Lesson 7

Jerusalem City of Justice (II)

Rav Yitzchak Levy

Tanakh

03.02.2016

Text file

07yeru.rtf

<a
/">The Israel
Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash</a>

Jerusalem in the Bible 
Yeshivat Har Etzion

Shiur #07: Jerusalem City of Justice and
Kingship

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Rav
Yitzchak Levi

In the previous shiur we addressed
the concept of Jerusalem as the city of justice, and brought proof of how
justice is integral to it.

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In the encounter between Avram,
Malki-Tzedek - king of Shalem, and the King of Sodom (which we discussed at
length in previous shiurim), two central motifs arise:

-         
The motif of justice:  Avram's
chooses to align himself with Malki-Tzedek, King of Shalem, by accepting bread
and wine from him along with his blessing and by giving him a tithe; at the
same time he rejects any connection with the King of Sodom, in order not to
be obligated to him in any way.

-         
The motif of kingship: from the literal text we understand that the
rulers of the region wanted to coronate Avraham over them, by virtue of his
stunning victory. The Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 42,5 on 14:17) teaches:

<o:p> </o:p>

"The Valley of Shaveh" Rabbi Berakhya and Rabbi Chalbo taught
in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman: There all the idolaters were humbled
and they cut cedars and made him a great podium and sat him atop it and they praised
him, saying (Bereishit 23:6), "Hear us, our lord: you are a prince
of God in our midst!" They said to him, "You are our king, you are
our prince, you are our god!" He said to them: "Let the world not
lack its King, nor let the world lack its God."

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The major hypothesis of this shiur is that there is
a fundamental, internal connection between kingship and justice: kingship is
the vessel by means of which justice can be manifest on the national level.

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We examined the idea of justice at
length in the previous shiur. Now, to complete the picture, we shall
address the precise definition of justice, and then examine the connection
between justice and kingship both Divine kingship and mortal kingship and
see how this connection is manifest and embodied in Jerusalem and in the
Temple.

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1.         The
Definition of the Concept of Justice

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What is justice ("tzedek")?
We are accustomed to using this term in the legal sense. But a review of the
sources and the etymology of the word itself reveal that "tzedek"
is closely related to the concept of "tzedaka" 
righteousness.

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Let us examine the meaning of this word
as it is understood by the Rambam, by Rav Hirsch, and by the Malbim all of
whom draw a distinction between "tzedek" and performing legal
justice.

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A. RAMBAM

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In his Guide for the Perplexed (Part
III, Chapter 53), the Rambam writes:

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The word "tzedaka" comes from "tzedek"
It means providing anyone who is owed something with that which he deserves,
and giving to everything that exists whatever is appropriate to it.

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One's obligations to others, in terms of positive traits such as
raising up anyone who falls this is called "tzedaka."
Therefore the Torah teaches, concerning the returning of a pledge, "It
shall be considered 'tzedaka' on your part' because by following the
path of the elevated traits you have already performed "tzedek"
with your thinking soul, because you have given it that which it deserves.

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And since any positive trait is considered "tzedaka," it
is written [concerning Avraham], "He believed in God and it was considered
tzedaka on his part": in other words, the trait of faith. Likewise,
may he be exalted, "It shall be a tzedaka on our part, that we
shall observe to perform."

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But the word "mishpat" means judgment as appropriate to
the subject, whether for acquittal or for revenge.

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The conclusion is that "chesed" means absolute
beneficence; "tzedaka" refers to any good that one performs
because of the advantage in this trait by means of which one brings one's soul
to perfection, and "mishpat" may result in either revenge or a
good result.

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The Rambam notes the internal connection between "tzedek"
and "tzedaka" (the latter term not being meant in the narrow
sense of "giving charity"), meaning "providing anyone who is
owed something with that which he deserves." This principle finds
expression in those actions which a person is charged to perform for others as
a result of his own positive traits, and he thereby brings perfection to his
own soul. The general term for any positive trait is "tzedaka."

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In light of the above, the Rambam draws
a distinction between three different concepts:

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·     
"chesed" = complete beneficence

·     
"tzedaka/tzedek" = giving others whatever is
appropriate to them, based on the giver's positive traits

·     
"mishpat" = judgment, "justice" in the narrow
sense

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B. RAV SHIMSHON RAPHAEL HIRSCH

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In his commentary on Bereishit 15:6, Rav Hirsch
writes:

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"Tzedaka" comes from the root "tzedek"
[It means] giving others what they need. Through the attribute of "tzedek"
every creation is accorded the conditions set down for it by Divine wisdom;
"tzedek" is the epitome of Divine providence, from man's
perspective it is the ideal.

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Commenting on Devarim 1:16, on the verse "You
shall judge with tzedek:

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"Tzedek" is the idea that lies at the foundation of
"mishpat" (legal justice); "mishpat" is the
organization of relationships between people and objects. According to the
ideal of "tzedek" it is the realization of "tzedek"
in the organization of things "Din" (law) is the result
arising from the general source of "tzedek" in relation to the
particular instance at hand.

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Rav Hirsch also connects "tzedek" and
"tzedaka," and explains that "tzedek" means
"giving others that which they need." His division of concepts is as
follows:

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·     
"tzedek" = the ideal substance

·     
"mishpat" = the actual organization of the
relationships between people in light of the ideal of "tzedek"

·     
"din" = the practical result of "mishpat"
in a given instance.

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C. MALBIM

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The Malbim addresses the definitions of
these concepts in various places:

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"'Tzedek' is where one acts beyond the letter of the law,
whereas "mishpat" represents the letter of the law"
(commenting on Tehillim 89:15).

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"'Tzedek' is midway between "mishpat" and
"chesed," insofar as it is composed of both. The "chesed"
that God performs with His nation is based upon "practical tzedek""
(Ibid. 85:11-12).

" And tzedek is where one deviates from the boundaries of mishpat
towards the laws of tzedek, to examine the matter and the parties at
hand, and to act beyond the letter of the law in accordance with the time, the
place, and uprightness" (Ibid. 89:15).

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The Malbim defines the concepts as follows:

<o:p> </o:p>

·     
"chesed" apparently means - complete beneficence

·     
"tzedek" = going beyond the letter of the law; midway
between "chesed" and "mishpat"

·     
"mishpat" = the letter of the law.

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D. JERUSALEM AND THE TEMPLE IN LIGHT OF THE CONCEPTS OF
"TZEDEK" AND "MISHPAT"

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Having examined the definitions of the
relevant concepts according to the above three authorities, let us now go back
to their connection to Jerusalem and the Temple.

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In Jerusalem and in the Temple, "tzedek"
and "mishpat" coexist, as Yishayahu teaches:

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I shall restore your judges as in the beginning and your advisors as at
the start, thereafter you shall be called the city of tzedek; a faithful
metropolis. Zion shall be redeemed with mishpat, and her captives with tzedaka
(Yishayahu 1:26-27)

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In accordance with these verses, the Gemara teaches (Shabbat
139a) that "Jerusalem is redeemed only with tzedaka."

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Elsewhere (Bava Metzia 30b), the
Gemara expresses criticism that matches the Malbim's definition of the concept
of tzedek:

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"Jerusalem was destroyed only because they judged there according to
the letter of Torah law and did not go beyond the letter of the law."

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Sodom, whose sin according to Yechezkel (16:49) was
that its inhabitants did not practice hospitality and did not help support the
needy and destitute, therefore represents the complete opposite of Jerusalem,
the opposite of tzedek: Sodom did not provide the poor and needy, or
visitors, with what was appropriate to give them as the Rambam explains; they
certainly did not act beyond the letter of the law, as the Malbim defines it.
[1]

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Now, having addressed the definition of
the concept of tzedek according to the various understandings of it, and
having viewed its implementation in this sense in Jerusalem and the Temple, let
us examine the connection between kingship and tzedek and mishpat
- in the sphere of Divine kingship and in the sphere of mortal kingship.

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2.         Divine
Kingship Tzedek and Mishpat

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A.     
MISHPAT BELONGS TO GOD (ELOKIM)" (DEVARIM 1:17)

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The principle set down in the above
verse that mishpat belongs to God, not to man is repeated in many
places.

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The name Elokim in biblical
sources is sometimes interpreted as meaning "judges," for example:

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- "His master shall bring him near
to the elokim judges" (Shemot 21:6).

- "If the thief is not found, the
master of the house shall be brought to the elokim judges [to swear]
that he did not put out his hand to his neighbor's good the cause of both
parties shall come before the elokim judges, and whoever the judges
condemn he shall pay double to his neighbor" (Ibid. 22:7-8).

<o:p> </o:p>

Thus, elokut Divinity means mishpat.

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This connection finds special
expression in the unusual mention of the matter of kingship at the conclusion
of the blessing of Restoring the Judges in the Amida prayer: "O
KING Who loves tzedaka and mishpat." The Tur writes:

<o:p> </o:p>

My brother R. Yechiel, of blessed memory, wrote: I always wondered about
the conclusion of this blessing: why is it different from every other blessing
of the Shmoneh Esrei" prayer in the matter of Kingship? For we have
established that adjacent blessings do not mention the matter of Kingship In a
book called Machzor Vitri I found that concerning mishpat it is
appropriate to mention God's Kingship, more than in the other blessings, as it
is written: "The King establishes the world by mishpat (Mishlei
29:4)." (Tur, Orakh Chaim 118)

<o:p> </o:p>

Rabbeinu Yechiel explains that the connection between mishpat
and malkhut (kingship) is expressed most prominently in the unique
formulation of the conclusion of this blessing during the Ten Days of
Repentance "Ha-Melekh Ha-Mishpat" literally,
"the King, the Justice." The King is Himself mishpat; there is
complete identity between Kingship and justice.

<o:p> </o:p>

Obviously, in the Mussaf service
of Rosh Ha-shana, the fundamental continuum of "malkhuyot-zikhronot-shofarot"
stands out, with God's Kingship depicted as taking stock and judging.

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B. EXPRESSIONS OF GOD'S KINGSHIP TZEDEK AND MISHPAT

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The revelation of God's Kingship in the
world is fundamentally bound up with mishpat:

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"For God is our JUDGE; God is our LEGISLATOR; God is our KING; He
will deliver us" (Yishayahu 33:22).

<o:p> </o:p>

Moreover, God's throne in the world rests on tzedek
and mishpat: for example; Tzedek and mishpat are the
foundation of Your Throne" (Tehillim 89:15); "Tzedek
and mishpat are the foundation of His Throne" (Ibid. 97:2).
[3]

<o:p> </o:p>

"Mishpat" and "tzedek"
directly characterize both the Divine creation and the process of redemption
and repair (ibid. 98:6-9).

3. Mortal Kingship With Tzedek and with Mishpat

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Just as God's Kingship is founded on tzedek,
so too is mortal kingship:

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"A king shall reign with tzedek" (Yishayahu
32:1); "It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, for a throne
is established with tzedaka" (Mishlei 16:12).

<o:p> </o:p>

Just as the name elokim denotes both Divinity and mishpat,
so the Torah calls leaders "judges," meaning not only leadership but mishpat
in the narrow sense of the word for mishpat is one of the purposes for
which any king is coronated (I Shemuel 8:6,20).

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Concerning the functions of the
institution of kingship, the Rambam writes:

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In all matters his actions should be for the sake of Heaven, and his intention
and thought should be to elevate the religion of truth and to fill the world
with tzedek, and to break the power of the wicked and to fight God's
wars, FOR A KING IS NOT CORONATED IN THE FIRST PLACE EXCEPT TO PERFORM MISHPAT
AND TO WAGE WAR, as it is written: "That our king may judge us, and go out
before us and wage our wars." (Laws of Kings, Chapter 4, Law 6).

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Even the King Mashiach will share this same mission:

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He will not judge by the sight of his eyes, nor decide based on what his
ears hear. He shall judge the poor with tzedek, and decide with fairness
for the meek of the earth, and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his
mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of his lips. Tzedek will be
the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reigns" (Yishayahu
11:3-5).

<o:p> </o:p>

Psalm <u1:metricconverter u2:st="on" ProductID="72 in">72
in</u1:metricconverter> Tehillim likewise dwells at length on this role
of the king:

<o:p> </o:p>

"A psalm of Shelomo: O God give Your judgments (mishpateikha)
to the king, and Your tzedaka to the king's son. Let him judge Your
people with tzedek, and Your poor with mishpat. Let the mountains bring
peace to the people, and the hills by tzedaka. Let him judge the cause
of the poor of the nation, bringing salvation to the children of the destitute,
and trampling the oppressor." (Tehillim 72:1-4).

<o:p> </o:p>

A similar plea is conveyed by the prophet Yechezkel to the
princes:

<o:p> </o:p>

"So says the Lord God: Enough, you princes of Israel! Remove
violence and robbery; perform mishpat and tzedaka; lift your
demands from My people, says the Lord God. You shall have just scales (moznei
tzedek), a just efa, a just bat" (Yechezkel
45:9-10)

<o:p> </o:p>

Many of the kings are described as performing mishpat
and tzedaka such as David, Shelomo and Yoshiyahu (in striking contrast
to Yehoyakim see Yirmiyahu 22:13). Yirmiyahu's prophecy to the house
of the King of Yehuda (Yirmiyahu 22:3-5) focuses mainly on the issue of tzedek:

<o:p> </o:p>

"So says God: Perform mishpat and tzedaka; deliver the
robbed from the hand his oppressor, and do not wrong do not violence to the
stranger, the orphan and the widow; and do not spill innocent blood in this
place And if you do not listen to these words, I swear by Myself, says God 
this house shall become a desolation."

<o:p> </o:p>

The above review shows that mishpat and tzedaka
are INTEGRAL PARTS OF A KING'S KINGSHIP, just as they are a condition for the
existence of the Temple (as we saw in the previous shiur).

<o:p> </o:p>

It is interesting to note that according to Chazal
(see Yoma 12a; Megilla 26a), the border between Yehuda and
Binyamin ran through the area of the Temple, such that the Sanctuary itself was
in the portion of Binyamin, while the various adjacent chambers including the
Chamber of Hewn Stone, the seat of the Sanhedrin were located in the portion
of Yehuda. This conclusion is induced (Sifri Devarim, piska 352)
from the verse in Yaakov's blessing, "The scepter shall not depart from
Yehuda, nor a law-giver from between his feet" (Bereishit 49:10),
which draws a direct and fundamental connection between kingship and mishpat.
[3].

In the previous shiur, discussing Jerusalem as a
city of tzedek, we noted the fact that tzedek and mishpat
characterize BOTH THE CITY AND THE SITE OF THE TEMPLE. Let us now try to
demonstrate that the uniqueness of Jerusalem is the encounter between the place
of earthly kingship and the place of Divine Kingship. Jerusalem, the capital
city, marks the city of mortal, earthly kingship. while the site of the Temple
represents the place of God's Kingship. In light of this we can understand the
close connection between mishpat and tzedek in the city and in
the Temple, and the kingship that they represent.

<o:p> </o:p>

4.         Jerusalem
and the Temple The Place of Contact Between Earthly Kingship and Divine
Kingship

<o:p> </o:p>

The fact that Jerusalem is a city of
earthly kingship requires no proof. From the time when David selects it and
turns it into the capital of all of Israel, Jerusalem becomes the capital of
all the Kings of Yehuda, until the last ruler of that kingdom Tzidkiyahu.
Avshalom already recognized the significance of this city as a city of
kingship, and therefore when he wanted to seize the kingship from David, his
father, he left Hebron and came to Jerusalem. Furthermore, the kings of the
House of David were also buried in Jerusalem. The graves of the House of David
were set right inside the City of David a clear expression of the connection
of the kingship specifically to Jerusalem. And obviously in later times,
too, Jerusalem was a center of national control.

<o:p> </o:p>

At the same time, in previous shiurim
we demonstrated the spirit of Hebron as a city of kingship. What, then, is the
difference between Hebron and Jerusalem? The difference is that Hebron is a
city of exclusively earthly permanence and kingship first over the Tribe of
Yehuda, and ultimately over all of Israel while Jerusalem brings together
both the place of earthly kingship and the site of the Temple the place of
Divine Kingship.

<o:p> </o:p>

This is the meaning of Chazal's
teaching that the Tribe of Yehuda has a portion in the Temple (the
south-eastern corner of the altar; see Zevachim 53b). The same idea is
symbolized by David bringing the Ark of God from Kiryat Anavim to Jerusalem
(rather than leaving it in Givon): Shelomo's decision to build the royal palace
in between the city and the Temple should be understood in the same light.

<o:p> </o:p>

A striking expression of the fact that
the kingship of Israel represents the Kingship of God is to be found in the
description of Shelomo in I Divrei Ha-yamim 29:23 "Shelomo sat
upon God's throne as king in place of David, his father, and he prospered, and
all of Israel obeyed him."

<o:p> </o:p>

In our context, it is interesting to
note the parallel between "the throne room where he would judge" (I Melakhim
7:7) and the structure of the Temple, where God reigns and judges all of the
earth [5].

<o:p> </o:p>

5. The Temple as the Place of God's Kingship

<o:p> </o:p>

We shall now bring several proofs 
particularly from the sphere of halakha that the Temple is the place of God's
Kingship.

<o:p> </o:p>

The first proof is to be found at the
end of the Song of the Sea [5], which is the first source where Israel express
their recognition of God's Kingship, and also the first appearance of the word mikdash.
We read (Shemot 15:17-18):

<o:p> </o:p>

"You will bring them and plant them on the mountain of Your
inheritance; in the place that You have prepared to dwell in, O God, the
Sanctuary, God, which Your hands have made. God shall reign forever and
ever."

<o:p> </o:p>

The Ibn Ezra comments (on verse 18), "When the Temple
is build to His Name then His Kingship will be beheld on earth."

<o:p> </o:p>

The Song of the Sea praises God as a
mighty warrior Who drives away His enemy, and hence as a great King Who
bequeaths His land to His people and builds a Temple as an expression of His
Kingship just as a mortal king goes before his people, conquers his
inheritance, and settles his people in it - and only when the nation is
established in the inheritance and his kingship is accepted only then is the
king's palace built, and he enters to dwell in it. The significance of this, in
the context of the Song, is that the entry into Eretz Yisrael [6] and
the building of the Temple represent a clear continuation of the revelation of
God's Kingship in the miracles at the Red Sea and the drowning of Pharoah and
his army. The Mekhilta, expounding on the verse, "God said to
Moshe: Why are you calling out to Me? Speak to Bnei Yisrael and let them
journey" (Shemot 14:15), says:

<o:p> </o:p>

Rabbi Yishmael said: "Why are you calling out to Me" by the
virtue of Jerusalem I shall split the sea for them, as it is written,
"Arise, arise; don your power, Zion; don the garments of your glory,
Jerusalem, holy city, for no more shall the uncircumcised and the defiled enter
you" (Yishayahu 52:1). It is also written, "Awake, awake, don
strength, arm of God. Arise as in ancient days, generations of old. Is it not
you who has cut Rachav in pieces and wounded the crocodile? Is it not you who
dried the sea, the waters of the great deep, and make the depths of the sea a
pathway for the redeemed to pass over?" (Ibid. 51:9-10).

<o:p> </o:p>

In other words, the process of the splitting of the Red
Sea and Israel's recognition of God's Kingship lead directly to the Temple in
Jerusalem; therefore, "by the virtue of Jerusalem I shall split the sea
for them." Thus the Song of the Sea contains the first mention of the
Temple the place of God's Kingship.

<o:p> </o:p>

Another Midrash (Tanna de-Vei
Eliyahu, chapter 17) points to the Revelation at Sinai as the event in the
wake of which God commands the construction of the Mishkan. According to
this Midrash, in the wake of the joyful acceptance of the yoke of heaven at
Sinai, God commands in a Divine response, as it were the construction of
the Mishkan. The acceptance of the yoke of heaven by all of Am
Yisrael invites God, as it were, to let His Divine Presence dwell amongst
them to reveal His Kingship in the Mishkan:

<o:p> </o:p>

What is the meaning of the expression, "On the day of his wedding,
and on the day of the rejoicing of His heart" (Shir Ha-shirim
3:11)? When Israel stood at Mount Sinai to accept the Torah, God watched and
said to Himself: Perhaps Israel will not accept My Torah upon them, just as the
idolaters did not accept it upon themselves, and then it will be decreed
against them that they will perish from this world and from the World to Come,
heaven forefend. But then, because [Israel] accepted the yoke of heaven upon
themselves joyfully, so God descended to them from the place of His honor and
glory, from the highest heavens, and said to them: "Can a woman forget her
nursing infant" (Yishayahu 49:15), and it says, "If I forget
you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget what it does; let my tongue cleave to
my palate if I do not make remembrance of you" (Tehillim 137:5-6).
And since Israel accepted the yoke of heaven with joy, and declared, "All
that God has spoken we shall do and we shall hear," God immediately told
Moshe to tell Israel to make Him a Mishkan, as it is written:
"Speak to Bnei Yisrael and let them make Me a Sanctuary, that I
may dwell in their midst" (Shemot 25:2,8)."

<o:p> </o:p>

As noted, this Midrash draws a clear connection between
the acceptance of the yoke of God's Kingship at Sinai and the command to build
the Mishkan.

<o:p> </o:p>

Another parasha which perhaps
testifies to the acceptance of the Divine yoke that brought about the command
to build the Mishkan is the parasha preceding the one above Parashat
Mishpatim. Here Am Yisrael accept upon themselves, practically,
the Kingship of God by accepting the "judgments, teachings, and
commandments"; in their wake comes the Parasha of Teruma,
commanding the establishment of the Mishkan (precursor of the Temple),
where their King will dwell in their midst.

<o:p> </o:p>

Structure of the Temple God's palace

<o:p> </o:p>

-    
In the books of the prophets we find several repetitions of the
expression, "The Ark of the Lord of Hosts Who dwells between the keruvim"
(I Shemuel 4:4). The keruvim are the royal throne; they are the
place where the King sits, as it were. God's "seat" is located above
the Tablets, the broken tablets and the Book of the Torah, all expressing the
eternal covenant between God and Israel.

-    
One of the reasons for the commandment to place guards at the Temple is
to show honor to the King: "A palace that has sentries guarding it is not
like a palace that has no sentries guarding it" (Rambam, Laws of the
Temple, Chapter 8:1, based on Sifri Zuta, Parashat Korach, on the
verse, "A stranger shall not approach").

-    
The formulation of the response to blessings in the Temple not
"amen," but rather "Blessed be the Name of His glorious Kingdom
for ever and ever" (Mishna Yoma, Chapter 3, Mishna 8; Chapter 4,
Mishna 2, etc.) emphasizes the fact that this place is the royal palace of
the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

-    
Obviously, prostration in the Temple expresses the acceptance of the
yoke of His Kingship and self-nullification before Him.

-    
Halakha rules that "Sitting in the courtyard (of the Temple) is
permissible only for kings of the House of David" (Sota 41b; Kiddushin
32b). It appears that the reason for this is that the kings of the House of
David are representatives of God's Kingship, as the text testifies concerning
Shelomo, "Shelomo sat upon the throne of God as king" (I Divrei
Ha-yamim 29:23).

-    
On Rosh Hashana, trumpets and the shofar were sounded in the
Temple: "A longer blast would be sounded on the shofar, and a
shorter one on the trumpets, since the special commandment of the day concerns
the shofar" (Rosh Hashana, Chapter 3, Mishna 3). The
sounding of the shofar is a distinctive symbol of coronation of a king
[7]. It is interesting that when Rosh Hashana falls on Shabbat, the shofar
was still sounded in the Temple, but not throughout the country [8] (Ibid.
Chapter 4, Mishna 1).

-    
The connection between Jerusalem and God's Kingship appears explicitly
in the formulation of the Kedusha of the Shabbat morning service among
some communities: "From Your place, our King, You will appear and rule
over us, for we are waiting for You. When will You reign in Zion May You be
exalted and sanctified within Jerusalem, Your city, for ever and ever, for all
eternity. And may our eyes see Your Kingship May the Lord reign for all time,
Your God, Zion, for ever and ever, Halleluyah."

Likewise, in the prayers of the High
Holy Days: "May You alone reign, God, over all of Your creations, in the
mountain of Zion, the dwelling place of Your glory, and in Jerusalem Your
holy city, as it is written in Your holy scripture, 'May the Lord reign for all
time, Your God, Zion, for ever and ever, Halleluyah."

- The most powerful expression of God's
Kingship is voiced at the dedication of the Temple, in Psalm 30 of Tehillim
(also recited in the prayer service of the High Holy Days): "Lift up your
heads, gates, and be elevated, you everlasting doorways that the King of
glory may enter. Who is this King of glory? The Lord powerful and mighty; the
Lord mighty in battle the Lord of Hosts He is the King of glory,
Sela!"

<o:p> </o:p>

6.         Jerusalem
 The Site of the Temple, the Sanhedrin, and the Kingship

<o:p> </o:p>

What arises from the above is that the
Temple brings together earthly kingship with the Kingship of God. And since
there is a profound inner connection between kingship and tzedek,
Jerusalem embodies all three of the nation's central institutions of sovereignty:
the Temple, the Sanhedrin, and kingship or, in the language of the Mishna (Avot,
Chapter 4, Mishna 13); "The crown of Torah (Sanhedrin), the crown of
priesthood (Temple) and the crown of kingship (the royal palace)." Or as
Rabbi Meir formulates is, in the Beraita in Chullin (56b): "A city
that embodies everything: the kohanim emanate from there, the prophets emanate
from there, the ministers emanate from there, the kings emanate from
there."

<o:p> </o:p>

These different aspects of Jerusalem
give rise to different names for the city:

<o:p> </o:p>

·     
As the seat of the Sanhedrin, the city is called (as we discussed in the
previous shiur) the "city of Tzedek" (Yishayahu
1:26), within which is the "habitation of tzedek, holy
mountain" (Yirmiyahu 31:22).

·     
As the site of the Temple, Jerusalem is called "the City of
God" (Tehillim 46:5; 87:3; 48:2,9); "the City of the
Lord" (Yishayahu 40:14; Tehillim 101:8); and the "Holy
City" (Yishayahu 48:2; 22:1; Nechemya 11:1,18).

·     
The "City of David" (II Shemuel 5:7; I Divrei
Ha-yamim I 11:5) since it is the city of the kingship of the house of
David, with the royal palace in its midst.

<o:p> </o:p>

It is possible that this unity is what
Psalm <u1:metricconverter u2:st="on" ProductID="122 in">122 in</u1:metricconverter>
Tehillim refers to, describing "Jerusalem that has been built as a
city that is all joined together" (Ibid. 3): a city that brings
together in its midst the "House of God" (ibid. 1) the
Temple; the "seats of mishpat" (Ibid. 5) the
Sanhedrin, and the "thrones of the house of David" (Ibid.) 
kingship [9]. Therefore this psalm emphasizes, "Pray for the PEACE OF
JERUSALEM, let those who love you prosper. May there be PEACE within your
walls, tranquility in your palaces. For the sake of my brothers and friends, I
shall say now PEACE be within you. For the sake of the house of the Lord our
God, I will seek GOOD for you" (Ibid. 6-9).

<o:p> </o:p>

"Jerusalem that has been built as a city that is all
joined together" bonds the city of David, the royal palace, and the House
of God into a single unit - including Temple, Sanhedrin and kingship - in peace
and tranquility. And by virtue of the unity of all Israel, who make their
pilgrimage to God's House, as described in this psalm, there is unity of the
kingship - which brings together all of Israel, the Sanhedrin embodying
tzedek, and the House of God.

<o:p> </o:p>

7.         Summary

<o:p> </o:p>

As a
complement to the subject of tzedek, we discussed here the definition of
the concepts of tzedek and mishpat, and saw that there is a clear
connection between the two major messages of the encounter between Avram,
Malki-Tzedek, and the King of Sodom: between kingship (the framework of
sovereignty) and tzedek, which is the spiritual principle that the king
must apply in his kingship.

<o:p> </o:p>

Thereafter we discussed the connection
between tzedek and mishpat and kingship both the Kingship of
God and mortal kingship. Conversely we saw that just as the city and the Temple
are meant to express tzedek and to perpetrate its influence in the
world, they are also connected to kingship. The city is connected to mortal
kingship, while the Temple expresses the Kingship of God. All of these give
rise to the glorious, royal manifestation of tzedek in both the Temple
and in the city.

<o:p> </o:p>

In the coming shiurim we shall
address hints at the site of the Temple on Mount Moriah, as well as the
identity of the place and the significance of its names.

<o:p> </o:p>

Notes:

[1] In this context we should address another meaning of
the name Shalem: the aspect of "shalom" peace. In his
article in Alon Shevut 88, Yosef Ofer shows that "shalom"
is a synonym for "tov" good. For example, "How pleasant
upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good news, announcing peace,
announcing good, announcing deliverance; that says to Zion: your God
reigns!" (Yishayahu 52:7); "We looked for peace - but no good
came, and for a time of healing but behold, sudden fear" (Yirmiyahu
8:15). Likewise, "peace" is the opposite of "evil":
"Who forms light and creates darkness; makes peace and creates evil I am
God, Who does all of these" (Yishayahu 45:7); "For I know the
thoughts which I think concerning you, says God thoughts of peace and not of
evil, to give you a remnant and hope" (Yirmiyahu 29:11). By quoting
these examples we seek to show that the high standards of behavior demanded of
Jerusalem are hinted at in both of its names: Tzedek meaning
"beyond the letter of the law," and Shalem the source,
according to some midrashim, of the word "shalom,"
meaning "good."

[2] This idea arises from many
different verses, for example: "He loves tzedaka and mishpat;
God's kindness fills the earth" (Tehillim 33:5); "Mighty King
Who loves mishpat You have established fairness; You execute mishpat
and tzedaka amongst Yaakov" (Ibid. 99:4).

[3] In this context of kingship and tzedek,
it is interesting to note the parallel between Avraham's pursuit of the kings
and David's pursuit of Amalek and the salvation of the captives and the
property a comparison that leads Chazal to derive (Bereishit Rabba
43,9 as quoted by Rashi on Bereishit 14:24) an interesting lesson as to
Avraham's concern for the portion owed to those who participated in the battle:
"Even though my servants entered the battle as it is written, 'He and
his servants, and they smote them,' while Aner and his companions guarded the
equipment, nevertheless 'let them take their portion.' And David learned from
this example, as it is written: 'Like the portion of those who go down to do
battle, so shall be the portion of those who guard the equipment together
they shall divide it' (I Shemuel 30:24). Therefore it says, 'And it was
from that day forward ("ma'ala" literally, upward), it
became a statute and a law' (Ibid. 25), rather than "hala" 
onward because the statute had already been set down in the days of
Avraham." This important parallel forms part of a series of parallels
between Avraham and David in matters of kingship, war, and tzedek. The
scope of this shiur does not allow for further elaboration.

[4] We shall address this at length in
the shiurim devoted to the reign of Shelomo.

[5] In one of the next few shiurim
we shall address the hints that the Torah gives as to a Sanctuary, even before
the command to build the Mishkan appears.

[6] Rashbam, commenting on Shemot
15:18, writes: "After you settle in Eretz Yisrael, the Kingship of
the Holy One will be recognized throughout all kingdoms."

[7] See I Melakhim 1:39; II Melakhim
9:13.

[8] The substantive reason for this
(over and above the principle of "there is no shevut in the Temple)
is that Shabbat itself also reveals God's Kingship in the world. The cessation
of all creative labor on Shabbat expresses man's recognition of the fact that
there is a King and Master over all of creation, and his very cessation of work
is His coronation. This is the significance of the prayer, "Those who
observe Shabbat and call it a delight shall rejoice in YOUR KINGSHIP the
nation that sanctifies the seventh day." Shabbat is the manifestation of
Kingship/Mikdash in time, while the Temple is the manifestation of
Kingship/Mikdash in space.

This is the reason for the many
connections between Shabbat and the Temple both in relation to the
commandments to show respect towards the Mikdash "You shall
observe My Sabbaths and show respect to My Mikdash; I am God" (Vayikra
26:2), and in the juxtaposition of Shabbat and the labors relating to the
establishment and operations of the Mishkan (Shemot 31: 12-17;
35:1-3), and what Chazal conclude from this concerning the thirty-nine
categories of labor forbidden on Shabbat, their nature, and the reason for
their prohibition.

This topic is a broad one, and we
convey here only the essence of the idea in order to show the fundamental
connection between the Kingship that is manifest in the sanctification of time
 Shabbat and the Kingship that is manifest in the sanctification of place.
On Shabbat in the Temple, God's Kingship is manifest in all its aspects time
and place, and therefore the shofar is sounded in the Temple even on Shabbat.

[9] There is room for considerable
elaboration concerning the division between the various authorities and the
balances that Torah and halakha set in place in order to facilitate
their proper, holistic operation, but this is of course a subject for
another shiur.

<o:p> </o:p>

Translated by Kaeren Fish

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