Meir Goldwicht Bowing to the Glory of Yerushalayim ִעיר ׁ ֶשֻחְּבָרה ָּלּה ַיְחָּדוּ he very first time we find We find these two aspects once more special is that it is explicit mention of Har when we shake the lulav during Hallel – which the Yerushalmi explains as HaMoriah in the is on Sukkot. When one shakes the in Yerushalayim the Jews become None can stand .ֲחֵבִרים ֶזה ָלֶזה ,Twhen Avraham goes there to perform lulav, he must bow forward a little. united ה וֹ ד ּו Akeidat Yitzchak. Avraham actually We shake and bow once as we say and none can be victorious against Give thanks to“ , ַלה׳ ִּכי טוֹב ִּכי ְל ָעוֹלם ַח ְס ּדוֹ :ended up performing two acts there our achdut. he bowed and he brought a korban. G-d for He is good, for His kindness Since that moment, every time we lasts forever” – hoda’a – and once as On the eve of the Six-Day War, the ָאָּנא ה׳ ׁ ִהוֹש ָיעה ָּנא go up to Har HaMoriah, we are we say , “Please, G-d, Jerusalem Municipality, together with commanded to perform these two save now” – bakasha. the chevra kadisha, prepared tens acts.1 Today there is unfortunately no Mikdash and no kohen, so we pray The fact that these two aspects of thousands of coffins in the event to return to the way things were, in of hishtachavaya appear in so that they would need to bury a large Mussaf of the Shalosh Regalim. many places is a sign of their great number of casualties in a short period importance. Chazal tell us that every of time. In His abundant mercy, G-d The hishtachavaya (bowing) in the geula, individual or communal, is ensured that these coffins would be Beit haMikdash has two parts. One only in the merit of hishtachavaya: used to build sukkot in Yerushalayim. aspect is hoda’a, thanking G-d for Avraham merited to return from Har If you are united, G-d says, I will sit all of the good He has done for us. HaMoriah, Geulat Mitzrayim was you all together in a sukkat shalom. The second is bakasha, asking G-d only in the merit of hishtachavaya; Every one of those burial coffins was to provide what we still lack. Today, the Torah was given, Chanah was turned into wood of life. when we no longer have the privilege remembered, future exiles will be to bow in the Beit HaMikdash, ingathered and the Beit HaMikdash Yom Yerushalayim always falls one we find these two aspects of will be built and the dead will come week before Kabbalat HaTorah, one hishtachavaya in several places. For If we .ְּכִאישׁ ֶאָחד ְּבֵלב ֶאָחד back to life only in the merit of week before example, in two different places in hishtachavaya. the tefillah: on the one hand, we bow elevate Yerushalayim and establish as we say “Modim anachnu lach,” As we approach Yom Yerushalayim, it as our top priority, achieving that thanking G-d for our lives, souls, and we must recognize G-d’s kindness which Yerushalayim requires of us all of the daily miracles, wonders and and give thanks, but at the same time and demands of us, we will merit kindnesses He performs for us; on we must beseech G-d for the future, not only to return to the Kotel, but ָ ָ to once again ascend the mountain ְּבֵנה ֵב ְיתך ְּכַבְּתִחָילה ְו ֵכוֹנן ֵּבית ִמְקָּדׁ ְשך ַעל the other, we have a hishtachavaya .Build Your house as it once was itself, Har HaMoriah“ , ְמ כ וֹ נ וֹ referred to as nefilat apayim, through which we ask G-d to show us mercy, and establish Your Temple upon its accept our prayers, and save us for the foundation.” It is not enough just to sake of His Name. give abundant thanks – the Mishnah 1 Hilchot Beit haBechirah 1:1. teaches that we silence one who says, .(Berachot 5:3) ” מ וֹ ִד י ם מ וֹ ִד י ם“ These two aspects of hishtachavaya appear in Kabbalat Shabbat too. Summarized by a student of Rabbi Goldwicht. Exalt However, in order for our bakasha“ ,רוֹ ְמ ּמו ה׳ ֱא ֵֹלק ּינו ְו ִהׁ ְש ַּת ֲח ּוו ַל ֲהדֹם ַר ְג ָליו ָ ,to be accepted ְּבֵנה ֵב ְיתך ְּכַבְּתִח ָילה Hashem, our L-rd, and bow to His of we must show we are deserving. Rabbi Meir Goldwicht, a prominent Israeli רוֹ ְמ ּמו ה׳ ֱא ֵֹלק ּינו ;footstool” – is bakasha Exalt Hashem, our Therefore, it is incumbent upon us scholar and educator, is a Rosh Yeshiva of“ ,ְו ִהׁ ְש ַּת ֲח ּוו ְל ַהר ָקְדשׁ וֹ L-rd, and bow to His holy mountain” to remember – today more than ever ’s Mazer School of Tal- – is hoda’a. – that what makes Yerushalayim so mudic Studies

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