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"The houses of Jerusalem do not become defiled through nega'im" (Baba Kama 82b).
The Talmud explains that the houses in Jerusalem were not subject to the leprous spots described in this week's parasha because, as the Torah says (14:34), "And I will bring the plague of leprosy in the house of the land of your possession." Only a house on land parceled out to one of the tribes is subject to this affliction. But since Jerusalem was not divided among the tribes, its houses were impervious to this form of punishment.
What difference does it make whether Jerusalem belonged to an individual tribe or to all the tribes of Israel? If its inhabitants deserved tzara'at on their houses, they should have been afflicted with it.
Perhaps the Torah is telling us something about the power of unity. It is not that Jerusalem did not belong to any individual tribe, but that it belonged to all the tribes. It was everyone's capitol and everyone had a right to it and an obligation. The obligation was to preserve the unity of Jerusalem; to keep it whole and undivided; to buttress the achdut, the oneness and spiritual focus upon which the rest of the nation could build.
An individual might have deserved the terrible affliction of tzara'at, but the power of the klal, the fact that all of the tribes gave a part of themselves to this city, was sufficient merit to counter personal sin, even something as serious as speaking evil.
If only we could all give a little of ourselves to Jerusalem, then no affliction in heaven or on earth would be able to taint its glory or disturb the "peace of Jerusalem."
Yaacov Peterseil is a publisher and author, and the proud owner of a home in Jerusalem.
Parashat Hashavua The Content of Kingliness and Servitude
Based on Harav Shaul Yisraeli – from Shirat Hageula pp. 22-25
Rabbis in Midrash
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D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
