The Place That God Will Choose

Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17)

"See, I place before you today..."

The Torah portion opens with a startling imperative: Re'eh — "See."

At first glance, Moshe seems to be referring only to the blessings and curses that follow. But as we move through the parasha, we encounter a profound pattern that expresses the idea of HaMakom asher yivchar Hashem — "the place that Hashem will choose to cause His Name to dwell there.”

This phrase appears at least twenty-one times in the book of Devarim, but the Torah never explicitly names the location.

Why does the Torah seem to hide the identity of what will become the spiritual center of the world — Yerushalayim, the site of the Beit HaMikdash, the altar, the korbanot, and the festivals?

Throughout the Tanakh, those most central to God’s plan are often hidden until the proper moment of revelation. This concealment serves both as protection and preparation, ensuring that divine purpose is not thwarted by premature exposure.

Remarkably, this same principle could apply to places, most notably the location of the future Temple in Jerusalem. Some have suggested the location was hidden for a time so it would not be targeted by Israel’s enemies. But the concealment reflects a broader divine plan: Hashem conceals His vessels—in whatever form they take, in order to preserve them until the right moment.

Consider the great figures in the Tanakh:

• Avraham was hidden, as a child, from the wrath of Nimrod.

  
  

• Yosef was sold into Egypt, tossed into prison, only to emerge as the country’s leader, yet he was unrecognized by his brothers.

  
  

• Moshe was hidden to save him from drowning, then raised in Pharaoh’s palace.

  
  

• David was overlooked even by his own father until the prophet Shmuel identified him.

  
  

• Esther concealed the identity of her people from Achashverosh until her appointed time.

  
  

• So too with Yerushalayim. The Torah withholds its name because its time had not yet come.

To fully appreciate the depth of this theme, we return to the first great Re’eh moment in the Torah — the Akeidah (Offering of Isaac).

On Mount Moriah, Avraham sees the ram caught in the thicket and offers the animal instead of his son, Isaac. Avraham recognizes this as a pivotal moment in God’s plan:

"And Avraham called the name of that place: Hashem will see…” (Bereshit 22:14)

This is the first reference to the place that will become the site of Beit HaMikdash.

Avraham sees the future korbanot, the holy fire and the altar. The Midrash says he even saw the ashes of the ram as if they were Isaac’s remains mingling with the future ashes of the korban tamid. And that name — Hashem Yir’eh, God will see — would one day combine with the city's original name, Shalem, to form Yerushalayim.

When we return to Parashat Re’eh everything begins to crystallize:

Avraham said: “Yir’eh” — God will see. It is a hint of the identity of the future city.

Moshe says: “Re’eh” — See.

Torah says: “HaMakom asher Yivchar Hashem” — The place that God will choose.

And the final form: Yerushalayim — the city where human vision and divine vision meet.

But Parashat Re’eh doesn’t stop at seeing. It goes on to describe how—in This Place—Israel is commanded to be seen:

“Three times a year all your males shall appear before Hashem your God…”

(Devarim 16:16)

These Shalosh Regalim — Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot — are opportunities for the nation to experience the joys of the Hagim (Festivals) to witness its bounties and, more importantly, to be seen by Hashem.

There is a divine logic to the hidden we have seen above. Whether it’s a person, a mission, or a mountain, Hashem often hides that which is most precious; to preserve and protect until the time is right.

This is all about HaMakom, the Place of the Altar, the Mountain and the City.

My favorite Torah commentator, Rev Raphael Samson Hirsch reveals why this Place is so important:

"It's historical significance reaches back to the nation’s origin; what is more, according to a tradition preserved in the nation, it reaches back to the early beginnings of mankind. Hence, each generation that approaches this site should regard itself as heir and bearer of the national mission and the mission of all mankind, and should understand the Jewish mission as follows: to return to man’s original state, close to God; to restore mankind to its former glory. The site that was chosen is Mount Moriah, where according to tradition, Noach and Adam also built altars to God."

“Come, Let us go up to the Mount of GOD, To the House of the God of Jacob; That we may be instructed in God’s ways, And that we may walk in God’s paths.” For Torah shall come forth from Zion, The word of GOD from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2:3)

May we merit to see — and be seen — in the place where Hashem chose to cause His Name to dwell.