The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash

Special Holiday Shiur

THREE CAMPS

Tonight, I would like to examine the halakhic status of Jerusalem and see what it can teach us about our relationship with the city. Jerusalem is divided into three concentric domains, which parallel the division of the Jews' encampment in the desert:

In addition to the military and aesthetic value of the arrangement of the camp (see Midrash Shir Ha-shirim, 7:1), this tripartite division had important halakhic ramifications, which we shall soon address. The Rambam (Hilkhot Beit Ha-bechira 7:11) spells out the parallel between the desert encampment and Jerusalem:

What is the relationship between these three areas? Halakhically, one could regard this division as reflecting three gradations of the same phenomenon. The most intense manifestation occurs in the center, in the Camp of the Shekhina. This intensity is diluted somewhat as one moves out of the innermost circle, into the Camp of the Levites, and becomes even less intense in the outermost circle, the Camp of Israel. This theory may account for the different requirements for entry into the various regions (see Pesachim 66b ff.). The Israelite camp remains accessible to everyone except those afflicted with tzara'at (a malady akin to leprosy); the Levite camp is off limits even to those who have become impure as the result of bodily discharge; the Camp of the Shekhina may not be entered by any ritually unclean individual, even one whose impurity does not "come from within" but who has simply come in contact with a corpse. The various levels of stringency, one may contend, correspond to the varying levels of spiritual intensity.

MAKOM KADOSH VS. MAKOM TAHOR

However, one can explain this division differently. Perhaps the three regions do not contain differing amounts of the same spiritual substance, but rather each region has an entirely different quality. Such an approach emerges from the Rambam's explanation of why kodashim kalim (lower-level sacrifices) may be consumed throughout the city of Jerusalem, corresponding to the Camp of Israel, whereas kodashei kodashim (higher-level sacrifices) may be eaten only within the azara (courtyard) of the Temple, corresponding to the Camp of the Shekhina:

The Rambam derives his distinction between makom kadosh and makom tahor from Parashat Shemini, where Moshe implicitly distinguishes between kodashim kalim and kodashei kodashim in his instructions to Aharon and his sons:

The meal-offering (A) is kodashei kodashim; it must therefore be eaten within the azara: "in a sacred precinct." Verse (B), however, deals with kodashim kalim, and requires that the sacrificial meat be eaten "in any pure place," and does not require a "sacred precinct." The Rambam, noting this subtle distinction, deduces that unlike kodashei kodashim, kodashim kalim may be eaten anywhere in Jerusalem, as it requires merely a "pure place," and not a "sacred precinct." (Rashi's commentary on these verses understands likewise.)

Thus, the distinction between the Camp of the Shekhina (= the Temple and its courtyard) and the Camp of Israel (= Jerusalem) extends beyond a quantitative difference. They do not contain varying amounts of the same quality; rather, they are two disparate entities: the azara is a makom kadosh, a sacred place, whereas Jerusalem is a makom tahor, a pure place. (The Camp of the Levites serves as the bridge connecting the "sanctity" of the azara with the "purity" of the rest of the city.)

Wherein lies the difference between a makom kadosh and makom tahor? How are we to understand the relationship between the Temple and the rest of the city of Jerusalem?

A makom kadosh is an area detached from day-to-day life, designated exclusively for matters of absolute sanctity. Activities associated with the ongoing existence of the individual - however acceptable and spiritually significant they may be - have no place in the azara. Even the simplest, most elementary activities are forbidden in the azara - for example, no one may even sit in the azara (except for the King of Israel - Yoma 25a), and sleeping there is certainly forbidden. In short, the azara is characterized by its being reserved exclusively for kedusha.

However, in the Camp of Israel - i.e. Jerusalem - the commitment to the Almighty and His service is not expressed through a detachment from the general exigencies of human existence, and not through a dissociation with the everyday, mundane matters of life. The Camp of Israel, the same region that lies off-limits to the metzora because of its inherent spiritual quality, is also an encampment of banners and marching soldiers. Unlike the Camp of the Shekhina, this area does not serve as the meeting point between Kenesset Yisrael and the Almighty. This region involves all areas of life; it is an area of eating and sleeping, of industry and commerce. These activities, however, are conducted in the shadow of the Temple, with a clear sense of standing "before God," with the rigorous standards of a makom tahor.

STRUGGLING FOR JERUSALEM

As we celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, we contemplate the significance of the city and our struggle for it, both past and present. Jerusalem is a makom tahor, a place where the mundane world not only exists but thrives - imbued, however, with the quality of tahara (purity). Our attitude towards Jerusalem merges the sacred with the profane.

Our struggle for the city takes place on several planes. First and foremost, we struggle with the nations of the world. Historically, Christian antisemitism denied our entire connection to Jerusalem, both the makom kadosh and makom tahor. They refused to grant us either the Camp the Shekhina or the Camp of Israel.

The Islamic stance, however, was somewhat more tolerant. Generally speaking, they never objected to our having a "Camp of the Shekhina," allowing us to maintain independent religious institutions throughout the Islamic world. They permitted us to maintain synagogues and yeshivot, as long as we were content with this makom kadosh. But regarding a makom tahor, a national Jewish existence characterized not by small "shteiblech" and isolated pockets of religiosity, but by a thriving blend of the sacred and the profane - this was intolerable. They could allocate space for a few little institutions here and there. But for a large, bustling camp with tribal banners and military prowess we must continue to fight until this very day. Indeed, in this sense, the city of Jerusalem symbolizes our struggle for the Jewish State as a whole.

TWO ATTEMPTS TO ELIMINATE THE MAKOM TAHOR

Le-havdil, we confront far different struggles from within our own people, at both ends of the spectrum. Some among us contend, often out of genuine religious fervor and fear of God, that our camp must be sacred - a makom kadosh - and nothing but sacred. They recognize the significance of the Camp of the Shekhina, but contend that the reality of a makom tahor, the Camp of Israel, must wait for the time of the Mashiach. For them, the Camp of the Shekhina is a place in which one may eat kodashim kalim and ma'aser sheni, but not a place for a military camp, tribal banners, or general societal development.

However, such a stance, which denies the significance of the Camp of Israel and wishes to replace its tahara with an undifferentiated kedusha, is un-Jewish, un-halakhic, and un-human. This view is not in consonance with Tanakh, Chazal or the Rishonim. Undoubtedly, kedusha stands at the epicenter of our existence, and serves to orient the Camp of Israel. But this focus on kedusha certainly is not tantamount to negating the value or viability of the Camp of Israel.

At the other extreme, we wage an ongoing ideological and political struggle with those who recognize and respect only the secular, without including the "tahor" quality of the Camp of Israel. They refuse to relate to the concept of "purity," and their involvement in the mundane is characterized by the values of the world at large. These communities support the concept of a makom kadosh: synagogues, a respectable area near the Western Wall for praying, and military swearing-in ceremonies by the Wall. So long as the kedusha is concentrated into a small corner somewhere, these people are not troubled. However, they are not prepared to allow for a makom tahor, a place where the values of purity and sanctity are expressed on a national level, in all facets of life.

We follow the Rambam and other poskim, and, as such, we proudly raise the banner of Jerusalem as a makom tahor. Our Jerusalem symbolizes the relationship between the sacred and mundane, the interweaving of our service of God into all areas of life. We celebrate Jerusalem not only as a symbol but as a reality, in which this blend is actualized.

THE MEANING OF PURITY

But what is the precise nature of this quality of tahara for which we strive? What exactly does "tahor" mean in this context? The term "tahor" has several connotations.

1) The Torah refers to "zahav tahor" - pure gold, that which is clean and unadulterated.

2) When King Yoshiyahu and others cleared the Temple from idolatry, they were said to have "purified" the Temple. Tahor in this context involves the absence of that which directly undermines the Kingdom of God.

3) Kosher animals are called "tahor," i.e., that which has received God's stamp of approval as consonant with His will.

4) King David speaks of a "lev tahor" (pure heart - Tehillim 51:12), an internal cleansing and spiritual revival.

We yearn for all these forms of tahara and we strive to implement them in our Camp of Israel. We long for a city where the environment remains pure of all forms of spiritual dross, a place where the world of Halakha is actualized in full force, an area where we experience spiritual elevation and catharsis as we stand before the Almighty, even while conducting our daily, mundane affairs.

Essentially, a makom tahor can take one of two forms. Certain sin-offerings are burnt outside all three camps: "He [the kohen] shall carry [the sin-offering] to a pure place outside the camp, to the ash heap, and burn it up in a wood fire..." (Vayikra 4:12). Rashi explains that the areas outside the city were usually reserved for leprous stones and graveyards. The verse thus stresses that although the sin-offering is to be burnt outside the city, it must be burnt in a makom tahor, i.e., away from graveyards and leprous stones. By contrast, the aforementioned makom tahor of Parashat Shemini, which lay inside the Camp of Israel, was the place where sacrificial meat and ma'aser sheni (the second tithe) were eaten. This makom tahor, on the other hand, is situated outside Jerusalem, next to graves and piles of diseased rocks.

These two types of "makom tahor" reflect two different types of tahara in general, a distinction critical for our understanding and appreciation of Jerusalem as a makom tahor. A gentile, for example, cannot be rendered tamei (ritually impure). Even if he touches a corpse, the Halakha does not consider him tamei. The gemara (Nazir 61b) explains: "Whoever has tahara, has tum'a; whoever does not have tahara, does not have tum'a." The gentile, although he also must abide by standards of morality and Godliness, has no association whatsoever with the institution of tum'a and tahara. Only the Nation of Israel is affected by these concepts. For us, tahara involves a process of spiritual elevation that results from the confrontation with tum'a and overcoming its influence. The world of tahara extends beyond the mere absence of tum'a; it comprises an exalted existence, where tum'a has been confronted and defeated. The gentile, on the other hand, simply bears no relation to these concepts.

Similarly, a makom tahor outside the camp, where the sin-offering is burnt, receives its stature of tahara by virtue of its lack of association. These places are off the beaten track; they are in empty lots used for trash. This is the purity of the one who has no impurity to confront; it is pure simply in that it cannot become impure. The metaphysical world of tum'a and tahara bears no relevance to such a place.

The tahara of the Camp of Israel, by contrast, relates to the bustling activity of day-to-day affairs, to the interface of the sacred with the exigencies of life. This tahara results from the infusion of spiritual significance into all life's endeavors, the adherence to our system of values and rising above the influence of the forces of tum'a. This is the tahara of a culture that is exposed to all areas of life but manages to be purified and elevated from within those variegated realms. This makom tahor lies not to the side of some plagued stones, but alongside factories, offices, stores and government buildings. In such an existence, this quality of tahara can be actualized and become rooted in avodat Hashem.

The tahara of Jerusalem is not the isolation of the makom kadosh, nor is it the isolation of being outside the camp. This is the tahara of the Jewish Camp, with its teeming life. Our makom tahor follows the example of the makom tahor of the wilderness, a huge region spanning twelve "mil" but centered around, and focused upon, the makom kadosh, the Tabernacle, the heart of the entire camp. This is the tahara of Jerusalem, and this is the makom tahor in which we believe and for which we continue to struggle.

RENEWED COMMITMENT

Our historical responsibility to ensure the purity of the city continues perpetually. It is true that it was sufficient for Jerusalem to be sanctified only once and to be defined as a makom tahor once. The Rambam rules (Hilkhot Teruma 1:7) that the status of the Temple Mount and Jerusalem was not abrogated by our exile from the land, and continues unabated to this day. Nevertheless, must eternally remain vigilant to preserve the status of Jerusalem as a makom tahor. During the inauguration ceremony of the Tabernacle, Moshe sprinkled anointing oil on the altar, thereby sanctifying it for the sacred service (Vayikra 8:10-11). The Ramban there comments that this initial sanctification of the altar must be repeated each year; thus, each Yom Kippur, the High Priest sprinkles blood from the sacrifices upon the altar: "And the rest of the blood he shall sprinkle on it [the altar] with his finger seven times; thus he shall purify it of the impurity of the Israelites and sanctify it" (Vayikra 16:19).

If the altar inside the Tabernacle required a renewed sanctification and purification each year, how much more so does our city of Jerusalem, the makom kadosh and makom tahor, require an annual rededication!

There once were major sanctification and purification ceremonies; the places were specified and designated as makom kadosh and makom tahor. But each year, each month, each day we confront the challenge of perpetuating, renewing and enhancing the status of Jerusalem as both makom kadosh and makom tahor - in the face of political-religious opposition from without and ideological disagreements from within. May we find the wherewithal to designate both a makom kadosh and makom tahor, to establish a purity that stands alongside sanctity and draws its strength from that sanctity, and may this purity impact on the entire Camp of Israel.

(Originally delivered on Yom Yerushalayim 5753 [1993].

This adaptation has not been reviewed by Harav Lichtenstein.)

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