Yerushalayim- The Gateways of Prayer | Rabbi Yossi Goldin

new venue but nice to see uh all the familiar faces. Um and although I think I might have last couple of weeks forgotten to to do this but of course as always our learning should especially now with the renewal of the uh new new operation chariots of fire if I'm not mistaken chariots of Gideon. Chariots of Gideon. Thank you. Chariots of Gideon the microphone. Um I usually prefer to stand. No. Can you hold the microphone? I can hold the microphone if you'd like me to. Will that be easier? Okay. Usually I mean my if it's if it'll be easier for everyone to hear me, I will do my best. Sure. Just usually I'm pretty loud but Okay. Sorry. Big room. Okay. If this is better then uh then no problem. Um ah okay. Much better. Good. We even got a got an applause. Look at that. Um so as always that our our learning should be a a first of all a uh um for our hostages that should return home safe soon. It should be a rafu for all those who have been injured and all those families who have been impacted benef or um um during this war and um and it should be a continued feel that should give our leaders uh the wisdom to make the right decisions. Um so I wanted to um to take advantage of again the upcoming um days that we're in now where the upcoming yom next week is yam is on Monday and it's before our next class. So I thought this this uh this week was an appropriate time to do this when you're talking our the topic of our shar is um and if the topic of our is how could we not talk about what what what is the connection between file and well we dive in that we should return to true but even more fundamentally what is the relationship between us and excellent is the focus of everything that we do if you look we'll begin with source number one source number one is a very well-known gimra um which which discusses the relationship between and our source number one. This is uh a very important principle that has many ramifications as well. If someone is standing in it's outside of Israel is you should have in mind you should direct your hearts and your thoughts to Israel as it says in they should dive into you through your land and these that we're now about to quote in this are actually brought for you in source in source number two uh in source number two one of the filot that mole makes towards uh toward upon the building of the beta mikdash is that the beta mikdash should serve as the center for which am Israel will direct their and based on the various times and I underlined them for you in source number two your servant will dive in towards this place if you look at the next p in source number two the second underlined they should dive in towards this place if you look at the next time the next underline through the city which you have chosen. And of course the final underlined in source number two, excuse me, they will dive in to you through through their land which you have given to their forefathers, the city which you have chosen and the home that I have built for you. So based on these in in malim the garra establishes that when a person davins they should always be directing themselves towards you. Okay. Continues the in source number source number one the second line. What if you're standing in Israel? You're already you're already initi which you have chosen. This is actually something that pe that some people know but they mistake but they make a mistake about. If you ask people in Erit Israel if they're from if usually if they're from America and you ask somebody here in where do you face when you're ding when when you're dinging they automatically will say face east and the answer is well in in America you should always face east but if you're in Israel or you're somewhere else where facing east isn't facing yushahim then you shouldn't face east. The answer should always be you're facing yushaim. So where we are right now again I don't I'm not so good with the directions. I don't believe we're facing east. We're definitely facing that way. That's the direction towards we're in Jerusalem. That's the that's the way towards uh towards the old city. But the answer is is not east where in America that's just what we what we're used to. The answer is you're facing towards towards he just said if you're facing if if you're stand what if you're in the third line source number one you're standing in mikdash you should direct your hearts towards the mikdash as the says you will dive in towards this homed what if you're actually standing in the mdash what should we You should direct your heart towards the elim. What if you're standing in the or standing as close as you can? you should be directing it towards the the the cover of the Aon which is where which is where the word of God would would come down um to into this world. What if you're standing right there? If you're on the other side, if you're on the other side, you should see yourself as if okay continues or concludes the what's the result of all of this of all of this of this. If you're standing in the east, you should face west. Again, assuming that's the way towards towards the mikdash. If you're west, you should face east. If you're south, you should face north towards the towards. If you're north, you should face south. What result do we have from the fact that we're all always going to be facing towards that Israel are become one? They are unified in that they're all facing their hearts towards one location a in the name of Ravina. my what's the p that hints to this idea this is aimd no sorry excuse me David like the migdal Davidid the um the tower of Davidid which is not referring to what we call migdal Davidid today but this is referring to the beta mikdash the mikdal of Davidid your neck is like your your neck is just like the tower of Davidid i.e The mikdasho talp. It is built for towards talpot. Not talpot here but says what does talpot here mean? In this takote ponimbo refers to a mountain that all the people or all the faces or all the mouths are turning are turning towards it. And so with we get from here is that many of us are familiar with which is when we davin we we are meant to face yushim. is meant to be in our hearts and also physically to be the directions. Interestingly enough, if you look at the garra itself, the garra at seems to be a little bit inconsistent. At times it mentions libo to yushim and other times it says what's the difference between libo and panav means you should internally be facing your heart direct your heart. That's what you should be thinking about. What does panav mean physically? That's where you should be facing. So tophos in the source number three. Source number three, look at tofos. Tossfos points out that the garra should be changed. It shouldn't be libo. It should be pan libo. We should take out the word libo because what the what the gumar is really talking about is where should you be physically facing. Every time you dive in, you should be physically facing towards as it says in the oz just like the end talks about. So too says to us what what the really means to be talking about is where you should physically be facing. Although obviously I'm sure we could suggest that maybe the means to be telling us both. We shouldn't simply be physically facing towards Jerusalem. We should also be directing what else? Our hearts and our minds towards Jerusalem as well. The goal here is we could be facing what we could be facing towards Jewish line if we're thinking about the New York Mets or the Mets Yankees game that we just had a couple of days ago for those who are who are holding right then then that's not what we should be thinking about certainly not during our Dining okay and so and so we should be directing ourselves physically and certainly emotionally and spiritually thinking about thinking about Yushim and that is from this we see evidence of this not just in the Garra we actually see this in earlier sources in in the Vim if you look And source number four, Danielle when Danielle would the PK tells us that Danielle would face towards Daniel. When Danielle had something he needed to dive in for, we're not going to get into the context of what we're talking about there. There was something that he realized was happening and he needed to dive in. He went up into his home and he would face himself towards and three times a day he would get down on his knees. That's what that's how Danielle would dive in and he would dive in towards Jerusalem. So we already see that Danielle was also facing towards Jerusalem. And we learn from Danielle the importance of facing towards towards yushalim. Now this idea that yushaim is the location through which we are supposed to direct our is something that we already see much earlier in Tanakh as well. If you look at source number five this is uh the story of Jacob as Jacob is running away from his brother As the beginning of parad vets. As we know the story Yakov runs away. He gets to a certain place. Um, he has a dream and in that dream there's a ladder and appears to him and then all of a sudden he wakes up and he says, "Wow, I didn't realize where I was." Look at source number five gets up from this dream. This dream where he saw a ladder of angels and Hashem talks to him. Wow, Hashem is here and I didn't realize this is a holy place. He gets scared and he says this place is very is awesome. Norah means awesome. This is the location of the Bloim. This is the place again this seemingly according to the midrash. This is the location where is the house of God is going to be. And how else does he refer to it as Shah Hashayim? Says Rashi. What does Shashay mean? What does it mean? It's the gate of heaven. Look at Rashi. Source number six. This is the place through which allot go up to heaven. The gate means this is the part that where you unlock it and everything goes in. What Rashi is adding for us is a little bit of maybe this is how we you could have understood the earlier sources but now he's saying it explicitly which is when we direct our purpose isn't just simply to help us focus and to help us be all united. What we're trying to do is where is the location through which our will actually go up to heaven. That's the that's the implication of the concept of being hashim. When we dive in our tilot in a spiritual sense, they basically shoot out up to and they enter the heavens through the gate that we call zashar hashim means this is the gate through which our file enter heavens and and and rise up to to akadoshu. And so that is the that is the significance of of davening um and facing yushim when we do. Not just simply physically and spiritually but it's actually metaphysically the location the d the direction through which our fo go up to heaven. Now in order to really really understand this and to understand how not I wouldn't say how this works that's that's a little bit beyond me how it works but to really understand why or how yushaim acts as this connection we have to understand a little bit more about yushalim. I'd like to take a little bit of some time just to understand a little bit more and see some of the sources about the concept the nature of Jerusalem and the city of Jerusalem which hopefully we will be celebrating uh in a very meaningful way next week and and it and and the beginning starts with it actually starts with the following question. Who can tell me how many times in the five books of the Torah does the name appear? Zero. Very good. I see you guys you guys are already trained. Right. Right. The answer is zero. Zero. There is no in nowhere in the five books of the Torah is the name does the name Yusaleim appear. However, there are hints to the name Yusaleim. Okay. So look at so look at source number seven. This is the first place where the the beginning of Yusaleim appears. Source number seven is the story when Avam is he's just come back to fight and save Lot. And as he's coming back from that war, the Torah tells us the king of Shalim. He brought him bread and he brought him wine. And who is? He is the he is the coen. He is a priest to to Hashem. According to the medus, this is a reference to to shame. Okay, but the point is that we have somebody named Malitc who comes from a place called Shalame. And if you look here, I just brought for you very quickly on the top of page two. I brought that the medish the tarum son that says that he was actually shame the son of Noah who was how does he describe it mala dealeim. So this this place that is called now shaleim is actually seems to be the historical place called yushalim. But there is another time another name that is given to this place and that is in source number eight. Source number eight Abraham after Ara after after a after a taken off of the off of the altar and has brought the uh and has brought the the the the ram in init's place. What name does Ara give to the place? Hashem Hashem will see Hashem. Why? Because on this mountain, Hashem will appear. Means to see. Y means to appear. On this mountain, Hashem will appear. So we have we have Malit who gave the name of this place Shalim. And then we have Abraham who gave the name of the place to be year or so. So look at a fascinating really amazing medish med source number nine. There is one place where we see the name of Shalim and the name of the location of the beta mdash is called Shalimarc Shale and he is according to the medish. Okay, then we're going to skip now a couple of lines. Sorry, just for for time purposes. Four lines down the five words in isra the period there calls it year who hashem says the medishar had a dilemma shale if I call the place if we keep the name to be shame then I'm not going to I'm not I'm not giving credence to Abra's name called it yearto and if I just call it year which is the name that Abraham gave then I'm not giving credence to the name that shame that gave what did hem do he combined the two names and shale became shal if you take the hey and the olive and the of year is gamatria 6 and you replace that with av which is the gamatria 6. It became yusha lame. Now where did yalam come from? We're going to get to soon. But the biblical name in many places is actually written without the yud and it is yushim. The proper name where did yushim or yushim come from? It is a combination of the name and the name Shal that came together to be shimmukah. So what we see here now is that the name actually is is a connection between two different names that were given to Tanak that we went to this place prior in Tanak. And as we know in the world of Judaism, the name of something very much signifies its essence. Okay? Where that's why that's why my parents give a name to a child. There's a lot that they're thinking about there that they have for that child. We believe that when you give a name to something, you are capturing its essence. If the name Yusha is really what we would call a of two different names, perhaps what that hints to is that Yusha in its essence is a is a city of connection, is a city of is a city of connection. That if we pay attention and we think about what Jerusalem is, who Jerusalem is, Jerusalem in many different ways is a place of connection which is born about through the development of its name coming from connecting two different names that were priestly given. Is there a question? Oh, sorry. I thought I saw so therefore and in fact the concept of Jushim being a city of connection we've seen many different places look at source number 11 look at look look at at at a few this is a few that are that are relatively wellknown let's go to the house of right our our our legs were standing up towards the gates of yushim that is rebuilt. What does it mean? That it is connection that they they are connected together. We're going to see soon exactly what that means. But what's clearly being highlighted here is something is being connected through the city of Jerusalem. So the question I want to ask is well what what's being connected. So let's start let's throw it out there. What have we seen so far? What does Jerusalem connect? Who slhat what does Jerusalem connect? Ah so the first thing we've seen which is exactly what we've seen we called Shah Hashim. The simple understanding is what does connect? Connects heaven and earth. It connects man to God. It is the place. It is the actual place of location of connection. Excuse me. When we talk about being what it means it means that is this is the place where we connect to Hashem where heaven meets earth and earth meets heaven. as we're going to see it goes it goes in two in two in two different directions and in fact look at source number 12. Source number 12 is a kimar also a very very important that highlights this connection my means amongst you there is holiness but I will not come to the city says the makes no sense that seems to be counterintuitive if there's holiness you should come to the city Because there is holiness amongst you, you won't come into the city. That's counterintuitive. This is what meante says, "I will not come to the up in heaven until I will be found or I will be able to come to the shel." Meaning only once the beta mikdash was built and akareshu had a place in what we would call him mata. Only then did akadeshu come to what what he calls the yushima mala. Ask the garraimala. Is there actually a yushimala? Is there something called the city of up in heaven in says the garra? Yes. Yes, there is because the city that connects things together. So what are we talking about here that they that so yushim acts as a connector between the lala mata and theim lala yushim signifies in so many different ways this connection between heaven and earth between man between man and and god and in fact I didn't bring I don't think I brought it here but there is a um fascinating there is an actual source I think it's rabuaya forgive me for not bringing it here he actually says that's why in many places in tanakh the name is actually written without a yud it's yushim which is more consistent with the actual name that we saw before year and shalim. However, why in other places is it called yushim because there are two yushims? Because the name yushim yushim implies pairsim raglim. Okay yim. So yushim here. Why do we call it yushim? Because we're actually referring to both the yushim shamala and the shamata. They are the point of connection between the two of them and they are really one and the same. The point which mata goes up to is our hashim and when we refer to we're actually referring to to both by the way I heard it twice last. I I I have to double check. I believe it's but I have to I have to I have to check. I have the source um I don't know why I didn't bring it here. Um but yeah but that I have I have it somewhere. I'll try to I'll try to find it. This understanding of your line can actually help us understand a very very interesting rashi in safer. Yes. Sorry. Isn't it also the question very ah we'll get to that. We'll get to that. It's not it's not it's not mutually exclusive. It does both. You're 100% right. You're right. Good. We'll get we we'll discuss it soon. We'll discuss I don't know exactly what you're referring but yes I believe that that's also what does a po is is the city of connection. It connects it connects man to God. heaven and earth. It also connects all of Amish is together. But we we'll get to that. I'm a little confused. What is the What is the shaala? That's a great question. I can't tell you that I fully understand that. That's we all have questions. What's going on? What's going on up in heaven? But but we the gamarra is clearly referring to the is clearly referring to some kind of parallel of of what what we have in this world up in Shamim. Now, I don't know what that is. I can't I I'm not even going to try to go there. But to me what it signifies is this concept of connection. The fact that the Sha Mata has a parallel up up in Shamala means that this this this is the point of connection. This is the point where our file go up. This is a point where we're able to connect in a deeper way because there is a parallel to Shaa mata up up in heavens. What exactly that looks like? I can't tell you. Hashem is up there. That's the whole point. Well, sure. For sure. What exactly does what what does Shyamala look like? I I I can't tell you. To me, it's more symbolically the symbolism of showing that there is something parallel to the holy city here or something up there and and therefore it it highlights the spiritual nature of your and the connection between between this world and and and the heavens. Okay. Yes. Okay. So look now this can help us understand another p an interesting pik which and rashi which the truth was many of us have read before have probably seen and may not have fully properly understood. This is a story in safer bacius. This is a story when when Yoseph and Binyammen are finally first reunited after Yoseph reveals himself to his brothers and the Torah tells us the following thing. What happened when Yseph and Bin Yemen come together? They cry on each other. Yoseph cries on the neck of Binyam and he cries. Sorry. He falls on his neck and he cries. Andy cried on on his neck says Rashi. What does this crying signify? Why was Yseph crying? Yseph was crying because of the two B mikdash that were going to fall out right near because we know that we know that itself is not in anyone's but it's it's physically in the of Yehuda and Binyamin the beta mikdash is in the of and therefore Yoseph was crying about the beta mdash that was going to be destroyed in the of and why was crying al- Mishkanilo he was crying about the Mishkanilohat that was going to be in the in the in the in of and it was going to be destroyed. Now this is very very nice and many of us may be familiar with this. But the real question we have to ask ourselves and this really is something we should do methodologically whenever we read a rashi like this. Where did Rashi get this from? Where did Rashi get that the concept of them crying on each other's necks all of a sudden has symbolism to the beta mikdash and to and to Mishkanilo? It might be true and if this is based on the medish where did the medish get this? There's always a hint to the medish or to the perish somewhere in the puk. And where is that hint here? So look at look at the marshall. Look at source number 14 that Maharsha in his commentary on the earlier Gumar makes the following suggestion. He says the key the key hint here is the neck. The fact that they cried on the neck the neck represents Bamikdash or Shilo. Now how does the neck represent Betamash or Shilo? Look at what the Marsha says. Source number 14david the mikdash is similar to a neck in what way because it's at the high point of a person. So too, the beta mikdash is the pinnacle of of the Jewish people. And therefore, the symbolism of the neck, the neck represents the beta mikdash. And so, Yoseph falling on Binyammon's neck must have been crying about the beta mikdash. And and Bin Yammen falling on Yoseph's neck must have been crying about the Mishkan. Beautiful. But I think there's there's another interpretation that I heard to the same idea why the neck is important. A little bit different from the Marsh. I heard this from from somebody by the name of Rabbi Mosh Shapiro. Shapiro was a great bal and great and bal here in Jerusalem and he made the following suggestion. He said the neck isn't just a high point. What is the neck on a person's body? It connects body to the head. Connects the body to the head. Another way of saying is it connects our seal. It connects the spiritual part of who we are with our physical body. And in that way a neck is similar to the beta mikdash because as we as we've been discussing what does the beta mikdash act as our connection between this physical world and the spiritual world and that is what the beta mikdash represents the beta mikdash represents the connection between our physical world this world between heaven and earth and that's what a neck does on a person and therefore when yose fell on binyam's neck he was crying about that point of connection and it must be he was crying about the betam Bdash says Rashi and and Miny must have been crying about about about the about the Mishkan. And so that we now understand if we understand and bet as being this point of connection, we can now better understand that Rashi which many of us are familiar with. But now hopefully we understand on on a on a deeper level. If you look at source number 15 or by Arya Kaplan uh who has a great book, it's a very small book. It's called Jerusalem the Eye of the Universe. Much of what I've gotten from this shure and and more in general comes from that book. It's it's a very small book. It's a white book. If you've never seen it, I recommend getting it. It's really really beautiful. All the sources, everything you need to know about is in this very small compact book. And he adds on one other point. He says that this concept of yushim being shashim goes both ways. Until now, we've been discussing it as being the place where our filot go up to heaven. says Rabbi Kaplan, it's also the the vehicle through which anything that God gives us comes down through Jerusalem. Source number 15, the fact that Jerusalem is the gate of heaven has another important implication. Just as things can go in through a gate, so they can emerge. Thus, all spiritual sustenance and blessing come only through Jerusalem. As it is written, God will bless you from Hashem. Everything God all the braha that we receive in this world comes through and in this in this in this in this point is tion can sometimes refer to sometimes it refers to all of Israel here the understanding is it's coming referring to and all the blessing that god gives to us on a metaphysical spiritual level comes down through yushalim is this gate through which we connect to heaven and through which heaven connects to us. Yes. Can you also say that the two people who named it also represent that Abraham is the spiritual what's the association we have with them the sessions the physical that the two each one represent each of them that's very very it could again if you understand that that is reference to to shame then it takes on a little bit of a different meaning because he's more spiritual as well but it's a very it's a very it's very good point yes yes very good very nice very nice okay so so what we've seen so far is Jerusalem is a city of connection. One type of connection that is created through Jerusalem is this connection between man and God between between heaven and earth. And in fact another way of understanding this is why we face towards Jerusalem when we dive in because as we said it is the vehicle it is the location it is the sh through which our file go up to heaven but in another sense Jerusalem was also the place of the corbanote and as we've spent m much time talking about the last few months we've been talking about failah our fa in many different ways is meant to is meant to be patterned after the node and therefore it's totally natural that we would be turning towards look at verse number 16 again This is a source that all of you should be familiar with from from our many times going over it. Rabio Amar Rabios the son of Khan says he he understands that that theot were established by theote that theot correspond to the sacrifices to the used to be brought in the bidash and as we've noted it's not necessarily the answer is that they're probably patterned after both of them but much of the many of the regarding come from come from the come from things connected to the corba note. So look at number 17 describes this beautifully in light of a number of concepts already discussed is it is easy to understand the relationship between prayer and sacrifice. The slaughtering and burning of the animal sacrifice symbolized the subjugation and destruction of the animal in man. Meaning the way he's understanding is that we are made of two different two different sides that pull at us at different points in time. have the spiritual side of man and then there is the more anim animalistic more physical side of man. When we bring a sacrifice what that represents is we are trying to subjugate and conquer the animalistic side within man. When the animal was burned on the altar it returned to its elements and descended on high. When a person brought a sacrifice he was able to meditate on this nullifying his animal self and liberating his spirit so that it could commune with God. That is what was meant to be accomplished through the sacrifice. The soul then returned to its own element which is the spiritual. Therefore, the bringing of the sacrifice was a highly mystical experience. The Hebrew word for sacrifice corban comes from the root karov meaning close since it brought man close to God. The concept of prayer is very similar to this. When a person stands before God, he becomes a total spiritual being totally divorced from his animal self. The only difference is that instead of experiencing this through sacrifice, the individual does it through prayer. And so here we see the connection between and corbanote. And it's totally natural that when we are davening something and we are taking advantage of of a way to come close to Hashem which is meant to be patterned after corbanote the place that we would be facing would be yes it's very interesting this idea of this connection. We're also made a lovely which is maybe It involves the people of Jerusalem that they should all be connected to. With that, we will now turn to the next source. The other source which is what you mentioned as well is the city of connection. It is not just the city of connection between between man and God, between heaven and earth. It is actually there's no reason why you would have no right. Look at source number 18. What is another meaning for the for the is the city that combines that connects to it together says that what does that mean? This is the city that unites the Jewish people. And if you think about it, it's very logical. It's exactly what the first source we said was. Why did the first source the Garra said that when we when we when we dive into Hashem, we need to face Yushaim. It wasn't just as we saw so that our prayers will go through. What did the Gamarra conclude? The Gammorra said at the very end, all of Israel are now united in directing their hearts towards one place. There is a special nature to Jerusalem in that it is the unifier of AmIrael. By the way, many many commentators point out that is why was not was not in any specific shvit's portion was not divided amongst any of this. It happened to fall in the portions of Yehuda and but officially it belonged to nobody. Why? Because it doesn't belong to anyone Jewish belongs to all of us to all of Israel. And that is and and and in that way sorry that makes sense 100%. Exactly. Exactly. So yushim acts as a place does not just unify us with hashem it unifies us unifies us all all together. In fact if we understand this we could also explain a fascinating uh maharal. The Maharal in source number 19 talks about how why it was that the sin of baseless hatred was the reason for the destruction of the second bet. Many of us are familiar that the first bet was destroyed because of the three big sins because of murder, adultery and aod and the second bet was destroyed because of says the it had to be that way. Well, I look at source number 19. Each of the beta of the mikdash were destroyed for concepts and reasons that were connected to them. It was because of baseless hatred that was destroyed. I already discussed this in detail earlier. What does and the beta mdash what is one of its main's functions to unify the Jewish people through the beta mikdash and then by extension through we become one people because there was one that everybody had to bring their on at the time of when there was a mdash you couldn't each build your own altar Everyone had to come and bring all of their towards mikdash through the beta mikdash is became one nation. Once all of a sudden we had this this this predominance of where Israel themselves created division amongst themselves. There was no longer unity between the Jewish people by definition says the Maharal on a spiritual plane. There could no longer be a beta mikdash because a beta mikdash is only powerful. It only exists when we're unified. If we create that disunityity within ourselves that necessitates says the maharal on a spiritual level the destruction of the beta mikdash. That's why he says once there was division amongst the Jewish people. This place was destroyed because its whole existence was to unify the people through the hatred of that is why the was the cause of the betam mikdash because the betam mikdash was there to unify us to create that unity and when we and when we ruin that unity we create that division The beta mdash all of a sudden spiritually is now able to be destroyed and ultimately physically able to be able to be destroyed just because of time I want to if is it quick so let's let's wait if that's okay let me see if we have time at the end if we have time at the end I'll take a question okay with that statement so afterwards if we have time revaria kadlin in his in his book actually discusses the role that you played in connecting am in a very very beautiful way source number Among the most dramatic of these observances were the three annual pilgrimages right we call aliel there are three festivals sukkot pesak and shàuote during which in the days of the temple the Torah required every Jew who was able to make a pil pilgrimage to the place one second I got to turn the page also chosen by God the Torah thus states three times a year shall all your males appear before the Lord your God in the place which he shall choose on the feast of Matsot on the feast of Shàuot and on the feast of Sukkot. So God commands all of Amish Israel to come together which meant that actually not just spiritually this was a unifier. Physically Jerusalem was the place of unification of unity. During these pilgrimages Jews poured into Jerusalem from all over the world. They renewed friendships and exchanged news. As a result, the Jews were united and molded into a single people. But most important, all this was done within a context of holiness and serving God. The fact that so many people were gathering in worship would reinforce all of them religiously and morally. So much so that in the course of these pilgrimages, no Jew would be suspected of harming another in any way. thinking just if you think think of a modern version of this if those of you who have have privilege to gone to the to the to the gal on and marching with tens of or thousands and tens of thousands of people in or being there on onim that concept of being in Jerusalem walking around the old city and seeing thousands or tens of thousands of people has a spiritual effect on you imagine if it was now many many more millions of people were coming to Jerusalem let's forget about the practical point of of of of of of how that would happen. Let's assume it would happen if they made if they made room for everyone in the beta mikdash, they could make room for all of the Jews in within within Jerusalem. And so we now by all reuniting within your it would strengthen ourselves spiritually as well. Thus united the Jewish people in a context that directed this unity towards the unity of God. The unity of ami is akus was meant to elevate our relationship with this helps us understand and this is a this is a key point why the place chosen by god had to be a city. What is a city? Besides a mere concentration of people it is a place where civilization grows and develops. The very concentration of people in a city results in an exchange and growth of ideas. It is therefore no coincidence that the growth of civilization in general has historically emanated from its cities. While the farmlands provided food for the body, the cities provided food for the mind and soul. As Rahers points out, the Hebrew word for the city ear comes from the same base as the word ur to awaken. It is the city that awakens mankind, bringing out his best creative instincts. Indeed, in the Torah, we find that the building of cities led to many of the most important developments of civilization. The focal point of Jewish civilization was to develop a relationship with God. And this too required a city. Jerusalem became the place where Jews from all over the world would gather to exchange ideas and develop a civilization enhancing this relationship. Vital to this process were the temple and the many teachers of Torah who lived in Jerusalem, which will be discussed later. But in general, it was Jerusaleim that was the city, the awakener, arousing and motivating the Jew towards his mission. It is not very surprising that our sages teach that yushaim is the highest realization of the concept of a city. And so Kaplan is highlighting in beautiful beautiful language is how yushaim acted as this unifier of the people. Number one it was the place that belongs to all of us. It is the place that officially belongs to all Jews. It doesn't belong to any specific shvet. It is the place which we in our minds are all focusing our tilot and our hopes and our dreams and our and everything that we're that that we're looking for is all directed towards Jerusalem. And then as Kaplan points out physically as well, it was the place where all the Jews gathered three times a year, not just to have a good time with each other, but all unifying coming together all in the service of a bar. So that we would each come and we would be imbued with spirituality and with a certain level of excitement to then go back to our homes and continue hopefully on a great on a higher level in our in our service of God. And so yushim the beauty of yushim is the power of of connection. And I think this also highlights and this is the last source we'll do and then we'll just we'll summarize what we what we what we've seen today. This also notes the fact that by the way when we think about our felot the fact that felote ju just just to be careful I don't want you uh the fact that our felo are not just dav are not just said for ourselves but even fo and we dive in we dive in not just for ourselves we dive in also for one second here there we go just watch your step we dive in also for for all of ami Israel as we've mentioned the text of our besides but see we're being something that we try to do as a community. The text itself is in the plural. When we dive in, we don't just dive in for ourselves. We dive in for our friends and we dive in for our for our community and for our nation. So look at source number 21 as Yehuda Levy said this is by Saxs as Yehuda said in the Kosari individual prayer is like protecting yourself by building a wall around your house house. Collective prayer is like joining with others to maintain the wall around the city. The wall around the city protects everyone, not just me. Besides which, when I pray for myself, I may pray selfishly, asking for something that may directly benefit me, but may be harmful to others. If I sell ice cream, I want the sun to shine. But if I sell umbrellas, I want the rain. If I sell umbrellas, I want the rain to fall. Praying together, we seek not private good, but the common good. Communal prayer is not just an expression of community. It is also a builder of community. Just like yushaiim acts as a unifier when properly understood should act as a unifier because when we dive in and we dive in either physically incore in a community or at least the words we say are communal we're meant to not just be thinking about ourselves also important to think about yourselves but you should also be thinking about what are the needs of my neighbor what does the person next down down down the row from me look need how can I make his life better what should I be praying how can I pray for what does my community want? What does my nation need? These are the things we are meant to be thinking about not just in our but also come about through through Jerusalem. And so I'll just to summarize and then I'll take I'll take a comment. Um today we talked about um the city of Jerusalem. We noted that Jerusaleim is the place through which we are hikally meant to dav. We're meant to face both physically and spiritually and mentally when we dive in. We're supposed to be thinking about our hearts and our minds should be directed towards yushim as should our body. We should be turning our body towards yushim. Why is that? Because as we saw from yakov yushim is the hashim. It is the gate through which all of our travel. We pointed out that in order to really understand this we have to understand a little bit more about yushim. The name is a connection a combination of two names that were given by different by or by and shale become yushim. And what we see from that is that if if the name came about through a connection through a combination that means the essence of its name the essence of yushim is a city of connection. It is on the one hand a city of connection between heaven and earth between man and god. On the other hand as we noted as well it is also the connection. It is also the place of connection between man and man connects us all either through our all of us directing our to one direction or through physically coming together and and coming together to serve and we noticed at the very end was that if that's if meant to be a unifier on many levels is also meant to be a unifier. It is not just meant to be a place where we dive in for just ourselves. It is meant to be a place where we dive in for all of our Israel. And so it is very appropriate that all of our the connection between our and we're truly privileged to be standing here just to think about it for a second standing here in Hakodesesh place for thousands of years Jews were domining towards thinking thinking about and and it is it is the place through which we direct all of our hopes and our national hopes and our personal hopes and our national aspirations and dreams and uh and hopefully um we will be able to appreciate that uh a little bit more of this. Yomi yes comment say personal reaction of why I think this idea of connection with you is so terrific especially for me because when I started to make aliyah here you realize I'm coming everyone's Jewish and they don't know me and I don't know them so how are we connected so I said you know what I'm going to do I'm going to wear a name tag so half the people who see me think I'm crazy and now when they think I'm crazy I'm going to quote Oh, beautiful. You know, and say that this it's not me. There's a whole dash on this that that that that that is meant to be a place of connection. And therefore, dove wears his name text that he is able to connect with everyone around him and they should connect with me. Beautiful. And they should connect with you. And I think what it also means is that even on a deeper level, even if we don't know everybody's names, although we should learn everyone's names, there is an inherent connection that we all have which we should be Yes. But it it should be it should be realized in in in in a in a greater way. Yes. Thank you. Be able to integrate this client can to integrate them. I don't know. I'm just asking you know because some you follow. No, I'm not sure I understand the question. Sorry. He said the mitzvah Noah. Oh, the b Noah. Correct. Before before before the Torah was given. They were given up before the Torah was given. Correct. That was that would but that's more a connection with all of mankind as opposed to as opposed to the Jewish people. That's a totally a bit of a different a different I'm not sure though. I think that's meaning the are meant to be for the Beno. Those are the Beno who are not the sons of Ara. They should that on that day go by the religion that they happen by. Yeah. You don't put we all put them together. Yeah. I don't think we put it together. I think that the world that's that's that's a that's a totally totally separate issue. Yes. I just see two two more comments and then we'll finish. Yes. You said that when was the first time that you said it wasn't mentioned in the when was the first time it's mentioned as where is the first time it's mentioned as yushlay proper that's a very good question I I I I don't know if I had to guess and how was this physical land area chosen to be how was it chosen told that this is the area that he should purchase so all these buildings are all these all these buildings Okay. Yes. L last comment question. [Music] In the times of Msiah, is the Shyamala going to come down? Excellent question. I don't know what's going to happen in the times of Msiah. I think there are sources that talk about there are sources that talk about the beta mikdash coming down. Does that is that what the Sha Mala is? Is that actually how it's going to work? There are others who argue that we have to build the beta midash. this all the sources connected to the times of Msiah are purposely and the Raab writes this explicitly vague because we're not meant to spend too much time trying to understand them because we'll never properly understand them. No one really knows exactly what's going to happen during the times of Msiah until they actually happen. And while it's important for us to be continuously striving to bring Msiah, we shouldn't necessar explicitly spend too much time trying to understand the real understanding of these gimmaras because we can misunderstand them. And there's a big mlo uh amongst the different Jewish thinkers regarding what exactly is going to happen. But it's an it's an excess there will be some kind of reunification exactly how that's going to look, what that will look like. Will that only be spiritual? Will it be physical? There's a lot of a lot of different discussions about that. Okay. Hey, wishing everybody a wonderful week and of course a happy Omu Shallayian.