English translation — ראה ב

A.

In the present era¹

stands ,

And it shall be the place which the L-rd will choose etc.

(the "Chosen House in Jerusalem"²)

there you shall bring etc. your burnt offerings and your sacrifices etc."

Is from the expression "which the L-rd <b>will choose</b>"³

- implies,

that the quality of this place

(which is the reason for "there you shall bring etc."),

is only the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He, in this place.

But <b>before</b> the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He - one could have chosen another place,

the place did not have any special quality relative to other places.

And as the statement of our Sages, of blessed memory,⁴

"Until Jerusalem was chosen, <b>all of Eretz Yisrael</b> was fit⁵

for altars etc. until the Eternal House was chosen, <b>Jerusalem</b> was fit for the Divine Presence etc.",

D.

E.

That "until Jerusalem was chosen etc. for altars" there was not in it any special quality regarding the matter of the altar

(and the Holy Temple)

relative to the rest of Eretz Yisrael.

And likewise is the "Eternal House" relative to the rest of Jerusalem.

But the Rambam says in Hilchos Beis HaBechirah⁶

: "The place of the altar is precisely fixed, and one may never move it from its place, as it is said⁷

this is the altar for the burnt-offering of Israel",

and then enumerates⁸

several virtues of

the place <b>before </b>it was chosen — "it is the place where Avraham built the altar, etc., where Noach built, etc., where Kayin and Hevel offered.

And on it Adam offered, etc., and from there he was created."

And <b>simply </b>it means,

that the thing that "its place is precisely fixed and one may never move it from its place" is

(<b>not </b>

(only)

because of the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He,

but)

because⁹

this is the place where Avraham, Noach, etc., offered their sacrifices¹⁰

before the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He).

And as later authorities¹¹

say,

that this is a dispute between the Rambam and the Sefer HaChinuch¹²

: according to the Chinuch, "the place is designated for the Divine Presence"¹³

but according to the Rambam, that which the Almighty chose the place is because it is a designated place

(from <b>before</b>).

One must understand¹⁴

: from the verse "the place which <b>will choose</b> the L-rd etc. there you shall bring etc." it is implied,

that the virtue in it

The place is

(only)

because of that which "God will choose" — the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He, in that place; and from the words of the Rambam it is evident,

that the superiority of that place¹⁵

is

(not from the aspect of the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He,

but)

because Adam the First, etc., Abraham¹⁶

offered sacrifices there,

a superiority that existed from the days of Adam the First,

and <b>therefore</b> "its place is precisely determined and they do not change it, etc."?

2.

The Tzemach Tzedek in Ohr HaTorah¹⁷

brings down the dispute among the early authorities regarding the place of the Holy Temple after it was chosen,

whether it becomes a <b>chosen</b> place for the indwelling of the Divine Presence

(without a change in the place itself),

or the Divine Presence "shines and dwells <b>in the aspect of place</b>" — and he gives an example of these two manners:

According to the first opinion — the view of the Rambam

(in the Guide for the Perplexed¹⁸)

— the indwelling of the Shechinah in the Temple is analogous to an intellectual thing that is written by the fingers of the hand,

that the intellect does not illuminate and dwell in the hand — because a hand has no connection to intellect — but nevertheless,

one can write an intellectual thing

by the fingers of the hand¹⁹,

and not by the fingers of the foot.

And so the indwelling of the Shechinah is specifically in the place of the Temple,

even though that place has no connection to the indwelling of the Shechinah.

Not so according to the second opinion — the view of the Ramban²⁰

— is the indwelling of the Divine Presence in a place analogous to "the clothing of the intellect <b>in the brain</b>",

Even though also the brain is a physical thing,

it nevertheless has a connection with intellect and the intellect is clothed in the brain "in the manner of actual clothing and indwelling".

Seemingly, these two disputes above are dependent on each other: according to the view that the place of the Temple

(and altar)

is an inherently special place

(in its own right)

— the indwelling of the Divine Presence in it is analogous to "the clothing of the intellect in the brain"; and according to the view that it is

(not an inherently special place)

merely "the place which <b>the Lord will choose</b>"

(only — in which the Holy One, blessed be He, chooses)

— the indwelling of the Divine Presence in the place²¹

is analogous to intellect passing through the fingers of the hand.

Based on this one can understand: How does the Rambam's system in the Laws of the Chosen House align with his system in the Guide for the Perplexed?

3.

But when you examine well,

it is proven,

that also the Rambam in Laws of the Chosen House holds

(like the system of the Chinuch)

that the thing that "its place is precisely designated",

is

(<b>not </b>because of the thing that

One had there <b>previously</b> offered sacrifices,

but)

only from the aspect of <b>the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He</b>:

a)

as above,

the language of the verse <b>in every place</b> which He will choose<b>*</b>²¹

- and true choice is only when both things

(the chosen and the rest)

have all the conditions

(advantages)

which one seeks.

b)

<b> Explicit </b>in the aforementioned Chazal,

Then previously "all Eretz Yisrael is fit for altars."

c)

Based on this it will be sweetened that all the aforementioned virtues the Rambam enumerates in a <b>separate </b>halacha

(the second halacha of chapter 2²²),

and in the first halacha,

where he states the law "the place of the altar is very precise and one does not change etc.,"

he brings on it the verse "This is the altar for the burnt-offering for Israel" - which was said after the chosen [place].

- the same verse²³

that he brings²⁴

at the beginning of Hilchos Beis HaBechirah²⁵

"<b>Since the Temple was built</b> in Yerushalayim, all places were forbidden etc., and there is no place for the house of the generations²⁶

except in Yerushalayim alone, and on Har HaMoriyah in it, it is said, 'And David said, This is the house of Hashem G-d, and this is the altar for burnt-offering for Yisrael'" -

And this verse²⁷

in Chronicles²⁸

"And Solomon began to build the house of the L-rd in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, which appeared to David his father, which David prepared in the place of the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite."

D.

E.

The reason for "its place is precisely fixed and one does not change etc." is

(<b>not</b> because of the virtues that he <b>will</b> enumerate in the halacha <b>afterwards</b>,

but)

because of that which "<b>This</b> is an altar for burnt-offering for Israel" and "And Solomon began etc." - which speak about after the <b>choice of the Holy One, blessed be He</b>.

(And Solomon began etc.)

which appeared to David his father, which he prepared in the place of David in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite" — at first glance,

he comes to bring a proof that this is "in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah",

it would have been sufficient to bring "And Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah".

And what relevance does the conclusion of the verse "which appeared

to David his father, which he prepared in the place of David in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite" have here?

And based on the above, one can say²⁹

: with this the Rambam hints,

that that which "one does not change it from its place" - "And Solomon began to build the House of Hashem in Jerusalem etc." - is because of "which <b>appeared to David</b>³⁰

his father" - the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He.

For the choice there is no special quality³¹

in this place relative to other places,

it is "[<b>in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite</b>]".

And based on this, it will be sweetened that the Rambam calls the laws - "Laws of <b>the Chosen House</b>"³²,

even though the language of the verse which he brings immediately as a proof is "And they shall make Me a Sanctuary"³³,

for this he writes³⁴

"they include six commandments etc. 1)

to build the Holy Temple"³⁵

and also the laws immediately after this he calls the laws of the vessels of <b>the Sanctuary</b> etc. entry into <b>the Sanctuary</b>.

Because the opinion of the Rambam is,

that the virtue of the Temple is only from the aspect of <b>the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He</b> in that place.

4.

And if you will say,

then the Rambam hints at this also in that second halacha itself,

where he enumerates the virtues of that place:

After the Rambam elaborates that "And the tradition is in the hands of all³⁶

that the place where David built etc. is the place where Abraham built etc. Noah etc. Cain and Abel.

And on it Adam offered a sacrifice when he was created and from there he was created,"

he adds - "The Sages said³⁷

Adam was created from the place of his atonement."

It is not understood: Why does the Rambam bring a source for the matter of "from there he was created,"

unlike regarding the previous matters that he enumerates there,

for which he does not bring their source in the words of the Sages³⁸?

And one could say,

that the Rambam is not able to bring a source

(for "and from there it was created"³⁹)

but only to hint thereby that all these

(virtues)

events at the place of the altar that he enumerates in the halachah are

not in contradiction to the matter of "the place which He will choose

(future tense)

Hashem" — that its virtue is only from the side of the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He, which was only <b>afterwards</b>,

as follows.

ה.

That Adam HaRishon etc. brought the offerings specifically in this place,

they chose the place,

is because they knew <b>through prophecy</b> that this is the "place which the L-rd will choose"

(<b>in the future</b>)⁴⁰.

In a different style: the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He, in this place is a result of the fact that offerings had already been sacrificed there earlier

(and made the place a "place of segulah"),

but <b>the opposite</b>: that which offerings were sacrificed specifically in this place,

is a result of the fact that

(they knew through prophecy that)

the Almighty will choose this place⁴¹.

This, however, can be said only regarding the offerings that they sacrificed.

But regarding "and from there <b>was created</b>" — this is indeed <b>an action</b> of the <b>Almighty</b>⁴²

; then even if one will say

So "and from there was created" is from His knowledge, may He be blessed, that in the future He will choose this place,

then it was already <b>an action</b>

(was created)

of choice and consequently <b>can no longer be</b> in another manner,

regarding "righteous and wicked He did not <b>say</b>"⁴⁴,

that if the knowledge from above would have been expressed in a <b>statement</b>,

it would have compelled the person to conduct himself according to His knowledge, may He be blessed; and all the more so in our case, where the knowledge would have been an <b>action from above</b>].

Therefore the Rambam adds "they said the sages a person from the place of his atonement was created" - that this that "and from there was created",

is it

(not like the previous things,

the offerings that they sacrificed etc. in this place,

which was because in the future this will be the "place which God will choose",

but)

because this is "place of his atonement" - the place that Adam the first chose to bring his⁴⁵

offering⁴⁶.

6.

It remains however not understood: since that also according to the opinion of the Rambam is the reason that "its place is designated

especially"

(<b>not</b> from the aspect of the offerings that they offered etc. in this place,

but)

from the aspect of the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He — now what is relevant to bringing in the halacha of Beit HaBechirah the entire matter

(in the second halacha),

that "it is the place where Avraham built etc., Noach etc., from the place of its atonement was it created"?

And it can be said that with this the Rambam explains why "and they do not change it from its place ever" —

It is true that this is the "place which the Lord will choose",

but this is still not a proof⁴⁷

that through this the possibility of changing to another place was negated⁴⁸.

And as we find regarding King David,

that the Most High had chosen⁴⁹

David and his sons after him - "the kingdom is his and to his sons, the males, <b>forever</b>"⁵⁰

- and nevertheless the law is

(according to the ruling of <b>the Rambam</b>⁵¹),

that "a prophet who appointed a king <b>from the rest of </b>the tribes of Israel etc., behold he is a king and all the laws of the kingdom apply to him"

(It is only that "the kingdom will cease from his house"⁵²).

And based on this, the question arises regarding the place of the Holy Temple — from where do we derive the negation of any place,

and especially the question regarding Shiloh, which was also a place that "the Lord chose,"

where the Tabernacle stood for 369 years,

this compels,

apparently, to say that "this is the house of God, etc., and this is the altar, etc." is not absolute?

And likewise — at Mount Sinai,

where Moses our teacher set up the Tabernacle for the first time?

— The Rambam explains it in its place in chapter one.

And likewise here: therefore, the

Rambam 1, see,

so in this case the choice is in a manner that has excluded other places⁵⁷,

which is why Adam HaRishon etc. built their altars specifically in this place: if the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He, had not excluded other places,

why were they all precise to bring their sacrifices only in that precise place on Mount Moriah itself?

So from this it is implied,

that from the aspect of the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He, other places were excluded,

and consequently,

if offering a sacrifice in a certain place

(see there the future),

is this only in that "most precise place" on Mount Moriah itself<b>*</b>⁵⁷.

7.

In the inner aspect of the matters, it is to be explained,

and in the introduction that one had once spoken⁵⁸

about the two matters of "choice" and "holiness" that regarding the Temple the Rambam uses as above both titles: "Laws of the House of <b>Choice</b>",

and "Laws of the Vessels of the <b>Temple</b>",

"Laws of Entry into the <b>Temple</b>".

And more]

- that in each one there is an advantage over the other:

When one says about a certain thing that it is "holy",

it shows,

that the holiness has taken over the thing - the

&lt;b&gt;The object&lt;/b&gt; is holy,

since the holiness is connected with the object,

which is limited,

also the holiness is a limited

(according to the limitations of the thing).

And so it is also regarding place.

But not so "choice" is

(not from the side of the chosen,

but)

from the side of the &lt;b&gt;chooser&lt;/b&gt;,

who &lt;b&gt;He&lt;/b&gt; chose thus.

And in our matter — "the place which the L-rd will choose": when the Almighty chooses a place,

it receives a quality

(and holiness)

unlimited

(because the Almighty is without limit)

but on the other hand,

; but on the other hand,

since the quality and holiness is from the side of the &lt;b&gt;chooser&lt;/b&gt;,

it is not "his own",

it must afterwards come [through] his own service in order that it should &lt;b&gt;permeate&lt;/b&gt; entirely.

And this is what the Rambam explains in these two aforementioned halachos regarding the place of the altar:

In the first halacha,

where he says "the altar, its place is precisely determined and one does not change it from its place &lt;b&gt;forever&lt;/b&gt;" - which indicates the &lt;b&gt;eternity&lt;/b&gt;

(- without limitation)

of the place - this is indeed a matter that cannot come about from the side of human beings

(or from the side of the place),

but only from the side of &lt;b&gt;the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He&lt;/b&gt; which is above measurement and limitation&lt;sup&gt;59&lt;/sup&gt;

; and on this he brings the verse after the choice "This is the altar for burnt-offerings for Israel."

And in the halacha after this he adds,

that

(also before the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He)

is in this place &lt;b&gt;holiness &lt;/b&gt;

(limited)

- because of that which in this place have

Adam the first man and etc. brought sacrifices and from there Adam was created.

And based on this, there are in this place <b>both </b>advantages⁶⁰.

And based on this, there is also no contradiction between the Laws of the Chosen House and the Guide for the Perplexed: that which from the Laws of the Chosen House it emerges that the place of the Temple

(and the altar)

is a "place of segulah for the indwelling of the Shechinah" - is only regarding the <b>limited </b>holiness

(which can be actualized through the action of human beings)

; but regarding <b>the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He </b>

(which is - unlimited)

- says the Rambam

(in the Guide for the Perplexed),

that this is not a "vessel",

it can only be a "conduit",

but not <b>dwells and is invested</b>

that from the aspect of His power, everything is possible⁶¹,

and especially after the choice, also the holiness becomes unlimited and it becomes <b>clothed</b> in place].

8.

And one may add to this

(also according to the Rambam),

that the limited holiness which is connected with the place itself — has a relation also to the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He.

Because since Avraham etc. built there altars and offered sacrifices, from the aspect that

(they knew through prophecy that)

this is the "place which God will choose"

(as above p. 65)

- it follows,

that their action

(which brought about the sanctity of the <b>place</b> the limited [sanctity] as above),

is connected with the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He⁶².

And based on this it will be sweetened that Avraham prayed - and carried out - "as it will be said today⁶³

each day,

<b>eternal</b>⁶⁴

- on the mountain God will see".

Devarim,

Eikev 5740)