony to Israel, to give the Almighty. thanks to the name of the LORD. But then there's the other Jerusalem, the real Jerusalem – For there were set thrones for judgment, the the city where people have to actually live. That city needs thrones of the house of David. schools and bus routes and garbage collection. It has politics Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may they and internal strife and division. It, by necessity, needs prosper that love you. shopping centers and malls and municipal buildings. Peace be within your walls, and prosperity Garbage lies strewn in its streets. Like any other large city, it within your palaces. can seem like the exact opposite of the exalted holiness we For my brothers' and companions' sakes, I will expect. now say: 'Peace be within you.' For which Jerusalem do we pray when we recite the holy For the sake of the house of the LORD our God words ולירושלים עירך ברחמים תשוב ותשכון בתוכה כאשר I will seek your good. ?דברתFor which Jerusalem do we yearn for when, during the ברכת המזוןwe ask for compassion on ירושלים עירך ועל Even the introduction to the chapter, שיר המעלות לדודraises ?ציון משכן כבודךFor which Yerushalayim do we yearn each difficulty: how is this chapter connected to King David? If year on Tisha B'av? Do we shed tears over the loss of her David himself wrote this chapter, then the remainder of the ancient shopping malls? Do we chapter requires explanation. lament each year the After all, God did not permit King destruction of the Cardo, and David to construct the Beit the loss of the shuk of old? Hamikdash, so David never lived Hardly. The Jerusalem of our during the era of the Temple and dreams and nightmares is a could never have rejoiced as he city of virgins and priests, of walked under its gates. How then perfection and spirituality. could he author a text describing What do we do then, when like the joy of aliyah l'regel long my American friend, we come before the Beit Hamikdash was to the realization that real life even built? On the other hand, if often does not mimic our someone else wrote the chapter, dreams? How do we come to why then does he call the text a terms with the Jerusalem of song "to David"? the real, and fit that into our The chapter itself opens with a sense of incredulity, picture of the Jerusalem of the Ideal, which probably never amazement, even shock: "I rejoiced when they said to me: really existed other than in our imagination? The answers to 'Let us go to the house of the LORD." Really? We're going to these questions lie hidden between the lines of Tehillim 122. God's house? Is that even possible?! Then, we take on the At first glance, Chapter 122 of Tehillim chronicles the senses of the traveler, his eyes soaking in the scene as he celebration of the ancient city of Jerusalem in all her ancient walks under the gates of the holy city of Jerusalem, a city glory and splendor. The text of the chapter follows. that until that moment he had only imagined, dreamed of, yearned for. This is not just some normal "city." Rather, this is the unique There's a natural, almost predictable gulf between our and singular "city that is compact together". What does imaginary expectations of Jerusalem – a city of God, of Jerusalem combine and connect? She is interconnected - a spirituality, of holiness – and what we find when we get large and complete metropolis. But she also connects there. The oleh l'regel arrives to the Holy city with hopes of people together, and she connects the physical world to the majesty and splendor, and despite the overt miracles that spiritual world. Jerusalem serves as the bridge between took place in the Beit Hamikdash, the city is tightly packed, heaven and earth. Moreover, we're describing a city that overflowing and crowded. Our visitor finds himself standing represents the source of holiness and spirituality for the before merchants who know that he's carrying ma'aser Jewish nation, the seat not only of "a testimony to Israel" – sheni funds that he must spend only in Jerusalem, and have the presence of God on earth – but also the fountain of the undoubtedly priced their goods to match that expectation. Torah, justice and judgment, and the seat of the Kingdom of He wanders around a city that needs to deal not only with Israel, our national government. sacrifices, prayers and holiness, but that also depends on a Yet, after this majestic, wondrous description of Jerusalem, tourist economy which supports the year-round inhabitants something suddenly changes. We find a request that we, of the city. Suddenly, faced with this disappointing, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." First of all, this verse frustrating realty, the visitor begins to wonder, "Where is the represents a change in the identity of the narrator. We no Jerusalem that I imagined? What happened to the 'holy' longer hear the excited voice of the visitor to Jerusalem, but city? Where's the city 'that is compact together'? Where's someone else. Who is asking for our prayers? What does he the bridge between heaven and earth? All I see are malls, want? Amos Chacham in the Da'at Mikra commentary shops, hotels and crowds." explains, His mood upon departure from the city differs fundamentally from his arrival. Gone are his excitement, These are the parting words that the citizens awe and trepidation, replaced with disappointment and of Jerusalem say to those who came to visit for frustration, as he ponders the great gulf between his the holiday as the [visitors]y depart on their expectations and the reality that confronted him. journey homeward, saying, "Wherever you For this reason the city's residents cry out, "Pray for the are, ask in your prayers for the peace of peace of Jerusalem!" They tell our visitor, "Correct, it's not Jerusalem." what you expected. But were your expectations even realistic? Did you have to deal with the sudden arrival of To this request the travelers answer, millions of visitors for a week-long visit? Did you need to For my brothers' and companions' sakes, I will address not their spirituality, but their physical needs – now say: 'Peace be within you.' supplying food, a place to sleep, and even clearing the For the sake of the house of the LORD our God garbage from the streets? I will seek your good. Do we not have the same sense of frustration at times not just from modern-day Jerusalem, but also from our relatively What emerges from the end of the chapter is a young and new State? For two thousand years we yearned conversation, a discussion between the citizens of Jerusalem for it, dreamed about it, prayed for it, and fantasized about and the people who have come to visit and now stand to the wondrous return to Zion. "When will You reign in Zion?" return home. As they send the visitors on their way, the (Kedushah on Shabbat morning) "And let Jerusalem be people of Jerusalem call upon them to seek out the "peace" rebuilt…" (Grace after meals) But the moment that that of the city and ask for her well-being. To this the travelers distant, almost impossible dream came true in fact we answer affirmatively, promising to remember Jerusalem and began to have those same feelings of doubt and frustration pray on her behalf. articulated by my Michigan friend, feelings also felt by the From a certain perspective, the chapter omits critical visitors to Jerusalem mentioned in our chapter of Tehillim. Is fundamental facts. While we read of our travelers' arrival at this really what we hoped for? Where is the Kingdom of God the city and their departure, what happened in between? we prayed and yearned for so long? What took place between the time that our visitors arrived Why then is our chapter attributed to King David? The at the gates of Jerusalem and the moment that they take answer seems clear. Who knew better than David the great their leave? What happened during the visit? How was it? gap between one's hopes and dreams, and the reality of the Why are we suddenly discussing the "peace" of the city? facts on the ground? During the hardest, most strenuous Why is the city that we just described in wondrous, glorious battles, David persevered, driven by his dreams of building terms now asking for prayers and requests for her peace? the Beit Hamikdash and bringing God's glory to the world. Why does the chapter seem to skip a description of what And yet, despite his great plans, he never himself actualized was supposed to be a powerful, even life-altering visit, and his hopes. That task fell to his son to complete. And still he focus only on the arrival and departure? concluded his chapter with the words, "Peace be within your There's a fundamental difference between the arrival in walls." Jerusalem and the departure from it. We arrive at the city Despite the frustrations, we still pray that the dream one with eyes wide-open in awe, overcome by feelings of day finds complete fulfillment; that we merit to ourselves excitement bordering on trepidation and awe of the unique witness the shrinking of the gap between our expectations splendor of God's holiest city. But we depart from the city and the facts on the ground. We must continue to pray until with a different perspective, one that lacks that special we merit the experience described at the chapter's opening feeling. What changed? In truth, reality changed our point of when we will joyously proclaim, "Let us go to the house of view, leaving us with a sense of disappointment and even the LORD! Jerusalem, which is built as a city that is compact frustration. together."