Jerusalem Anthology - Inheritance

Thou bringest them in, and plantest them in the mountain of Thine inheritance, The place, O LORD, which Thou hast made for Thee to dwell in, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Thy hands have established.

מקדש ה׳ The accent on it (the word מקדש) is a Zakef Gadol (a disjunctive accent) which serves to separate it from the word expressing the Divine Name (ה׳) which follows it, so that the translation is: “The sanctuary which Thy hands have established, O Lord”. The Temple is an object of affection to God because the Universe was created by one hand — as it is stated, (Isaiah 48:13) “Yea, My hand hath laid the foundation of the earth” — whilst the Temple by two hands, as stated here (cf. Mekhilta). And when will it be rebuilt by God, with the two hands? At the time when “the Lord shall reign for ever and ever”: at that future period when all the kingdom will be His.

בהר נחלתך, on the Temple Mount, of which it has been said in Genesis 22,14 בהר ה' יראה, “on the Mountain of the Lord He manifests Himself.”

Four are called an inheritance (nachalah). The Holy Temple is called an inheritance, as it says “…on the mount of Your heritage…” (Shemot 15:17) The land of Israel is called an inheritance, as it says “…in the land which the Lord, your God, gives to you as an inheritance…” (Devarim 25:19) So too the Torah is called an inheritance, as it says “From the gift, to the streams (nachliel)…” (Bamidbar 21:19) And Israel is called an inheritance, as it says “…My people and My heritage, Israel…” (Yoel 4:2) The Holy One said: let Israel, who are called inheritance, come to the land of Israel, which is called inheritance, and build the holy Temple, which is called in heritance, in the merit of the Torah, which is called inheritance. That is why it says ‘on the mount of your heritage.’ “Directed toward Your habitation…” (Shemot 15:17) this is one of the indications that the throne below is aligned with the throne above. So too it says “The Lord is in His Holy Temple. The Lord-His throne is in Heaven…” (Tehillim 11:4) And it says “I have surely built You a house to dwell in (bet zevul); a settled place for You to dwell in forever.” (Melachim I 8:13)

“For when the foundations were destroyed…” Rav Yehudah and Rav Eina, one said ‘if Hezekiah and his supporters had been destroyed then what would the Righteous have accomplished?’ and one said ‘if the Temple were destroyed, then what would the Righteous have accomplished?’ Ulah said ‘if the thoughts of that wicked man were not thwarted, then what would the righteous have accomplished? The verse makes sense according to the one who says it refers to the thoughts of the wicked one, that is why it says “for the foundations were destroyed.” So too according to the one who says it refers to the Holy Temple, as it is taught, there was a stone there from the time of the first prophets, and it was called shetiyah. But according to the one who says it refers to Hezekiah and his supporters, where do we find that righteous people are called foundation? It is written “For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and He placed the world upon them.” (Shmuel I 2:8) Or one can demonstrate it from here “He gave marvelous counsel, made great wisdom.” (Isaiah 28:29) Rebbe Yochanan said, why is it (the Torah) called wisdom (toshia)? Because it wears out (mateshet) one’s strength. Another explanation: because it was given in secret due to the accuser. Another explanation: formless words of on which the world rests. Another explanation: David said before the Holy One, if you have left and abandoned Ya’akov, who is the foundation of the world, as it says “the righteous is the foundation of the world,” (Mishle 10:25) what acts have You done for the ones who keep the commandments? If wicked ones arise and destroy the foundations which face the deeps, the righteous of the world…R’ Yannai said: When a king of flesh and blood enters into the storeroom, he doesn’t know what is in the bed chamber. Not so the Holy One! “The Lord is in His Holy Temple. The Lord-His throne is in Heaven…” (Tehillim 11:4) Looking out and gazing upon all the dwellers of the earth – but no eye sees Him. This is one of the instances when the throne below is aligned with the throne above, as it says “You shall bring them and plant them on the mount of Your heritage, directed toward Your habitation…” (Shemot 15:17) And so to it says “I have surely built You a house to dwell in…” (Melachim I 8:13)

for ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth thee.

כי לא באתם FOR YE SHALL NOT HAVE COME [UNTO THE REST] all those fourteen years of conquering and dividing the land. עד עתה is the same as “by that time”. אל המנוחה [FOR YE SHALL NOT HAVE COME YET] TO THE REST — This refers to Shiloh, נחלה [AND TO] THE INHERITANCE — This refers to Jerusalem (Siphre; Zevachim 119a).

... “For you have not yet come…” (Devarim 12:9) this was said in order to permit private altars between the ‘resting place’ and the ‘inheritance’, because the resting place refers to Shiloh and the inheritance is Jerusalem. Why did the verse mention them separately? To permit private altars between the two. Inheritance refers to Jerusalem, as its says “My inheritance was to Me like a lion in the forest…” (Yirmiyahu 12:8) and it says “Is My inheritance to Me a speckled bird of prey?” (Yirmiyahu 12:9) These are the words of R’ Yehudah. R’ Shimon says the resting place is Jerusalem and the inheritance is Shiloh, as it says “This is My resting place forever; here I shall dwell for I desired it,” (Tehillim132:14) and it says “For the Lord has chosen Zion; He desired it for His habitation.” (Tehillim 132:13) The opinion that the resting place is Shiloh makes sense, that is why the verse says ‘to the resting place and to the inheritance.’ But according to the opinion that says that the inheritance is Shiloh and the resting place Jerusalem, it should have said ‘to the inheritance and to the resting place’! That is a difficulty. The opinion that both refer to Shiloh makes sense, because ‘the resting place’ where they ceased from the conquest and ‘the inheritance’ where they divided tribal portions, as it is written “And Yehoshua cast lots at Shiloh before the Lord; and there Yehoshua divided the land…” (Yehoshua 18:10) But according to the opinion that both refer to Jerusalem ‘the inheritance’ is the eternal inheritance, but ‘the resting place’…? What does the resting refer to? The resting of the ark, as it is written “And now, arise, O Lord God to Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your might…” (Divre HaYamim II 6:41) The opinion that both refer to Jerusalem makes sense, because while the Tabernacle was at Shiloh private altars were permitted, as it is written “And Manoah took the kid goat and the meal-offering, and offered it upon the rock to the Lord…” (Shoftim 13:19) But the according to the opinion that both refer to Shiloh, then private altars were forbidden while the Tabernacle was there and how do we understand Manoah’s act? It was a temporary injunction. The House of R’ Yishmael taught like the opinion of R’ Shimon bar Yochai that both refer to Jerusalem, and your sign is: one man pulled many to him…

MISHNAH. There is no difference between Shiloh and Jerusalem except that in Shiloh offerings of lesser holiness and the second tithe could be eaten anywhere within sight, while in Jerusalem they had to be eaten within the walls. In both places the offerings of greatest holiness were eaten within the curtains. After the Shiloh was sanctified, the high places could again become permitted, but after the sanctification of Jerusalem there can be no such permission. GEMARA. R’ Yitzchak said: I heard that sacrifices may be offered in the Temple of Onias in our time. He was of opinion that the Temple of Onias is not a house of idolatry, and that the first holiness of Jerusalem was temporary and not for all time, as it is written “For you have not yet come to the resting place or to the inheritance…” (Devarim 12:9) ‘Rest’ means Shiloh and ‘inheritance’ means Jerusalem. ‘Inheritance’ is connected to ‘rest’ to teach - just as after the place of rest was destroyed the high places were again permitted, so too after the place of inheritance is destroyed they will be permitted. They said to him: do you really say so?! He replied to them: no. Said Rava: By God! He did say it and I learned it from him. Then what is the reason he changed his mind? Because of the challenge raised by R’ Mari. R’ Mari brought the following challenge: after the sanctification of Shiloh high places can again be permitted, but after the sanctification of Jerusalem there can be no such permission. We further learned: After they came to Jerusalem, the high places were forbidden, and they were never permitted again, and it was the ‘inheritance’. This is an argument of Tana’im – R’ Eliezer said: I have heard that when they were building the sacred palace (heichal) they made curtains for the heichal and for the courtyard, the difference being that in the heichal they built the walls outside the curtains and in the courtyard they built the walls within the curtains. R’ Yehoshua said: I have heard that sacrifices may be brought even though there is no House, that one may eat the most holy foods even though there are no curtains, and foods of lesser sanctity and the second tithe may be eaten even though there is no wall, because the first holiness was conferred on Jerusalem both for the time being and for all time.’