The Six-Day War: The blessing from HaShem. The Israeli leader's answer: Signing a covenant with Amalek.
The Six-Day War: The blessing from HaShem. The Israeli leader's answer: Signing a covenant with Amalek.
The Six-Day War: The blessing from HaShem. The Israeli leader's answer: Signing a covenant with Amalek. |
|
The blessing
from HaShem: |
|
|
|
|
Amalek in the
Torah |
|
|
7I
will bring them to My holy mount, and I will cause them to rejoice in My
house of prayer, their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be
acceptable upon My altar, for My house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples. |
|
זוַֽהֲבִֽיאוֹתִ֞ים
אֶל־הַ֣ר קָדְשִׁ֗י וְשִׂמַּחְתִּים֙ בְּבֵ֣ית תְּפִלָּתִ֔י עֽוֹלֹתֵיהֶ֧ם
וְזִבְחֵיהֶ֛ם לְרָצ֖וֹן עַל־מִזְבְּחִ֑י כִּ֣י בֵיתִ֔י בֵּית־תְּפִלָּ֥ה
יִקָּרֵ֖א לְכָל־הָֽעַמִּֽים: |
|
for all
peoples: Not only for Israel, but also for the
proselytes. |
|
לכל העמים: ולא לישראל לבדם כי אף לגרים: |
|
8So
says the Lord God, Who gathers in the dispersed of Israel, I will yet
gather others to him, together with his gathered ones. |
|
חנְאֻם֙
אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֔ה מְקַבֵּ֖ץ נִדְחֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל ע֛וֹד אֲקַבֵּ֥ץ עָלָ֖יו
לְנִקְבָּצָֽיו: |
|
I will yet
gather: of the heathens ([Mss. and K’li Paz:] of
the nations) who will convert and join them. ( |
|
עוד אקבץ עליו: מן האומות שיתגיירו ונלוו עליהם: |
|
together with
his gathered ones: In addition to the gathered ones of Israel.) |
|
לנקבציו: נוספים על קבוצי ישראל: |
We Jews must start to build the House of HaShem so that the Har HaBayit ‘shall
be called a House of Prayer for all peoples.’
The PALESTINIANS, UNRWA, UN,
IRAN and many more big groups in the world, more countries start to choose to
be (become) the Representatives of Amalek……. What shall bring the growing out
of this war into the war of Chog UMagoch. ‘Chog UMagoch’ the ‘spirit’ behind
the creators of Palestine….. the
descendants of Amalek....!
Amalek is pure unrighteous! (Raping and murdering, to bring on their
victims, so much as possible suffering before they murder them!)
About Amalek in the Torah:
Bereshit (Genesis) - Chapter 36
12And
Timna was a concubine to Eliphaz, son of Esau, and she bore to Eliphaz,
Amalek. These are the sons of Adah, the wife of Esau.
And Timna was a concubine: [This passage is here] to
proclaim the greatness of Abraham-how much [people] longed to attach
themselves to his descendants. This Timna was a daughter of chieftains, as it
is said: “and the sister of Lotan was Timna” (below verse 22). Lotan was one
of the chieftains of the inhabitants of Seir, from the Horites, who had dwelt
there before. She said, “I may not be worthy of marrying you, but if only I
could be [your] concubine” (Gen. Rabbah 82:14). In (I) Chronicles (1:36) [the Chronicler]
enumerates her among the children of Eliphaz [here she is counted as the
daughter of Seir the Horite, and the concubine of Eliphaz]. This teaches [us]
that he (Eliphaz) was intimate with the wife of Seir, and Timna emerged from
between them (Seir’s wife and Eliphaz), and when she grew up, she became his
(Eliphaz’s) concubine. That is the meaning of “and the sister of Lotan was
Timna.” [Scripture] did not count her with the sons of Seir, because she was
his (Lotan’s) sister through his mother but not through his father. — [from
Tanchuma Vayeshev 1]
16Chief
Korah, Chief Gaatam, Chief Amalek. These are the chieftains of Eliphaz in the
land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah.
Shemot (Exodus) - Chapter 17
8Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
Amalek came, etc.: He [God] juxtaposed this section to this
verse, ["Is the Lord in our midst or not? "] implying: “I am always
among you, and [I am] always prepared for all your necessities, but you say,
Is the Lord in our midst or not?’ By your life, the dog will come and bite
you, and you will cry out to Me, and [then] you will know where I am ” This
can be compared to a man who mounted his son on his shoulder and set out on
the road. Whenever his son saw something, he would say, “Father, take that
thing and give it to me,” and he [the father] would give it to him. They met
a man, and the son said to him, “Have you seen my father?” So his father said
to him, “You don’t know where I am?” He threw him [his son] down off him, and
a dog came and bit him [the son]. — [from Tanchuma, Yithro 3; Exod. Rabbah
26:2]
9So Moses said to Joshua, Pick men for us, and go out and
fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff
of God in my hand
Pick…for
us: For me
and for you. From here the Sages stated: “Your disciple’s honor shall be as
dear to you as your own honor” (Avoth 4:12). How do we know that you should
honor your peer as you revere your mentor? For it is said: “Aaron said to
Moses, I beseech you, my lord’ ” (Num. 12:11). Now was Aaron not older than Moses? Yet he
[Aaron] considers his peer as his mentor. And how do we know that one must
revere his mentor as he reveres Heaven? For it is said: “My lord, Moses,
destroy them” (Num. 11:28). Destroy them [Eldad and Medad] from the
world. They deserve to be annihilated because they are rebelling against you,
[which is] tantamount to having rebelled against the Holy One, blessed be He.
— [from Mechilta; Tanchuma, Beshallach 26]
and go out and
fight: Go out
of the cloud and fight with them. — [from Mechilta and Exod. Rabbah, end of
Beshallach]
Tomorrow: At the time of the battle, I will stand.
10Joshua did as Moses had told him, to fight against Amalek;
and Moses, Aaron, and Hur ascended to the top of the hill.
and Moses, Aaron, and Hur: From here [we deduce] that on a fast day,
three people are required to go before the ark [to lead the prayers], for
they were fasting. — [from Mechilta]
Hur: He was the son of Miriam, and Caleb, her
husband. — [from Sotah 11b]
11It came to pass that when Moses would raise his hand,
Israel would prevail, and when he would lay down his hand, Amalek would
prevail.
when Moses would raise his hand: Did Moses’ hands then make them victorious in
battle, etc.? [Rather this is to tell you that when the Israelites looked up
and subjugated their hearts to their Father in heaven, they would prevail,
and if not, they would fall,] as is found in Rosh Hashanah (29a).
12Now Moses hands were heavy; so they took a stone and placed
it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one from
this [side], and one from that [side]; so he was with his hands in faith
until sunset.
Now Moses’
hands were heavy: Since he had been lax in [the performance of] the commandment [of
warring against Amalek] and had appointed someone else in his stead, his
hands became heavy. — [from Mechilta]
so they
took: [I.e.,]
Aaron and Hur.
a stone and
placed it under him: But he [Moses] did not sit on a mattress or on a pillow, [because]
he said, "Israel is in a state of pain. I too will be with them in
pain."-[from Ta’anith 11a]
so he was with
his hands in faith: And Moses was with his hands in faith, spread out toward heaven in a
faithful and proper prayer.
until
sunset: For the Amalekites calculated the hours [i.e., the time] with their
astrology [to determine] in what hour they would be victorious, but Moses
caused the sun to stand still and confused the hours. — [from Tanchuma 28]
13Joshua weakened Amalek and his people with the edge of the
sword.
Joshua
weakened: He decapitated their [the Amalekites’] strongest warriors, and he
left over only the weak among them, but he did not slay them all. From here
we learn that he did this according to the mandate of the Shechinah. — [from
Mechilta]
14The Lord said to Moses, Inscribe this [as] a memorial in
the book, and recite it into Joshua's ears, that I will surely obliterate the
remembrance of Amalek from beneath the heavens
Inscribe this [as] a memorial: namely that Amalek came to attack the
Israelites before all [other] nations [dared to do so].
and recite it
into Joshua’s ears: [Joshua] was destined to bring Israel into the land [of Israel and]
to pay him [Amalek] his recompense. Here it was hinted to Moses that Joshua
would bring Israel into the land. — [from Tanchuma 28, Mechilta]
I will surely
obliterate the remembrance of Amalek: Therefore, I admonish you in this manner,
because I want to obliterate him.
15Then Moses built an altar, and he named it The Lord is my
miracle
and he named it: The altar. —
“The Lord is
my miracle”: Heb. ה נִסִּי.
The Holy One, blessed be He, wrought a great miracle for us here. Not that
the altar is called “The Lord,” but whoever mentions the name of the altar
remembers the miracle that the Omnipresent performed: The Lord is our
miracle. — [from Mechilta]
16And he said, For there is a hand on the throne of the
Eternal, [that there shall be] a war for the Lord against Amalek from
generation to generation.
And he said: [I.e.,] Moses [said].
For there is a
hand on the throne of the Eternal: Heb. כִּי-יָד עַל כֵּס יָ-הּ. The hand of the Holy
One, blessed be He, was raised to swear by His throne, to have a war and
[bear] hatred against Amalek for eternity. Now what is the meaning of כֵּס [as opposed to כִּסֵא and also [why is] the Divine Name divided in
half? [I.e., why is the Name יָ-הּ used instead of י-ה-ו-ה ?] [The answer is that] the Holy One, blessed be He, swore
that His Name will not be complete and His throne will not be complete until
the name of Amalek is completely obliterated. And when his name is
obliterated, the Divine Name will be complete, and the throne will be
complete, as it is said: “The enemy has been destroyed; swords exist
forever (לָנֶצַח)” (Ps. 9:7); this [who they are referring to] is Amalek,
about whom it is written: “and kept their fury forever (נֶצַח)” (Amos 1:11). "And You have uprooted the
cities-their remembrance is lost" (Ps. 9:7) [i.e., Amalek’s obliteration]. What
does it say afterwards? “And the Lord (וַיהוה) shall sit forever” (Ps. 9:8); thus [after Amalek is obliterated] the Name
is complete. "He has established His throne (כִּסְאוֹ) for judgment" (Ps. 9:8). Thus the throne is complete [i.e., thus the
throne, here spelled with an “aleph,” is now complete]. — [from Midrash
Tanchuma, end of Ki Theitzei]
Amalek Is Called The “Rooster”
(Source: Erev
Rav - 007 Amalek as the Rooster | .www.bilvavi.net)
There
is an ongoing war between the nation of Amalek and the nation of Yisroel in
Creation.
Amalek exists to fight against the Jewish people – it fights our
very essence. The Gemara says
that the Jewish people are called “adam”/man,
while the nations of the world are not called adam/man. Amalek is
called raishis goyim,
first of the nations; their role is to fight Yisrael, who are called adam by trying to
take away our holy status.
Since
Amalek is on one side and Yisrael is on the other side, and every two sides
contains a middle point that serves as a bridge between them. Amalek finds a
middle point between itself and Yisrael which it can use to draw its strength
from and thereby be able to fight Yisrael. What is that middle point? There
is a certain animal which is very much connected with people. Amalek uses the
powers of this animal in order to connect with Yisrael and harm their
holiness. That animal is the tarnigol, the rooster.
A rooster is called “sechvi”,
as we say in the morning blessings, that the rooster is a sechvi which can
differentiate between day and night. It is also called “gever”.
[The concept of the tarnigol/rooster
is used for evil by Amalek; we will see here how there are many evil aspects
of the rooster which Amalek uses. Since every concept that exists in evil,
can also be found in holiness, we will later explain how the concept of tarnigol is used for
holiness by the Jewish people].
The word “sechvi” is
equal in gematria to
the word “Purim”, because there is a relationship between sechvi/tarnigol to
Purim, in which Amalek tried to destroy us. Amalek fights Yisrael through
connecting itself to the concept of the tarnigol, which is called gever, and that is how it
fights the “adam” aspect of Yisrael: it wants to bring down Yisrael from the
level of “adam” to
the lower level, which is called gever.
So Amalek fights Yisrael through the force that is called “tarnigol”.
Amalek Is Called The “Dog”
In many places, the Sages compare Amalek also to the dog. That
is another way how it fights – it uses the nature of a dog, which is azus, brazenness. Amalek
becomes [very powerful] in particular in the end of days, and this is in
correlation to another statement of Chazal, that “the face of the generation
before Moshiach will
be like “the face of a dog”. In other words, Yisrael also has the trait of
brazenness. [The brazenness that Yisrael possesses can be used for either
good or evil – Yisrael possesses a holy kind of brazenness]. Amalek possesses
an equally powerful kind of brazenness, in the side of evil, and that is how
it comes to fight Yisrael.
A dog is “kelev”
in Hebrew, which contains the words “kol beis”, which means “two
voices.” Yisrael is called “the brazen one of the nations”, and the dog is
called the most brazen of all the animals. Amalek, who is like a dog, is
therefore the evil kind of “dog” that fights the holy brazenness of the
Jewish people.
The Gemara states
that dogs, roosters, and harlots all hate each other. What all of these have
in common is that they all acts brazen. We see a connection here between
roosters and dogs; the connection is that they represent the brazenness of
Amalek.
Amalek Wants Disparity, Via The
Means of Fostering Negative Connection
Kelev is “kol
beis”. The letter beis is
“two”, which implies connection between two people; it implies a negative
kind of connection to others.
Man has two connections – with his child, and with his spouse.
Amalek is compared to one who places his child on his shoulders and throws
him to the dogs, and the child yells, “Where is my father?” This is one
manifestation of kol
beis: between father and son. Normally, there is a healthy
connection between father and son, but there can be an evil kind of
connection between father and son, and this is a force of Amalek.
Another connection man has with another is with his wife. This
is supposed to be a holy connection, but there are ways for how the
connection between husband and wife can become evil. We see that the Sages
did not want a Torah scholar to always be intimate with his wife, so that a
Torah scholar should not act like a tarnigol/rooster,
who is always intimate with its mate at any given moment. Therefore, the
Sages [Ezra the Scribe] enacted that a Torah scholar should immerse in
the mikveh following
marital relations, so that he will lessen his amount of marital relations.
Thus,
the “dog” aspect in Amalek resembles the evil side to the connection between
father and son, and the “rooster” aspect in Amalek represents the evil side
to the connection between man and his wife.
So Amalek uses the nature of a tarnigol to fight the holy status of the
Jewish people, with regards to the relationship between man and his wife.
Bilaam and Amalek
Chazal[1] explained
that Bilaam was able to curse Yisrael, because he knew the exact moment when
Hashem is angry which is when the rooster is about to makes its sound. The
time it lasts is for the amount of the words “balah am”, which hints to “Bilaam”; and since
Bilaam and the rooster are both involved with this, it shows that there is a
connection between Bilaam and Amalek.
The one moment when the rooster is getting ready is when Hashem
is angry at Yisrael. The deeper meaning of this is that during that moment,
the status of mankind drops to the level of tarnigol (the rooster, which is
called gever,
not adam].
Normally, Yisrael is always called “adam”,
even when we fall from our spiritual level. By contrast, the two root nations
of the world, Yishmael and Esav, are not called “adam”. Yishmael is called “pereh adam”, (a
“wild” man) – he is not “adam”.
Esav is called Edom, and “edom”
is also not adam. The
time in which a person falls from his level of “adam” is called “tarnigol”.
Amalek/The Rooster – Excessive
Marital Relations
The Gemara[2] says that
a baal keri (one
who has an accidental emission of semen, or who one has had marital relations
the previous night) must immerse in a mikveh,
because the Sages didn’t want a Torah scholar to constantly have marital
relations with his wife, like how a rooster is always with its mate.
Concerning Amalek, it is written “Asher korcha b’derech”, (“They came upon you
along the way”), and “korcha” is
from the word “mikreh”,
which is from the word “keri”.
In other words, Amalek, which is korcha/mikreh/keri – who comes
when there is a laxity of Torah learning – turns a Torah scholar from being
immersed in Torah to become weak in his Torah learning and to instead become
immersed in desiring marital relations with his wife, like a rooster.
The Sages state that Ezra the Scribe could have given the Torah,
but Moshe preceded him, therefore it was Moshe who gave the Torah. But Ezra
was so righteous that he also could have given the Torah. Ezra brought up the
Jewish people to Eretz Yisrael and to the second Beis HaMikdash, so this
was a kind of giving of the Torah; it was like a new acceptance of the Torah,
just as we accepted the Torah again in the times of Achashveirosh. Ezra was
the one who enacted immersion for a baal
keri, to counter the “korcha”
aspect of Amalek, which wants Torah scholars to be around their wives like
roosters so that they can become lax in their Torah learning and be brought
further down from their holiness.
When a Torah scholar is around his wife like a rooster [with
regards to excessive marital relations], although this appears to be like a
constant connection, this is actually a kind of disparity between them. Man
and woman were originally created as one piece; according to an opinion in
the Sages, Adam and Chavah were created dav partzufin, back to back, and then they
were split down the middle and separated. Husband and wife are really
one partzuf,
one form. After the split they are separated into two forms, but in their
essence, they are really one piece. Amalek comes to cause disparity between
the unified partzuf of
the husband and wife.
This is how Amalek fights us through its aspect of “tarnigol”: it wants there
be excessive connection between man and wife, so that they will grow further
apart from each other.
Chazal say that when Shlomo built the Beis HaMikdash, he used
the shamir,
a creature which could cut through stones. He sent a tarnigol to bring him
the shamir. We
see from this that a tarnigol is
involved with cutting the stones of the Beis HaMikdash. However, this Beis HaMikdash was
destroyed; it could not last, because the tarnigol was ultimately involved with
enabling its stones to be cut. It is because tarnigol represents Amalek.
Just as the tarnigol is
involved with cutting stones, so can Amalek cut the stones of the Beis HaMikdash, in the
sense that Haman (who came from Amalek) prevented the building of the Beis HaMikdash. This is a
way of cutting the stones of the Beis
HaMikdash. And it was the evil kind of “cutting stones”.
The shamir,
by contrast, was the holy power of “cutting stones”, while Haman/Amalek/tarnigol is the evil
use of this power.
So Amalek/tarnigol is
the evil agenda of Amalek to connect man and woman for evil purposes, just as
a tarnigol has
excessive marital relations, which the Sages did not want a Torah scholar to
resemble.
Yisrael Possesses The Holy
Aspects of The Rooster
For every power in evil that we find, though, we also find a
holy way to use the power. The holy use of “tarnigol” is when marital relations are done
properly. If one follows the words of the Sages on how to have proper marital
relations, the union will result in holy children. The Gemara says that one
who sees a tarnigol in
a dream will merit good children. This alludes to the holy way to use the
concept of the tarnigol.
But the evil kind of tarnigol,
which is the power of Amalek, is when connection causes disparity. It makes
man fall from his status of adam to
the lower title of man, which is gever.
On Erev Yom Kippur we take Kapparos, which is done through a tarnigol/rooster. “Purim
is like Yom Kippur”, therefore, it follows that Purim also has a power
of tarnigol.
This is the holy way to use the power of tarnigol, which we can use to counter
the evil tarnigol aspect
of Amalek.
Yisrael Begins With The Night,
Amalek Begins At Day
Amalek is seen in connection with the rooster. The rooster’s
call in the morning called is called kerias
hagever, the call of rooster. From this we see that Amalek
dominates at the beginning of the day. Amalek begins its power from the day.
Yisrael, in contrast, begins with the night. The halachah is that “the
day follows the status of the night”; the following night is the beginning of
the next day. Yisrael begins with night, whereas the nations of the world
begin with day. Amalek in particular begins with the day, for the rooster,
which represents Amalek, begins its call at the very beginning of the day.
On Purim, we read Megillah by
night and then we repeat it by day. The main obligation is at night, and by
daytime we also repeat it, but it mainly begins at night. Kerias Megillah, which we
read at night, comes to counter the kerias
hagever of Amalek, which begins the next morning. Thus, on
Purim, through Kerias
Megillah, we counter Amalek.
In the gentile world, day comes before night; Amalek begins
their day with kerias
hagever. Yisrael, though, has the power to connect the
night with the day, therefore, Yisrael begins with the night before the day,
not the beginning of the day. Before kerias
hagever is the night time, which is a time of
nothingness, heder. This
is really a deep, holy power of the Jewish people: the heder, the nothingness,
the darkness, which precedes the day; the point before the beginning.[3]
The Gemara[4] says that before dawn is the time when
woman converses with man (in marital relations). This represents how Yisrael
begins before the morning starts; the marital relations of Yisrael come
before the tarnigol begins
its day, which shows us that the martial relations of Yisrael are above the “tarnigol”, and that we
possess a power to defeat the “tarnigol”
that is Amalek. The Gemara says
that the possuk “You shall
be holy” implies that it is the way of Torah scholars not to have
marital relations during the day, and that is why they are called holy.
The tarnigol,
by contrast, has marital relations during the day.
The rooster/sechvi differentiates
between night and day, and this alludes to the holy kind of tarnigol, which
Yisrael has. Thus, we recite Megillah at
night first, and then we review it by day. We do the opposite of Amalek,
which begins by day.
On Purim, things are turned around. One of the ways how we “turn
around” on Purim is that it is revealed how Yisrael begins at night, not by
day. This is the depth of why we recite Megillah by night and repeat it by day;
to show that our day begins with the night, unlike the nations of the world
who begin their day with the day.
“Binah Yesirah” in Yisrael vs.
“Binah” of The Rooster/Amalek
When Hashem made woman, He took a rib from Adam, and Adam was
put asleep. Amalek came when we were tired, which hints to how Adam was
asleep when Chavah was created. Women are given “binah yesairah”, an extra amount of binah. Amalek fights
through tarnigol,
which has binah,
for it can differentiate between night and day. But women have binah yesairah, which is
stronger than the binah of
the tarnigol.
A tarnigol only
knows how to begin from day, but the binah
yesairah given to the woman is the power to begin with night
that precedes day.
When Amalek fought with Yisrael, they threw the Bris Milah upwards.
The reason why we remove the orlah by Bris Milah is because
the presence of orlah increases taavah, as the Rambam
writes in Moreh
Nevuchim. When Amalek threw the Bris Milah upwards, it wanted to
return taavah and
bring down the Jewish people. It fights the Bris Kodesh of Yisrael by seeking to
increase taavah.
Bilaam knew the time when Hashem is angry; Bilaam is the words “balah am” (the one
who wants “to swallow the nation”), from the word beliah, swallowing; this
hints to its connection to Amalek/tarnigol,
for the tarnigol swallows
food in an unusual manner. Bilaam knew that Hashem hates elicit relationships
more than anything, which is represented by tarnigol, who has improper marital relations.
This was really what Bilaam wanted to do to bring us down by advising Moav to
send their women to entice the Jewish people with immoral desires.
Since Bilaam is connected with Amalek, and Amalek fights us
during the final days, it shows us that in the final days we will be tested
with the temptation towards immoral desires.
Amalek Fights The Holiness of
Marital Relations
Amalek fights Torah of the Jewish people, and because they are
the “first” nation, they fight the first mitzvah of the Torah, which is pru u’rvu (the
mitzvah to procreate). The word pru in pru u’rvu is
from the word pur.
Haman cast a pur (lot)
on Purim, because he wanted to attack our aspect of pur/pru.
The Holiness of Marital
Relations: To Appease Beforehand
The holy kind of tarnigol, which
Yisrael possesses, is reflected in the following. The Gemara says that we
learn derech eretz in
marital relations from a tarnigol,
who appeases its mate before relations. From here we learn about the holiness
in marital relations.
In Conclusion
Thus, Purim is a time in which the holy and evil forces of tarnigol are warring
with each other.
The Jewish people possess the holy kind of tarnigol [reflected
in the halachah that
one must appease his wife before engaging in marital relations], and this
counters the evil concept of tarnigol which
Amalek uses. It is the holy kind of sechvi/rooster,
which is equal in numerical value to “Purim”, represented by the fact that
the Jewish people act holy with marital relations; the fact that a husband
must appease his wife before marital relations, which the nations of the
world do not do. This holy kind of “tarnigol”
that we have can counter the evil kind of sechi/tarnigol that is Amalek. Purim is
also compared to Yom Kippur, which contains kaparrah (atonement).
This is the depth of how Yisrael can defeat Amalek; it is also
the depth behind Kerias
Megillah of Purim, which comes to counter the kerias hagever of
Amalek the morning after we lein
Megillah – when we precede the day with the night, through
first reading the Megillah at
night.
[1] Berachos
16a
[2] In
Berachos
[3] For
more on “heder” see Getting To Know Your 70 Forces of the Soul - #01 and #02
[4] Berachos
3a
Israel’s Greatest Enemy: The Erev Rav
At
the end of parashat Bo the
Israelites are finally free and set forth out of Egypt. We are told that
along with the Israelites came out an Erev
Rav (Exodus 12:38), a “mixed multitude” of people that
joined them. Rashi explains that these were non-Jews who wished to convert
and become part of the Jewish people, having seen such great wonders and
miracles. Ibn Ezra adds that they were mostly Egyptians, and Shadal (Rabbi
Shmuel David Luzzatto, 1800-1865) says they were Egyptians that had intermarried with
Jews. He proves it from Nehemiah 13:3, where the non-Jewish “erev” were
separated out of the returning Jewish population. The Zohar (II, 291a) states
that many of the Erev Rav were Egyptian magicians, witches, and wizards, who
would perform their tricks in the erev
ravrava, the “great evening”. The time between sunset and
midnight is when the impure forces are most active, hence a “great evening”
for those wicked people.
The
Zohar teaches that God warned Moses not to accept the Erev Rav, for they
would cause nothing but trouble. Moses had a hard time keeping them away and
thought that perhaps they could be redeemed. Not surprisingly, God was right.
The Erev Rav went on to cause mayhem both in the Exodus generation itself,
and throughout Jewish history, until the present. As we shall see, they
orchestrated the Golden Calf and the Midianite catastrophe, among other
calamities. While the term “Amalek” is reserved for Israel’s external nemesis,
the Erev Rav is the far more dangerous enemy from within. Of them the prophet
Isaiah said “…those who destroy you and ruin you emerge from within you.”
(Isaiah 49:17) Now, more than ever, we need to understand: Who is the Erev
Rav? How can we identify them today? And, most importantly, how do we stop
them?
The Sins and Methods of Erev
Rav
When
the Erev Rav came out of Egypt with the Israelites, they were not “Jewish” in
any sense. However, the Israelites themselves were not officially “Jewish”
yet either—though they were descendants of God’s chosen one, Abraham, and
part of the covenantal tradition first forged with him. It was only when
Israel stood at Mt. Sinai and witnessed the Divine Revelation, accepting the
Torah upon themselves, that they officially inked a permanent Covenant with
God and became a holy nation. The Erev Rav stood alongside them and
participated in the Sinai Revelation, too, thus becoming part of that
Covenant, at least nominally. Though they seemingly became “Jewish”, they
still retained all of their old idolatrous and immoral ways. Soon after, they
instigated the Golden Calf incident.
The
Zohar cited above names the two Erev Rav leaders who cooked up the Golden
Calf plot: Yunus and Yumbrus. They happened to be sons of the wicked sorcerer
Bilaam. They sought to, subtly, convince the Jews to commit a horrific act of
idolatry. The Arizal explains that their method was in manipulating
people’s da’at,
loosely translated as “knowledge” but referring to the deepest layers of the
mind (see Sha’ar
HaPesukim on Ki
Tisa and Balak).
They knew how to manipulate people psychologically. In fact, the Arizal
points out that the numerical value of Erev Rav (ערב רב) is 474, equivalent to da’at (דעת)! Here we learn our
first important point about the Erev Rav: they are masters of deception,
subliminal messaging, and brainwashing.
The
Torah tells us that 3000 people were executed for instigating the Golden Calf
(Exodus 32:28). These were all men of the Erev Rav. However, the Erev Rav was
not defeated. The Zohar (II, 45b) suggests that as many as a fifth of the
populace that left Egypt was associated with the Erev Rav and influenced by
them. This is one meaning for the Torah’s statement that chamushim ‘alu,
which can be read as “a fifth ascended” (Exodus 13:18). The Zohar here also
gives us a way to recognize when it is that the Torah speaks of the Erev Rav
specifically: whenever the Torah says ‘am or ha’am (“the
people”) by itself, it is referring to the Erev Rav. When the Torah speaks
of ‘am Israel,
or ‘ami (“My
people”), Bnei
Israel or Beit
Yakov, then we can be sure that it is referring to the true
Jewish people, not the Erev Rav imposters. Once we know this, we find that
most of the cases where the Exodus generation inexplicably complained or
rebelled against God was the ‘am,
ie. the Erev Rav. This is why many of them even wanted to return to Egypt!
(See Numbers 11:1-5, where they are also referred to as the asafsuf, in
addition to ha’am.)
Years
later, the Erev Rav instigated the horrendous sin with the Midianites. The
chapter begins by stating that “Israel settled in Shittim, and ha’am started
to profane themselves…” (Numbers 25:1) We see a clear contrast between Israel
and “the nation”, ie. the Erev Rav. Keep in mind that, like with the Golden
Calf, this sin of the Erev Rav was not done privately, but was paraded before
everyone, “in the sight of Moses and the whole community of Bnei Israel…”
(25:6) Again, the Torah distinguishes between the promiscuous Erev Rav and
the true Bnei
Israel who were sinless and shocked by the gross display. At
the end, God sent a punishing plague that killed the 24,000 sinners. The
Lubavitcher Rebbe taught that these 24,000 were linked with the Erev Rav
(see Likkutei Sichot,
Vol. IV, pg. 223).
We now see the two main sins that the Erev Rav is involved with: idolatry and sexual immorality. We find that the Erev Rav is not content to sin privately, but do so publicly, and inspire others to do the same through their corruption of people’s da’at. The Arizal taught that all the wicked “Jewish” leaders that arise in every generation are the reincarnated souls of the Erev Rav (Sha’ar HaGilgulim, Ch. 39). Worse yet, the Zohar (I, 25a) states that the Erev Rav will be particularly strong in the End of Days, with their final all-in push to corrupt the world and lead people astray (see also Tikkunei Zohar 144a). There is little doubt that we are in the End of Days now, so who is the Erev Rav today?
Isa 11:9 – 16 They do no evil nor destroy in all My set-apart mountain,
for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of Adonai as the waters cover
the sea.
Rashi: knowledge of the Lord: [lit.] to know the Lord.
10 And on that day, there shall be a Root of Yishai, standing as a
banner to the people. Unto Him the nations shall seek, and His rest shall be
esteem.
Rashi: as a banner for peoples: that peoples should raise a banner to
gather to him.
11 And it shall be in that day that Adonai sets His hand again a second
time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from Ashshur and from
Mitsrayim, from Pathros and from Kush, from Ěylam and from Shin‛ar, from Ḥamath and from the islands of the sea.
Rashi: a second time: Just as he acquired them from Egypt, when their
redemption was absolute, without subjugation, but the redemption preceding
the building of the Second Temple is not counted, since they were subjugated
to Cyrus.
and from the islands of the sea: the islands of the Kittim, the Romans,
the descendants of Esau.
And he shall raise a banner: Perka, perche in O.F. [i.e., the verse is
literally referring to the pole upon which the banner is attached.] And it
shall be for a sign to gather to him and to bring the exiles of Israel to Him
as a present.
12 And He shall raise a banner for the nations, and gather the outcasts
of Yisra’ěl, and assemble the dispersed of Yehuḏa from the four
corners of the earth.
13 And the envy of Ephrayim shall turn aside, and the adversaries of
Yehuḏa be cut off. Ephrayim shall not
envy Yehuḏa, and Yehuḏa not trouble Ephrayim.
Rashi: Ephraim shall not envy Judah: The Messiah, the son of David, and
the Messiah, the son of Joseph, shall not envy each other.
14 But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward
the west; together they plunder the people of the east, their hand stretching
forth on Eḏom and Mo’aḇ, and the children of Ammon shall be subject to them.
Rashi: And they shall fly of one accord against the Philistines in the
west: Heb. בְכָתֵף. Israel will fly and run of one accord against the
Philistines who are in the west of Eretz Israel and conquer their land. [כָּתֵף, lit. a
shoulder, is used in this case to denote unity. The word שֶׁכֶם, also lit.
a shoulder, is used in a similar sense.] Comp. (Hoshea 6:9) “They murder on
the way in unison (שֶׁכְמָה) ”; (Zeph. 3:9) “One accord (שְׁכֶם אֶחָד).” And so did Jonathan
rendered it: And they shall join in one accord to smite the Philistines who
are in the west.
and the children of Ammon shall obey them: As the Targum states: Will
hearken to them. They will accept their commandments over them.
15 And Adonai shall put under the ban the tongue of the Sea of
Mitsrayim, and He shall wave His hand over the River with the might of His
Spirit, and shall strike it in the seven streams, and shall cause men to
tread it in sandals.
Rashi: And… shall dry up: [lit. shall cut off] to dry it, so that the
exiles of Israel will pass through it from Egypt.
over the river: The Euphrates River, for the exiles from Assyria to
cross.
with the strength of His wind: Heb. בַּעְיָם. This is hapax legomenon in
Scripture, and according to the context it can be interpreted as “with the
strength of His wind.”
into seven streams: into seven segments, for the aforementioned seven
exiles: from Assyria and from Egypt, etc. Those from the islands of the sea
are not from that side.
and He shall lead: the exiles within it.
with shoes: on dry land.
16 And there shall be a highway for the remnant of His people, those
left from Ashshur, as it was for Yisra’ěl in the day when he came up from the
land of Mitsrayim.
Rashi: And
there shall be a highway: in the midst of the water for the remnant of His
people.
This war shall go on until Hashem obliterate the remembrance of Amalek
completely through Am Yisrael. By our
observing and doing of all His Mitzwoth fulfilling His Righteousness……
We must bring His Righteousness back to the Har HaBayit……
Please come and let us start with:
The Repetition of a Commandment
As is his practice in many Halachos in the Mishneh Torah, the Rambam begins Hilchos Beis HaBechirah, “The Laws of [G‑d’s] Chosen House,” by stating the
fundamental mitzvah upon
which the entire collection of laws which follow is based:
It is a positive commandment to
construct a house for G‑d, prepared to have sacrifices offered within.... as it is written,1 “And you shall make Me a
Sanctuary.”
Significantly, the Rambam also mentions the mitzvah of constructing the Beis
HaMikdash elsewhere in the Mishneh Torah, in Hilchos Melachim, “The Laws of Kings.” There,
however, he focuses on the mitzvah in a different context,
stating:2
The Jews were commanded regarding the
observance of three mitzvos when
they entered Eretz Yisrael: to appoint a
king over them.... to wipe out the descendants of Amalek.... and to build [G‑d’s] Chosen House; as it
is written,3 “You shall seek
out His presence and come to that place.”
The commentaries question: What is the Rambam’s purpose
in repeating the commandment to build a Sanctuary in Hilchos Melachim and why in that source does he
link together the three mitzvos he
mentions?4
The Bond Between These Three Mitzvos
In regard to the latter question, it can be explained
that there is an intrinsic connection between these three mitzvos.5 Although they are three
separate commandments, the fulfillment of one contributes a measure of
perfection to the others. To cite a parallel: The arm tefillin and the head tefillin are two separate mitzvos.6 Nevertheless, when both of
these mitzvos are performed together, each one is elevated
to a higher level.
Similarly, in regard to the three mitzvos mentioned
by the Rambam: The intent is not merely that the mitzvos are
to be fulfilled in the chronological order mentioned by the Rambam.7 Instead, the linkage of
three mitzvos teaches that the mitzvah of
building the Sanctuary can be fulfilled in the most perfect manner, only when first, a king is appointed and
then Amalek is destroyed.
Similarly, the fulfillment of the mitzvos of
destroying Amalek and building a Sanctuary enhance the mitzvah of
appointing a king, and the fulfillment of the mitzvah of
wiping out Amalek is enhanced by the mitzvos of appointing a
king and building the Beis HaMikdash.
This concept is supported by the verses8 cited
by the Rambam in the halachah which
follows in Hilchos Melachim:9 “And it came to pass, when the king dwelt in his house, and G‑d
brought him peace from all the enemies which surrounded him, the king said to
the prophet, Natan, ‘Behold, I am
sitting in a palace of cedar, [while the Ark of G‑d dwells in curtains].’ ”
These verses indicate how the secure establishment of the monarchy,
[“the king dwelt in his house”,] the destruction of Amalek, [“And G‑d brought
him peace from all the enemies which surrounded him,”10] and the building of the Beis
HaMikdash [David’s request from the
prophet Natan] are interrelated.11
Based on the above, we can appreciate a further point: The Rambam’s statements
in Hilchos Melachim are based on the Midrash
Tanchuma. Nevertheless, he alters the text of that Midrashic
passage, choosing a different prooftext. In the Midrash Tanchuma, the
prooftext cited for the commandment to build the Beis HaMikdash is
the verse: “And you shall make Me a Sanctuary.”12 The Rambam,
by contrast, substitutes the verse: “You shall seek out His presence...,”
because the context of this verse in the Book of Devarim describes the Jews’ entry
into Eretz Yisrael and their progress to a state when “G‑d will grant you peace
from all your enemies around you and you will dwell in security.”13
Fulfilling a Mitzvah in Stages
The above concepts also shed light on another related point which has
aroused the attention of the commentaries: As mentioned above, the Rambam uses
the verse, “And you shall make Me a Sanctuary,” as the prooftext for
the mitzvah to build the Beis HaMikdash. This is
problematic, for seemingly, this command refers to the construction of the
Sanctuary in the desert and not to the construction of the Beis
HaMikdash. The passage cited by the Rambam in Hilchos
Melachim, by contrast, refers specifically to the construction of
the Beis HaMikdash, and indeed, is cited as the source for the
commandment to build the Beis HaMikdash by our Sages14 and by our Rabbis.15
It is possible to explain16 that
the commandment, “And you shall make Me a Sanctuary,” is general in scope,
applying to all the structures which were “a house for G‑d” [i.e., a place
where G‑d’s presence was revealed] and “prepared to have sacrifices offered
within” [a place for the service of the Jewish people].17 Throughout their history,
the Jews fulfilled this commandment in several different ways, beginning with
the construction of the Sanctuary in the desert.
In this context, we can resolve a problematic point in Hilchos
Beis HaBechirah. Directly after stating the mitzvah to
build a Sanctuary, the Rambam continues:
The Sanctuary which Moshe our teacher built is already described
in the Torah. It was, however, only temporary in nature....
When [the Jewish people]
entered Eretz [Yisrael], they erected the Sanctuary in Gilgal for the
fourteen years in which they conquered and divided [the land]. Afterwards,
they came to Shiloh and built a structure of stone....
When Eli died,
it was destroyed and they came to Nov and built a Sanctuary.18 When Shmuel died, it was destroyed and they came
to Givon and built a Sanctuary.
From Givon, they came to the [Divine Presence’s] eternal home.
The place of such statements in the Mishneh Torah is
problematic. Unlike the Talmud or
the Midrashim which are general in content, the Mishneh
Torah is exclusively a text of Halachah, Torah law.
Points of ethics, philosophy, and history are mentioned only when they are
themselves halachos, specific directives governing our
conduct. Thus the question can be raised: What halachic points
can be derived from the historical background to the construction of
the Beis HaMikdash?19
On the basis of the explanation given above, we can, however,
appreciate the sequence of these halachos: After the Rambam uses
a prooftext which implies that the mitzvah of building a
Sanctuary is not confined to one specific structure, he illustrates this
point by citing the various different intermediate stages through which our
people’s observance of this mitzvah underwent.
Intermediate Way-Stations On the Path to Jerusalem
To return to the concept explained at the outset: The linkage of
the mitzvah of constructing a Sanctuary with the mitzvos of
appointing a king and wiping out Amalek is also relevant with regard to the
other structures mentioned by the Rambam.20 Our Rabbis state that
“Moshe Rabbeinu served as a king,”21 and the construction of the
Sanctuary followed the war in which Yehoshua defeated
Amalek.22
The title “king” was also applied to Yehoshua23 who constructed the
Sanctuary at Shiloh, and to Shmuel,24 who constructed the
Sanctuary at Nov. We are unsure of the exact time of the
construction of the Sanctuary at Givon. We may, however, assume that one of
the following — Shaul, David, or Shmuel, all of whom either served, or were described, as kings — was
involved in its construction. Similarly, at the time these structures were
built, the people had reached progressively more developed stages of being
“at peace from the enemies around them.” Nevertheless, just as the monarchy
and Israel’s peace had not been
established in a complete manner at the time of these structures, these
structures did not represent a complete manifestation of the indwelling of
the Divine Presence, nor did they fulfill the ideal conception of a center
for the sacrificial worship of the Jewish people.
It was not until “the king dwelt in his house, and G‑d brought him
peace from all the enemies which surrounded him,” i.e., David had securely
established the monarchy and brought peace to the land, that it was possible
to build the Beis HaMikdash.
The Ultimate Beis HaMikdash
Based on the above, we can appreciate one of the positive dimensions
that will be possessed by the Third Beis HaMikdash. That
structure will be built by Mashiach,25 the ultimate
Jewish monarch, and will be constructed after he “wages the wars of G‑d,
defeating all the nations around him.”26 Among
these wars will be the total annihilation of Amalek.27 Thus, since in the Era of
the Redemption, the other two mitzvos, the appointment of a
king and the destruction of Amalek, will have been fulfilled in a perfect matter,
this will contribute an added dimension of perfection to the mitzvah of
constructing the Beis HaMikdash.
We can hasten the coming of this era through our divine service. To
explain: In chassidic thought,28 the
appointment of a king is associated with developing inner bittul, nullifying oneself to G‑d. This in
turn allows a person to “drive out” Amalek from his being, to free himself
from pride, egotism, and other undesirable character traits. Such personal
refinement allows him to proceed further and transform his person, his home,
and his surroundings into a “sanctuary in microcosm,” in which the Divine
Presence can rest.29
This will serve as a catalyst for change in the world at large. For
each particular manifestation of the Divine Presence within the world hastens
the coming of the time when the Divine Presence will again be revealed, and
not merely in microcosm. At that time, “the world will be filled with the
knowledge of G‑d as the waters cover the ocean bed.”30 May this take place in the
immediate future.
Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VI, Terumah
Yechezkel (Ezekiel) - Chapter 38
1Then
the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2"Son
of man, set your face toward Gog, [toward] the land of Magog, the prince, the
head of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy concerning him.
toward Gog: So is the king’s name.
Magog: The name of the nation, as Scripture states (Gen. 10:2): “Gomer and Magog.”
3And
you shall say; So said the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, Gog, the
prince, the head of Meshech and Tubal.
4And
I shall unbridle you, and I shall put hooks into your jaws and bring you
forth and all your army, horses and riders, all of them clothed in finery, a
great assembly, with encompassing shield and buckler, all of them grasping
swords.
And I shall unbridle you: [Heb. וְשּׁוֹבַבְתִּיךָ.] I shall make you שׁוֹבָב a unbridled, backsliding, envoyzer in Old French, to unbridle.
Whoever follows the dictates of his heart is called שּׁוֹבַב, as (Isa. 57:17): “for he went rebelliously (שּׁוֹבֵב) in the way of his
heart.”
and I shall put hooks into your jaws: It is customary to lead out a beast with the
hooks in its jaws because it does not want to go [voluntarily]. I, too, will
put thoughts into your heart and an urge that will draw you from your land to
come upon Israel.
5Persia,
Cush, and Put are with them; all of them with buckler and helmet.
6Gomer
and all its wings, the house of Togarmah, the utmost parts of the north and
all its wings, many peoples with you.
and all
its wings: And all
those around it.
7Be
prepared and make ready for yourself, you and all your assembly who are
gathered about you, and you will be to them for a guardian.
Be
prepared and make ready for yourself: Prepare yourself, and make ready for yourself
an army of others.
be prepared: [as translated,] be prepared.
and you will be to them for a guardian: It is the custom of kings to pay attention,
concerning their armies, to how they will march forth, and to appoint guards
so that a destroyer should not come upon his army at night.
8From
many days you will be remembered; at the end of the years you will come to a
land [whose inhabitants] returned from the sword, gathered from many peoples,
upon the mountains of Israel, which had been continually laid waste, but it
was liberated from the nations, and they all dwelt securely.
From
many days past you will be remembered: From the many days past that you sinned
against Me, you will now be remembered before Me, for [Me] to remember your
iniquities and to pay you your recompense. And I shall entice you at the end
of years into coming to the land of Israel, “returned from the sword” whose
inhabitants returned from the exile wherein they had been exiled by the
enemy’s sword.
which had been continually laid waste: these many years, and [only] shortly before
your coming upon them, they returned.
but it was liberated from the nations: But you should have taken into consideration
that it liberated from the nations, and He Who liberated it from the nations
will not leave it in your hands.
9And
you will ascend; like mist you will come; like a cloud to cover the earth you
will be; you and all your wings and many peoples with you.
like
mist: [Heb. כַּשּׁוֹאָה,] like darkness that
covers the earth, שּׁוֹאָה is broine, bruine in Old French, fog, mist.
10So
said the Lord God: It will come to pass on that day that words will enter
your heart and you will think a thought of evil.
words
will enter: Thoughts will arise.
a thought of evil: to wage war against Me.
11And
you will say, "I shall ascend upon a land of open cities; I shall come
upon the tranquil, who dwell securely; all of them living without a wall, and
they have no bars or doors.
upon a
land of open cities: [Heb. פְּרָזוֹת,] dwellers in villages without a wall, who trust in their
might and are not [so] afraid as to gather into fortified cities.
open cities: פְּרָזוֹת is like (Deut. 3:5): “in addition to the very many open cities (עָרֵי הַפְרָזִי),” without a wall.
I shall come: to the tranquil ones and see what they trust in.
12To
take spoil and to plunder loot, to return your hand upon the resettled ruins
and to a people gathered from nations, acquiring livestock and possessions,
dwelling on the navel of the earth.
to
return your hand upon the resettled ruins: To destroy a second time the cities that were
in ruins until now, and now have been settled.
and to a people gathered: from peoples, who now acquire livestock and possessions.
on the navel of the earth: In the height and the strength of the earth,
like the navel, which is in the center of a person and slopes downward from
all its sides.
13Sheba
and Dedan and merchants of Tarshish and all its magnates will say to you,
"Are you coming to take spoil? Have you assembled your assembly to
plunder loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take livestock and
possessions, to take much spoil?"
and all
its magnates: [Heb. כְּפִירֶיהָ,] shrewd merchants therein, who are accustomed to roam, like
young lions (כְּפִירִים),
in all the countries and who know where the place of riches is.
Are you coming to take spoil: i.e., who told you the place of the riches?
Did you know [for a fact] that you are going to a land full of spoil and
loot, and that there you will really find powerful wealth?
14Therefore,
prophesy, O son of man, and say to Gog, So said the Lord God: Surely on that
day, when My people dwells securely, you will know.
you will know: Jonathan renders: you will know the retribution of My might, i.e.,
you will know and recognize Who is their might and their stronghold.
15And
you will come from your place, from the utmost north, you and many peoples
with you, all of them riding horses; a great assembly and a mighty army.
16And
you will ascend upon My people Israel like a cloud to cover the earth; at the
end of days it will be, and I shall bring you upon My land in order that the
nations recognize Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O
Gog.
17So
said the Lord God: Are you he about whom I spoke in ancient days through My
servants, the prophets of Israel who prophesied in those days many years ago,
to bring you upon them.
Are you he: In those days, the Holy One, blessed be He, will say, “Are you the
one about whom I spoke in ancient days through My servants, the prophets of
Israel, e.g. Ezekiel and Zechariah?” For he [Zechariah] too prophesied about
the wars of Gog and Magog (Zech. 14:2): “And I will gather all the nations, etc.”
Our Sages said (Sanh. 17a): Eldad and Medad they [also] prophesied about it.
That is the שָּׁנִים stated
here. Do not read שָּׁנִים,
years, but שְּׁנַיִם,
two. Two prophets prophesied one prophecy at one time (though not in the same
style of expression).
18And
it will come to pass on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,
declares the Lord God, that My blazing indignation will flame in My nostrils.
19For
in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken; Surely there shall
be a great noise on that day in the land of Israel.
a great noise: [Heb. רַעַשּׁ,]
through noise and thunder, as he states.
20And
at My presence, the fishes of the sea and the birds of the heaven and the
beasts of the field and all the creeping things that creep upon the earth and
all the men who are upon the surface of the earth shall quake, and all the
mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall to the ground.
and the cliffs shall fall: [Heb. הַמַּדְרִגוֹת.] I heard that they are
perpendicular hanging rocks, which appear to be falling, but I say that they
are mounds of the towers, for they dig around and cast up the earth in the
center to raise the mound, and it is made into steps, eschelons, eschillons
in Old French, steps, in order that the earth remain, and after it is pressed
down well, they remove the forms that hold up the step.
21And
I will call the sword against him upon all My mountains, says the Lord God:
every man's sword shall be against his brother.
And I will call the sword against him upon all My mountains: for the sword to come upon them, against him.
“And I will call” means, I will prepare. And what is the sword that I will
call against him? Their own sword: “every man’s sword shall be against his
brother.”
22And
I will judge against him with pestilence and with blood, and rain bringing
floods, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone will I rain down upon him
and upon his hordes and upon the many peoples that are with him.
and great hailstones: Hailstones that glisten like precious stones named גָּבִישּׁ, crystal, as the matter
is stated (Job 28:18): “Coral and crystal (וְגָּבִישּׁ).” Our Sages said (Ber.
54b): עַל גַב אִישּׁ:
Hailstones that started to fall on Egypt, and stood in the air over the man (עַל גַב אִישּׁ), Moses, who prayed that
they not fall, as the matter that is stated (Exod. 9:33), לֹא נִתַּךְ אַרְצָה“[it] did not reach the
ground.”
23And
I will reveal Myself in My greatness and in My holiness and will be
recognized in the eyes of many nations, and they will know that I am the
Lord.
Yechezkel (Ezekiel) - Chapter
39
1And
you, Son of man, prophesy about Gog, and say; So says the Lord God: Lo! I am
against you, O Gog, prince and head of Meshech and Tubal.
2And
I will unbridle and entice you and lead you up from the utmost parts of the
north and bring you upon the mountains of Israel.
and I will entice you: [Heb. וְשִּׁשֵּׁאתִיךָ,] like וְהִשֵּׁאתִיךָ, I will entice you upon My people, as in (Ps. 89:23): “No enemy will entice (יַשִׂיא) him.”
3And
I will smite the bow out of your left hand and make your arrows fall from
your right hand.
4Upon the mountains of Israel shall you fall,
you and all your hordes, and the people that are with you; to the birds of prey,
to all the winged creatures and the beasts of the field have I given you to
be devoured.
5Upon the open field shall you fall, for I have
spoken, says the Lord God.
6And I will send fire on Magog and on those who
dwell in safety in the islands, and they will know that I am the Lord.
7And I will make known My Holy Name in the midst
of My people Israel, and I will no longer cause My Holy Name to be profaned,
and the nations will know that I, the Lord, am holy in Israel.
and I will no
longer cause My Holy Name to be profaned: For Israel’s degradation is a profanation of
His Name, “inasmuch as it is said of them, ‘these are the people of the
Lord’” (above 36:20), and He is unable to save them.
8Behold it is coming, and it will be, says the
Lord God: that is the day whereof I have spoken.
9Then the inhabitants of the cities of Israel will go forth and
make fires and heat up with the weapons, the bucklers, and the encompassing
shields, the bows and the arrows and the handstaves and the spears, and burn
them as fires for seven years.
and heat up: [Heb. וְהִשִּׂיקוּ,] like (Orlah 3:5): “An
oven that they heated up (שֶּׁהִטִיקוּהָ)” in the language of the Mishnah.
with the weapons: [Heb. בַנֶשֶּׁק,] an armures in Old
French, with weapons.
10So that they shall carry no wood from the
fields nor cut down any from the forests, for they shall make fires from the
weapons. Thus will they spoil those who spoiled them and plunder those who
plundered them, says the Lord God.
11And it shall come to pass on that day that I
will give Gog a place there as a grave in Israel, the valley of them who pass
along the east side of the sea, and it will then stop those who pass along.
And there shall they bury Gog and all his hordes, and they shall call it the
Valley of Hamon Gog [the masses of Gog].
I will give
Gog a place there as a grave: A place where there will be a grave for them. Since he is of the
seed of Japtheth, who covered his father’s nakedness, he therefore merited
burial.
the valley of
those who pass along: The valley where people pass the Sea of Kinnereth to bring from
there Genossar fruits regularly.
the east side
of the sea: Jonathan renders: on the east of the Sea of Gennasar.
and it will
then stop those who pass along: [Heb. וְחֹסֶמֶת.] It closes off those who
pass, like (Deut. 25:4): “You shall not muzzle (לֹא תַחְסוֹם).” Because of the many
corpses that will fall there, travelers will be prevented from passing
through. Therefore, they will pass by them and bury them. Menachem (p. 91)
interprets it in his book (Machbereth) to mean that they will close their
nose so as not to smell the odor of the corpses.
12And seven months shall the House of Israel be
burying them in order to purify the land.
13They will bury all the people of the land, and
they will be renowned; it is a day when I will be glorified, says the Lord
God.
They will bury all the
people of the land: because they died there.
and they will
be renowned: All the nations will speak their name as praise and as a sign of
kindness: “There are no nations as compassionate as this one; do you find a
man who buries his enemy who rose up against him to kill him?”
14Men of continuous employment they shall
separate, who pass through the land, burying those who pass through with
those who are left on the surface of the land, in order to purify it, at the
end of seven months shall they search.
Men of continuous
employment: Men designed to continuously devote themselves to this. Israel will
separate out in order to [be able to] pass through the land and gather the
scattered [corpses].
burying with
those who pass through: Burying with (Heb. אֶת) those who pass through; the corpses (אֶת הַנוֹתָרִים) that will block off and
hinder the crossing. Those who crossed the ocean will bury them for their own
benefit.
with those who
pass through: Heb. אֶת הַעֹבְרִים,
with those who pass through. So I heard, and so did Jonathan render.
those who are
left on the surface of the land: far from the crossing. Those who cross the
sea will not occupy themselves with burying them. Those designated to devote
themselves to this purpose will bury them.
at the end of
seven months: the majority of the corpses visible to the eye will have been
buried; from then on they will probe through the land in the hidden places,
in the briars and among the thorns, and bury whomever they find.
15And when they that pass through shall pass and
see a human bone, they shall build a sign next to it until the buriers bury
it in the Valley of Hamon Gog.
And when they
that pass through the land shall pass: Wayfarers who see a human bone will construct
a marker next to it as a sign that there is a bone of a dead body there, in
order that wayfarers and those who prepare ritually pure food should stay
away from it.
until: the men of continuous employment, designated
to search, will come and bury it.
16And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah.
Thus they shall purify the land.
And also the
name of the city shall be Hamonah: And also the city whose name is “the city
stirring with numerous people,” that is, the wicked city, the masses of its
inhabitants will be buried there.
Thus they
shall purify the land: [i.e.,] Israel will purify their ritually pure foods and their
terumoth in the Land.
Hamonah: without a “mappiq hey” since the final “hey”
serves as an adjective, for הֲמוֹנָה is like הוֹמִיָה, stirring.
17And you, son of man, so said the Lord God: Say
to every winged bird and to every beast of the field, Assemble and come;
gather from around My slaughter, which I am slaughtering for you in a great
slaughter on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink
blood.
18The flesh of the mighty you shall eat and the
blood of the princes of the earth you shall drink; rams, lambs, he-goats, and
bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
rams, lambs,
he-goats, and bulls: kings and dukes, rulers, and princes.
|
fatlings
of Bashan: [Heb. מְרִיאִי בָשָּׁן,]
An ox given to be fattened is called al meri in Arabic. |
|
19And you shall eat fat until you are full, and
you shall drink blood until you are drunk, from My slaughtering that I have
slaughtered for you.
20And you shall be sated on My table with horses
and riders, mighty men and all warriors, says the Lord God.
21And I shall publicize My glory among the
nations, and all the nations will see My judgement that I performed and My
hand that I place upon them.
My
judgment: [Heb. מִשְׁפָּטִי,] My retribution, justize in Old French, judgment,
punishment.
22And the House of Israel will know that I am the
Lord their God from that day on.
23And the nations will know that for their
iniquity the House of Israel was exiled, because they betrayed Me, and I hid
My face from them, and I delivered them into the hands of their adversaries,
and they all fell by the sword.
And the
nations will know that for their iniquity they were exiled: [i.e.,] the Children of Israel. When they see
My might, they will recognize that it was not because of inability that I did
not save them but because of their iniquity that I hid My face from them, and
they were exiled.
24According to their defilement and according to
their transgressions I did to them, and I hid My face from them.
25Therefore, so said the Lord God: Now I shall
return to the captivity of Jacob, and I shall have compassion on the House of
Israel, and I shall be zealous for My Holy Name.
and I shall be
zealous for My Holy Name: And I donned the zeal of salvation and vengeance for the sake of My
Holy Name, that it no longer be profaned.
and I shall be
zealous for My Holy Name: [Heb. לְשֵּׁם,]
for the sake of My Holy Name, as in (Num. 11:29): “Are you jealous for my sake אַתָּה לִי) (הַמְקַנֵא.”
26And they shall bear their disgrace and all
their treachery that they committed against Me when they dwell on their land
securely with no one frightening them.
And they shall
bear their disgrace: When I do good to them and I do not recompense them according to
their evil, they will bear the disgrace and be ashamed to lift up their
faces. Menahem, however, explained וְנָשּׂוּי like (Ps. 32:1): “Praiseworthy is he whose transgression is forgiven (נְשּׂוּי),” an expression of
atonement.
27When I return them from the peoples and gather
them from the lands of their enemies, I shall be sanctified through them
before the eyes of many nations.
28And they will know that I am the Lord their God
when I exile them to the nations, and I shall gather them to their land, and
I shall no longer leave any of them there.
And I shall no
longer leave: one of them in exile.
29And I shall no longer hide My face from them, for I shall have
poured out My spirit upon the House of Israel," says the Lord God.
Dear House of Yisrael come let us study Shulchan Aruch and…….:
Beit Yisrael International.
Become a member.
Get the MemberShip from Beit Yisrael! ‘How to
become a Righteous of the Nations (Ultra-Orthodox Chassidic/Lost Tribes of
Efrayim/‘Ger Toshav‘: Israelite by accepting the Shulchan Aruch, hearing and
doing.)
Devarim (Deuteronomy) - Chapter 6
|
5And
you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your
soul, and with all your means. |
|
הוְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔
אֵ֖ת יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָֽבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖
וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ: |
|
And you shall
love [the Lord]: Perform His commandments out of love. The
one who acts out of love cannot be compared to the one who acts out of
fear. If one serves his master out of fear, when the master sets a great
burden upon him, this servant will leave him and go away [whereas if out of
love he will serve him even under great burden] (Sifrei 6:5). |
|
וְאָהַבְתָּ: עֲשֵׂה דְּבָרָיו מֵאַהֲבָה,
אֵינוֹ דוֹמֶה הָעוֹשֶׂה מֵאַהֲבָה לָעוֹשֶׂה מִיִּרְאָה, הָעוֹשֶׂה אֵצֶל
רַבּוֹ מִיִּרְאָה, כְּשֶׁהוּא מַטְרִיחַ עָלָיו מַנִּיחוֹ וְהוֹלֵךְ לוֹ (שם): |
|
with all your
heart: Heb. בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ [The double “veth”
in לְבָבְךָ, instead of the
usual form לִבְּךָ, suggests:] Love
Him with your two inclinations [the good and the evil]. (Sifrei; Ber. 54a) Another explanation; “with all your heart,” is that
your heart should not be divided [i.e., at variance] with the Omnipresent (Sifrei). |
|
בְּכָל־לְבָֽבְךָ: בִּשְׁנֵי יְצָרֶיךָ (ספרי; ברכות נ"ד); דָּבָר אַחֵר בכל
לבבך שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לִבְּךָ חָלוּק עַל הַמָּקוֹם (ספרי): |
|
and with all
your soul: Even if He takes your soul (Sifrei; Ber. 54a, 61a). |
|
וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ: אֲפִלּוּ הוּא נוֹטֵל אֶת נַפְשְׁךָ (ספרי; ברכות נ"ד): |
|
and with all
your means: Heb. וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ, with all your
possessions. There are people whose possessions are more precious to them
than their own bodies. Therefore, it says, “and with all your means.” (Sifrei) Another explanation of וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ is: You shall love God with whatever measure (מִדָּה)
He metes out to you, whether it be the measure of good or the measure of
retribution. Thus also did David say: “I will lift up the cup of salvations
[and I will call upon the name of the Lord]” (Ps. 116:12-13); “I found trouble and grief [and I called
out in the name of the Lord]” (Ps. 116:3-4). |
|
וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ: בְּכָל מָמוֹנְךָ, יֵשׁ לְךָ אָדָם שֶׁמָּמוֹנוֹ חָבִיב עָלָיו
מִגּוּפוֹ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בְּכָל מְאֹדֶךָ. דָּבָר אַחֵר — ובכל מאדך בְּכָל
מִדָּה וּמִדָּה שֶׁמּוֹדֵד לְךָ, בֵּין בְּמִדָּה טוֹבָה בֵּין בְּמִדַּת
פֻּרְעָנוּת, וְכֵן דָּוִד הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים קט"ז) כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת
אֶשָּׂא צָרָה וְיָגוֹן אֶמְצָא וְגוֹ' (ע' ספרי): |
What we confess by saying ‘Sma……’
Please let us ad to our daily prayers three times a day:
Prayer for
the State of Israel in English
“Our Father who is in heaven, Protector
and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel, the dawn of our
deliverance. Shield it beneath the wings of Your love; spread over it Your
canopy of peace; send Your light and Your truth to its leaders, officers, and
counselors, and direct them with Your good counsel.
Strengthen the defenders of our Holy Land;
grant them, our God, salvation and crown them with victory. Establish peace
in the land, and everlasting joy for its inhabitants. Remember our brethren,
the whole house of Israel, in all the lands of their dispersion. Speedily
bring them to Zion, Your city, to Jerusalem Your dwelling-place, as it is
written in the Torah of Your servant Moses:
“Even if you are dispersed in the
uttermost parts of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather and
fetch you. The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your
ancestors possessed, and you shall possess it; and God will make you more
prosperous and more numerous than your ancestors.”
Unite our hearts to love and revere Your
name, and to observe all the precepts of Your Torah. Speedily send us Your
righteous Messiah of the House of David, to redeem those waiting for Your
salvation. Shine forth in Your glorious majesty over all the inhabitants of
Your world. Let everything that breathes proclaim: “The Lord God of Israel is
King; His majesty rules over all.” Amen. Selah.”
Prayer for
IDF Soldiers in English
He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — may
He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Forces, who stand guard over our
land and the cities of our God, from the border of the Lebanon to the desert
of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the
land, in the air, and on the sea.
May the Almighty cause the enemies who rise up against us to
be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and
rescue our fighters from every trouble and distress and from every plague and
illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor.
May He lead our enemies under our soldiers’ sway and may He
grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled
for them the verse: For it is the Lord your God, Who goes with you to battle
your enemies for you to save you.
Comments
Post a Comment