Why Locations Matter: An Exploration of Jewish Sacred Sites (Parshas Re'eh)

0:01 It is our holy domicile. It is aptly called by all of the Jewish people after just one word you say it and everyone knows that spot on earth that you are referring to. It is called Hamukkm, the place. And everyone knows when you say that, you're referring to that venerable plateau of which the Harabayah is the holy base on Miktush used to stand, and we pray for the day that we'll be able to rebuild that holy base, hamikdush, holy edifice Now, because that is the place. We have been given a bevy of halakos and this week's parasha, parasha sre that really prohibit us from engaging in certain practices outside of this holy plateau, outside of this holy structure.

0:51 Because that is the place and that brings sacrifices. Just anywhere, you can't just do your bi-kurim and your tithing just anywhere. But that Hamukkm, that's the place, the base, hamikdush, that's where we rejoice. So, machta, and there's an idea that we really need to know from the Spharno. It's really a principle of our Jewish faith. It comes by way of safer shamos, in which the Jewish people now are building the Mishkanah, and the Torah tells us that the shah'azkir shami obo yai lechel vee rachti chanses the Spharno that it used to be, that the world was flammable with Kedushah. It was so spiritually ready and ripe that you would just mention Hashem's name, you would say Kriashma, you would daven, you would learn and then, boom, you became engulfed in spirituality and Kedushah, you were on fire Because of the sin, because of sins, and definitely that original sin, the biggest cause, when Adam, harish and Ait from the Ait hadas, simtum God, so to speak, minimized, where he's totally accessible in what you can be fully basking in the glory of the Shrinah, and therefore it was no longer, says the Spharno, it was no longer at the same level for us just to be able to just bring a sacrifice anywhere.

2:09 We want daven, wherever we want, but no, now we need Tanayim, we need certain stipulations, we need certain Mekomos because of this Simson. So now we need a Meshka, now we need a Haribais, now we need a special temple, and Rebiruchem expounds upon this that not all places are created equal. For in our spirituality, in our Ruchneis, yes, we have all the Bechira in the world, but there are certain temples that have more of an ability to connect. Haven't you ever been privy to that miracle in which you're learning Torah? At home? You don't get it, but then you're at Shul, you're at Yeshiva, you're at Yeshivas Brisky, yeshivas Mir, or you're at your neighborhood, shtibel, and now you're learning and you're whipped up with inspiration and now you understand it.

2:52 There are certain Meshkanos, certain Meshkan that we can walk into, a Mikdash Ma'ad. It takes it to a whole new level that in certain spots you can access more and be more aware of Hashem's divine Shchina. So there are some spiritually flammable places, but there are different levels and perhaps it's not always good to just learn at home, but walk into Shul and go daven by the Churva Shul and daven by the Kaisel, and learn in your Yeshiva and learn with your Chavrusha and Shul, because not all places are created equal. If you want the full experience, go find your little Mikdash Ma'ad.