YOM YERUSHALAYIM SPECIAL
RABBI SIMCHA HOCHBAUM Director of Tourism, Chevron
Yom Yerushalayim: An Awakening The following thought are based on the Zohar HaKadosh - Parshat Bamidbar the parsha which is always read after Yom Yerushalayim
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Rejoice in Yerushalayim, rejoice in Her - all who love Her” (Isaiah 66:10). The Zohar HaKadosh explains ‘ Real joy can only be found when the Jewish Nation is living in their Land’. Only in Israel does the ‘Husband’ and ‘Wife’ unite - and only then is there living complete joy ‘above’ and ‘below’. (The light from above refers to Hashem being the Husband and the light below refers to the Jewish People living in israel being the ‘Wife’). However, when the Jewish People are distant and no longer living in Israel - it is forbidden to express joy (outwardly) as the verse says in Isaiah - ‘v’gilu bah’ - ‘IN her (only)’. Real rejoicing is only in Yerushalayim with the Jewish Nation returning and residing in the Holy Land. 70
TORAH TIDBITS / BEHAR BECHUKOTAI 5780
The Zohar continues to explain in the name of R Eliezer an apparent contradiction: In one verse of Psalms it states “Serve Hashem with joy” (chapter 100) and a second verse says, “Serve the Almighty with fear” (chapter 2). What is the underlying difference between the two? The Zohar answers: ‘When the Jewish Nation is living in the land of Israel they are able to reach the higher level of serving Hashem with joy. However, when the Nation is living outside of the Land of Israel, they can only reach the level of serving Hashem out of fear’. Baruch Hashem, 53 years ago, on the 20th of Iyar, G-d opened gates for Am Yisrael. Although it took Yehoshua seven years to capture and bring liberation, Tzahal took only six days to return to the biblical borders of Eretz Yisrael. (R Nachman Kahane). The Temple Mount, the Kotel, Kever Rachel, Kever Yosef, Mearat HaMachpela were all brought under Jewish sovereignty. Yerushalayim became ‘k’Ir shechubra lo yachdav’ with the unification of East and West Jerusalem. Not only was there a great military victory and the liberation of holy sites a great spiritual awakening took place. R’ Shlomo Carlebach would explain
