Things up for three times a year to come to Yerushalayim. פָּט¿ׁ ̆ƒמ¿ל ̇וֹ‡ ¿סƒכּ בו¿ׁ ̆יָ ָׁ מָּה ̆ יƒּכ – In Yerushalayim was established the throne of Torah justice (ibid. 5). We possessed thrones of justice in Yerushalayim — the Sanhedrin; the seventy elders sat in the lishkas hagazis and they were the last word in interpreting Torah. If there was any question and it couldn’t be settled by the local beis din, finally they ascended to Yerushalayim and they asked Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Because that's what the Sanhedrin was. The Sanhedrin was the representative of Hakadosh Baruch Hu to limit any schisms.
And he adds, „ ƒָ וּ„ ̇ב≈י¿ל ̇וֹ‡ ¿סƒּכ – the thrones of the house of Dovid (ibid. 5). Because what was the function of a Jewish melech in the days of old? He was the arm that enforced the Torah. That’s why they were next to each other, פָּט¿ׁ ̆ƒמ¿ל ̇וֹ‡ ¿סƒכ and „ ƒָ וּ„ ̇ב≈י¿ל ̇וֹ‡ ¿סƒּכ. Here were the Sanhedrin of the sages of the Am Yisroel and over there were the palaces of the family of Dovid who made sure to enforce the Torah.
That was Yerushalayim; it was the place dedicated to upholding the Torah of Hakadosh Baruch Hu among the people, which united the nation.
Part III. Loving Unity
My Heart in Jerusalem
Now, all that is not enough. Because if there’s a city intended for the great ideal of chaveirim kol Yisroel, we have to know how to best utilize that opportunity. And so Dovid goes on and says like this: “םƒָׁ לַי ּ̆רו¿י לו ֹם¿ׁ ֲּ̆ לו‡ַׁ ̆ – inquire of the welfare of Yerushalayim (ibid. 6).”
What does that mean, to ask about Yerushalayim’s wellbeing? Dovid is telling us that every Jew should feel a personal affection for the great institutions of his nation. He shouldn’t stand on the side like a cold and calm spectator. “Over there is Yerushalayim and there is the Mikdash. There’s the lishkas hagazis and the kisa’os l’beis Dovid.” No. He should feel a warmth in his heart— “It’s my place too.” Everyone should feel that Yerushalayim is his personal concern because he loves the city of avodas Hashem.
And we would be remiss if we think that this ideal applies only to the Yerushalayim of old. Dovid is exhorting us even today that this should be one of the important practices of our nation. Imagine a Jew comes to Yerushalayim and he looks upon Meah Shearim where frum Jews are, but not like a sightseer, like a tourist; no, his heart is there. Like Rav Yehudah Halevi said in one of his songs, רָ ח¿זƒַמּב יƒּבƒל – my heart is in Eretz Yisroel. Every Jew should feel that. Not because of Eretz Yisroel today. Not because he’s a nationalist, a Zionist. No, that’s nothing. His heart is in Yerushalayim, where the Shechina is; where the avdei Hashem are.
And therefore, if we want to be united, one nation around Hashem, we have to get busy always speaking with affection about all of our Yerushalayims—all of the places where the Shechina rests. That’s what it means םƒָׁ לַי ּ̆רו¿י לו ֹם¿ׁ ֲּ̆ לו‡ַׁ ̆. Because his heart is there and therefore he cares that everyone should be well, that everyone should be b’shalom.
The Local Jerusalems
And therefore, to ask about Yerushalayim, to be attached to it and to seek out its peace, means right now. It means Williamsburg. It means Flatbush and Boro Park. If you ever are fortunate to come into Boro Park, you have to know you're coming into an ir hakodesh. It’s a great pity people don’t appreciate Boro Park. It’s crammed with frum Jews. Jewish mothers, Jewish children. Every block, frum children everywhere. It’s crammed also with talmidei chachamim, with tzaddikim. They are quiet people, their names are not in newspapers but almost every street you have great people, some are very big talmidei chachamim.
And so, as soon as you alight from the bus, your heart should start warming up. Forget about your coldness, your aloofness; feel connected to the people. They’re different from you? No, that’s nothing. It’s all superficialities—you’re all together avdei Hashem. You’re one people.
It’s something to practice because if you don’t practice in Boro Park, you won’t do it when you get to Yerushalayim. Don’t think that one day when we all come back to Yerushalayim that you’ll fulfill yachad. If when you come to Boro Park today, you look around and the first thing you see is faults, then you're going to criticize Yerushalayim in the days of Moshiach too. And you won’t remain long. They’ll hustle you out. They’ll say, “Get back to New York! Go back to Brownsville among the gentiles if you're so happy over there.”
Moshiach in Williamsburg and 770
And so you have to prepare now for Moshiach. We have to love Williamsburg! As you drive through Williamsburg, you have to fulfill that. “I love these people,” you say. Our hearts are in Williamsburg, with the frum Jews who are living a traditional Jewish life and raising big families. They speak Yiddish! And the tzniyus! There’s no television sets there!
Or if you are ever zocheh to be in Crown Heights, take the time to feel a warmth in your heart. Our hearts are in Crown Heights, in 770 Eastern Parkway. Our hearts are in Lakewood. Our hearts, our affection, are with all those tzaddikim, all the people who live a Yiddishe, a real Torah true life. Wherever frum Jews live, all the places where frum Jews and bnei Torah congregate, that's where our hearts are. Our hearts are with the people who are walking in the paths of their forefathers.
Loving Other Shevatim
And not only your type. If they’re shomer mitzvos, if they try to keep the mitzvos, then even though they don't do exactly everything the way you do it, and even though they wear different kinds of yarmulkes—he wears a knitted yarmulke or something else, a beanie—or they follow maybe a different rebbe, or a different set of political objectives, nevertheless, we don’t lose sight of the fact that fundamentally we’re one people—we’re all serving the same Hashem. That unifies us.
He eats kosher, he sends his children to yeshiva and not public school, he’s a shomer Shabbos, he has mezuzos on his doors, so in your heart you should feel a warmth, an affection, for him.
All the different shevatim came together in Yerushalayim because that’s how we have to feel always. Our hearts are in all places where frum Jews live. In Baltimore. In Mexico. In Los Angeles. And therefore we seek the welfare of frum Jews everywhere.
A Heart Full of Blessings
Now, when your heart is there, when you genuinely are לו ֹם¿ׁ ֲּ̆ לו‡ַׁ ̆ – seeking the peace of your fellow Jews, so you’ll bless them too. ¿ךƒֹהֲבָי‡ּלָיו¿ׁ ̆ƒי – All those who have an affection for the place of avodas Hashem, they should all be well.
And that’s why Dovid said that so when you come up to Yerushalayim don’t be wrapped up in yourself and think merely of discharging your obligation, the various mitzvahs you have to do. Because among all the things you have to do, you should also remember to leave over your blessings in Yerushalayim.
And right away he practiced what he preached. “¿ח≈ יל ≈ך¿ּב ָׁ לו ֹם ̆ יƒה¿י – May there be peace in your walls,” he said, ¿ךƒָ י ֹ̇נו¿מ¿ַר‡ ¿ּב וָה¿ַׁ ל ̆ – “and tranquility upon your palaces.” Dovid is blessing the whole city. Not only the makom hamikdash and not only the batei kneisiyos and batei medrash. He means the homes too. The big homes, the little ones, all of the frum homes. “There should be peace in those homes,” he said. “He shouldn't fight with his wife. He shouldn't fight with his landlord. His breakfast should be digested well.”
Blessing the Nation
Oh! Now that’s the way to be one with the nation. To bless them all. I remember a scene which I witnessed in a certain yeshiva. It was Yom Kippur after Neilah, a yeshivashe Yom Kippur, a glorious Yom Kippur. And on motzei Yom Kippur when they blew the shofar, the whole congregation burst out singing “yevarech es beis Yisroel” and they didn’t stop. They were all worn out because when you daven Neilah in the yeshiva it’s enough to knock you out even if you hadn’t fasted. And here it was after twenty five hours of fasting. But with their last kochos, the whole congregation was shouting “yevarech es beis Yisroel”.
Not yevareich es bnei hayeshiva; not yevareich es Boro Park or es Yerushalayim. No ≈ל‡רָ¿ׂ ̆ƒי ̇≈יּב ̇∆‡¿בָר≈ ך¿י – may Hashem bless the entire Beis Yisroel. We’re all one nation serving Hashem. And the tears were flowing from their eyes, tears of happiness and love for the Beis Yisroel.
And that’s what we have to experience, even now when we see frum Jews, when we see a Jewish congregation in Boro Park, when you see Lubavitcher Jews marching, when you see Satmarer Jews standing on the street corners or busy shopping erev Shabbos, we have to overflow with love for them and say יƒה¿י¿ךƒָ י ֹ̇נו¿מ¿ַר‡ ¿ּב וָה¿ַׁ ל ̆¿ח≈ יל ≈ך¿ּב ָׁ לו ֹם ̆. We have to say blessings on them.
The Torah Institutions
And that’s a model, for the behavior towards all places of Torah too. ָׁ לו ֹם ֲּ̆ לו‡ָׁ ̆ – Inquire of the peace of these places of Torah and bless them. A Jew has to not only be loyal to the Torah, to keep the Torah but his heart has to be in it. He has to be enthusiastic about it, we must love the places of Torah.
And so, here’s a man who comes to Lakewood. He needs a little vacation so he goes to a hotel in Lakewood. But he doesn’t bother to visit the yeshiva. That means his heart is in the dining room of the hotel. Oy vey! It matters very much where your heart is! Our hearts have to be with the learners. Because they’re learning our Torah! It’s ours! We’re all one around the Toras Hashem.
And so our hearts are in the yeshiva in Lakewood. Our hearts are in the Mirrer Yeshivah where people, young men, old men, are sitting all day long and late at night too and they're laboring on Torah. ֲּ לו‡ָׁ ̆ ! We want them all to succeed!
Of course you should leave over from your cash too. Because it could be the administrator in the office won’t appreciate your blessings much; he’ll want you to leave over something more substantial. But Hakadosh Baruch Hu considers your blessings more important than your money because that shows where your heart is.
You know, a person can sometimes coldly give a thousand dollars; he has discharged his obligation and he’s patur. But a man who stands by the side and he looks at four, five hundred young men from all over the world who are laboring in Torah and his heart swells with love, sometimes he even weeps from happiness. It happens; he even weeps from happiness.
Weeping from Achdus
And so when you come to Ponevezeh and you stand there and your heart is filled with pride — so many different boys, all devoted to Hashem’s Torah. It’s an ≈ל‡רָ¿ׂ ̆ƒי¿ל ּ̇ו„≈ﬠ – a testament to the unity of the Am Yisroel (ibid. 4). And you’ll sing with happiness and you say, ¿ָךּב ָׁ לו ֹם ̆ ‡נָּ ר ָ ה¿ַּ ב„ֲ‡ ר≈ ﬠָי¿ו ַחַ י‡ מַﬠַן¿ל – For the sake of my brothers and friends—who’s more of a brother and friend than those who are learning Torah?—I speak words of peace for you (ibid 8). If your heart is there, you might even weep.
When I was a boy I lived in a gentile neighborhood and one day I took an adventure downtown to the Jewish neighborhood and I saw Jews. I saw a multitude of Jews, crowds of Jews, and I was weeping with happiness! Now, I was too young to understand, but I felt it. I was emotional about it.
And so we should train ourselves in that. There are people who don’t think about it at all. They pass by the yeshiva, they see it day by day and to them it’s remote, it’s a distant place. No, your heart has to be there. You should feel that you love that place. A place where people are learning Torah that's where the Shechina is; the presence of Hakadosh Baruch Hu hovers there and you should love it. And even when a talmid chacham passes in the street you shouldn't feel that that man is a stranger—you should feel it’s a close relative of yours. It’s like a son; you love him with all your heart. Love the men of Torah! You have to make the effort to acquire the attitude that the frum communities, the places where frum Jews gather, the yeshivos, they are our beloved places.
One Nation Under G-d
And now Dovid finishes up, and he says, he reminds us about what we began with. All of our affection for each other, all of our achdus and togetherness, our seeking each other’s peace and our blessings for one another, it’s allּ≈ ינו ֹ̃לו¡‡ ה׳ ̇≈יּב מַﬠַן¿ל – for the sake of the House of Hashem. With all of our differences—all of our peculiarities and idiosyncrasies and attitudes and our various ways and minhagim, our ways of speech and dress— we’re all united around the House of Hashem.
And for the sake of that, ¿לָך טו ֹבָּׁ ה ̆¿ּ ֲ̃ בַ‡ – I seek your good, O’ Yerushalayim. Because that’s the great ideal I’m looking forward to—a nation that’s unified around Yerushalayim; not only in its place but in its ideals of avodas Hashem!
Have a Wonderful Shabbos
Let’s Get Practical
Love a Different Jew Today
This week, I will practice what we see in the parsha: the shevatim coming together despite different natures, accents, and ways. Each day, I will bli neder, choose one Jew who is different from me — in background, minhagim, or appearance — and remind myself:
“He is my brother, another shevet of Hashem.”
Then I will give him a quick, silent brachah, just as Klal Yisrael learned to appreciate each other when they gathered in Yerushalayim. By doing this once a day, I will train myself to see the beauty in the “twelve tribes,” and take a real step toward the achdus that Dovid HaMelech teaches us to strive for.
This week’s booklet is based on tapes: S-5 - Getting Along With Others | S-24 - The Ten Tribes 233 - Tehillim 122 | 870 - Beloved Diversity of Israel 950 - Judging Your Fellowman
Listen to the original lectures of Rav Miller zatzal on the Mipihu Phone Line 718-400-7220. Mipihu is a project of Yeshiva Gedolah Beis Yisroel - Rav Miller’s Yeshivah
