בס”ד
By Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
Painting by: Baruch Nachshon z”l
And You Shall Settle Upon the Land Securely
This week we begin the three weeks of mourning the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash, may it be rebuilt speedily. One of the famous passages said for mourning this destruction is psalm 137 of Tehilim, which says that “if I forget you Jerusalem I shall forget my right hand, my tongue shall stick to my throat if I do not remember you, if I do not rise to Jerusalem on the height of my joy.” Our Sages say that “one who mourns for Jerusalem’s destruction will merit to see it rebuilt in joy.” This painting indeed portrays the reversal of the verse we mentioned in Tehilim, proclaiming that indeed we shall merit to rise upon Jerusalem at the height of my joy.” Indeed, in reality we are coming ever closer to the realization of these words seen on this painting.
Around the Beit Hamikdash and Jerusalem, obviously connected to the passage written here, we see in this this painting many themes of the number seven, the classic Jewish number: 1. three Menoras each of seven branches, 2. seven pomegranates, 3. seven protrusions of the wall to each side right and left, 4. seven leaf-doves, 5. seven figures surrounding the Beit Hamikdash – most probably hinting to the three Patrairchs and four Matriarchs, 6. seven whitish drops at the top of the painting, 7. and seven fruits on each of the vines at the bottom of the painting – seven topics of seven! At the top of the painting we also see vines, but with six fruits. The significance of this may be that Kabbalistically the heavens, found at the top of the painting, are associated with six sefirot hesed till yesod, while the earth, found at the bottom of the painting, is associated to the seventh sefira, which itself includes aspects of all the seven sefirot from hesed to malchut.
Surrounding the Beit Hamikdash we see a Torah scroll, simply hinting to the verse “from Zion Torah shall emerge, and the word of Hashem from Jerusalem.” The Beit Hamikdash also contains the tablets of the Torah, indicating the Written Torah, and is also the seat of the authority upon the Oral Torah, the Grand Sanhedrin. Around this we also see four wings to each side, apparently hinting to the wings of angels seen in the vision of the Chariot seen by Yehezkel, associated to the resting of the Holy Presence, which is manifest at the Beit Hamikdash (different than Yehayahu (prophesized in a higher spiritual sphere) who saw six).
It is important to understand that the gateway to our future Beit Hamikdash passes through the Holy Land, not only physically but spiritually as well, as can be seen for example in Talmud Hulin (92a) which calls the Holy Land the “House of Hashem.” Also our Sages said that the source of the Temple’s destruction is due to the sin of spies when Israel failed to value the Holy Land and Israel’s settlement within it. Kaleb, in contrary drew from the spirit of Hebron to combat the plot of the spies. Therefore, it only follows that Hebron, also today, is key in inspiring our People to be faithful to our Holy Land, thereby rectifying the sin of the spies, on paving the path for the rebuilding of our future Beit Hamikdash!