In Parshat Re’eh Moshe focuses on how Bnei Yisrael should lead their lives when they settle in the land of Israel. In Chapter 12 Moshe commands them to destroy the altars of the previous idol worshiping nations, and then they will be able to gather to bring offerings together as a nation, to the place which Hashem will choose for them. Strangely Moshe does not tell them where this will be, but presents the concept twice, firstly in v5, “to the place which Hashem shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there” and then repeated in v11” then there shall be a place which Hashem shall choose to cause his name to dwell there.”
Rashi is the opinion that this repetition is due to the fact that initially the place of gathering was Shilo and only later moved to the Temple built by Solomon. Joshua placed the Mishkan in Shilo, and this was the place of offerings until the building of the Temple some four hundred years later. The Kli Yakar takes Rashi to task and proposes the opposite. Moshe is initially referring to the far more important, long term construction, of the Temple and only then adds the Mishkan, the portable structure which was carried through the long journey in the wilderness.
The Kli Yakar finds clear hints in the text. In the first sentence Moshe says “the place which Hashem will choose from all your tribes,” whereas in the follow up in v14 we see “only in the place Hashem will choose from one of your tribes.” The fits in with what we are told later that David captured the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites so it was not land which was inherited by any specific tribe. We are also told that the Prophet Gad told King David to purchase land from Arnan the Jebusite. David paid full price for the land, six hundred gold shekels, with fifty shekels from each tribe. By the way it is worth taking a tour of the City of David, where one can visualize and hear the story of the ancient city. The Kli Yakar also notices that in Moshe’s first mention he uses the Hebrew word “lasim” to place whereas the second time he uses the word “leshaken” which hints to the word “mishkan.”
We know that eventually that Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem but why was in not specified here. Even more puzzling, as just before this Moshe does mention two places, Har Gerizim and Har Eval for gathering and proclaiming the blessings and curses for the nation. The Rabmam provides us with three reasons for keeping the place a hidden. Firstly so as not to let the nations of the world know, as they would want to take the place (an uncanny prediction). Secondly the Canaanites who were, at that time, still in the holyland would desecrate the site and thirdly each tribe would want the site to be part of their inheritance. The Kli Yakar notes that when Hashem told Avraham to take his son, he just said “to the Land of Moriah to a Mountain I will show you.”
The Talmud in Sanhedrin tells us “Rabbi Yehuda says, three mitzvot we were commanded on entering the land – to appoint a King, to wipe out Amalek, and to build the Temple.” This is telling us that the Temple could only be built when the people were united under a King. Hashem chose the time, and sent the prophet Gad to King David who acquired the site and in the time of peace and prosperity his son King Solomon built the Temple.
Unfortunately, this week we sadly had two deaths in our building. John Katten z”l, who survived Nazi times and lived a full life to the age of 91. Secondly a one year old boy, Raye who died of a vicious cancer. It was very special to hear that the little boy’s parents, who are not at all religious, had tremendous help, support and medical guidance from the Charedi community both here and in the New York, where he was hospitalized. The little boy’s father was able say Kaddish for his son at John Katten’s Shiva minyan in our building, a small comfort, but unity in sadness. We hope for good times in the future.