The city of Yerushalaim and the Temple Mount as the site of the Beis Hamikdash, are central to observance of many of the Mitzvos of the Torah, many of which are found in Parshas Reeh.
These include the building of the Beis Hamikdash, the bringing of Korbanos, observing the pilgrimage festivals and consuming the sacred foods such as Maaser Sheini and various sacrifices.
Yet, the city of Yerushalaim and the location of the future Beis Hamikdash, is not mentioned explicitly in the Torah even once.
The Torah refers only to “the place that Hashem your G-d will choose to rest His Name there” or “the place that Hashem your G-d will choose”. This is why the Rambam refers to the Beis Hamikdash as the Beis Habechira, the House of Hashem’s choosing.
The sanctity of the Temple Mount as the future site of the Beis Hamikdash was already determined at the outset of Creation. Our sages teach that the Even Hashesiya, the stone that stood in the Kodesh Hakodoshim, was the foundation from which the world was created. Adam’s body was formed from the earth of the future site of the Mizbeach. It was on this Mountain that Hashem commanded Avraham to bring Yitzchak to the Akeidah and it was here that Yaakov had his dream and declared “this is the House of G-d and this is the gateway to Haven”.
So why does the Torah not specify this clearly as the designated place? Instead, the Torah says “Only at the place that Hashem your G-d will choose from among all of your tribes to rest His Name there, shall you seek out His Presence and come there” - לשכנו תדרשו ובאת שמה.
From these words we learn that even though the place of the future Temple was already chosen and predesignated by Hashem, He commands us to seek out this place.
This Mitzvah was practically observed by King David. After subduing his surrounding enemies, Dovid Hamelech set his sights on building the Beis Hamikdash. The sages describe how together with Shmuel Hanavi, Dovid spent the entire night interpreting the Pesukim of the Torah and the Book of Yehoshua, to determine the precise site of the Holy Temple.
On the above-quoted verse, the Sifri teaches that “The place that Hashem your G-d has chosen” is determined according to the word of a prophet. One may think that they must wait until the Novi tells you the location? The verse adds “you shall seek out His Presence and come there”, teaching that one must seek and find the place and afterwards it will be confirmed by a Novi. This is why after purchasing the site of the future Beis Hamikdash, Dovid only built an altar after he was directed to do so by Gad the prophet.
If the site of the Beis Hamikdash was already chosen by Hashem, why did He not tell us explicitly and if the site had to be confirmed by a Novi, what is the purpose of us having to search for it?
Searching (Derisha), as opposed to finding (Metzia), refers to a yearning that leads to a concerted effort and desire to find something. A Metzia is something that one finds with no forethought or effort.
The Chassidic Masters explain that Hashem does not desire a dwelling in this world that He imposes from Above. Hashem wants us to desire that He rest His presence amongst us as an expression of our yearning for connection to Him. If so, the Beis Hamikdash must come through our efforts and our yearning as reflected in searching.
With this understanding, the words לשכנו תדרשו - Seek out His presence, is not limited to determining the physical site as a preparation to fulfilling the Mitzvah of building the physical Beis Hamikdash. Rather, the searching and yearning is an independent Mitzvah in its own right as the Ramban explains, that we are obligated to await and yearn and thirst with fiery desire, for the opportunity to be able to go up to the Beis Hamikdash.
Whilst we do not have the Beis Hamikdash now and ascending the Temple Mount nowadays is a matter of contention and subject to dispute by the Poskim, the Mitzvah of לשכנו תדרשו ובאת שמה still applies. We must yearn for the coming of Moshiach and the Final Redemption and the rebuilding of the Third Beis Hamikdash, so that we merit the opportunity to go there and to experience the revelation of the Shechina and be inspired in Torah and Yiras Shamayim.
Indeed the Sages teach that those who yearn for the Beis Hamikdash and continue to “search for” and remember the Beis Hamikdash, will merit to see it rebuilt.
The commentators also teach that at least in a figurative sense לשכנו תדרשו ובאת שמה also includes our desire to attend our Shuls and Batei Midrash which are called a “Mikdash Me’at” - minor Sanctuaries, in order to connect to Hashem through Torah and Tefillah.
Parshas Re’eh is the Shabbos that blesses the month of Elul. The sublime revelation of the Yomim Noraim is like being in the presence of Hashem in the Beis Hamikdash. In the month of Elul we have the Mitzvah of Derisha, to seek out Hashem through our own efforts and to prepare ourselves with anticipation and yearning for the impending Yomim Noraim.
Rabbi Yonason Johnson is the Rosh Kollel of Kollel Menachem Lubavitch in Melbourne and Director of Adult Education of the Yeshivah Centre.