{"id":68216,"date":"2020-01-06T16:41:52","date_gmt":"2020-01-06T14:41:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=68216"},"modified":"2023-07-31T12:17:07","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T09:17:07","slug":"the-614th-commandment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-614th-commandment\/","title":{"rendered":"The 614th Commandment"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[851,652,539,635],"acf":{"old_id":"68216","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":64758,"related_cahpter":"388","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Next year in (and outside the walled) Jerusalem!\r\n\r\n","content":"

“According to the students of the Vilna Gaon, there is a <\/span>614th <\/strong>commandment from Isaiah 54:2: ‘Widen the place of your tents, and let the curtains of your inhabitants stretch forth. Do not spare! Lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes!'” This was the creative way in which our\u00a0 tour guide of Jerusalem described the philosophy and actions of Rav Hillel of Shklov and his descendants. One of them, Rabbi Yoseph Yitzchak Rivlin (1838-1897), built thirteen neighborhoods outside the walls of Jerusalem’s old city, magnificently fulfilling the Vilna Gaon’s “614<\/span>th<\/span> mitzva” to take an active part in rebuilding the land of Israel,\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1857, Rav Yoseph started the “Builder of Jerusalem” company for the purpose of building neighborhoods outside of the Old City.\u00a0 At that time, all the Jews of Jerusalem lived inside the walls of the Old City, for being outside the walls meant exposure to attacks from Arab marauders and wild animals. In fact, when Rav Yoseph informed Sara Tzipa Goldschmidt, his bride-to-be, that he intended to live outside the walls of the Old City, her family wanted to break off the match since this idea demonstrated to them that Rav Yoseph was insane!\u00a0 However, Sara Tzipa agreed to the match and became partner to her husband’s dream to expand Jerusalem. The well-known Jerusalem neighborhoods of today, like Nahalat Shiva and Mea Shearim, are the fruits of their dedication to this vision.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The deeper meaning of the verse “Widen the place of your tents” (Isaiah 54:2) can be understood by comparing it to the rest of the chapter. The majority of the chapter describes God’s promises to his people: “For a small moment I have forsaken you and with great mercy will I gather you” (54:7), “For mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness not depart from you” (54:10), “I will set your stones with fair colors and lay your foundations with sapphires” (54:11)\u2026. In contrast, verse 2 is written as a commandment for the people to take action. The chapter then takes on a new meaning: Once the people put in the efforts to build up the land of Israel, God will fulfill his promises to do so as well. This is the crux of the Vilna Gaon’s teachings and Rav Yoseph Rivlin deep understanding of Isaiah 54.<\/span><\/p>\n

One may add that this chapter begins with another imperative that needs to precede those actions: <\/span><\/p>\n

Sing, you barren women who has not borne, burst out into song and cry out you who have not experienced birth pangs, for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, says the LORD (54:1). <\/span><\/p>\n

This verse informs the people to believe in their future in their land, even at times when it doesn’t seem possible. The Jewish People have fulfilled this verse in many ways, including the annual singing of “Next year in Jerusalem!”\u00a0 This singing kept alive the dream of the Jewish People and was the catalyst for individuals like Rav Yoseph Yitzchak and Sara Tzipa Rivlin to fulfil the next stage of Isaiah 54’s prophecy by rebuilding the cities of Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n

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