This morning I counted. There were at least ten times the name Yerushalayim, or its synonym Tzion, passed my lips. Before breakfast.
There was “shabchi Yerushalayim” in psukei d’zimra, “ohr chodosh al Tzion to’ir” in birchos Krias Shma, Boneh Yerusholayim in Shmoneh Esrei, another reference in Tachanun, one in the Yom, and others throughout Shacharis.
And then there were the other references to Yerushalayim but without her name, like the Yehi Ratzon after Korbonos and “Vi’ho’ ir asher nikro shimcho oleho.”
After a bowl of cereal, the Al Hamichya on it would mention Yerushalayim two more times. And for any meals including bread that might follow, one of the main brochos of Birchas Hamozon would have the Holy City as its subject, beginning with a reference to “Yerushalayim irecho” and ending “boneh b’rachamov Yerushalayim.”
And, of course, during the day’s two remaining tefillos, as in Shacharis, the Shmoneh Esrei includes a similar bracha.
It is hard to believe that any people, entity or government could arrogate to claim a closer connection than the Jewish one to the city nestled in the Judean hills, the city toward which praying Jews for millennia have faced thrice daily, and face to this day.
And it is even harder to believe that a government of a self-described Jewish State would even consider, much less announce, its contemplation of placing Yerushalayim on the cutting block of negotiations with an enemy.
Yet that is what is happening before our incredulous eyes.
There are Jews who, whether on religious or nationalistic grounds, reject without qualification the very idea of territorial compromise. Many of our Gedolim, however, have clearly stated that political sovereignty over land does not trump the attainment of peace and security. None of us charedi Jews deny, cholilah, the holiness of any part of Eretz Yisroel, but we know that the true, complete (territorially as well as spiritually) “Jewish State” will arrive only when Moshiach does, and that the Bayis Shlishi will be built by the hand of not man but Hashem. Thus, the reflexive form in the Yehi Rotzon: “May it be Your will that the Temple be [re]built.”
That said, though, “territorial compromise” with an adversary that includes duplicitous, hate-filled elements – elements that celebrate violence and make no secret of their goal of destroying Israel, elements that have time and again asserted themselves at will, brushing away the ostensibly more moderate among them like so much lint – is, to put it mildly, foolhardy. And the Israeli leadership’s apparent readiness to treat even Jerusalem, the very wellspring of the Holy Land’s holiness, like a salami to be shared merits an adjective considerably less mild.
Just days ago we were reminded of what lies on the “other side.” A Fatah rally in Gaza was attacked by Hamas forces who killed six and injured dozens. The PLO’s chief negotiator publicly rejected the notion that the Palestinians would ever recognize Israel as a Jewish State. Israeli leaders would have to be seriously deluded to imagine that offering such people a part of Yerushalayim will result in anything like a secure city.
One can only add to our tefillos the hope that those political leaders somehow experience some flash of recognition of what they are contemplating. That they blink a few times, shake their heads and remember just what Yerushalayim means to Klal Yisroel. That they come to open a siddur and not only read the words but pay attention to them; and say Birchas Hamozon, doing the same.
And that they then turn to their adversaries and say, without rancor but with full determination: “No. We’re sorry. Not Yerushalayim.”
To be sure, from a charedi perspective, it doesn’t make any inherent difference what temporal flag flies above the hewn stones of Yerushalayim’s walls. The city’s holiness is neither heralded nor preserved by such banners. But it is a fallacy of the most dangerous sort to imagine that the cause of peace could possibly be advanced by surrendering the heart of Klal Yisroel.
© 2007 AM ECHAD RESOURCES
[Rabbi Shafran is director of public affairs for Agudath Israel of America.]
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20 Responses
So why hasn’t the Aguda joined the coalition on this subject?11
so why hasn’t the Aguda joined the coalition to protect Yerushalayim?!!
Dear Divine Onion,
If you would like to join our effort, please email me at [email protected].
Thank you,
Yehiel Kalish
National Director of Government Affairs
Agudath Israel of America
I’m sorry I don’t follow the logic, someone help me. Why is Yerushalayim different? If we, as correctly stated above, are not against territorial concessions how is Yerushalyim different? If we believe that we cannot trust the other side, which we obviously cannot, what is the difference between trusting them regarding East Yerushalayim or any where else?
While the intro with davening and benching was nice, there was no follow through explaining why Yerushalyim is differnt. Someone enlighten me!
So, Rabbi Avi Shafran, why don’t you answer gemorakup’s question?
And the same goes to Rabbi Yehiel Kalish.
we are all hanging out here on this forum wating for some fortcoming enlightment.
Gemorakop-
You have rightfully earned your name.
“One can only add to our tefillos the hope that those political leaders somehow experience some flash of recognition of what they are contemplating. That they blink a few times, shake their heads and remember just what Yerushalayim means to Klal Yisroel. That they come to open a siddur and not only read the words but pay attention to them; and say Birchas Hamozon, doing the same.”
How sadly ironic! This “Tefilo” of Rabbi Shafran is pretty much contained in the Tefillah for the Medina that most Chareidi Shuls consider “yaharog V’al yaavor” to say!
“To be sure, from a charedi perspective, it doesn’t make any inherent difference what temporal flag flies above the hewn stones of Yerushalayim’s walls. The city’s holiness is neither heralded nor preserved by such banners.”
Oh really??? Tell that to the Jordanians who used the holy areas of Yerushalayim as a latrine before that “temporal” flag flew over those “hewn” stones. Such statements deny G-d’s role in the return of His people to Jerusalem, and as such border on complete heresy.
Maybe G-d is in the process of taking back much of what what he generously tried to give us, not because of the unholy “Zionists”, but because his Holy chareidim by and large turned their backs to His outstreched arm.
Rabbi Shafran’s decision to continue to live in the landfills of Staten Island over the Kedusha of Eretz Yisroel is just one small example of this continuing heresy by our so-called frum velt.
It is sad to see that Rabbi Shafran who writes excellent articles wrote this.doesn’t mean a word he says to Hashem.
“To be sure, from a charedi perspective, it doesn’t make any inherent difference what temporal flag flies above the hewn stones of Yerushalayim’s walls.” Whether you like it or not ,whether you understand why it is that way or not the fact doesn’t change that there is an inherent difference in TORAH LAW.In SHULCHAN ARUCH with all NOSEI KEILIM take a look at ORACH CHAIM SIMAN 561(TUF KUF SAMECH ALEF)HALACHA 1@2 ONE WHO SEES THE CITIES OF YEHUDA OR YERUSHALAYIM ‘BCHURBANAN’ SAYS ETC. AND TEARS HIS CLOTHES.The definition of ‘BECHURBANAN’ MEANS IN THE HANDS OF NON-JEWS SEE ALL NOSEI KEILIM.
“But it is a fallacy of the most dangerous sort to imagine that the cause of peace could possibly be advanced by surrendering the heart of Klal Yisroel.” Why not if sovereignty over the land does not trump the attainment of peace and security????
The fact that “we know that the true, complete (territorially as well as spiritually) “Jewish State” will arrive only when Moshiach does,” Does not ‘pater’you from any Mitzvah including living in Eretz Yisroel and not leaving it in the hands of non-Jews.
“and that the Bayis Shlishi will be built by the hand of not man but Hashem.”
The RAMBAM does say all the halachos of building the Beis Hamikdash including not at night and not on Shabbos for who ?(in case you don’t know the answer it is for all of Am Yisroel)
” Thus, the reflexive form in the Yehi Rotzon: “May it be Your will that the Temple be [re]built.”
Im Hashem lo yivne bais shav umlu bonav boi was said on the Beis Hamikdash.
#10 nice!!!
but giving j-lem will only make chelem –
no peace
they got gaza we got kassam
they got land we got sand
leave me alone
of course Yerushalayim belongs in the hand of Yiddim
i believe the esteemed Rabbi is referring to the position that there is essentially little difference from the standpoint of HaKodeshBarchu (although certainly there are practical differences) whether it is in the hands of Torah hating atheists or arabs.
The last paragraph is self-contradictory:
“To be sure, from a charedi perspective, it doesn’t make any inherent difference what temporal flag flies above the hewn stones of Yerushalayim’s walls. The city’s holiness is neither heralded nor preserved by such banners. But it is a fallacy of the most dangerous sort to imagine that the cause of peace could possibly be advanced by surrendering the heart of Klal Yisroel.”
If it doesn’t make any difference whose sovereignty Yerushalayim is under, then why does he call it “surrendering”? It would be the Zionists surrendering, not us, because Yerushalayim is to us the same holy city and heart of Klal Yisroel whether it’s under the Zionists or under the Palestinians, just as it was holy under the British, the Turks and every other empire that has ever ruled it.
Rabbi Shafran did you also count “ki bchataeinu etc. Yerushalayim veamcha lecherpa lchul svivaseinu”
Once you are interseted in the words you daven,may I suggest you learn the Hakdama to his Perush on davening by R’Yakov Emden in his Siddur Bais Yakov where among many other things he explains that facing Yerushalayim during Davening when you could be there and you are not is worthless.
It’s happening—Its coming closer to reality—-
the final battle will be over Jerusalem. Let’s hope and pray for ourselves and fellow Jews to be spared. We all know what’s going to happen….it’s WAY too scary to ignore.
If you want to hold on to Eretz Yisroel then more Jews have to live there. If two miilion Jews lived on the West Babnk instead of only 200,000, then it would not be up for negotiation. If the position of the Agudah is that there should be no territtorial compromise, then it should encourage Aliyah. Has anyone from Agudah encouraged Aliyah? Perhaps we are too comfortable here and would prefer our relative security here in the USA to fighting for EY in EY. you cant’s have it both ways. If you want a strong Israel that will hold onto the territories, then there should be a massive Aliyah. Writing some newspaper columns in New York does not create facts on the ground in EY.
If the SAUDI flag flys over the city, no Jews will be able to land in BenGurion Airport, so the rulers of the city is an essential point. Do not be afraid to say, ‘Zion is home’…
Rabbi Shafran is right on the mark. Yerushalayim to most of us is lip service. We think of yeushalayim as intensely as we do al hamichya; i.e. not at all. And when the government decided to part with the shtachim, the chareidi gedolim made a “shtiller” shmonei esrei. And guess what? There was something in the budget for everyone. Rabbi Shafran, don’t worry. Mordechai Ben David had it totally wrong. Yerushalayim IS for sale!
I would just like to say that I am personally offended by all of the hurtful and dangersous comments posted here. Rabbi Yehiel Kalish, (the director of government affairs for Agudath Israel of America) was kind enough to place his contact info and allow for actual dialogue to take place in a respectful manner. I am convinced that no frum jews wrote these comments, and think it is absolutely cowardly to attack someone on a web forum! If you really had what to say and cared about the future of yerushalayim, you would log off and go do something. Which if i might add, is excactly what Agudas Yisroel does every day!
Have a good shabbos!
The position of the Agudath Yisrael grieves me – and I daven in an Agudah shul!
With such weak positions and non-responses (did you see any reply from the venerable R’ Shafran?), we’ll all be saying Ba’shanah ha’ba’ah b’Al-Quds!
I think the underlying point of Rabbi Shafran is that if the Israeli government appreciated the inherent value of Yerushalayim, it would not consider giving it away.