Parashat Hashavua: The Way to Prepare to Build the Beit Hamikdash | Rabbi Yossef Carmel | Beit Midrash

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Parashat Hashavua

קטגוריה משנית

Torah Portion and Tanach
Emor

Parashat Emor deals mainly with the laws that are specific to kohanim, who served in the Mishkan and the Beit Hamikdash. Even the holidays, which are presented in the parasha, find special expression when they are celebrated in the nation’s spiritual center.

Our generations have new holidays – that are connected to Israeli independence – that fall between Pesach and Shavuot. These join Lag Ba’omer, which also can be connected, through Rabbi Akiva and his students, to Bar Kochva’s attempt for a return to independence, after the Second Temple’s destruction.

What is the connection between the aspirations for independence and to build a spiritual center for Am Yisrael in Yerushalayim? Understanding the connection between the establishment of the State of Israel and the liberation of Yerushalayim helps us appreciate our parasha.

Until the time of David, the people sufficed with the Mishkan in Shilo, which was brought from the desert. After Shilo was destroyed, public service moved to a "great altar" in Nov, which was not called a Mishkan because the Ark of Covenant was absent. After Nov’s destruction, it moved to Givon. Only under the reign of David, did preparations begin for a permanent Beit Hamikdash, more than 400 years after Bnei Yisrael left Egypt. Why? The reason for the delay will help us focus our efforts on building a Beit Hamikdash in the future.

As a pre-condition for establishing "the place that Hashem will choose to have His Presence dwell" (Devarim 12:11), it was necessary to fulfill "He will give you respite from all of your enemies around you, and you will live with confidence" (ibid. 10). The navi announces the attainment of that state of security, followed by David’s expression to the prophet Natan of his desire to build a Temple (Shmuel II, 7:1-2). Considering that most of the descriptions of David’s wars are in perakim 8 & 10, why is it that in perek 7, it already announces that David was secure from all enemies?

Perek 5 tells of David’s coronation by all the tribes of Israel, giving him a status as accepted and independent, and of his double defeat of the Plishtim, a nation that had subjugated Bnei Yisrael at various times. This is the first time in history that the nation was independent, even if it was still small and had enemies on its borders. For this reason, in Perek 5, Yerushalayim is presented as David’s capital over a united nation. In Perek 6, David brought the ark to Yerushalayim and thereby turned it into the nation’s spiritual capital for all generations. It became the place to build a Beit Hamikdash even if there would be wars after this point.

The two keys to paving a path toward the ultimate redemption are: independence and unity! 77 years ago, we were privileged to found an independent Jewish state, of which we dreamed for thousands of years. We have seen an incredible ingathering of Jews from every part of the world. And 58 years ago, we were blessed with the unification of Yerushalayim. The greatest challenge on the path to further stages of redemption is the need to guard the state and help it prosper. All need to take part in the privilege to defend it! All of this can succeed only if we continue to stand up united to our enemies, like one man with one heart, despite the differences between us. Only so will we graduate from a "temporary tent" to a completely built Jerusalem, to a unification between earthly Jerusalem and Jerusalem on high, a city that spreads light to the whole world.

Emor

Parashat Hashavua