Tefillah Tips - Hallelukah Ki Tov – 2

The Builder of Jerusalem is Hashem Nidchei Yisrael Yikanas – The Builder of Jerusalem is Hashem, Ha gathers in the dispersed from the exile.

Rav Miller zt”l invites us to envision King David sitting in his palace in Jerusalem overlooking the grandeur of the walls of Jerusalem. He could have sat back on his royal throne and expressed pride and joy in his mighty accomplishments. He did not. King David writes with humility, Boney Yerushalayim Hashem – The Builder of Jerusalem is G-d. The message is clear – after all efforts demonstrated by a human being, it is G-d that wills its existence or not. Who created and sustains all mankind? G-d – Who fortifies mankind with the intellectual and physical strength to succeed? Only G-d.

The Siddur HaGra notices the interesting language of the verse i.e. Boney Yeushalayim Hashem – and not Hashem Boney Yerushalayim – The Builder of Jerusalem is G-d and not G-d is the builder of Jerusalem. He explains that the sentence demonstrates that G-d is not a builder but THE builder of Jerusalem.

The usage of the present tense is noteworthy in this verse. If we were writing, we would have written Yivneh Yerushalayim – G-d will build Jerusalem – so why the present tense.

The Siddur HaGra presents a most inspiring answer. He writes that King David is teaching us that despite all of the visible obstacles that stand in the way of our ultimate return to a the rebuilt Beit Hamikdash in Jerusalem we must know it is being built right in front of our eyes. Boney Yerushalayim Hashem- The Builder of Jerusalem is Hashem-

We must do our part. We must pray, advocate and work for the peace and fulfillment of Jerusalem, but at the beginning, the middle and the end of the day we must remember - The Builder of Jerusalem is Hashem - The Builder of Jerusalem is Hashem.