Speak to the Heart of Yerushalayim

Building the Holy City Through Holy Awe

Hashem chose the Jewish People to be a special nation (Devarim 26:18): וַייָ הֶאֱמִירְךָ הַיּוֹם לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר־לָךְ וְלִשְׁמֹר כׇּל־מִצְוֺתָיו (And Hashem has set you apart today to be a special nation for Him, as He spoke to you, and to keep all of His mitzvot). A special nation – but what for? To keep the mitzvot. Yes, but why?

That answer is not spelled out in our Torah in so many words, but we do get hints of it here and there. For example, it is written (Devarim 26:19): וּלְתִתְּךָ עֶלְיוֹן עַל כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לִתְהִלָּה וּלְשֵׁם וּלְתִפְאָרֶת וְלִהְיֹתְךָ עַם־קָדֹשׁ לַייָ אֱלֹקֶיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר (And to make you supreme over all the nations which He made, and for praise, renown and splendor, and for you to be a holy nation to Hashem your G-d, as He spoke).

Since every nation has its own ministering angel, ruling over the nations means ruling even over the ministering angels of those nations. Therefore, when the Torah says that our destiny is to rule over the nations, we must understand the larger picture. R' Nachman of Breslov explains (Likutei Moharan II:1:1): כִּי אִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי נִבְרָא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ מֶמְשָׁלָה עַל הַמַּלְאָכִים וְזֶה הַתַּכְלִית וְהַסּוֹף שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ירושלמי שבת פרק ו׳:ט׳): עֲתִידִין צַדִּיקִים שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מְחִצָּתָן לִפְנִים מִמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת (For the Jew was created to have dominion over the angels, and this is the purpose and goal of Yisrael, like our Rabbis of blessed memory said [Yerushalmi Shabbat 6:9]: In the future, the tzaddikim will have their place 'within,' closer than, the ministering angels).

However, achieving this objective is easier said than done. The ministering angels are jealous of us. They do not wish to see us ruling over them, and they will defend their dominion if necessary.

Yet we are not left without a counter-strategy. Based on Iyov 26:9 – מְאַחֵז פְּנֵי כִסֵּא (He takes hold of the front of the throne) – R' Nachman explains that this is not only Hashem taking hold of His throne, but that we too have permission to take hold of His throne – the root of all souls, the mother of all living (Likutei Moharan II:1:2): שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לֶאֱחֹז עַצְמוֹ בְּשָׁרְשֵׁי הַנְּשָׁמוֹת הַחֲצוּבוֹת מִתַּחַת כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת (בראשית ג׳:כ׳): אֵם כָּל חָי (That he, himself, needs to take hold of the roots of the souls that are carved out from under the throne of glory, which corresponds to [Bereshit 3:20]: 'mother of all living'). By taking hold of that throne – that is, by connecting oneself to the souls of all Jews – one is saved from the jealousy of the ministering angels.

We see this when Moshe ascended to Heaven to receive the Torah. The angels became jealous and raised their objections. Hashem told Moshe to answer them, but Moshe did not know what to say. Then the Gemara says (Shabbat 88b): אָמַר לוֹ: אֱחוֹז בְּכִסֵּא כְבוֹדִי וַחֲזוֹר לָהֶן תְּשׁוּבָה. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מְאַחֵז פְּנֵי כִּסֵּא (And He said to him, 'Take hold of My throne of glory and give them an answer!' As it says [Iyov 26:9]: 'He causes him to take hold of the front of the throne'). The meaning is that grasping the throne saves one from the jealousy of the angels.

Realistically, most of us do not know how to connect directly to the root of all souls. What can we do? We can connect to the true tzaddikim of the generation, who are themselves bound to that root (Likutei Moharan II:1:3): וְהָעִקָּר לֵידַע כָּל מְפֻרְסְמֵי הַדּוֹר […] צָרִיךְ לְקַשֵּׁר עַצְמוֹ עִם כָּל מְפֻרְסְמֵי וּמַנְהִיגֵי הַדּוֹר, כִּי הַנְּשָׁמוֹת נֶחֱלָקִים תַּחְתָּם […] וּכְשֶׁמְּקַשֵּׁר עַצְמוֹ עִם הַמְפֻרְסָמִים הוּא מְקֻשָּׁר עִם כָּל פְּרָטֵי נִשְׁמוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל (The main thing is to know all the renowned ones of the generation […]. A person must connect himself to the renowned and leading figures of the generation, for the souls are apportioned beneath them […] and when he binds himself to the renowned ones, he is connected to all the individual souls of Yisrael).

But this too is difficult, for arrogant leaders arise in every generation to oppose the true tzaddikim and confuse the many. How then do we distinguish between true and false leaders?

R' Nachman answers: וּלְהַכִּיר אֶת הַמְפֻרְסָמִים אֵיזֶהוּ עַל־יְדֵי עַזּוּת הוּא עַל־יְדֵי בִּנְיַן יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הַלֵּב כִּי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם בְּחִינַת יִרְאָה שָׁלֵם (To recognize which renowned ones are through arrogance is through the building of Yerushalayim, which is the heart, for Yerushalayim corresponds to complete fear [yirah shalem]).

Elevated, holy fear [yirah] is seated in the heart (see Devarim 10:12). That is why Yerushalayim – whose name can be understood as a fusion of yirah and shalem – is called Heart (see Yeshayahu 40:2). To have yirah shalem is to have heart; to have heart is to build Yerushalayim. One who does not fear Hashem has no heart, no matter how he may appear, and at his root he destroys Yerushalayim.

How do we tell a builder from a destroyer? R' Nachman continues: אַךְ יֵשׁ שָׁלֹשׁ מִדּוֹת שֶׁהֵם מַחֲרִיבֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם דְּהַיְנוּ הַלֵּב הַיְנוּ שֶׁמַּפְסִידִין הַיִּרְאָה הַתְּלוּיָה בַּלֵּב (However, there are three traits that destroy Yerushalayim – that is, the heart – for they undermine yirah, which depends on the heart). They are the cravings for money, intercourse, and eating.

Here is where the challenge turns personal. It is not only the leaders who can be undone by these cravings. If we allow them space in our own hearts, then our yirah becomes clouded as well – and once our fear of Heaven is dimmed, our ability to recognize true versus false leadership disappears.

Is it realistic to live without these cravings? It may be difficult, but it is possible. The practical question is how to weaken them. R' Nachman gives the answer (Likutei Moharan II:1:5): וּלְתַקֵּן שָׁלֹשׁ מִדּוֹת אֵלּוּ הוּא עַל־יְדֵי הַדַּעַת שֶׁצְּרִיכִין לְהַמְשִׁיךְ הַדַּעַת אֶל הַלֵּב בִּבְחִינַת (דברים ד׳:ל״ט): וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהַמְשִׁיךְ הַדַּעַת אֶל הַלֵּב וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נִתְתַּקֵּן שָׁלֹשׁ מִדּוֹת (The rectification of these three traits is through da'at – we must draw da'at into the heart, as in [Devarim 4:39]: 'And know this day and set it upon your heart.' By drawing da'at into the heart, the three traits are rectified).

This should encourage us. At least three times a day we remind ourselves of this mission when we recite this pasuk in Aleinu. But the words must not remain head-knowledge. They must ripen into heart-knowledge. Only when da'at descends into the heart can the heart be healed, yirah completed, cravings broken, false leaders unmasked, and Yerushalayim rebuilt. Then we can connect to the root of all Jewish souls, be shielded from the jealousy of the angels, and at last attain dominion even over them.

One question remains: how do we actually draw da'at into the heart? Here is the good news – it is not as difficult as it seems. Each of the three festivals channels a unique aspect of da'at. By observing them with joy, the drawing down happens naturally. Pesach rectifies the lust for money. Shavuot rectifies the lust for intercourse. Succot rectifies the lust for eating.

Now we can understand the paradox in what Moshe Rabbeinu said to B'nei Yisrael (Devarim 29:3): וְלֹא־נָתַן יְיָ לָכֶם לֵב לָדַעַת וְעֵינַיִם לִרְאוֹת וְאׇזְנַיִם לִשְׁמֹעַ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה (And Hashem has not given you a heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear until this day). What is meant by 'until' [עַד, ad]? The Gemara often asks: עַד וְעַד בִּכְלָל אוֹ עַד וְלֹא עַד בִּכְלָל – Does ad mean 'up to and including' or 'up to but not including'? If Moshe meant 'up to and including,' he was lamenting that they still lacked the heart. But if he meant 'up to but not including,' then he was rejoicing that now they had finally attained it.

The commentaries are divided. Rashi says Moshe rejoiced. Chizkuni and Sforno say he lamented.

So where does that leave us? Do we or do we not have the heart of Yerushalayim? Perhaps the answer is both. On our own, we lack the heart. But when we bind ourselves to the tzaddikim, draw da'at into the heart, and let the festivals work their joy upon us, then the heart of Yerushalayim begins to beat within us. The task is not yet complete, but it is already in our hands.