This study of the weekly parsha is dedicated in the loving memory of Mr. Samuel and Mrs. Miriam Goodman, may they rest in peace.

"And you are to take from the first of all the fruits of the ground that you bring from your land, that Hashem your G-d is giving to you, and place them in a basket and then go to the place that is chosen by Hashem your G-d to dwell in His name there." Deuteronomy 26:2

In all the world there is One G-d who has chosen one people {B'nei Yisroel}, who has chosen one land {Eretz Yisroel}, who has chosen one city {Yerushalayim}, who has chosen one place {Bais Ha Mikdosh} for the Presence of His Name to dwell.

If we could expand on this thought... There are so many religions in the world throughout every land... every nation... every country... every city... every town... every nationality... Yet there is ONLY ONE G-d and one place that G-d has selected to dwell. This is a powerful thought, a very powerful thought! Everyone wants part of that place so Yerushalayim, the City of Peace, is far from that in the physical sense today. Yet there is a day coming when Yerushalayim will indeed be the City of Peace.

Story: The Two Brothers
There is a story told about two brothers. One brother was wealthy with no children and one brother was poor with many children. The two brothers each lived in a valley with a large mountain between them. The wealthy brother thought, "How will my poor brother survive with all these children?" So late at night he would discreetly take a sack of grain over the mountain separating them and leave that sack of grain in his brother's barn. The poor brother thought, "What will my wealthy brother do when he is old? His grain will run out and he will have no children to support him in old age." So late at night he would discreetly take a sack of grain over the mountain separating them and leave that sack of grain in his brother's barn. This went on for years. The brothers were not aware of the other's acts of kindness. Then one night the two brothers each heavily loaded down with a heavy sack of grain ran into each other. They warmly embraced and began to cry. Each had such a love for his brother. Their tears flooded the portals of heaven. It is reported that Hashem said, 'This is where I want to build my house."

One must look at the intent. Hashem selected the site of the most powerful demonstration of love and kindness between two brothers. Today, in the physical sense, Yerushalayim is far from the intention Hashem had when He selected it to be "The Place!"

Story: The Two Mothers
I am reminded of the story told in Malachim {Kings 3:16-28} about the mothers who were inn keepers. They each had a young child. One night one child died. The mother with the dead child switched her dead child with the live one. In the morning the mother with the dead child lying next to her realized what had happened. She protested! They argued! The mothers were brought before Shlomo Ha Melech, King Solomon. Eventually he ordered that a sword be brought to him. He prepared to cut the living child in half. The true mother cried out. 'Let her have the child. Spare its life.' Shlomo Ha Melech said, 'That is the true mother of this child."

Dear readers, with all the trouble in Eretz Yisroel today, we hear the voice of the true mother crying out. The true mother does NOT want to give up her child, but she feels even more emotional about seeing her child die there in front of her. That being the situation, we the Jewish people have attempted many ways to spare our child... our land... our city... our Bais Ha Mikdosh... We are crying out to Hashem, 'Spare our child,' spare our land, spare our city... We do not want to give it up. What are we to do?

Our HOLY KING is watching! The Holy One will come to our aid! There is no other solution! There is no peace among us or the other inhabitants of the land! We lack the power to protect and preserve our child. Only our King can do this for us!!

A reader of JewishPath sent the following request,

http://ujc.org/wjewry_home.html

The above link is for the United Jewish Communities information page on the "IsraelNOW" Solidarity Rally In New York City, Sunday, September 23, 2001.

I am writing to leaders of the Denver and Colorado Jewish Communities
urge our city and state synagogues and organizations to support this urgent demonstration of solidarity with Israel. I am also asking our local Allied Federation and the Rose Community Foundation to allocate funds to allow people from Colorado to attend this rally. If we can put together a large contingent and the airfare and trip are subsidized by the Federation and/or Rose, we will be able to bring a large group from Colorado to New York and once again demonstrate that Colorado stands in support of Israel.

We must join in solidarity with our brethren here in the United States and
in Israel to demonstrate our support and love for the State of Israel.

I have included as many leaders and organizations as I could find. If anyone you know is missing from this list, please forward this email to them. We don't have much time to organize this trip, so I'd like to get responses from those people who are interested as soon as possible.

Thank you,

Ben Kurtzer
Denver CO

I have done as this gentleman has requested.

May Hashem bless any effort that can bring lasting peace to our land - Eretz Yisroel, our city - Yerushalayim and our future Temple - Bais HaMikdosh and the establishment of the throne of David within our Holy City!!

Let everyone of us pray often daily prayers like,

"To Jerusalem Your Holy City, return my L-rd in compassion and dwell within it as You have spoken. May You my L-rd rebuild our Holy Temple SOON in our days as an eternal structure and establish the Kingship of David in our Holy City Jerusalem. Blessed are You our King and restorer of the Holy Temple and of the Holy City!"

Good Shabbos!

Dr. Akiva G. Belk

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