Pisqa’ 6235H:117-118; JN1:191-193. 1. “Rather, seek out (tidrosh) the place which HASHEM your God will choose, from all your tribes, to make His Name dwell; there shall you come” (Dt.12:5)— that is, seek it out (derosh) with the guidance (`al pi36Literally, “by the mouth/declaration.”) of a prophet. Is it possible to say: delay seeking until a prophet tells you [where to seek]? The Teaching prescribes a sequence to the search: “Seek out . . . to make His Name dwell . . . there shall you come” (Dt.12:5)— first, seek it out and find it; afterward, a prophet will confirm it for you. And so do you find with David, for it is stated: “I will give neither sleep to my eyes, nor rest to my eyelids, until I find a place for HASHEM, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob” (Ps.132:4-5). On what basis do I know that David acted solely under the guidance (`al pi) of a prophet? For it is said: “And Gad came to David on that day, and told him: Go up and erect for HASHEM an altar on the threshing floor of Aronah37The MT prefers the vocalization as “’arawnh.” Cf. 2Chron.3:1 below. the Jebusite” (2Sam.24:18). And He says: “Then Solomon began to build an abode for HASHEM in Jerusalem— on Mt. Moriah, which had appeared to David, his father— and which David had prepared on the threshing floor of Arnon the Jebusite” (2Chron.3:1).
2. One verse states: “From one of your tribes” (Dt.12:14), while another verse states: “From all your tribes” (Dt.12:5)— how can the two usages be reconciled? They all knew that the Chosen Abode would in the future be built in the tribal share of Judah and Benjamin. Therefore, they set aside the rich pasturage of Jericho. Now, who ate from it all those years? The descendants of [Jethro] the Kenite, Moses’ father in law, ate from it, for it is stated: “And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father in law, went up from the city of date-palms” (Jud.1:16). But once the Abode was built, they left: words of R. Shimon. R. Judah says: They traveled to Yavetz to study Torah, for it is stated: “The scribal guilds who dwelled in Yavetz: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, the Sucathites; these are the Kenites”38//Sifre Nu.,78 and Pisqa’ 352.8. F:128, n.7 lists several other early and late parallels to 62.2 .(1Chron2:55).
Another word: One verse states: “From one of your tribes” (Dt.12:14), while another verse states: “From all your tribes” (Dt.12:5)— the funding must come from all your tribes, but the land for the Chosen Abode will come from one39I.e,, Benjamin (Jer.1:1-3; Jud.21:15-25).tribe.40//ARNA:35. Cf. Pisqa’ 70.2. See the rendering of ARNA.35 in H:422, n.6 Another word: “From one of your tribes” (Dt.12:14)— this refers to the Dwelling at Shiloh (e.g., 1Sam3:19-4:1); “From all your tribes” (Dt.12:5)— this refers to the Chosen Abode in Jerusalem.3. Indeed, He says: “And David acquired the threshing floor and the cattle For fifty silver sheqels” (2Sam.24:24). Yet another verse states: “And, for the place, David gave to Arnon a six-hundred weight of gold sheqels” (1Chron.21:25)— how can the two usages be reconciled? They were twelve tribes— so David took fifty sheqels from each and every tribe. This yields a total of six hundred sheqels from all the tribes!41//Sifre Nu., 42.
4. “To make His Name dwell” (Dt.12:5). Here it is stated: His Name, yet elsewhere it is stated: “They will link My Name to the children of Israel, and I will bless them” (Nu.6:27)— just as His Name stated here (Dt.12:5) is the Name uttered in the Chosen Abode, so, too, My Name stated elsewhere (Nu.6:27) is the Name uttered in the Chosen Abode. Just as My Name stated elsewhere (Dt.6:27) is the Name uttered in the Priestly Blessing, so, too, His Name stated here is the Name uttered in the Priestly Blessing. I might infer that utterance of the Name is appropriate only to the Holy Shrine [in Jerusalem]. On what basis do I know that it is appropriate in the outskirts [such as Shiloh] as well? The Teaching states: “In every place in which I cause My Name to be mentioned” (Ex.20:24). If so, why is it stated: “To make His Name dwell” (Dt.12:5)? In the Holy Shrine they utter the Name as it is spelled out, but in the provinces, His Name is rendered with euphemisms.42//Sifre Nu. 43. // M. Sot.7:6. Perhaps, “the All-Present” or “the blessed Holy One” is meant..
(דברים יב ה) כִּי אִם אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם מִכָּל שִׁבְטֵיכֶם – דְּרֹשׁ עַל פִּי נָבִיא! יָכוֹל תַּמְתִּין עַד שֶׁיֹּאמַר לְךָ נָבִיא? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: לְשִׁכְנוֹ תִדְרְשׁוּ וּבָאתָ שָּׁמָּה – דְּרֹשׁ וּמְצָא, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יֹאמַר לְךָ נָבִיא. וְכֵן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בְּדָוִד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קלב א-ה): ״זְכוֹר ה׳ לְדָוִד אֵת כָּל עֻנּוֹתוֹ, אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַה׳ נָדַר לַאֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב, אִם אָבֹא בְּאֹהֶל בֵּיתִי, אִם אֶתֵּן שְׁנַת לְעֵינָי, עַד אֶמְצָא מָקוֹם לַה׳ מִשְׁכָּנוֹת לַאֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב״. מִנַּיִן שֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂה אֶלָּא עַל פִּי נָבִיא? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל ב כד יח): ״וַיָּבֹא גָד אֶל דָּוִד בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ עֲלֵה הָקֵם לַה׳ מִזְבֵּחַ בְּגֹרֶן אֲרַוְנָה הַיְבוּסִי״, וְאוֹמֵר (דברי הימים ב ג א): ״וַיָּחֶל שְׁלֹמֹה לִבְנוֹת אֶת בֵּית ה׳ בִּירוּשָׁלִַם בְּהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה אֲשֶׁר נִרְאָה לְדָוִיד אָבִיהוּ״.
Pisqa’ 6235H:117-118; JN1:191-193.
1. “Rather, seek out (tidrosh) the place which HASHEM your God will choose,
from all your tribes, to make His Name dwell; there shall you come” (Dt.12:5)—
that is, seek it out (derosh)
with the guidance (`al pi36Literally, “by the mouth/declaration.”) of a prophet.
Is it possible to say:
delay seeking until a prophet tells you [where to seek]?
The Teaching prescribes
a sequence to the search:
“Seek out . . . to make His Name dwell . . . there shall you come” (Dt.12:5)—
first, seek it out and find it;
afterward, a prophet will confirm it for you.
And so do you find with David,
for it is stated:
“I will give neither sleep to my eyes, nor rest to my eyelids,
until I find a place for HASHEM, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob” (Ps.132:4-5).
On what basis do I know that
David acted solely under the guidance (`al pi) of a prophet?
For it is said:
“And Gad came to David on that day, and told him:
Go up and erect for HASHEM an altar
on the threshing floor of Aronah37The MT prefers the vocalization as “’arawnh.” Cf. 2Chron.3:1 below. the Jebusite” (2Sam.24:18).
And He says:
“Then Solomon began to build an abode for HASHEM in Jerusalem—
on Mt. Moriah, which had appeared to David, his father—
and which David had prepared on the threshing floor of Arnon the Jebusite” (2Chron.3:1).
כָּתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר (דברים יב יד): ״בְּאַחַד שְׁבָטֶיךָ״, וְכָתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר: מִכָּל שִׁבְטֵיכֶם, כֵּיצַד נִתְקַיְּמוּ שְׁנֵי כְתוּבִים הַלָּלוּ? יוֹדְעִים הָיוּ שֶׁבֵּית הַבְּחִירָה עָתִיד לִבָּנוֹת בְּחֵלֶק יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן, לְפִיכָךְ הִפְרִישׁוּ דָּשְׁנָהּ שֶׁל יְרִיחוֹ. מִי אֲכָלוֹ כָּל אוֹתָן הַשָּׁנִים? – בְּנֵי קֵינִי חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֲכָלוּהוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שופטים א טז): ״וּבְנֵי קֵינִי חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה עָלוּ מֵעִיר הַתְּמָרִים״, אֲבָל מִשֶּׁנִּבְנָה הַבַּיִת נָסְעוּ וְהָלְכוּ לָהֶם. דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: אֵצֶל יַעְבֵּץ הָלְכוּ לִלְמֹד תּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים א ב נה): ״וּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת סוֹפְרִים יוֹשְׁבֵי יַעְבֵּץ תִּרְעָתִים שִׁמְעָתִים סוּכָתִים הֵמָּה הַקִּינִים״.
2. One verse states:
“From one of your tribes” (Dt.12:14),
while another verse states:
“From all your tribes” (Dt.12:5)—
how can the two usages be reconciled?
They all knew that the Chosen Abode
would in the future be built in the tribal share
of Judah and Benjamin.
Therefore, they set aside
the rich pasturage of Jericho.
Now, who ate from it all those years?
The descendants of [Jethro] the Kenite,
Moses’ father in law, ate from it,
for it is stated:
“And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father in law,
went up from the city of date-palms” (Jud.1:16).
But once the Abode was built, they left:
words of R. Shimon.
R. Judah says:
They traveled to Yavetz to study Torah,
for it is stated:
“The scribal guilds who dwelled in Yavetz:
the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, the Sucathites; these are the Kenites” 38//Sifre Nu.,78 and Pisqa’ 352.8. F:128, n.7 lists several other early and late parallels to 62.2 . (1Chron2:55).
דָּבָר אַחֵר, כָּתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר: ״בְּאַחַד שְׁבָטֶיךָ״ וְכָתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר: מִכָּל שִׁבְטֵיכֶם – הַכֶּסֶף מִכָּל שִׁבְטֵיכֶם, בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה מִשֵּׁבֶט אֶחָד. דָּבָר אַחֵר, ״בְּאַחַד שְׁבָטֶיךָ״ – זוֹ שִׁילֹה, מִכָּל שִׁבְטֵיכֶם – זוֹ יְרוּשָׁלִַם. הֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר (שמואל ב כד כד): ״וַיִּקֶן דָּוִד אֶת הַגֹּרֶן וְאֶת הַבָּקָר בְּכֶסֶף שְׁקָלִים חֲמִשִּׁים״, וְכָתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר (דברי הימים א כא כה): ״וַיִּתֵּן דָּוִד לְאָרְנָן בַּמָּקוֹם שִׁקְלֵי זָהָב מִשְׁקָל שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת״, כֵּיצַד נִתְקַיְּמוּ שְׁנֵי כְתוּבִים הַלָּלוּ? הֵם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁבָטִים, נָטַל חֲמִשִּׁים שְׁקָלִים מִכָּל שֵׁבֶט וָשֵׁבֶט, נִמְצְאוּ שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת שְׁקָלִים לְכָל הַשְּׁבָטִים.
Another word:
One verse states:
“From one of your tribes” (Dt.12:14),
while another verse states:
“From all your tribes” (Dt.12:5)—
the funding must come
from all your tribes,
but the land for the Chosen Abode
will come from one39I.e,, Benjamin (Jer.1:1-3; Jud.21:15-25). tribe.40//ARNA:35. Cf. Pisqa’ 70.2. See the rendering of ARNA.35 in H:422, n.6
Another word:
“From one of your tribes” (Dt.12:14)—
this refers to the Dwelling at Shiloh (e.g., 1Sam3:19-4:1);
“From all your tribes” (Dt.12:5)—
this refers to the Chosen Abode in Jerusalem.3. Indeed, He says:
“And David acquired the threshing floor and the cattle
For fifty silver sheqels” (2Sam.24:24).
Yet another verse states:
“And, for the place, David gave to Arnon
a six-hundred weight of gold sheqels” (1Chron.21:25)—
how can the two usages be reconciled?
They were twelve tribes—
so David took fifty sheqels from
each and every tribe.
This yields a total of six hundred sheqels
from all the tribes! 41//Sifre Nu., 42.
לָשׂוּם אֶת שְׁמוֹ שָׁם, נֶאֱמַר כָּאן ״שְׁמוֹ״ וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן (במדבר ו כז) ״שְׁמִי״ – מָה שְׁמוֹ הָאָמוּר כָּאן – בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה, אַף שְׁמִי הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן – בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה. מָה שְׁמִי הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים, אַף שְׁמוֹ הָאָמוּר כָּאן בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים. אֵין לִי אֶלָּא בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, בַּגְּבוּלִים מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שמות כ כא): ״בְּכָל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַזְכִּיר אֶת שְׁמִי״. אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר לָשׂוּם אֶת שְׁמוֹ שָׁם? בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ אוֹמְרִים אֶת הַשֵּׁם כִּכְתָבוֹ, וּבַמְּדִינָה – בְּכִנּוּיוֹ.
4. “To make His Name dwell” (Dt.12:5).
Here it is stated: His Name,
yet elsewhere it is stated:
“They will link My Name to the children of Israel,
and I will bless them” (Nu.6:27)—
just as His Name stated here (Dt.12:5)
is the Name uttered in the Chosen Abode,
so, too, My Name stated elsewhere (Nu.6:27)
is the Name uttered in the Chosen Abode.
Just as My Name stated elsewhere (Dt.6:27)
is the Name uttered in the Priestly Blessing,
so, too, His Name stated here
is the Name uttered in the Priestly Blessing.
I might infer that
utterance of the Name
is appropriate only to the Holy Shrine [in Jerusalem].
On what basis do I know that
it is appropriate in the outskirts [such as Shiloh] as well?
The Teaching states:
“In every place in which I cause My Name to be mentioned” (Ex.20:24).
If so, why is it stated:
“To make His Name dwell” (Dt.12:5)?
In the Holy Shrine
they utter the Name as it is spelled out,
but in the provinces,
His Name is rendered with euphemisms.42//Sifre Nu. 43. // M. Sot.7:6. Perhaps, “the All-Present” or “the blessed Holy One” is meant..