Shoftim: Standing Silently By

by Rav Moshe Tzuriel ZT"L, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Among the many mitzvot (commandments) in this week's Torah portion of Shoftim (D'varim 16,18-21,9), we read: "The testimony of one witness [regarding a crime] may not be accepted; a case must be established through the testimony of two or three witnesses" (19,15).

The Sages ask (Makkot 5b): "If the testimony of two witnesses is sufficient, why did the Torah state 'two or three'"?

Several answers are offered; let us focus on that of Rabbe Akiva, who said: "The purpose is to exact a price on the third witness, and equate his punishment to that of the first two." That is, if they are found to have lied, not only are the first two witnesses punished, but also the third one – and he cannot claim, 'My words made no difference, since there were already two witnesses, so why should I be punished?'"

The Gemara adds there: "If one who merely joins up with other sinners is punished, how much more so is one rewarded for joining up with those who do good deeds!"

In any event, we learn from this a major principle in "national education:" When the authorities commit an injustice, such as the expulsion of residents from Gush Katif and handing over parts of the Land of Israel to foreigners, it is forbidden to take part! That is, even if police and military forces have already gathered in numbers sufficient to complete the mission, and then other soldiers or police officers are recruited to take part as well, the latter cannot claim that they bear no guilt because the plan can be completed without them. Rather, anyone who joined up with the forces, in whatever role, is guilty – and must repent for this sin. His t'shuvah (repentance) must be a personal decision to never again take any part in evicting Jews from their homes, and also by publicly declaring and educating others that such a great sin must never be repeated.

I would add that we are reminded to speak about this specifically now, because the days of t'shuvah are fast approaching and every Jew must correct what he corrupted in the past.

It is interesting to note that a disagreement has developed among several of the rabbis of the religious-Zionist camp. Some say that a soldier must obey all military commands, even regarding the eviction of Jews from their homes, while others claim that it is forbidden to obey orders that directly contradict Torah law. The latter cite the Rambam, who wrote, "If the king decreed to abrogate a commandment, he is not listened to" (Laws of Kings 3,9, based on Sanhedrin 49a). Several rabbis were interviewed in the media this week who instructed their students to obey the army's orders regarding the eviction of Jews from a building in Hebron. It is puzzling to me that I did not hear any of those rabbis relate to the apparent violation of the Rambam's halakhic ruling.

It should also be noted that no Rosh Yeshivat Hesder pre-military academy head is permitted to rule on this "question," because of his personal "interests" (biases) regarding continued funding from the Ministry of Defense for his yeshiva.

Back to the fundamental point: A person will have to account in the Heavenly court for having stood by sinners, and will be punished for not having protested their acts. This concept is also seen elsewhere in the Torah, such as regarding the rebellion of Korach and his gang. When Moshe Rabbeinu heard that there was to be a Divine punishment, he declared before all, "Move away from the tents of these evil people… lest you be consumed by [the punishment for] their sins" (Bamidbar 16,26). This raises the question: Since G-d knows who is guilty and who is not, what's the difference where they all stood? G-d could have punished only those who actively rebelled!

The answer is: "Woe to an evil person, woe to his neighbor" (Mishna Nega'im 12,6). The very fact that the neighbor did not distance himself from an evil person brings upon him punishment. 

Our Sages were clear on this point: "Distance yourself from a bad neighbor" (Ethics of the Fathers 1,7). Rabbeinu Yonah explains that this means that one must not think that he can join up with the evil ones only temporarily, or even just superficially – because he could end up being punished simply for being with him and not protesting.

This of course also applies to being with people who speak gossip, slander, or impure/unclean speech. See also Proverbs 22,14, from which is learned that everyone in the vicinity of a sinner will be punished, unless they protested.

Our military failures in the Second Lebanon War, a year after the Disengagement, refute the position of those young rabbis who instructed their students not to disobey IDF orders during that expulsion of Jews. They claimed that disobeying orders would weaken the IDF. But look at what happened: The result was exactly the opposite of what they thought!

Contrast this with the ruling of the venerable Rabbi Dov Lior about a month ago: When religious soldiers received an order to join the IDF forces preventing citizens from marching on foot to the destroyed settlement of Homesh, they asked his counsel whether to obey the instructions. He answered them that the role of the IDF is to protect us from our foreign enemies, and that it is not its role to prevent Jews from settling their land, and that using the soldiers for this purpose is a political and invalid use of the IDF by the authorities.

How fortunate we are that it is in our power to correct the past through repentance.

Shmini: Arrogance and Bachelorhood

by Rav Moshe Tzuriel ZT"L, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

The Torah tells us (Vayikra 10,1-2) that Aharon's sons Nadav and Avihu "offered before G-d a strange fire that He did not command them."  Though this seems straightforward, still and all, our Sages found several other reasons for their deaths. For instance, Medrash Rabba (20,1) states, "Many women were waiting to get married, but Nadav and Avihu, in their arrogance, said, 'Our father's brother [Moshe] is a king, our mother's brother [Nachshon ben Aminadav] is the prince of the Tribe of Judah, our father is the High Priest, and we ourselves are deputy priests. What woman could possibly be suitable for us?'"

They were tainted, as often happens with those who come from distinguished lineage, with the sin of haughtiness, and thus did not even consider the offers of marriage suggested to them.

The Talmud is even more up-front about their "attitude" problem: "Nadav and Avihu were walking behind Moshe and Aharon, and one said to the other, 'When will these two old men die already, and you and I will lead the generation?' G-d then said to them, 'We will soon see who buries whom.'" (Tr. Sanhedrin 52a)

This terrible trait of arrogance was a part of them ever since the day the Torah was given at Sinai, as the above Medrash continues: "Already at Mt. Sinai their death sentence was handed down, for it is written (Sh'mot 24,11) that they "saw G-d and ate and drank"  - with no sense of humility, as if they were dining with a friend of theirs." They were not at all like Moshe Rabbeinu, about whom it is written at the Burning Bush, "Moshe hid his face for he was afraid to look upon G-d" (Sh'mot 3,6).

The Gemara (Eruvin 63a) also tells us that they died because they issued a Halakhic ruling in front of Moshe without consulting with him. That is, when they decided to offer the fire in the Holy Tabernacle, they did not ask Moshe beforehand, as they should have. This, too, shows their trait of arrogance.

But it was even worse than that – for they did not even consult with one another! The Torah tells us that each of them "took his own pan and placed in it fire," emphasizing that each one acted on his own. They had no humility even one towards the other, and certainly did not cooperate with each other. This was very unlike how Moshe and Aharon behaved, as we read in Rashi to Sh'mot 12,3: "They showed honor one to another, and each one asked the other, 'Teach me' – and [when they spoke to Israel], the words would emanate from between both of them, as if they were both speaking."

The Sages also added this "fault" to the list: They were punished because they had no children. What is the source for this? Bamidbar 3,4 recounts this sin and then adds: "They had no children."  This addition seems to be irrelevant, and therefore the Sages derived that it was precisely the reason for their punishment! For the Talmud teaches (Pesachim 113b) that among those who are distanced from G-d are those who were not married and those who have no offspring [for lack of effort]. This indicates that one who tarries in marrying is also at fault and distanced from G-d – for all this stems from arrogance.

When we see that the Sages state various reasons for a particular phenomenon, we do not assume that we simply do not know the real reason; rather, each opinion is showing us another aspects of the same explanation. In the case of Nadav and Avihu, we are happy to note that they were not guilty of many different sins, but only of various aspects of the sin of arrogance. Because they were privileged in various manners, Nadav and Avihu displayed arrogance in different ways.

We can say that this itself was the "strange fire" that they offered before G-d – for it is incumbent upon one who approaches the highest levels of holiness to feel humility.

Showing Humility

A few verses later, we read that Moshe instructed Aharon's remaining sons, Elazar and Itamar, to offer up the Rosh Chodesh sacrifice. However, because they were in mourning for their brothers, they burnt it on the Altar and did not eat from it. Moshe thought they had carelessly disqualified it, and when he tried to clarify this matter, Aharon explained that they were in mourning and therefore could not eat from it. Why did Elazar and Itamar not respond to Moshe? Because of their humility: They wished to show deference to their father Aharon, and also to not directly negate Moshe's words. Moshe then humbly admitted that he had forgotten this law.

Let us relate our message to the unmarried young men of today [2007]. Sadly, Interior Ministry statistics of 2003 show that among males aged 20-29, more than three-quarters are single, and among women – 60% are unmarried. [ed. note: More recent data show lower, but still worrisome, numbers.] It is well-known that the situation is better among the religiously observant community than in the general population. But even among the religious, there are still very many single men and women, even in the 27–30 age range. Why is this so?

Part of this is easily explainable, since by the time one finishes both military service and completes professional training, a young man is already approaching the age of 24–26. But this certainly does not explain away why many of those who delay are influenced by the aforementioned arrogance. There is no question that too many are overly selective, constantly waiting for what appears to be a better match - “more attractive,” or “more religious,” or someone with better financial means.

These unfortunate young men do not realize that as time passes, the “better” offers become less common, because they get taken by others...

It could be that the hesitation of these young men stems either from a sense of inferiority that they fear will be discovered by their dates. It could also be the opposite: They sincerely think that they deserve better. But they fail to recognize that just as the women suggested to them have flaws and imperfections, so too do these very men themselves have the same (both in terms of physical appearance and character traits) – and these only increase over time, rendering themselves at least as undesirable as they perceive the women to be!

In addition, the necessary flexibility required for a person to be patient and accommodating with their “partner” gradually decreases over time. As people grow older, their demands increase, which makes it harder to conclude a match.

Just as physical beauty is found primarily at a relatively young age, so too the ability to accept opposing views is more common among the young, who are more pliant and accepting. Similarly, the more one becomes established in society or in business, the less open s/he is to cooperating with someone who is different from them. This creates a kind of trap for all those waiting to hear a "better" offer.

Young men of our time must learn from the sin of Nadav and Avihu: not to fall into the trap of arrogance!

Miketz: The Lessons of Yosef in Egypt

by Rav Moshe Tzuriel ZT"L, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

The story of Yosef HaTzaddik in Egypt – the imprisoned servant-boy who became second-to-the-king in an instant – is inspiring in many ways. Let us see how he overcame, among many other trials and tribulations, the scorn of the Minister of Drinks; how he took pride in his Hebrew background even though this increased the Egyptians' contempt for him; and how his love for the Land of Israel shone through in all that he did.

The Torah portion of Miketz (B'reshit 41,1-44,17) begins with King Pharaoh's confusion at having dreamt a double dream of skinny cows swallowing fat cows and withered wheat stalks devouring strong ones. The Minister of Drinks remembered Yosef – who had interpreted the minister's own dream for life and prosperity – and recommended him to Pharaoh, in less than glowing terms: "There with us [in prison] was a Hebrew youth, a slave to Potiphar" (41,12).

Rashi explains, in the name of Chazal (our holy Sages): "Accursed are the evil ones, whose goodness towards others is incomplete. He mentioned Yosef in mocking terms, saying he was a foolish youth unworthy of greatness; a Hebrew, who doesn't even know our language; and a slave, about whom Egyptian culture says cannot become a ruler." That is, even when the evil ones try to do a favor, they do so in a miserly way; their heart does not allow them to do so whole-heartedly without casting aspersions upon him.

Let us understand these points that Chazal saw fit to mention in the butler's words. For one thing, why should he call him a youth, given that Yosef was already 30 years old (41,46)? The explanation given by the Matnot Kehunah commentary is that the reference is to Proverbs 22,15, which speaks of the "foolishness of youth;" the butler wished to denigrate not his age, but his character.

Next: Did Yosef truly not speak the local language? The answer is mostly yes, as the Zohar says (Part III, 213b). Yosef purposely made sure not to learn the language, in order to save himself from assimilating into the local culture. He did know a few dozen words that he needed to run Potiphar's household, but not all the nuances of the words. 

Why did Chazal tell us that the butler called Yosef a "Hebrew?" It is well-known that the Egyptians worshiped sheep, and therefore viewed all shepherding and shepherds, as the Israelites were, as nothing less than an abomination (46,34). They couldn't even bring themselves to eat at the same table with the Hebrews (43,32)! It was therefore with evil intentions that the Minister of Drinks referred to Yosef as a Hebrew, in order to pre-empt any thought by the king to promote Yosef to greatness.

The Torah also wishes to tell us here the maliciousness of the butler's sin of ingratitude, so that we may learn to recognize it if we detect it in ourselves. Yosef had done him a great favor, after helping him for years in prison – and even when he then pleaded with him to remember him and ask the king to pardon him, the butler totally put it out of his mind. The Torah tells us, "The Minister of Drinks did not remember Yosef, and he forgot him" (40,23). Why is it emphasized that not only did he not remember him, but also forgot him? Rashi says: This teaches that he forgot him the very same day that Yosef asked to be remembered!

Why did Yosef even tell the Minister of Drinks that he was a Hebrew? In his plea to be remembered, he said, "For I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and was wrongfully placed in the pit" (40,15). Wouldn't he have saved himself much grief had he not mentioned that extra detail?

The answer is that Yosef placed his pride in his background, and his love for his homeland, ahead of other considerations. Chazal say that "Yosef acknowledged his Land," and therefore was buried there and not in Egypt where he lived and ruled. What does it mean that he "acknowledged" it? It means that he was thankful for his Land, and took pride in it. [The words for "acknowledged" and for "thanked" are of the same root.]

We find that Yosef's descendants similarly loved Eretz Yisrael. The daughters of Tzlofchad, for instance, requested to receive a share in the Land because of their love for it (Bamidbar 27); they were of the Tribe of Menashe, son of Yosef. In addition, one of our two future redeemers – Mashiach ben Yosef, of the tribe of Yosef's son Ephraim – was chosen for this task because of his love for the Land. Similarly, the Scroll of Esther emphasizes that Mordechai arrived in Persia from the Holy Land not at all out of choice, but because he "was exiled from Jerusalem" (Esther 2,6).

We know that Yosef, when sending his brothers back to the Holy Land to inform their father Yaakov of the good news that Yosef was alive and very well in Egypt, told them: "Do not rush along the way" (45,24). As Chazal explain, this was because "it could lead to vision problems" (Taanit 10b). Why is it that Yaakov himself did not earlier give his sons a similar warning when they set off for Egypt?

The answer is that there is a big difference between one who leaves Eretz Yisrael and one who returns to it. The former will certainly not rush – for why would he hurry to leave a holy place? But there is a definite fear that those who return to Eretz Yisrael would do so with such great happiness and zeal that they might endanger themselves. This is why Yosef HaTzaddik, who loves and appreciates his Land so much, is the one who gave this warning.

How much we have to learn from Yosef HaTzaddik, in his love for the Land of Israel, and more!

Nasso: The Land of Israel's Special Light, as Reflected in the Priestly Blessing

by Rav Moshe Tzuriel ZT"L, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Ashreinu – how fortunate we are, the residents of the Land of Israel, who get to fulfill the mitzvah of the Priestly Blessing (Bamidbar 6, 22-27) every single day, and sometimes twice! Outside the Land, this mitzvah is fulfilled only on the festivals and the High Holidays. It is hard to understand why this is so.

We read in the above verses that via the Priestly Blessing, the priests "place My Name upon the Children of Israel and I will bless them." That is, the priests bless Israel, and G-d gives his consent (Tr. Hullin 49a). Elsewhere, the Gemara even adds (Tr. Sotah 38a) that G-d very strongly desires the Priestly Blessing!

Given the great value and importance, for us and for G-d, of the Priestly Blessing, why do we barely perform it outside Eretz Yisrael?

Many answers have been offered over the past several centuries, but most of them can be easily challenged. For instance, the Rama (Shulchan Arukh O.C. 128,44) says that the Jews in medieval times were "very troubled with thoughts of making a living" and the like, "and even on Festivals, they only recite the Blessing in Mussaf when they are about to leave for home and for the joy of the Festivals."

In the Land of Israel's Galilee area, the Diaspora custom in this matter was perpetuated in most areas, except that they said the Priestly Blessing also during Mussaf on the Sabbath. This was because this was basically the custom of the students of the Baal Shem Tov who came to the Galilee and continued their practice.

The students of the Vilna Gaon, however, who came to the Land and settled in Jerusalem, made sure to recite the Blessing every day; and the Sephardim recited the Priestly Blessing throughout the Land, as noted by the Beit Yosef (Rav Yosef Karo, author of the Shulchan Arukh).

Rav She'ar Yashuv Cohen, long-time Chief Rabbi of Haifa and son of the famed Nazir, Rav David Cohen, long attempted to change the custom in Haifa and environs and restore the Priestly Blessing to its honored place – but largely to no avail. In an article in Volume 2 of Techumin in 1981, he collected several explanations as to why the Cohanim in the Galilee do not recite the Blessing, but they are all weak.

The Missing Joy

Let us concentrate on one aspect of the various explanations, which will highlight one of the great virtues of the Jews living in Eretz Yisrael. The Rama cited a custom that unmarried Cohanim do not recite the Priestly Blessing because, as the Gemara states (Tr. Yevamot 62b), they are "without happiness."

Yitzchak, Too
The Maharam Ben-Baruch notes, in this vein, that when our Patriarch Yitzchak wished to bless his son Esav, he asked him to first prepare a special meal that would bring him joy – because "without joy, how can I give a blessing?" We thus see that the Priests who bless the nation must do so not simply as a form of lip service, but rather with true joy.

A student of the Rama, known as the L'vush, wrote in kind: "Even though the Priests should by rights bless the people every day… the custom is to do so only on Festivals, which are days of happiness and good-heartedness. Even on the Sabbath they do not bless, because they are troubled by thoughts of making a living, etc."

No Yoke

Another aspect of the joy of being in Eretz Yisrael is noted by the Beit Efraim: "The Jews of the Land did not bear the yoke of the Exiles as did their brethren in the Diaspora, where they were scattered and banished throughout the generations from city to city and land to land, and they had no peace of mind."

Various Torah giants wrote clearly regarding the difference between the atmosphere of service of G-d abroad and that of Eretz Yisrael. The Shem MiShmuel explained: "The difference is that in the Land of Israel, the service is with love and devotion, like the [atmosphere of] Sabbath, while in the Diaspora the service is more of sur mera, trying to avoid the negative; they engage in compulsiveness and self-flagellation in trying to force the acceptance of holiness, as if it were against their nature."

And so too wrote Rav Kook: "In the Land of Israel, one can draw out the joy of holiness even from the place of the joy, but outside the Land, this cannot be done, because of the strength of the forces of strict judgement there" (Orot HaKodesh vol. III, p. 187).

In the Land, Joy is First
The Sfat Emet (Re'eh 5661) holds that "in the Diaspora, the primary element is fear of G-d, which then leads to joy. But in the Land, joy is the main thing, and from it we merit to have fear and awe… In the Land of Israel and in the Temple, the nation merited light of the soul…; the service of joy is that of the soul, while that of the body is fear/awe."

The Vilna Gaon said that if he only could, he would suspend his Torah learning and prayer and wander from place to place to institute the Priestly Blessing every day. He said that the Blessing includes and alludes to the seven basic elements of all blessing: wisdom, wealth, long life, finding favor in the eyes of men, ability to influence other, descendants, and peace.

How much great light is encapsulated in this special mitzvah, in which G-d turns to us and lights the way for all blessing. Let us concentrate when we fulfill it – both those who bless and those who are blessed. We must also recognize our great fortune in living here in the Land where we merit to fulfill it every day!

Teruma: The Mutual Love Between G-d and Israel

by Rav Moshe Tzuriel zt"l, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

During the times of the Sages of the Talmud, it was customary among some young couples that the groom would leave home before marriage in order to study Torah with the greatest rabbis. [Perhaps this started] with Rabbi Akiva, who left his home for 12 years, and then for another 12 years – of course with the permission of his young and dedicated wife Rachel. Rava's son also received permission from his wife to leave for the same reason, for six years. The Gemara also tells of the son of R. Judah the Prince, redactor of the Mishna, who became engaged to the daughter of R. Yossi ben Zimra – with the condition that the groom would spend 12 years studying Torah. It happened that the boy saw his future wife walk through the room, and he asked his father if he could reduce the period to six years. The parents agreed, but before the final agreement could be signed, the boy said that he wished to reconsider once again, and asked that the wedding take place immediately, before he left for his studies. The boy then became embarrassed at his impatience, but his father mollified him, saying:

"You have the idea of the Holy One. He, too, promised to dwell in the midst of the Children of Israel – but only when they come to the Land of Israel, as written in the Song of the Sea: "You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance" - i.e., Jerusalem - "the place You made for Your dwelling, Hashem" (Exodus 15,17). But then what happened? Hashem rushed things up, telling Moshe [in this week's Torah portion of Teruma] to tell Israel that "they should make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst" (ibid. 25,2). As Rashi explains, the groom followed G-d's pattern when He did not wait 40 years until Israel entered the Holy Land to dwell in their midst, but rather decided to do so at once.

And it is in the Tabernacle, and then the Holy Temple, that the cherubim atop the Holy Ark symbolize the mutual love between G-d and His people, as explained at length by the Torah commentators.

Why exactly does G-d love us so? There are two answers, as the Maharal of Prague wrote in his commentary to Pirkei Avot: First is the very creation of Israel as "the branch planted by [G-d], the work of My hands in which I take pride" (Isaiah 60,21); Israel is the nation thus worthy of the World to Come, even before they fulfill mitzvot and perform good deeds. And secondly, we have the additional level of our good deeds and integrity. That is, as the Maharal continues, "while the Christians and the Ishmaelites (Muslims) tend to extremism in their religions, Israel has the trait of the middle road (see Rambam's Guide 3,39 and De'ot 1)." "This nation I created for Me," we read in Isaiah (43,21); Rashi explains that the world was created for Israel – which means for the sake of the Divine objective – and our higher level is not dependent upon our merits, which grant us an extra level of Divine preference.

As an aside, we must ask: Is this not a racist viewpoint? The answer is no, because racism is defined as something that claims to grant one race authority to take advantage of and subjugate the others that are supposedly lower than them. But if one race claims to have advantages, but does not adopt the supposed right to subjugate others, this is not racism. If we say that a European race is polite and orderly, as opposed to a Far East tribe that is barbaric and lacks those traits, that is not racism.

HaRav Kook, of saintly blessed memory, taught us (Introduction to Musar Avicha): "For as long as one does not teach himself to understand the greatness of the soul of Israel and the virtue of Israel, and that of the Holy Land, and the longing of every Israelite for the building of the Holy Temple, and the greatness of Israel in the world – he will be practically unable at all to taste the true flavor of the service of G-d."

This helps us understand the mutual love between G-d and Israel symbolized by the cherubim in the Temple facing each other with a common goal. We also understand why G-d rushed to have Israel build a Tabernacle in the desert 40 years earlier than planned – because G-d, as the "male," always wishes to give to His chosen "female." And this also helps us understand the comparison to the groom who wished to marry his intended right away.

But we are well-advised to ensure that the love is mutual. Just as the Sages tell us that G-d shows His great love for us via "the ten perpetual miracles in the Temple" (Avot 5), and just as the Western Lamp attests to His presence there (Shabbat 22b) – so too we must act upon our desire to rebuild the Holy Temple. We may not allow ourselves to be distracted from this vision and dream, and we may not have weakness of spirit as if many long years will yet pass (Heaven forbid) before the Divine King's palace is re-established. Rather, we must take the following practical steps:

The Government of Israel must forbid non-Jews from entering the holiest locations of the Temple, as is Halakhically ruled in the Mishna (Kelim 1). After the battles of the Six Day War died down, no Arab set foot on the Temple site, until then-Defense Minister Moshe Day gave them the keys. How could it have happened that not one of the religious parties protested this disgrace? How can it be that they all did not protest it? How did the rabbis not cry out in opposition? And even now, Jewish prayer on the Mount is very restricted; is this not a great disgrace that we cave in to the Gentiles, instead of ruling there as we should?

But the general populace are lovers of G-d and greatly desire and long to restore the Divine Presence to Its place. "For your salvation we have pined all day long," we say thrice daily in our prayers.

We conclude with these words of inspiration from the Tanna D'vei Eliyahu Rabba:

"Every wise man in Israel who learns true words and ideas of Torah; and who sighs in pain at the [degraded] honor of G-d in the world, and regarding that of Israel, all his days; and who pines intensely for the honor of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple and the Salvation that it may sprout speedily in our times; and for the Ingathering of the Exiles – immediately, the Holy Spirit dwells within him."

Emuna: What Makes Jerusalem Special

by Rav Moshe Tzuriel, of saintly blessed memory, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

It is really quite remarkable that the name "Jerusalem" does not appear even once in the Five Books of the Torah. This is of course not because the Eternal City is not important; quite the contrary. The Torah calls it "the place that Hashem your G-d will choose to establish His Name" (D'varim 12,21). And in another 19 places, as well, it calls it the place "that G-d will choose." Why is this? 

Because, as we read in the last five words of the Book of Yechezkel, "The name of the city from that day on will be 'G-d is there.'" That is, when a person wants to set a meeting with a friend in Jerusalem, he will say, "Let's meet in the city that G-d chose to place His presence there" – and everyone will know to what he is referring. For this is the place that G-d chose even before the Creation of the World (Medrash Tehillim 76)! As is stated straight out: "For G-d chose Zion, He desired it for His habitation" (Tehillim 132,13). 

Jerusalem and the Holy Land

There is a major difference between the sanctity of Jerusalem and that of the rest of the Land of Israel. The latter is contingent upon the arrival in the Land of most of the Jewish People from around the world (Tr. Nazir 42a). But the sanctity of the Holy Temple and Jerusalem is solely because of the Divine Presence, which is permanent and not transient (see Rambam, Laws of the Holy Temple, 6,16). In short, the sanctity of Jerusalem stems not from Israel's presence there, but because of G-d's perpetual presence there.

Let us note that regarding the Sukkot commandment of taking the Four Species (lulav, etrog, etc.), the Torah states (Vayikra 23,40) that this applies only on the first day of Sukkot – but then immediately says that we must rejoice before G-d for all seven days of the festival! So which is it? The answer is that in Jerusalem, "before G-d," we are to take the Four Species on each of the seven days of the festival, while everywhere else, it is required Biblically only on the first day. 

The Prophet Jeremiah says: "For at that time, they will call Jerusalem the chair of G-d" (3,17). What does this mean? The Rambam (in his Guide 1,9) defines the Heavenly term "chair" as follows: 

"Since [in ancient times] only important people such as kings would sit on chairs [while the others would sit on benches, stools and mats], a chair became a symbol of honor for those for whom it was made. And therefore, the Holy Temple was called "chair" (Jeremiah 14,21). And this is why the heavens are called "chair" (Isaiah 66,1)…" 

The above-cited verse from Jeremiah continues: "All the nations will gather there for G-d's name to Jerusalem, and they will no longer go after the arbitrary stubbornness of their evil heart." The Malbim explains, partially based on the Abarbanel, as follows: 

"The current situation is that G-d dwells in His throne in the heavens, and His leadership and supervision over the world are felt only from far, and only according to natural law. In the future, however, G-d's leadership and dominion will be felt from up close, from Jerusalem, with miracles, beyond the natural. It will then be as if G-d sits above – leading, supervising, and ruling. And this is why "all the nations will gather there" – not for war, and not simply to enjoy its fruits, but only "for G-d's Name" and also "to Jerusalem," because of the city's importance. "And they will no longer go after the arbitrary stubbornness of their evil heart," because they will all recognize G-d's kingdom and His unity, His ways, and His Torah."

Let us conclude with the idea of G-d's protection of our Holy City, the Eternal City (B'rachot 58a). Jerusalem surrounds the Holy Temple, teaching us that "Jerusalem, mountains surrounds it, and Hashem surrounds His Nation, from now and forever" (Tehillim 125,2). That is: Whoever visits Jerusalem sees seven hills around it… and whoever looks deeply into Torah understands that the number seven is quite purposeful. And why did G-d establish this unique topographic structure around Jerusalem? The Prophet Zechariah adds a dimension: "And I will be for [Jerusalem], says G-d, [as] a wall of fire around it, and for its honor I will be in it" (2,9). What we see with our eyes teaches us the inner essence: G-d is watching over us!  

Every Jew must gain strength and faith and trust from this very precious thought. 

Let us conclude with the words of the Book of the Kuzari, which ends with this: "Jerusalem will not be rebuilt before the Children of Israel long for it totally and completely, to the extent that they will love its rocks and dirt [based on Tehillim 102,15]." Let us wake up!!

In fact, the value of the Land of Israel lies in the fact that Jerusalem dwells within it. So wrote the Maharal of Prague (in his Gur Aryeh commentary on Rashi, B'reshit 32,1). And so is written in the Zohar. This explains why the Sages often note the praise of "Jerusalem" whilst citing a verse that refers to the entire Land, as in B'rachot 6a – for the latter is dependent on the former.

Tazria: G-d's Love for Israel: Conditional?

by Rav Moshe Tzuriel, of saintly blessed memory, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

In the Torah portion of Metzora (Vayikra 14-15), which is often paired with Tazria (chapter 13), we read (14,34-36) that in the Land of Israel, houses can be afflicted with leprosy. And in such cases, the Cohen must come and order the house to be emptied of the owner's belongings, before it is destroyed. The reason for this, Rashi explains, is to prevent the utensils inside from being defiled – for even though some of them can be purified, clay utensils cannot be purified.

From here we see, Rashi concludes, that the Torah is concerned even for our simplest utensils. And in the Medrash Torat Cohanim on Vayikra, R. Meir derives that if the Torah is so concerned even about a wicked person's meanest possessions, how much more so is He concerned for a righteous person and his special assets!

Other examples abound of G-d's love even for the wicked. Consider, for instance, the case of one who actually worshiped idols: After he is hanged, the Torah bids us to ensure that his corpse is not left there, "because the cursed of G-d is hanging (D'varim 21,23)." Some sages derived from the word "the cursed of G-d" - kil'lat Elokim" – that it indicates kal-let Elokim, meaning "it is not easy for G-d" to see the deaths even of wicked people.

The 18th-century R. Yehonatan Aybeschutz wrote in his classic work Ye'arot Dvash that when we pray for the sick in our daily prayers, we should "pray for all those of Israel, even sinners, who are ill, for our entire nation is one soul and one body – and if one Jew is sick, it is as if one organ of our body is unhealthy… and if a sinner is unhealthy, there is a chance that he will die without repenting – thus leaving our body incomplete."

But certainly this applies only to those whose sins are between man and G-d. But those who sin towards other people, we surely do not pray for them – for by doing so, we are praying that others should continue to suffer at his hands! How can we do a favor by praying for one sinner who is ill, while at the same time we do a disservice to those whom he harms? 

This point is made in the Medrash (Tanna D'vei Eliyahu 18): "If a Jew wishes to be happy at the downfall of wicked people, he may do so regarding those who seek to harm Israel; one is permitted to rejoice at the downfall of such great sinners."

But aside from them, the Gemara in Sanhedrin 46b teaches that G-d is sorrowful when the sinners of Israel die, because He would rather they rectify their deeds so that He need not punish them. And even when and if the judges of the Sanhedrin [the Great Court] ruled that a given idol-worshiper must be executed, they would fast that entire day in order to atone for their souls for having delivered such a verdict.

However: This approach contradicts many other Rabbinic teachings to the effect that G-d is truly happy at the destruction of wicked people. For instance, the Mishna (Sanhedrin 111a) allegorically quotes G-d as saying, "If you carry out the law of the Wayward City [i.e., destroy a city of idolaters], I regard it as if you had brought a perfect Olah sacrifice" in the Holy Temple. 

And in the Medrash Sifri: "There is great joy before G-d when those who anger Him are lost from the world, as is written (Proverbs 11,10): "There is joy when wicked people are lost." And there are other similar sources as well.

How do we resolve such a contradiction? Those who do not delve deeply into the words of the Sages tend to settle on an easy solution by saying that the Sages simply disagreed with each other. However, this approach is almost never true. Rather, as in most cases, both approaches are actually correct – depending on the circumstances. For instance, in this case, G-d is in fact happy when an evil sinner is about to be punished – but then, after the punishment has been meted out and the sin has been atoned for, G-d is sad for him and wishes to bring him close.

This explains why after the idolater is hanged, and his sin has been expunged, it is kal let – not easy for G-d to have him continue to hang there, and commands us to remove him from the tree. 

Similarly, it is forbidden to add even one more whip to the 39 stripes [or fewer, in certain cases] that must be administered to certain sinners – for the Torah states that "your brother must not be shamed [made vile] before you" (D'varim 25,3), calling him "your brother" after he has received his punishment.

And the same is true regarding homes afflicted by leprosy, about which we wrote above: When the homeowner sees the leprosy beginning to spread on his walls, he begins to fear that his home will be razed. And when he calls the Cohen to come, he is already trembling and afraid. Thus, he has already been punished – and therefore G-d has pity even on his cheapest utensils. 

In summation: The examples of joy at the destruction of the wicked apply generally when the sins were between man and man, and the people who rejoice are those who have suffered at the sinners' hands. G-d Himself, however, is not happy after the punishment has been carried out, and He rather waits hopefully for the sinner to repent properly. 

And Rav Kook explains beautifully (in Orot, p. 75) that G-d loves Israel, period – even the sinners:

"The Prophet Malachi says in G-d's name: 'Esav is brother of Yaakov - and I love Yaakov...'  Truly, as we say in our prayers, 'Everlasting love You have loved us… etc.' And even though sometimes we do not see this openly, the clear truth is what the Tribes told their father Yaakov when he suspected them of possibly straying from the true path: 'Just as in your heart there is only one, so too in our heart there is only one.'

"And in Yirmiyahu we read (50,20): 'In those days… the iniquity of Israel shall be sought - but it shall not be there; and the sins of Judah [will be searched for] but they shall not be found, for I will forgive those I leave over.'"

The Real Purpose of the Shekalim Coins

Adapted from an article by the late saintly Rav Moshe Tzuriel, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Every year, beginning in the month of Adar, our ancestors were commanded to bring half-shekels to finance the public sacrifices in our Holy Temple; at least 16 were brought each week, and many more on festival days. Nowadays, without our Holy Temple, we commemorate this important Torah mitzvah in two ways: We read aloud from the Torah the passage of "Sh'kalim" (Sh'mot 30,11-16) on the Shabbat of or before Rosh Chodesh Adar, which this year is this coming Sabbath. In addition, on Purim we give a sum of money to charity. 

However, it is not sufficient to simply perform mitzvot; one must also give thought to their content and purpose. Let us contemplate the matter: What was the purpose of bringing the sh'kalim coins? 

Firstly, the dry facts: There are different ways of performing the important custom of giving half-shekels. Generally, Ashkenazim take three half-coins of the main local currency, while many Sephardim follow the ruling of Maimonides to give the equivalent of nine grams of silver (just over $7 or 25 NIS). Some give starting from Bar or Bat Mitzvah age, others start from age 20, and some parents give the amount for each of their small children, including those still in the womb. Many give this charity to needy Torah scholars or yeshivot. 

However, the original intention of the mitzvah is not always remembered: The money was designated for the Temple's communal fund for the purpose of purchasing sheep, bulls and rams for the public sacrifices. 

Early generations of our ancestors were deeply imbued with recognition of the supreme importance of the construction of our Beit Mikdash and the offering of sacrifices there. The Talmud (Bava Metzia 114b) tells us that after the Exile, many generations did not study the tractates having to do with agricultural laws and ritual impurity, which basically applied only to the distant Land of Israel. They did, however, study the laws of sacrifices – because such study is considered equivalent to actually bringing the offerings (Menachot 110a), and was therefore considered most practical indeed. 

The saintly rabbi Ben Ish Chai (19th century, Iraq) made a fascinating point in this regard. He cited a Halakhic Medrash (the Sifri) that states that given that mitzvot are ideally meant to be performed in the Land of Israel, their performance outside the Land is a form of practice and training (though still quite obligatory). As such, given that one who learns the laws of Temple sacrifices is considered to be performing these laws, his study is actually on a higher level than the performance of other mitzvot, which are just a form of preparation for the real thing. 

Similarly, the Medrash Tanchuma teaches: "G-d said: Even though the Temple will be destroyed and sacrifices will not be brought, still, do not forget their laws; make sure to read and study the relevant Torah and Mishna passages – and if you do so, I will consider it as if you are engaged in offering the sacrifices."

And when G-d commanded the Prophet Yechezkel (43,10) to teach Israel the layout and measurements of the Holy Temple, the Medrash tell us that Yechezkel protested and asked what relevance this held, given that the nation was in Exile. G-d responded, "Just because My children are in Exile, should the construction of My House be delayed? If they engage in the study of it, their reward will be that I will view them as if they are building the Temple." Studying the details of its construction is equivalent to building it, and study of the laws of sacrifices is like actually bringing them.

The Chafetz Chaim wrote: "If we would suddenly be informed that the Beit HaMikdash had been built, clearly, no one would hesitate to spend many rubles in order to travel to our Holy Land and bring a sacrifice before G-d. So now that G-d has promised us that our study alone of these laws is equivalent to the actual act of offering the sacrifices, without the need to spend money or actually travel to the Land, all the more so should we jump at this opportunity!" 

He also wrote that essentially, each one of us can serve as a High Priest, even nowadays, simply by learning the laws of the Temple service that he performs!

In addition, we know that one of the questions a person is asked when he appears before the Heavenly Tribunal is, "Did you anticipate the Redemption?" It is therefore very proper, the Chafetz Chaim writes, for the people of the Holy Land to study the laws of the sacrifices, each one according to his ability – and this will be a great preparation for the Redemption, and then G-d, too, will hurry to redeem us.

Our anticipation of the construction of the Beit HaMikdash, and the desire to offer sacrifices, is linked to a large part of all the Torah mitzvot. Many portions of the Torah deal with these matters, and some 142 mitzvot have to do with the Temple and the sacrifices – well over one-fifth of the Torah's 613 commandments. Therefore, when we read the portion of Sh'kalim this week, we must evoke our understanding of, and longing for, the chance to fulfill these mitzvot. 

The Torah promises us (Sh'mot 34,24) that when we all go up to Jerusalem three times a year for the Festivals, our homes and lands will remain safe from the "covetous eyes" of the Gentiles. This is the special blessing of the Festivals. We might ask: Do we not know that there were times when during the times of the Holy Temple, our enemies invaded and conquered? (See Yoel 4,2: "My land they divided.") 

The answer is that this blessing did not apply when we acted wickedly: "This House on which My name is called has become a den of robbers in your eyes?" (Yirmiyahu 7,11)  G-d responded to this by saying (Yeshayahu 1,12), "When you come before Me [to the Temple], who asked you to do this, to trample My courtyards?"  

And perhaps this can be a partial explanation for our contemporary problems with our Arab neighbors, who seek to steal our Land – for we do not have the benefit of the Holy Temple and its blessings. We are unable to ascend to the Temple, but only to its retaining Western Wall, and this, too, reminds us of our lowly state without our glorious Holy Temple. Please, G-d, "renew our days as of old"  (Eichah 5,21). 

Vayeshev: Eradicating Hatred in Our Generation

Abridged from an article by the late Rabbi Moshe Tzuriel, prolific Torah scholar and rabbinic teacher in Yeshivat Hesder Rishon LeTzion, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

When we study the weekly Torah portion – this week it is Vayeshev, chapters 37-40 in B'reshit – we must remember that the reason the Sages instituted the public reading of the Torah is not simply so that we should mechanically hear the words. Even to simply understand them, while important, is not enough; rather, the objective is to learn from them what it is we must change in our lives.  

For instance, it is not enough to be saddened each year at the sale of Joseph by his brothers and to register their sin and punishment. We must rather think deeply as to whether we might also be repeating this same disgraceful sin in our own generation, in our own homeland.  

The renowned 15th-century Torah scholar and Spanish statesman, Don Yitzchak Abarbanel, explained what it was that caused our ancestors to suffer in Egypt for so long. In his commentary to the Passover Haggadah, he wrote that it all happened because of the sale of Joseph by his brothers; he was sold to Egypt, there he ascended to power, and to there his brothers later came to seek food and were not allowed to leave for a while. From this we learn the terrible severity of the sin of sin'at ḥinam, causeless hatred.  

Many events in Jewish history are attributed to the sins and events of the sale of Joseph, based on the axiom that the destruction of the Holy Temple was rooted in sin'at ḥinam (Yoma 9b). For instance, the Temple was built in the portion of the tribe of Binyamin because he was the only one of Joseph's brothers who did not take part in his kidnapping and sale. In addition, Yehuda did not merit to have the Temple built in his inheritance because, though he tried to save Joseph, he did so weakly, and did not succeed. 

But we must understand: Was the brothers' hatred of Joseph truly "causeless?" They actually had a seemingly good reason, which was that he spoke slanderously about them to their father (37,2). And even though he certainly had good intentions - that their father should reprove and educate them - he should have spoken to them first. In addition, lashon hara (slanderous speech) is such a grave sin that it is likened to the three cardinal sins of idol worship, incest, and murder (Tr. Arachin 15b). Were the brothers not justified in their hatred of Joseph? 

To answer this, we must learn an important point made by the Rambam in his commentary on the Mishna (end of Tractate Sanhedrin), where he outlined his famous Thirteen Principles of Faith. The Rambam wrote: "One who believes in these principles is [officially] an Israelite, and we are obligated to love him and have compassion on him and treat him with love and brotherhood – even if he may have committed a sin because of his lusts and the strength of the Evil Inclination upon him… Only one who heretically departs from these principles of faith may and must be hated…" [I found no rishonim, great Torah scholars of the Medieval Period, who differed with the Rambam in this point.]  

Every hatred of a Jew who is not a heretic is forbidden! It is sin'at ḥinam and a sin that has brought upon us the exile to Egypt and the destruction of the Holy Temple. And the Jerusalem Talmud teaches [Yoma 1,1]: "Every generation in which the Holy Temple was not rebuilt, is considered as if it were destroyed in that generation." This means that since G-d certainly wants to rebuild His Temple, He does not because the sin of causeless hatred is still rampant and therefore prevents it. As such, those who act with hatred towards other Jews are responsible for the continued destruction of the Holy Temple! 

Rav Chaim Yosef David Azulai (18th century, Jerusalem), known by the acronym Ḥida, wrote as follows:  

"Hatred stems from arrogance. And the Second Temple was destroyed because of it, even though that generation was otherwise great in Torah and mitzvot (Yoma 9b). And we continue to be guilty of this sin. How then can we merit Redemption while the reason for the destruction – sin'at ḥinam – is still rampant among us?" 

We do not need to be reminded of the many examples of this sin in our midst. Many sectors refer to others with derision and call each other names, while public figures verbally attack each other mercilessly.  

The Chafetz Chaim (Orach Chaim 1, Mishna Berurah and Beiur Halakha) wrote that one must not fight with others regarding the observance of Torah commandments – unless his rivals are heretics who are seeking to uproot Torah observance and he has first sought to make peace with them.  

But regarding our approach to Torah-observant Jews who follow their rabbis – if one engages in disseminating hatred against them, his sin is greater than can be borne. [See my work Otzrot HaMussar, p. 981-982.] One who studies the story of the sale of Joseph and is not shocked to trembling from the causeless hatred that caused it, has simply missed the point. And as the Ḥida wrote (cited above), this has great ramifications for our generation as well.  

The author of the Kitzur Shulchan Arukh, Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried, wrote that one who has sin'at ḥinam in his heart for a Jew, his prayers are not heard. And the Arizal states that this is true not only on Yom Kippur, but all year long. We thus hear a terrible warning as to why many of our prayers are not answered, whether for communal matters or those of the individual.  

Just like one would never eat meat whose kashrut is doubtful, one must all the more so run away from any doubtful situation regarding hatred for another Jew. The rabbis of every group must teach this educational point over and over, almost more than any other topic. 

In conclusion, let us see the words of Rav Kook that he wrote in the wake of the terrible dispute regarding the sale of land during the Shemittah year: "We must, in this generation, grasp onto the attribute of peace, and increase love and brotherhood in Israel, and increase the honor of Torah scholars." (Igrot HaR'iyah, Vol. I, p. 347).

Emuna: How the Four Places Called "Zion" are All the Same

by Rabbi Moshe Tzuriel of Yeshivat Hesder Rishon LeTzion, a widely-recognized and prolific Torah scholar who passed away three months ago, yeshiva.co, translated by Hillel Fendel. 

The name Zion (Tziyon) in the Bible can refer to four different places: The Temple Mount, the city of Jerusalem, the entire Land of Israel, and the City of David, south of Mt. Moriah. 

Let us seek out one common thread that will explain the various meanings.

The 16th-century Maharal of Prague, in his famous commentary on Rashi at the end of Parashat VaYetze, explains that the holiness of the Land of Israel stems from the presence within it of Jerusalem. That is to say, Jerusalem is heart of the Land. And from there we can also note that the heart of Jerusalem is the Temple Mount, the site of the Beit HaMikdash – and that the Dvir (the Holy of Holies), where the Tablets of the Covenant were placed, is the heart of the Beit Hamikdash. 

The Dvir is the primary source of the sanctity of the Holy Temple [see Rav Sh. R. Hirsch's commentary to the Torah, Lev. 4, verses 17, 33 et al]. The word dvir is from the same root as dibbur, which means "speech," and this connects the Dvir with the Ten Dibrot, known as the Ten Commandments. The great esteem and admiration that we have for the bringing of sacrifices in the Temple, and the closeness to G-d that it brings, all stem from our adherence and obedience to the words of the Ten Commandments, which include all 613 mitzvot of the Torah [as the 10th-century R. Saadia Gaon stated; see Rashi to Sh'mot 24,12]. 

The Tablets of the Law on which were written the Ten Commandments are literally the handiwork of G-d, as is written: "…the two Tablets of the Testimony, stone tablets written with the finger of G-d" (Sh'mot 31,18). The Torah also states: "And the tablets are the work of G-d, and the writing [thereon] is the writing of G-d, engraved on the Tablets" (Sh'mot 32,16). 

And those very Tablets, given at Sinai, are in the Ark of the Covenant – which itself is in the Dvir, the Holy of Holies, which itself is the very heart of the Holy Temple. After all, the Dvir is the place where no one may ever enter, except for the High Priest on Yom Kippur – and even then, only for a few minutes each of the four times he enters it that day. 

Based on all this, we can understand why the Prophet Yeshayahu states: "For from Zion will go forth Torah" (2,3). 

And with this inspiration of G-d's Torah in the Holy Temple, the wise men of the Sanhedrin convened in the Chamber of Gazit in the Temple, and issued rulings on all matters of doubt having to do with Jewish Law (see Rambam, Laws of Mamrim, Chapter 1).

The word tziyun, which is the same as Tziyon (Zion) but with the shuruk vowel (oo) instead of a cholam (o), means "sign." For instance, we read in the words of the Prophet Yirmiyahu (31,20), "Hatzivi lakh tziyunim," meaning, "Set signs for yourself." Tziyun is also used to mean "gravestone marker" and the like. 

This is the mobile tziyun – but the Tziyon that is quite permanently set in the ground, what we call Zion, is Jerusalem and the Land of Israel. One hundred and fifty mentions of Tziyon in the Bible refer to the Holy Temple, Jerusalem, and the Land of Israel. 

Only in four places does the Bible use the word Tziyon to refer the City of David, which is the area south of the Temple Mount, including the Shilo'ach spring (Nechemiah 3,15). But these four are actually only two, because the verse in Shmuel II 5,7 is repeated word-for-word in Chronicles I 1,5, and the same for Kings I 8,1 and Chronicles II 5,2. The latter pair of verses speaks of "bringing the Ark up from the City of David, which is Tziyon." Why was it called Tziyon? Because the Tablets of the Covenant were there!

But we must ask: Why, in Shmuel II 5,7, was the Fortress of David given the name "City of David" name even before David conquered it? The Metzudot David commentary explains that this is because later, after the conquest, it was given that name. I would like to expand on this and say that it was similarly called "Fortress of David" at an early stage because of the future, i.e., that David was to bring the Ark and the Tablets to that spot. As follows: 

The City of David was called Tziyon in the above verses simply because of the few years in which David placed the Ark of the Covenant, with the holy Tablets inside, in that place. Both sets of Tablets were there: the second set, as written in D'varim, and the first set, those that Moshe shattered during the Sin of the Golden Calf. In addition, an entire Torah scroll was placed in the Ark (Bava Batra 14b).

David was king in Jerusalem for 33 years, after which his son Shlomo took over. From then, it took another seven years for the Temple to be built – and for at least some of this time, the Ark with the Tablets was in the City of David, that is, Tziyon. (When the Philistines returned the Holy Ark to Israel, it was housed in the house of Oved-Edom, from where David brought it to the City of David.)

In short: The word Tziyon signifies the Tablets of the Covenant, which are themselves the sign – tziyun – of the Torah that G-d gave and implanted within us.  

The following objection might be raised: "There was no Ark at all in the Second Temple?!" The answer is that in fact, there was an Ark then, but it was hidden and buried under the ground (Yoma 54a). And since it, too, will one day be restored to us, the name of the site is still "Tziyon." 

And for this reason, the city of Jerusalem, too, and also the entirety of the Land of Israel are called Tziyon – and all in the merit of the Torah that is there!