The Haggadah mentions Yerushalayim only twice (aside from casual citations in traditional texts such as Hallel, Birkat Hamazon, and the bracha acharona). The second one is one of the most famous and stirring phrases in all of Jewish liturgy: the seder concludes with the prayer that sustained centuries of Jews living in adverse conditions often threatened by cruel enemies: “L’shana haba’a b’Yerushalayim” – Next Year in Jerusalem!
Jews knew that no matter how they were being afflicted or persecuted, and no matter where they were, the dream of “Next Year in Jerusalem!” relieved any feelings of despair.
The first reference to Jerusalem is more enigmatic. In the middle of Magid – Telling the story of Exodus – where the sages expound the verses recited by he who brought his first fruits to the Holy Temple, it is said that “God brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm…” a zero’a netuyah.
The Midrash comments, “with an outstretched arm – this refers to the sword, as it is written (Divrei Hayamim 21:16), “[and David saw the angel of God standing between the heaven and the earth] holding a drawn sword in his hand stretched out (netuyah) over Yerushalayim.”
Surely this is an odd reference to Jerusalem! What is the significance of the angel’s sword stretched out over Jerusalem? And what really is the difference between “a mighty hand” and an “outstretched arm”?
Gods outstreched arm providing security or Jewish nation
Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik explained that the “mighty hand” of God generated the miracles that liberated us from Egypt, but it is God’s “outstretched arm” that continues to provide security and guidance even after the miracles have passed.
That “outstretched arm” functions as a heavenly “Iron Dome” that shields us from the evil designs of our enemies, protects us from harm, and enables us to prosper under the wings of the divine presence.
That “outstretched arm” is visible in Jerusalem today. What was a provincial backwater under the Ottoman Empire after centuries of Muslim occupation – dwelling alone and forlorn, shorn of its beauty and majesty – is now (Baruch Hashem!) a thriving metropolis, spiritual center of the world, Israel’s eternal capital city, home to a million citizens, and an expanding, economic powerhouse. Nations and their ambassadors flock to Jerusalem, including those who wish to bask in its holiness and those who wish to trade with its high-tech sector.
Jerusalem’s spiritual, political, and material successes are all extensions of God’s “outstretched arm.” Torah is studied by myriads of people, mitzvot are observed by hundreds of thousands, and the city’s sanctity is palpable. Jerusalem is united, and despite the challenges to its exclusive Jewish sovereignty posed by such hostile elements as Turkey and Qatar, among others, few concepts unify the people of Israel more than the indivisibility of Jerusalem.
There is so much building in Jerusalem that, as the joke goes, Israel’s national bird is the crane. And there is something enchanting about Passover in Jerusalem. Visitors come from all over the world – and some become inclined to stay.
It is not enough just to leave Egypt; after all, that was just the starting point of our history that would culminate in the Revelation at Sinai and our entry and conquest of the land of Israel, God’s chosen land. And the Haggadah cryptic reference to Jerusalem heralds that future.
The angel of God who held the “drawn sword stretched forth over Jerusalem” came not just to end the plague that afflicted the people but to inform David that the time had come to build the Holy Temple. It was then that David went to Ornan of Yevus in order to purchase the threshing floor that became the foundation of the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple).
This momentous event in Jewish history is embedded in the Haggadah, in the middle of Magid. God’s “mighty hand” liberated us from Egypt and His “outstretched arm” preserves until today, some 3338 years later. It affords us the faith and confidence that we will weather any storm – and combat any foe that dares to contest our rights to God’s holy city. That is the enduring spirit of Passover.
L’shana haba’a b’Yerushalayim!
The writer is Senior Research Associate at the Katz Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy (JCAP.ngo), Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun of Teaneck, New Jersey, and author of the book on Pesach, Road to Redemption (Kodesh Press).