27 Aug THE UNREVEALED SANCTUARY: WHY YERUSHALAYIM WAS KEPT A MYSTERY

Our parasha begins
with a pasuk
stating that we are
only allowed to
bring Korbanot
(sacrifices) at the
place that Hashem chooses. This is the
location where we are to build the future
Beit HaMikdash, the holiest site where the
Shechina dwells. However, the Torah does
not specify where this place is, leaving us
with a sense of uncertainty. Notably, the
name “Yerushalayim” is not mentioned
anywhere in the Five Books of Moshe,
which further deepens the mystery.
On one hand, many parashot focus
extensively on the construction of the
Mishkan, detailing who is to work there,
how the Kohanim should perform their
duties, and the specific garments they are to
wear. The Torah also elaborates on the
procedures for offering korbanot. Yet, on
the other hand, it does not explicitly tell us
where the Beit HaMikdash should be built.
Sefer Tehillim(קלב פרק (tells us that King

David took it upon himself to find the
special place that Hashem desired, to
purchase it, and to build a house for Hashem
there. He vowed not to enter his home or
sleep on his bed until Hashem revealed the
location. He said: “Hashem, remember my
vow that I will not enter my house, nor will
I sleep on my bed. I will not give sleep to
my eyes or slumber to my eyelids until I
find a place for Hashem.”
Indeed, after extensively searching and
pleading with Hashem, the prophet Gad
came to David and revealed that the place
was Har HaBayit in the city of Yerushalayim,
owned by Aravna from the nation of
Yevus(כד ,ב שמואל (. As soon as King David
learned this, he immediately went to Aravna
and offered to buy the land.
When Aravna saw the king coming to his
field, he asked in surprise why David was
there. When David explained that he
wanted to purchase the land, Aravna offered
to donate it for this important cause.
However, David insisted that he would not
take it for free, as he did not want to

sacrifice to Hashem
without paying, and
therefore paid the
full price.
This was David’s
journey, through
which he merited
fulfilling Hashem’s
concealed request to
have sacrifices
offered at the place
He desired, even
though the actual
location had not
been previously
revealed.
But why did Hashem choose not to reveal
the location, which we now know is
Yerushalayim, and more specifically, the
Beit HaMikdash? The Rambam(נבוכים מורה
שעח עמוד (addressed this question and
offered three approaches, which remain
highly relevant today.
The first answer the Rambam offers is that
Hashem concealed the place so that the
nations wouldn’t know about it and would
fight to occupy it. Looking back, we see
how true this answer is, as the primary goal
of many conflict, has been to conquer
Yerushalayim, particularly the Har
HaBayit.
For generations, many nations have fought
over this holy site. It’s interesting to note
that they only sought to conquer the city
when the nation of Israel was present.
While the Jewish people were in exile, the
city held little interest for others. However,
once Israel returned after World War II,
interest in the city surged, and once again,
many are willing to sacrifice lives for it.
Also, the recent war is primarily about the
quest to overtake Yerushalayim. The enemy
has pointed this out by naming the war
“The Flood of Al-Aqsa.” Every terrorist
who dies receives a poster declaring that he
is on the way to Yerushalayim.
The second answer the Rambam gives is
that Hashem didn’t want the nations to
understand the significance of the place,
fearing they would destroy it. This is
exactly what has happened throughout
history, as the enemies of the Jewish people
targeted this sacred location because of its
importance. We learn how the Babylonians
conquered Jerusalem and burned the Beit
HaMikdash, and how the Romans destroyed
the entire city. Even today, the enemy vows
to destroy all the holy sites.

This holds special truth in our time as we
witness many groups destroying historical
monuments, holy sites, and places of
worship throughout the world.
The third approach the Rambam offers is
that Hashem didn’t want the tribes to fight
over Jerusalem once they learned of its
significance. Today, we see this scenario
play out as well, with various religions
claiming Jerusalem as their holy city,
leading to ongoing conflicts over its control.
Although the Torah does not explicitly tell
us where these places were, the kedusha
(holiness) of the location was well known
to our forefathers. For instance, Avraham
went to sacrifice Yitzchak on Har
HaMoriah, which is the Har HaBayit. When
he approached the place, he saw a cloud
representing the holy Shechinah resting
above it.
Yaakov stopped there to sleep after leaving
Lavan’s house, where he had the prophecy
of the angels ascending and descending the
ladder. Many others also brought sacrifices
to Hashem at this very place, including
Adam HaRishon, Kayin and Hevel, and
Noach after exiting the ark(’ב פרק רמב״ם
. (מהלכות בית הבחירה ה״ב
This site might be so holy because it is
known to be the place where the world was
created, and from that very point, the rest of
אבן השתיה, שממנו הושתת)formed world the
העולם (. The Gemara(סט קדושין (states that
Yerushalayim is the highest place in the
world. The commentators(חת״ס ראה
ומהרש״א (point out that, factually, this is not
physically true. They explain that the
Gemara does not mean “high” in a physical
sense but rather in a spiritual sense.
The Midrash(צב תהלים (tells us that the
gates to Gan Eden pass through this
location. When Adam HaRishon realized
this, he chose to dwell there.