When
Ha-Rav Yisrael Be'eri, the son-in-law of Ha-Rav Yaakov Moshe Charlap, left
Yerushalayim with his wife, Ha-Rabanit Chava Dina, and their children to serve
as the Rabbi in Nes Tziona, Rav Charlap wrote him a letter with advice about
how to stay in Yerushalayim.
He
told him: May Hashem be with You, and strengthen your eyes and hearts towards
the Holy Mountain of the Beit Ha-Mikdash, the earthly Yerushalayim which is
directed towards the heavenly Yerushalayim (Ta'anit 5a). "Remember
Hashem from a distance, and let Yerushalayim enter your heart" (Yirmiyahu
51:50), the Rememberance of Yerushalayim is a Segulah for
Purifying the Heart. There is a known adage:
"Any place where a person's thoughts are, he is located there". Your thoughts should therefore always be
about Yerushalayim and the Beit Ha-Mikdash.
And Yosef is the prime example of this.
While he was in Potiphar's house and surrounded by immorality, his
thoughts were of holiness and he was therefore not negatively influenced (see
Rashi on Bereshit 39:6-11). Thus,
through holy thoughts, you can truly remain in Yerushalayim (Igrot Marom, p.
112).
And
we can add that it is written in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 94:1) that
when one Davens he should face Eretz Yisrael, Yerushalayim, the spot of Beit
Ha-Mikdash and the Kodesh Ha-Kodashim.
The Mishnah Berurah (#3) adds that even if one cannot face towards these
places, he should feel in his heart and thoughts as if he is standing in
Yerushalayim, in the Beit Ha-Mikdash, in the Holy of Holies.
Turn
your heart and mind to our Holy City, and you will be with us in Yerushalayim…
even when physically you are not [yet!] here.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.