The upcoming Shabbas Kodesh, parshas Devarim, is the third Shabbas of Bein HaMetzarim, and always precedes Tishah B’Av. In honor of this special Shabbas, we will delight in the sacred teachings of Yisrael’s advocate, the holy Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, zy”a. He explains the rationale adopted by the poskim throughout the Jewish world to call this Shabbas Shabbas Chazon. This appellation is derived from the opening passuk of this week’s Haftarah (Yeshayah 1, 1): "חזון ישעיה בן אמוץ אשר חזה על יהודה וירושלים"—the vision of Yeshayah the son of Amotz, which he saw concerning Yehudah and Yerushalayim. Rather than choosing an uplifting name of encouragement, they chose this name related to the prophetic vision concerning the churban of the Beis HaMikdash.
The Kedushas Levi explains that, in fact, this name conceals a positive, very encouraging message. For, the name Shabbas Chazon suggests a “vision,” indicating that HKB”H shows His devotees a vision on this Shabbas of the extraordinary good in store for them in Olam HaBa. Here is a translation of the sacred remarks of the Kedushas Levi (Megillas Eichah):
Why is it called Shabbas Chazon, a name that is not complimentary of Yisrael? It is because “chazon” means a “vision.” On this Shabbas prior to Tishah B’Av, the Jewish people are shown a vision of the ample reward in store for them after they win the great war, b’Ezras Hashem, that the souls of Yisrael have been sent into Olam HaZeh to fight. They will be victorious, because they love Hashem and are beloved to Him. Hence, before engaging in this battle that they have been sent to Olam HaZeh to fight, they are shown the abundant good that awaits them.
On Shabbas Chazon Every Jew Is Shown a Vision of the Third Beis HaMikdash
At first glance, these remarks seem obscure. Why exactly are Jews shown a vision of their bright, promising future in Olam HaBa on Shabbas Chazon? To unravel this mystery, we find a precious gem from Rabbi Hillel of Paritch, ztz”l, a brilliant chassid both in the overt and the concealed, who was originally an outstanding disciple of the bas Ayin, zy”a. He attests that he heard from his father fascinating ideas that he had heard directly from the holy Kedushas Levi. When his father was once in a city in southern Russia for this special Shabbas, the Rabbi of Berditchev presented a parable. He compared it to a father who had a beloved, precious son and had an expensive garment made for him to wear. The son, however, did not take good care of the garment and tore it up into pieces. The father made him a second expensive garment which the son also tore.
So, what did the father do? He made him a third garment but did not give it to his son to wear; he stored it away. On occasion, he would show him the garment and say to him, “If you behave properly, this garment will be given to you to wear.” This is the case with the vision of Shabbas Chazon; every single Jew is shown the future Mikdash from afar.
This account provides us with a novel understanding of the words of the Kedushas Levi. When he wrote that Shabbas Chazon is named so, because Yisrael are shown a vision of the ample good that awaits them in Olam HaBa, he was referring specifically to a vision of the third Beis HaMikdash. At that time, every Jew will receive the abundant good that is in store for him.
To embellish this thought, let us introduce what is brought down by both Rashi and Tosafos (Succah 41a): "מקדש העתיד שאנו מצפין, בנוי ומשוכלל הוא יגלה ויבוא משמים, שנאמר מקדש ה' כוננו ידיך". The future Mikdash which we await, will descend from the heavens fully built, as it says (Shemos 15, 17): “A Mikdash, my Lord, that Your hands established. The commentaries are perplexed by this assertion. If that is the case, then how will Yisrael fulfill the mitzvah le’asid la’vo of (ibid. 25, 8): "ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם"—they shall make Me a Mikdash (Sanctuary), so that I may dwell among them? To resolve this difficulty, we will refer to what the great Rabbi of Ropshitz, zy”a, writes in Zera Kodesh (Ki Seitzei). He focuses on the words we utter in our weekday Shemoneh Esrei in the berachah ״ולירושלים עירך״: "ובנה אותה בקרוב בימינו בנין עולם"—may You rebuild it soon in our days as an everlasting structure. He teaches us that we build the third Beis HaMikdash daily with our Torah-study and our performance of mitzvos. Here are his sacred words:
"על פי מה שפירשתי, ובנה אותה בקרוב בימינו בנין עולם, שבונה ירושלים ה', ובמה בונה אותה, 'בימינו' על ידי הימים שלנו, שבכל יום כשאדם עובד אותו יתברך, הכל לפי מעשיו בונה את ירושלים ובית המקדש, יש בונה ביום אחד שורה שלימה, ויש מניח למשל לבינה אחת, כן בונה האדם מישראל שעובד ה' בכל יום, עד שיהיה נבנה בשלימות במהרה בימינו".
We beseech HKB”H to rebuild Yerushalayim ״בימינו״— with our days. Every day, when a Jew serves Hashem according to his own individual abilities, he is contributing to the rebuilding of Yerushalayim and the Beis HaMikdash. One person may be capable of laying down an entire row of bricks while another may only lay down a single brick. Ultimately, it will be completely rebuilt.
Thus, we build the third Beis HaMikdash up in the heavens every day with our good deeds. Le’asid la’vo, HKB”H will bring down from the heavens the structure that Jews built throughout the years of galus. This explains beautifully the insight of the Kedushas Levi. On Shabbas Chazon, before we actively mourn the churban of the Beis HaMikdash on Tishah B’Av, every Jew is shown the portion of the third Beis HaMikdash that he built with his good deeds. Thus, the abundant good that lays in store for every Jew and the vision of the third Beis HaMikdash that he is shown go hand in hand magnificently.
“All who mourn for Yerushalayim will merit witnessing her joy”
With great pleasure, we will now connect this wonderful insight of the Kedushas Levi concerning the vision every Jew is shown on Shabbas Chazon of the third Beis HaMikdash with his interpretation of the navi’s statement (Yeshayah 66, 10): "שמחו את ירושלים וגילו בה כל אוהביה, שישו אתה משוש כל המתאבלים עליה"—be glad in Yerushalayim and rejoice in her, all you who love her; exult with her in exultation, all you who mourned her.” Chazal expounded in the Gemara (Ta’anis 30b): "מכאן אמרו, כל המתאבל על ירושלים זוכה ורואה בשמחתה, ושאינו מתאבל על ירושלים אינו רואה בשמחתה"— from here they inferred that all who mourn for Yerushalayim will merit witnessing her joy; and those who do not mourn for Yerushalayim will not witness her joy. Note that they specifically say "זוכה ורואה"—merits and witnesses—in the present tense. Seemingly, they should have said "יזכה ויראה"— he will merit and will witness—in the future tense. Furthermore, every Jew will merit witnessing the consolation and redemption of Yisrael le’asid la’vo, in keeping with the teaching of the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 90a): "כל ישראל יש להם חלק לעולם הבא"—every Jew has a portion in Olam HaBa.
This can be understood as explained by the Kedushas Levi (ibid.) that one who mourns what has befallen Yerushalayim “merits and witnesses” already now, while yet in galus, a semblance of the joy that Yisrael will experience le’asid la’vo. Here is a translation of his sacred words:
“Whoever mourns over Yerushalayim merits and sees its joy.” The underlying principle is as follows: All of a person’s faculties are drawn after his thoughts. A person’s essence is drawn into whatever he is thinking about. Thus, when a person thinks holy thoughts and mourns over Yerushalayim, his thoughts and his essence are in the realm of kedushah. The word “zocheh” (merits) is related to the Hebrew word "הזדככות" (meaning refinement). Thus, the insinuation of the statement above is that the person becomes refined and witnesses now a little bit of the “simchah,” namely a little bit of the simchah of Yerushalayim that will be experienced le’asid la’vo.
We can now better understand the elucidation of the Kedushas Levi that this Shabbas is called Shabbas Chazon, because HKB”H shows every Jew the third Beis HaMikdash. Let us elaborate. Since we mourn over Yerushalayim during the days of Bein HaMetzarim, therefore, on the Shabbas preceding Tishah B’Av, HKB”H shows every Jew the third Beis HaMikdash. Thus, the promise of the navi is fulfilled: “Exult with her in exultation, all you who mourned her.” And from this passuk, Chazal inferred that “all who mourn for Yerushalayim will merit witnessing her joy; and those who do not mourn for Yerushalayim will not witness her joy.” This holds true even while we are still in galus. According to the Kedushas Levi, this comes true annually on Shabbas Chazon.
