Shabbat MiTzion - Bamidbar

Bamidbar | 29 Iyar 5780 | May 23rd, 2020 | Issue 844

This edition is dedicated
in loving memory of
Mordechai Yosef ben Yitzchak David Friedland z"l
Menashe z"l ben Mordechai Yosef z"l and Miriam Friedland
Lorna Saffran z"l

Mazal Tov to Rabbi Yehuda and Ilana York (Washington, 2004 - 2007) on the marriage of their son, Neria Ben Zion to Shaked
Mazal Tov to Rabbi David and Noami Ansbacher (Montreal 1997 - 1998) on the occasion of their daughter, Shira's, engagement to Gilad Kahan

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Dedicated in memory of Yaakov Aharonov z"l

Yom Yerushalayim - What is in a name?

By Rabbi Dr. Moshe Pinchuk

Former Rosh Kollel in Melbourne (1998-2001)
Current Head of Jewish Heritage Center Netanya Academic College

On the third day of the Six-day War (28 Iyar, June 7) Eastern Jerusalem and the old city were liberated, the city was united and the Western Wall freed. A few months later, on the 8 of Tevet the Chief Rabbinate Council designated “the 28^th of Iyar as a day of thanks to Hashem for the miracles that occurred on that day and for the liberation of Jerusalem”. Four months later, on May 12, 1968 the Israeli government designated the 28^th of Iyar as the day of celebration of Jerusalem. It then took thirty years (March 31 1998) until this holiday was given binding legal status by the enaction of the law: “Yom Yerushalayim – 1998.” This law was passed through the initiative of M”K Chanan Porat z”l. The first section of the law declares the name of the holiday: “The Knesset hereby declares 28^th of Iyar as the Day of Jerusalem which is to be celebrated yearly as a national holiday, and will be named: Yom Yerushalayim”.

The chosen name, “Yom Yerushalayim” raises two questions: First, why does the name not include any reference to the essence of the holiday? Indeed, in the deliberations in the Knesset concerning this law, reservations were raised on this point. Some other suggestions were: “Deliverance of Jerusalem”, or “Unification of Jerusalem”.
There is a weightier question: “Yom Yerushalayim” appears in the bible in a single location, in the well-known Psalm “By the river of Babylon.” The verse there reads: “Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the Yom Yerushalayim; how they cried, `Strip her, strip her to her very foundations`” (Psalms 137, 7). “Yom Yerushalayim” means the day of the fall and destruction of Jerusalem. Talmud (Gittin 57b) interprets this verse to be referring to the destruction of the Second temple. Why would an expression of fall and destruction be invoked in the opposite context of redemption and rebirth?

Sanhedrin (90a) provides the foundation for a solution to these questions: “All measures dispensed by the Holy One, Blessed be He, are dispensed measure for measure”. Although the sugya discusses punishments in particular, this attribute of “measure for measure” applies to all modes of activity of G-d, in particular concerning our future redemption.
Bava Kamma (60b) says: "The Holy One, Blessed be He, said it is incumbent upon Me to pay for the fire that I kindled. I kindled a fire in Zion, as it is stated: “He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has devoured its foundations” (Lamentations 4:11). And I will build it with fire in the future, as it is stated: “For I, says the Lord, will be for her a wall of fire round about; and I will be the glory in her midst” (Zechariah 2:9)".

I suggest that it is this idea of “measure for measure” as the modus operandi in the process of redemption that finds expression in the name “Yom Yerushalayim” chosen. For two thousand years the words “Yom Yerushalayim” caused a shudder in the body of every Jew and awakened sorrow and mourning as he was reminded how the Edomites indeed did strip Jerusalem to her very foundations. But today, our generation has been granted the right to experience the rebuilding and renaissance of the glory of Jerusalem, we witness G-d fulfilling his promise, “measure for measure”, “And I will build it with fire in the future”.

By the same token, the expression “Yom Yerushalayim” too is redeemed and transformed, “measure for measure” to a statement of hope, joy, and rebuilding, the budding of our redemption. The expression with which Jerusalem was destroyed has now become the expression with which it is being rebuilt.

comments: moshe.pinchuk@gmail.com

For more Divrei Torah on the parsha click here

Throughout the year, our Shlichim in Memphis and Perth ran Bar Mitzvah programs for the students of the Memphis Hebrew Academy. This week, the Bachurim in Memphis brought the program to a close with a final session on Zoom and the Bachurim in Perth taught the boys about maps and compasses!

Corona isn't stopping Montreal's Shlichim! Or Eitan Ainie had a Chavruta with a member of the

community over Zoom!

So, to live in Jerusalem eh?
To grow up in Jerusalem is to wake up in the morning and to feel like you are in a normal city, a city like every other city.
To grow up in Jerusalem is to go to school in first grade, and you don't feel like living in Jerusalem is something special.
It's to continue on and grow up, to go to the youth groups in Jerusalem, go to after school clubs and activities in Jerusalem, to play soccer in Jerusalem.... even to do your shopping in Jerusalem, everything, everything is in Jerusalem. And it feels normal. It's normal that you live in this city, it's normal that you ride it's trains, it's normal that you ride its busses, it's normal that you wander around in the city, it's normal that you live there.
But then... something special happens, you grow up. You grow up and start to understand what all of the people meant when they looked at and said "wow, you live in Jerusalem?", the understanding of where you live, in what a special city you are growing up in, it starts to echo in your head... it echos and reverberates so much until you feel you can't leave the city, that you can't wait to return.

Yom Yerushalayim. This year on Yom Yerushalayim we celebrate '53 years. '53 years of freedom!
A city where it's not a normal thing that you live there, a city that if you grow up there you aren't growing up in a normal city. You must understand that you are growing up in a special place.
A city that "all of the generations are waiting and anticipating" said the commander of the IDF forces in Jerusalem, Motta Gur, during the six day war in 1967 moments before he entered the Old City.
Even though he was a footstep away from entering the walls of the Old City, he paused for a moment and spoke to the hearts of the soldiers.
So let's remember, Jerusalem isn't an ordinary city. It's a special city. For me - living here has great virtue. It's an honor to grow up here, to know it from the inside. For my blood and soul to be connected to it.

"ירושלים - עיר שחוברה לה יחדיו"

By: Shira Zanzuri, Bat Sherut at Torah MiTzion

The Kerem Shalom crossing is the central crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip. It is used to import and export equipment and goods from Israel to the Gaza Strip. The crossing is managed by the Land Crossing Authority of the Ministry of Defense
In recent years - after the Karni crossing closed, Kerem Shalom crossing became the only transit center for goods.
In accordance with civilian policy, an average of 800 trucks arrive every day in Gaza. These trucks carry food, medical equipment, fuels, construction materials, agricultural inputs, textiles, electronics and more.
Apart from the entry of goods, the Kerem Shalom crossing is also used to export goods from the Gaza Strip to the world, as part of the efforts of the Coordination Director and the link to the development of the local economy. Gaza currently markets mainly agricultural, iron, paper and skins sold in Israel, in the Judea and Samaria region and abroad.
The crossing is located near Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, in the area of the Triple Israel-Egyptian border, the Gaza Strip and the Gaza Strip.

Kol Hakavod to
Abigail Leichman
on providing the correct answer!

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Online learning opportunities

Yom Yerushalayim - What is in a name?

So, to live in Jerusalem?

Where was this picture taken?

Please send answers to -

arik@worldbneiakiva.org

The answer, further information about this location, as well as the name of the first person to recognize this site will be published in next week's edition.

Our friend Benjy Singer has a very useful website, www.israelb.org, which contains accurate and fresh information of what's going on in the Religious Anglo Community in Israel.