In the fourteenth blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei, we focus on the city of Yerushalayim. As Jews, we must know that the most beautiful and important city in the world is not New York City, Los Angeles, Dubai, Paris, Boca Raton, or even the Bahamas. It is unequivocally the glorious city of Yerushalayim. This is the meaning of what the pasuk testifies in Yechezkel [5:5], that Yerushalayim is the center of the earth.
The Yaros Devash teaches us that Yerushalayim is called Kisei Hashem, the Throne of Hashem. Thus, the Gemara teaches us, Yerushalayim lo nishalka lashevatim, Yerushalayim was not given as a portion to any of the tribes, for it is the city of Hashem. It is a miraculous city, as the mishna testifies in the fifth perek of Pirkei Avos: When all of Yisrael came up for the three festivals, not one of the myriads of guests ever said, ‘It was too cramped for me to stay in Yerushalayim during those jam-packed days.’
This bracha is one of the few in Shemoneh Esrei that starts with the letter vav. Vli’Yerushalayim Iracha – And to Yerushalayim Your City.” The Otzar HaTefillos explains that it is connected to the previous blessing about the tzaddikim. It indicates that the ultimate success of the righteous is reached only when Yerushalayim will be reestablished. As the pasuk in Tehillim testifies, [122:6], “Sha’alu sh’lom Yerushalayim, yishlayu ohavo’yich – Ask for the peace of Yerushalayim and then your loved ones will find tranquility.”
The Eitz Yosef has another thought about the vav. The Gemara teaches us vav l’rabos, a vav comes to include, and this vav comes to include Yerushalayim shel maalah, the Yerushalayim in the Heavens, and that it too should be rebuilt.
We then ask b’rachamim tashuv, that Hashem should return to Yerushalayim in His mercy. This request is based on the pasuk in Zechariah, [1:16], “Shavti l’Yerushalayim b’rachamim – I (Hashem) will return to Yerushalayim with mercy.” The Siddur Mefuresh elaborates that the Gemara in Sanhedrin [98a] teaches us, “Ein ben Dovid ba ela b’dor she’kulo zakai, o kulo chayav – The descendant of Dovid will not come except to a generation that is completely meritorious or to a generation that is all guilty.” We therefore beseech Hashem that it should be the former, that everyone should do teshuva, repent, as it says, “Bonei Yerushalayim Hashem, nidchei Yisrael yichaneis – Hashem will rebuild Yerushalayim, and those that were cast away will come back.” Hashem should rebuild Yerushalayim in a state of mercy rather than in a state of anger because everyone is guilty.
Then we say, “V’sishkon b’sochah ka’asher dibarta – And You should dwell in it as You have foretold.” The Eitz Yosef explains it means to dwell in Yerushalayim as Hashem promised in Zechariah, “Veshochanti b’soch Yerushalem.”
The prayer continues, “U’venei osah b’karov b’yameinu binyan olam – And You should build it soon in our days, an everlasting building.” It is interesting that in the past, Hashem said, V’asu li mikdash v’shochanti b’socham, first make me a sanctuary, and then I will dwell in your midst. Here, we ask the reverse. First, v’sishkon b’socha, Hashem should dwell among us and then u’venei, and only then He should build. I believe the explanation is as follows. In the past, we did the building. Therefore, first we made the residence for Hashem and only then did Hashem come to reside there. But hopefully soon, Hashem is going to rebuild Yerushalayim, so therefore we ask that He should come, and then rebuild. It also follows that since Hashem will be doing the building, that’s why we say binyan olam, an everlasting building, for, as the Zohar testifies [in Vayeira 14], when Hashem builds it Himself, it will never be destroyed. As the Kad HaKemach quotes form Yirmiyah [31:39], when Hashem does the building, lo yinateish v’lo yehareis, it will never be uprooted and it will never be overturned.
We next beseech b’karov b’yameinu, soon in our days, that we should merit to live to see this glorious time. The Arugas HaBosem gives another beautiful meaning to the word b’yameinu, with our days. He explains that we are asking Hashem that He should build Yerushalayim and the Beis HaMikdash with the merit of the mitzvos and good deeds of our days. As we teach our children in Beis Yaakov, every mitzvah is a brick which will help to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash.
We conclude the blessing, V’chisei Dovid m’heirah l’socha tachin – And then the throne of the Davidic king should speedily be established (in Yerushalayim). For once the Throne of Hashem is reinstituted, we can then pray for the throne of Dovid to be founded.
In the merit for our hoping and praying for this glorious time, may Hashem bless us with long life, good health, happiness, and the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days.
Transcribed and edited by Shelley Zeitlin.
