Pisqa’ 671
1
“When you cross the Jordan and settle in the Land” (Dt.12:10).
R. Judah says:
three commandments were given to Israel
at the time they entered the Land:
To appoint a king for themselves;
to build the Chosen Abode for themselves;
and to annihilate the descendants of Amalek.2
Now, I don’t know which takes precedence:
to appoint a king for themselves;
to build the Chosen Abode for themselves;
or to annihilate the descendants of Amalek?
The Teaching states:
“And Moses said: the hand is upon the throne of Yah;3
HASHEM will be at war with Amalek for all generations” (Ex.17:16).
That is, once a king sits on the throne of Yah,
then you must annihilate the descendants of Amalek.
Now, on what basis do I know that
the throne of Yah is that of the king?
For it is stated:
“Then Solomon sat upon the throne of HASHEM as king” (1Chron.29:23).
2
But I still don’t know which takes precedence—
to build the Chosen Abode for themselves,
or to annihilate the descendants of Amalek?
The Teaching states:
“When you . . . settle in the Land . . . , and you dwell in security;
then, to the place which HASHEM your God shall choose . . . (Dt.12:10-11).
And He says:
“Now, when the king was settled in his home, and HASHEM gave him respite . . . ,
then the king said to Nathan the Prophet:
Look how I dwell in a house of cedar while the Ark of God sits in a tent!” (2Sam.7:1-2).
3
“Then, to the place which HASHEM your God shall choose to invest with His Name there, there shall you bring . . . (Dt.12:11).
Why does the verse repeat, there, there?
Because two partitioned areas were there:
a partitioned area [within the Courtyard]
for [Priests to eat] the Most-Holy offerings4
and a partitioned area [within Jerusalem’s walls],
for [common Israelites to eat] the Lesser-Holy offerings.5