There are about 200 countries in the world, but it seems that only two attribute holiness to their capital: Israel and Palestine (still not a recognized state, but on the way there)...Most states selected their capitals because of tradition, history, culture, geography, politics and convenience...Most capitals contain religious symbols: cathedrals, mosques, temples, but they were not selected as capitals because of these...
...Jerusalem has always been an obstacle to a settlement...The Palestinians are willing for Jerusalem to be declared capital of Israel on condition that it is also their capital. Israel refuses to recognize their right to this. The leaders on both sides, not only the religious leadership but also secular politicians, consider Jerusalem not merely their "eternal capital" but attribute holiness to its stones, its homes and its symbols.
...it might be better if they agreed on the following: Israel would announce that at least temporarily it would move its capital to a different city...In parallel, the Palestinians will agree that Jerusalem will not be declared their capital...Would this mean that Israel is giving up on the Jewish connection to Jerusalem? Of course not. The religious, historic and emotional connection will remain, precisely like it did during 2,000 years of exile, which did not blur that link. Does this mean that the two sides are relinquishing their historic rights or sovereignty over the city? Of course not.
...Even if the proposed hiatus does not advance peace, it may bring healing to the dying city. And when Jerusalem goes back to being Israel's capital it will also be a city worthy of such standing, a city in which life is good...
Ha-Ha-Haretz strikes again.
Uri Tzvi Greenberg expressed it well some 50 years ago:
"כל העולם לא כדאי לנו באין זיו מקדש ירושלים.
שבעים אומות – שבעים אימות, באין כתר ירושלים.
שקול שקלנו בהר הבית כנגד כל זהב פרוים
ובאינו-עוד זה שקלנו אביוני ירושלים.
גם כל יהב גאוננו המון שלכת אלי מים
כי מה ערכנו בלאומים בלי כבוד-ישות ירושלים..."
שבעים אומות – שבעים אימות, באין כתר ירושלים.
שקול שקלנו בהר הבית כנגד כל זהב פרוים
ובאינו-עוד זה שקלנו אביוני ירושלים.
גם כל יהב גאוננו המון שלכת אלי מים
כי מה ערכנו בלאומים בלי כבוד-ישות ירושלים..."
For us, the entire world has no worth without the shine of the Temple in Jerusalem
Seventy nations - seventy fears, without the crown of Jerusalem.
Our own measure on the Temple Mount equals more than all their pure gold
And without it, we are the paupers of Jerusalem.
All our hope of pride is but as the mass of fallen leaves at the water
For what is our value amongst the nations without the honor of essential being that is Jerusalem.
Collected Works, Vol. 11, p. 168
(please see comment by Shaul and in accordance Ii have altered my translation)
Seventy nations - seventy fears, without the crown of Jerusalem.
Our own measure on the Temple Mount equals more than all their pure gold
And without it, we are the paupers of Jerusalem.
All our hope of pride is but as the mass of fallen leaves at the water
For what is our value amongst the nations without the honor of essential being that is Jerusalem.
Collected Works, Vol. 11, p. 168
(please see comment by Shaul and in accordance Ii have altered my translation)
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6 comments:
Thank you for always providing thoughtful content. I also thought I'd share this...
Good For The Jews with special guests DeLeon and comedians Morgan Murphy, Seth Herzog, and Rachel Sklar is happening at the Highline Ballroom tonight! It’s going to be a great time, hope to see you there!
Dec. 7, 2009
Concert starts @ 8PM
Doors open @ 6PM
Tickets $15.00
Discount code: GFTJ
The hilarious music duo Good For the Jews bring their national tour to New York for a night of unorthodox music and comedy on December 7, the minus-fifth night of Hanukkah.
GOOD FOR THE JEWS:
Jewish music for people who don't like Jewish music.
No songs about dreidels.
And no Israeli folk-dancing.
“Good For the Jews is a hilarious musical act. Don’t miss them.” National Public Radio
“Like Sarah Silverman and Jon Stewart, Good For the Jews is wickedly hilarious.” Village Voice
“Good For the Jews: a Jewish Flight of the Conchords.” Denver Westword
“Like Adam Sandler with a few additional IQ points.” The Onion
“Good For the Jews is part of the sharp new culture presented by such talents as Jon Stewart, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Sarah Silverman.” Washington Post
DeLEON makes “Spanish-Jewish indie rock” by infusing 15th hcentury folk music with the entrancing cadences of the ancient Sephardic tradition. They have toured with Gogol Bordello and recently completed a 20-city tour with Brazilian legends Os Mutantes.
MORGAN MURPHY has been a writer for the TV shows Crank Yankers and Jimmy Kimmel Live. She has performed standup comedy on Premium Blend and Last Call with Carson Daly, and is currently writing for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
SETH HERZOG has appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Chappelle’s Show, and VH1’s Best Week Ever.
I'm not convinced this is such a terrible idea. Jerusalem need not be relinquished, but if the question is capital city or not, wouldn't it be better to have peace and Jerusalem with another capital than to perpetuate conflict and collective suffering (I mean Palestinains and Israelis?) It's just an idea, but I think it has some legs.
Seth, I don't get a publicity fee?
Charles,
The Rambam has stated in his Mishneh Torah, Avodah, Hilchot Beit Habechirah, Chapter One, Halacha 3:
ג. כיון שנבנה המקדש בירושלים נאסרו כל המקומות כולן לבנות בהן בית ליי' ולהקריב בהן קרבן ואין שם בית לדורי הדורות אלא בירושלים בלבד ובהר המוריה שבה נאמר ויאמר דויד זה הוא בית יי' האלהים וזה מזבח לעולה לישראל ואומר זאת מנוחתי עדי עד:
"In that the Temple was constructed in Jerusalem, all bamot were prohibited from a sanctuary being built on them and to make sacrifices except solely in Jerusalem and on Mount Moriah therein as David stated....."
Jerusalem is the site of sanctity, where the Shechinah resides. There is no other capital or Holy City more than the Qom or Mecca or Washington or Paris would be moved.
"Shaqalnu " - without a Yod before the Nun - means "we have measured " (or: "weighed "), not "our shekels ". "Shaqol " is the infinitive (or gerund) and comes to strengthen the verb after it.
Also, the word "Parvaim " does not mean "their furs ". Rather, it comes from the Biblical verse (II Chronicles 3:6) "... and the gold was the gold of Parvaim ", referring to the pure gold that King Shlomo used to cover the Temple.
For a discussion of Parvaim, see Eliezer Segal, "In Those Days, At This Time ", p. 107. One explanation, in the Jerusalem Talmud (Yoma 4:4), is that the gold was alive and bore fruit ( "Perot ").
So the meaning would be:
"We surely measure on the Temple Mount equal to all the pure gold... "
It's amazing how learned Uri Tzvi Greenberg was in the Jewish
tradition, far more than most of us are today.
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