Weekly Message from Rabbi Michael
Next Year in Jerusalem Rebuilt
The final words that ring out at the seder are "Next year in Jerusalem " Actually, they are often followed with the traditional addendum -- b'yerushalayim habenuyah -- A Jerusalem rebuilt!" The subject of building in Jerusalem has risen to the fore now as the past couple of weeks have seen a confusing and awkward back and forth between Israel and the United States over the right to build in any part of Jerusalem. At the heart of what some see as severely escalating tensions between the coalition led by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and the administration of Barack Obama is a question of what will be the status of the city of Jerusalem. For 3000 years Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people, whether as the seat of King David's monarchy, the government of the modern State of Israel or the central place of longing during the many generations in which Jews have lived predominantly in exile. It is also true that no other country and no United States Government has ever recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and those with diplomatic relations place their embassy in Tel Aviv. When it comes to the present conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, there is always a deferral of agreement on status of Jerusalem, especially its division between West Jerusalem and the predominantly Arab East Jerusalem. It is against this context that most onlookers gauge the importance or lack thereof of the announcement on two separate occasion of new building projects in neighborhoods in East Jerusalem during high level meetings between PM Netanyahu and the the U.S. The first, coinciding with Vice President Joe Biden's state visit to Israel, involved more units, 1600 to be exact, but was located in an area almost completely populated by Jews belonging to fairly insular self-contained strict Orthodox communities (called Charedi or Ultra-Orthodox). The second incident just days ago as PM Netanyahu was to meet with President Obama in Washington, was much smaller but involved an area with an established Palestinian residence in the heart of Arab Jerusalem.
Like all major incidents, many observers will be more influenced by pre-determined opinions about those involved. Outside of Israel and the Jewish community, dividing Israel seems to many as obvious as cutting the last piece of cake into two pieces. For many of us making such a division seems as unthinkable as cutting a baby in half as in the famous story of Solomon's wisdom. It brings us back to the longing inherent in the words of l'shanah habaah Next Year in Jerusalem Rebuilt,
I'd like to suggest another way in which the Jerusalem we long for at the seder can help us see the challenge that lays before us. Throughout Jewish history the greatest division facing Jerusalem was not West vs. East, but rather the Heavenly Jerusalem Above and the Earthly Jerusalem Below. Jerusalem Above, yerushalayim shel maalah was the name given throughout our sources for that place beyond imagination, the luminous golden portal to paradise that inspired even the prophets to strive to make the world more perfect and impress upon the Israelites the need to turn to the ways of G-d. Yerushalayim shel mata the Jerusalem below is a city in the real world, the thriving capital of the Jewish people that has also been subject to occupation at the hands of Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians Greeks, Romans and so on until the Turks, British and Jordanians of more modern times. Throw in for good measure the religious conquest by Christianity and Islam and various ways of being Jewish it becomes clear that Jerusalem Below is a crossroads of diverse civilizations and faiths.
Like all major incidents, many observers will be more influenced by pre-determined opinions about those involved. Outside of Israel and the Jewish community, dividing Israel seems to many as obvious as cutting the last piece of cake into two pieces. For many of us making such a division seems as unthinkable as cutting a baby in half as in the famous story of Solomon's wisdom. It brings us back to the longing inherent in the words of l'shanah habaah Next Year in Jerusalem Rebuilt,
I'd like to suggest another way in which the Jerusalem we long for at the seder can help us see the challenge that lays before us. Throughout Jewish history the greatest division facing Jerusalem was not West vs. East, but rather the Heavenly Jerusalem Above and the Earthly Jerusalem Below. Jerusalem Above, yerushalayim shel maalah was the name given throughout our sources for that place beyond imagination, the luminous golden portal to paradise that inspired even the prophets to strive to make the world more perfect and impress upon the Israelites the need to turn to the ways of G-d. Yerushalayim shel mata the Jerusalem below is a city in the real world, the thriving capital of the Jewish people that has also been subject to occupation at the hands of Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians Greeks, Romans and so on until the Turks, British and Jordanians of more modern times. Throw in for good measure the religious conquest by Christianity and Islam and various ways of being Jewish it becomes clear that Jerusalem Below is a crossroads of diverse civilizations and faiths.
The Earthly Jeruslaem is also an amazing, modern city with an active cultural scene, diversity of neighborhoods and vibrant atmosphere. This Jerusalem, the one that my family and I were blessed to live in last year and on other occasions, deals constantly with the tension between secular Jews and religious Jews, modern minded people and those who would seem more comfortable in another century and, yes, Jews and Arabs. When I think about this Jerusalem and the daily bus trips I took across Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem to get to my classes at Hebrew University, it is clear to me that the dream of Jerusalem Above will not be accomplished by moving more Jews into Arab neighborhoods or demolishing Palestinian homes and building new Jewish residences. Rather, as it says in Psalm 122, we aspire to "A Jerusalem rebuilt, a city connecting together" Jerusalem Rebuilt is not only about a United Jerusalem, but rather a Jerusalem that Unites. While I fully recognize that the Earthly Jerusalem is not there yet, I pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and at my seder will dream of being in a Jerusalem built by peace.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Michael
