Weekly Story: Building An Embassy

by Rabbi Sholom D. Avtzon

During the past few weeks, one of the stories that the world is abuzz with is President Trump’s declaration of his intention of building a new embassy in Yerushalayim, the eternal capital of Eretz Yisroel (as well as our thankfulness and gratitude to him for his commutation of the unusual severe sentence against Reb Sholom Mordechai Halevi ben Rivkah Rubashkin).

While the focus of this column is to relate a story, this week I will use it to relate a thought and message I heard at the Hei Teves farbrengen in 770 from Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Groner, concerning the above mentioned story.

As it is known, we are a month before Yud Shevat and the theme of the maamar Basi L’Gani, is based on this very concept, of building an embassy. The possuk says, “And you shall make for me a mikdash, and I will dwell in them.” Since the possuk says, “in them” (in the plural sense) and not “in it” (in the singular sense), we learn from this that Hashem is informing and indeed instructing us, that the meaning of these words are, that we should strive to make a mikdash, in each and every one of us. Yes, our personal house should be that mikdash.

This my friends, is the embassy that has to be built by each one of us. An embassy represents its country, and our house should be representative of who we are.  We are first and foremost Jews who are not only shomrei Torah u’mitzvos, but are also connected to the Rebbe, and to the mission he trusted us with.

In one’s house, the owner can open the door to whomever they wish to, and keep out those they don’t know or don’t want. But an embassy is open to all, you never know who is going to be coming in, and it must always be accessible.  So too if our house is an embassy for Hashem, then obviously we will have open doors for guests, have a set time for learning and its very atmosphere will demonstrate who we are. Moreover, just as a king should feel comfortable in his embassies, so too should our King feel comfortable entering into the embassy we make for Him in our living room and den.

Furthermore since the house is then transformed into a miniature “Chabad House” in essence it is a miniature mikdash. And it is well known that our sages taught us that when Moshiach comes, all the “miniature beis hamikdashos”  [Mikdash mi’aht in loshon hakodesh], will move over to Eretz Yisroel.

So by transforming our house into an Embassy of Yerushalayim – where every aspect of our conduct is an expression of our complete fear and love to Hashem, then not only will our shuls and yeshivos transfer to Eretz Yisroel with the coming of Moshiach, but our homes will do so as well.

May it be speedily in our days!

I take this opportunity to thank all of you who have contacted me concerning the publication of the biography of the Rebbe Maharash, we are getting there.

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and author of numerous books on the Rebbeim and their chassidim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.