Yirmiyahu HaNavi laments vayetze mibat Tzion kol hadarah, Tzion has lost all its splendor. But can’t we fill the streets and beatify the city once again? The answer is that we will accomplish nothing through this. We must first rebuild the Yerushalayim shel ma’alah, the Yerushalayim in every Jewish soul, and only then will the Yerushalayim shel matah be rebuilt. We must become the sort of Yidden whose hearts pulsate with purity and G-dliness, and then Yerushalayim will automatically be rebuilt.
Chazal tells us (Kesubos 111a) that the Ribbono shel Olam has prohibited us through the Three Oaths not to ascend to Eretz Yisrael by force, with our own might. There’s a deep point here. The Aibishter is telling us that the problem isn’t that Yerushalayim isn’t built up into a beautiful city. The problem is in your heart! Yerushalayim isn’t rebuilt with human might, but with Jewish hearts!
Tzaddikim explained the pasuk harofeh lishvurei lev... boneh Yerushalayim Hashem, Hashem builds Yerushalayim and He heals broken hearts. This is how Yerushalayim is rebuilt—through broken Jewish hearts! If you have rebuilt Yerushalayim in your nefesh, you will merit boneh Yerushalayim Hashem.
