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Yeru+Shalem</title><link rel="stylesheet"
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<p>The first time we encounter Yerushalayim (<a
href="https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.14.18" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer
noopener nofollow">Bereishis 14:18</a>), it is under the rule of Malki-Tzedeq,
a “<em>kohein leKeil elyon — </em>a priest of the most high
G-d”, under the name “Shaleim”.</p>
<p>The other half of the city’s name begins with Avraham’s naming
a nearby mountain, “<em>har Hashem yir’eh</em> — Mount
‘Hashem Will be Seen'”. Today it is called Moriah, the Temple
Mount.</p>
<p>Notice that Yerushalayim was first the city of Shaleim, of wholeness
(שלמות) and peace (<em>shalom</em>) and the city’s relationship to
the Almighty follows.</p>
<p>And we find a related idea in a comment by Rabbeinu Yonah on the <em>gemara
</em>(<a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Berakhot.30a.9" target="_blank"
rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Berakhos 30a</a>). The <em>mishnah </em>(on
28a) tells us to daven facing the <em>Qodesh haQadashim</em>. The <em>gemara
</em>finds two verses to prove this, both by Shelomo haMelekh. The first is a
quote of his prayer said at the inauguration of the First Beis haMiqdash,
“וְהִתְפַּלְל֣וּ אֶל־ה’ דֶּ֤רֶךְ
הָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֣רְתָּ בָּ֔הּ
וְהַבַּ֖יִת אֲשֶׁר־בָּנִ֥תִי לִשְׁמֶֽךָ׃
— and they pray to Hashem in the direction of the city which You have
chosen, and of the House which I have built to Your name.”</p>
<p>For some reason, after expounding on this <em>pasuq</em> as a source for
the law of facing Yerushalayim, the Beis haMiqdash and the Qodesh haQadashim
when davening, the <em>gemara </em>asks for the source of the obligation in a
<em>pasuq</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="rtl">אָמַר רַבִּי אָבִין, וְאִיתֵּימָא
רַבִּי אֲבִינָא: מַאי קְרָאָה?
״כְּמִגְדַּל דָּוִיד צַוָּארֵךְ בָּנוּי
לְתַלְפִּיּוֹת״ — תֵּל שֶׁכָּל פִּיּוֹת
פּוֹנִים בּוֹ.</p>
<p><a class="namedEntityLink" href="/topics/ravin"
data-slug="rabbi-avin-(ambiguous)">Rabbi Avin</a>, and some say <a
class="namedEntityLink" href="/topics/rabbi-avina"
data-slug="rabbi-avina">Rabbi Avina</a>, said: What is its verse? “Your neck
is like the Tower of David, built with turrets [<i>talpiyyot</i>]…”
(<a class="refLink" href="/Song_of_Songs.4.4" data-ref="Song of Songs
4:4">Shir haShirim 4:4</a>) — the hill [<i>tel</i>] toward which all
mouths [<i>piyyot</i>] turn.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>One might take this to mean that because we all follow Shelomo’s
declaration to face the Miqdash when davening, as a consequence, all praying
mouths will be turning to the same mountain.</p>
<p>But not Rabbeinu Yonah! He writes (<a
href="https://www.sefaria.org/Rabbeinu_Yonah_on_Berakhot.20b.5"
target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">20b, ad loc</a>):</p>
<p class="has-text-align-center">כדמפרש ואזיל <strong>כדי
</strong>שימצאו כל ישראל מכוונין לבם למקום
אחד</p>
<p class="has-text-align-center">As it goes on to explain: <strong>so that
</strong>all of Israel will aim their hearts to the same place.</p>
<p>Shelomo didn’t tell us all to face the <em>maqom haMiqdash</em> when
praying because it is holy, a connection point to G-d.</p>
<p><em>Shalom </em>and <em>sheleimus</em> come first, and only then it is the
place where Hashem’s Presence is experienced. The Temple Mount is the
holy place we face when <em>davening</em> because it was chosen to be the one
place the Jewish People would be unified around when trying to connect to the
Almighty.</p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>
<p>(With thanks to Rav Menachem Zupnik for pointing out the implication of the
one word “כדי” in that Rabbeinu Yonah.) </p>
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