Jerusalem's Dual Election by Avraham and David

This shiur focuses on the four-fold process of Jerusalem's election, examining the two different narratives within the Avraham story, as well as the two narratives within the David saga. While we do so, we consider the concepts of sacred time and sacred space and their importance in the description of the Mikdash. There are two main Jewish positions as to the nature of the Temple's original sanctity - historical (as a moment within the history of the Jewish people), and primordial (that the site of the Temple's holiness was already built into creation.

As we look at the (dual) biblical view, while examine the stories of David's relationship with Jerusalem and Avraham's Akeida ordeal, difficult and disturbing questions arise about God's demands of humanity. How could God ask Avraham to sacrifice his son? Why was the punishment so harsh after David's census? 

These stories are meant to disturb - and meant to tell us something about the place that God is going to select. The values of human autonomy and Divine will are intertwined in the Mikdash. Though free will is an important value, we must also remember that  human will is ultimately subordinate to the Divine will.