The site of the Holy Temple, known as Har HaMoriah, represents love and compassion. The holiness of this place comes to life with three major episodes in the life of the Jewish people.
| TODAY’S CHALLENGE |
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| Can you remember the first time you visited the Kotel? How does it feel to be so close to where the Beit Hamikdash stood? Email your answer to zemiraoz@ouisrael.org. |
a. Akeidat Yitzchak (The Binding of Isaac). (B’reishit 22:1-2) By the command of Hashem, Avraham brought his son Yitzchak to a special mountain known as Har Hamoriah. This event demonstrated his total dedication to Hashem.
וַיְהִי, אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, וְהָאֱלֹקים, נִסָּה אֶת-אַבְרָהָם; וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי.
And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham, and said unto him: ‘Abraham’; and he said: ‘Here am I.’
וַיֹּאמֶר קַח-נָא אֶת-בִּנְךָ אֶת-יְחִידְךָ אֲשֶׁר-אָהַבְתָּ, אֶת-יִצְחָק, וְלֶךְ-לְךָ, אֶל-אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה; וְהַעֲלֵהוּ שָׁם, לְעֹלָה, עַל אַחַד הֶהָרִים, אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ.
And He said: ‘Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.’
b. Yaakov’s Dream (B’reishit 28:17)Hashem guided Yaakov to a particular place when he left home. He fell asleep on a rock and had a spectacular dream. He saw a ladder standing on the ground with its top reaching the heavens. When he woke from his dream, he realized the special quality of that place. He was on that same mountain, Har Hamoriah.
וַיִּירָא, וַיֹּאמַר, מַה-נּוֹרָא, הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה: אֵין זֶה, כִּי אִם-בֵּית אֱלֹקים, וְזֶה, שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם.
And he was afraid, and said: ‘How full of awe is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’
c. After many wars, King David finally brought the Aron HaKodesh, the Holy Ark, to Jerusalem, knowing it was the chosen city. Later, through prophecy, King David was shown that this mountain would be the place of prayer and a place to unify the Jewish people.
וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד–זֶה הוּא, בֵּית ה’ הָאֱלֹקים; וְזֶה-מִּזְבֵּחַ לְעֹלָה, לְיִשְׂרָאֵל.
Then David said: ‘This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of burnt-offering for Israel.’From the very beginning of time, going back to the days of Avraham, Yaakov and King David, until today, Har HaMoriah, the Har Habayit remains at the heart of the Jewish people. We pray for the rebuilding of the third Beit HaMikdash in this very place.