Hallel: Yom Yerushalayim: Paragraph Six
What will it be like to stand in the Infinite city with the means to express infinite gratitude?
Rabbah said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: Jerusalem of the world to come will not be like Jerusalem of the present world. [To] Jerusalem of the present world, anyone who wishes goes up, but to that of the world to come only those invited will go.
Rabbah in the name of Rabbi Yochanan further stated: The righteous will in time to come be called by the name of the Holy One, blessed be He; for it is said: “Every one that is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory. I have formed him, yea, I have made him (Isaiah 43:7).”
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahmani said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: Three were called by the name of the Holy One; blessed be He, and they are the following: The righteous, the Messiah and Jerusalem. [This may be inferred as regards] the righteous [from] what has just been said. [As regards] the Messiah — it is written: “And this is the name whereby he shall be called, The Lord is our righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6).” [As regards] Jerusalem — it is written: “It shall be eighteen thousand reeds round about; and the name of the city from that day shall be ‘the Lord is there’ (Ezekiel 48:35),” do not read, ‘there’ but ‘its name.’
Rabbi Eleazar said: There will come a time when ‘Holy’ will be said before the righteous as it is said before the Holy One, blessed be He; for it is said: “And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remains in Jerusalem, shall be called Holy (Isaiah 4:3).”
Rabbah in the name of R. Yochanan further stated: The Holy One, blessed be He, will in time to come lift up Jerusalem three parasangs high; for it is said: “And she shall be lifted up, and be settled in her place (Zechariah 9:10).” ‘In her place’ means ‘like her place’. From where is it proved that the space it occupied was three parasangs in extent? — Rabbah said: A certain old man told me, ‘I saw ancient Jerusalem and it occupied [an area of] three parasangs’. And lest you should think the ascent will
be painful, it is expressly stated: “Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their cotes (Isaiah 60:8).”
Rabbi Papa said: Hence it may be inferred that a cloud rises three parasangs. Rabbi Chanina bar Papa said: The Holy One, blessed be He, wished to give to Jerusalem a [definite] size; for it is said: “Then said I ‘Whither do you go?’ And he said unto me: ‘To measure Jerusalem. to see what is the breadth thereof and what is the length thereof’ (Zechariah 2:6).”
The ministering angels said before the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Lord of the Universe, many towns for the nations of the earth You have created in Your world, and You did not fix the measurement of their length or the measurement of their breadth, will You fix a measurement for Jerusalem in the midst of which is Your Name, Your sanctuary and the
righteous?’ Thereupon, [an angel] said unto him: ‘Run speak to this young man, saying: Jerusalem shall be inhabited without walls, for the multitude of men and cattle therein’ (Zechariah 2:8).”
Resh Lakish said: The Holy One, blessed be He, will in time to come add to Jerusalem a thousand gardens, a thousand towers, a thousand palaces and a thousand mansions; and each [of these] will be as big as Sepphoris in its prosperity.
It has been taught: Rabbi Yosi said: I saw Sepphoris in its prosperity, and it contained a hundred and eighty thousand markets for pudding dealers.
[It is written]: “And the side chambers were one over another, three and thirty times (Ezekiel 41:6).” What is meant by three and thirty times? — Rabbi Levi in the name of Rav Papi in the name of R. Yehoshua of Siknin said: If [in time to come] there will be three Jerusalems, each [building] will contain thirty dwellings one over the other; if there will be thirty Jerusalems, each [building] will contain three dwellings one over the other. (Bava Batra 75b)
The possibilities will be endless. The potential, infinite. The gratitude, beyond words, and we will stand in the Jerusalem described above and sing:
“What can I respond to God for all the good He has given to make me independent?
I will lift up the cup of salvation and I will call out in God’s Name.
I will fulfill my promises to God in front of all His nation.
Death to His pious ones is precious in God’s eyes.
Please God, allow me to be Your servant.
I am Your worker, the son of Your maidservant,
You unlocked my chains.
I will bring an offering of thanks to You, and I will call out in the Name of God.
I will fulfill my promises to God in front of all His nation.
In the courtyards of God’s House, in the center of Jerusalem.
Hallelukah!”