A Taste of Torah in Honor of Shabbat
by Rabbi Avi Weiss

Parshat Shoftim
7 Elul 5758/ August 28-29, 1998


In this week's portion and elsewhere, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) is referred to as "the place where God will choose--hamakom asher yivhar Hashem."  (see for example, Deuteronomy 17:10)  One wonders why the Torah speaks in such indirect terms?   Why isn't Yerushalayim ever referred to in the Torah by his name?

Dr. Abraham Joshua Heschel, in his classic work, "The Sabbath," notes that the Torah places greater emphasis on sanctity of time than sanctity of place. Heschel argues that the acquisition of anything material is surely a legitimate concern.  But life goes wrong when the acquisition of things becomes one's sole concern.  For, "to have more does not mean to be more."

From this perspective can it be suggested that in order  to de-emphasize the importance of land, even Yerushalayim, the holiest of places, is not referred to by name.

Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik on the other hand, points out that there are two types of holiness of place.  One--kedushat makom--is a holiness which is initiated by the human being, i.e, a synagogue.  In such cases, the place remains holy only as long as human beings maintain its holiness.  A synagogue which is bereft of spirituality loses its sanctity.

There is however, another type of holiness of place.  This holiness is created by God himself--and hence called kedushat Shekhinah--the holiness of God's presence.  Once made holy, its sanctity lasts forever, regardless of what happens there.  The place of kedushat Shekhinah is Yerushalayim.  As Rambam points out, "The sanctification of the Temple and of Yerushalayim is because of the Shekhinah and the Shekhinah can never be withdrawn."  In other words, as God is eternal, so the holiness which God establishes in Yerushalayim remains forever.

Perhaps for this reason the Torah, when referring to Yerushalayim, specifically uses the phrase "the place where God will choose" to make clear that Yerushalayim's holiness is chosen by God.  Its holiness is everlasting, it stands above all.

Another thought comes to mind.  Maybe we can understand why Yerushalayim is called the chosen place by comparing it to the nation of Israel which is called the chosen people.  As Israel is chosen to be the light to the nations of the world, Yerushalayim is chosen to be the light to the Jewish people. After all, the Temple, which emits holiness is in yerushalayim; And the Sanhedrin (the Jewish High Court) which is the centerpiece of justice, is also in Yerushalayim.  Hence, Yerushalayim is the catalyst that gives spiritual and
ethical direction to the nation of Israel.

Note the parallel.  Israel's choseness does not mean that Jews are intrinsically superior or inferior to others, rather we are chosen to redeem the world.  Similarly, the level of holiness of Yerushalayim depends in great measure on the light that shines from it.

All this is an appropriate theme for these weeks preparing us for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  The high holydays are days of teshuvah--return. Rav Avraham Yitzhak Kook argues that the teshuvah refers to the hopeful return of the Jewish people to Israel and to its eternal capital-Jerusalem.  Whether we fully realize that return and develop Yerushalayim as the capital of justice and holiness for ourselves and the entire world--depends on us.

SHABBAT SHALOM

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Rabbi Avi Weiss, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale
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