Based on a teaching by the Lubavitcher Rebbe our Sages tell us that when the Children of Israel stood at Sinai to receive the Torah from G*d, they were restored to the original perfection in which man was first created. The Torah reinstated the original, unadulterated bond between G*d and man, so that man was once more granted "freedom from the Angel of Death."
But this time, too, the state of perfect connection to G*d was short-lived. Forty days after the people of Israel stood at Sinai, they transgressed the divine decree "You shall have no other gods before Me" by worshiping a calf of gold. The pestilence of death, introduced into the world by Adam's sin and banished at Sinai, was reintroduced by the sin of the Golden Calf.
This explains the connection between the Red Heifer and the Golden Calf expressed in the Midrashic parable:
A maid's child once dirtied the royal palace. Said the king: "Let his mother come and clean up her child's filth." By the same token, G-d says: "Let the Heifer atone for the deed of the Calf" (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 8).
In our post-Calf world, the imperfection in our relationship with G-d finds its most noxious expression in the phenomenon of death. Contact with death thus spawns the most severe form of spiritual impurity, which can be mitigated only by the mother of the Golden Calf, the most supra-rational of the divine decrees--the Red Heifer.
Enjoy the teaching below by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald.
Remember beloved, Torah is the ultimate antedote.
Shabbat Shalom, Elisheva
Chukat
"And from Mattanah to Nahaliel"
In parashat Chukat, after a series of battles and confrontations with hostile nations, the Torah records a lyrical, but esoteric, poem concerning the well of Miriam.
Numbers 21:17 reads: "Ahz yah'sheer Yisrael, et hah'shee'rah ha'zoht: Ah'lee v'ayhr, eh'noo lah." Then Israel sang this song:
"Spring up, O well, sing to it.
The well which the princes dug;
which the nobles of Israel excavated with the scepter, and with their staffs;
and from the wilderness to Mattanah.
And from Mattanah, to Nahaliel;
and from Nahaliel, to Bamoth.
And from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, by the top of peak which looks down upon the wilderness."
According to our commentators, this poem is part of a series of verses describing famous battles that were recorded in "The Book of the Wars of G-d," a volume that some speculate originated with Abraham, and was lost along with other early historical documents.
Nachmanides (Ramban, Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, 1194-1270, Spanish Torah commentator) claims that the names of cities mentioned here are all places that Israel captured from Sichon, the king of Emor. They are recorded here to confirm Israel's right to possess these lands.
However, Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, 1040-1105, foremost commentator on the Bible) interprets these verses according to the Midrash, which claims that these places, as well as those mentioned in the preceding verses, are locations where great miracles occurred as Israel traveled through the wilderness.
So, for instance, when Numbers 21:15 states: "And the slope of the valleys that inclines toward the seat of Ar, and leans upon the border of Moab," Rashi cites the Midrash that states that the Emorites hid in the mountains in order to attack Israel after they passed through the valley. But once the people of Israel passed through the valley, the mountains began to tremble and moved closer to the mountains of Moab, crushing the Emorites who were hiding in the hills.
Rashi interprets the word "Mattanah" found in Numbers 21:18: "And from the wilderness to Mattanah," not as the name of a location, but rather that G-d gave the Jewish people the well of Miriam as a gift (mattanah) to supply the people with water during their 40 years in the wilderness.
The Talmud in Nedarim 55a-b, turns the phrase "Oo'me'midbar Mattanah," found in Numbers 21:18, into a lesson of ethics and educational philosophy.
Ravah [the Talmudic sage] was asked, What is meant by the verse "and from the wilderness, Mattanah"--he replied: When one makes himself as the wilderness, which is free to all [meaning prepared to teach the Torah to all] the Torah is presented to him as a gift ["mattanah"], as it is written: "And from the wilderness, Mattanah." And once he has it as a gift, G-d gives it to him as an inheritance ["nahaliel"], as it is written, Numbers 21:19: "And from Mattanah, Nahaliel." And when G-d gives it to him as an inheritance, he ascends to greatness, as it is written: "And from Nahaliel, Bamot [heights]." But, if he exalts himself, the Holy One blessed be He casts him down, as it is written, Numbers 21:20: "And from Bamoth, to the valley." Moreover, he is made to sink into the earth, as it is written, Numbers 21:20: "Which looks down upon the wilderness." But should he repent, the Holy One blessed be He will raise him again, as it is written (Isaiah 40:4): "Every valley shall be exalted."
From a literary perspective, the Torah simply seems to be stating that the Jewish people traveled from the wilderness to Mattanah, and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth. Nevertheless, our rabbis make a point of emphasizing that the Torah, within the process of recording the historical itinerary of the people's travels, is teaching much more than the names of places. Consequently, the great sage, Ravah, declares unequivocally, that Torah, like a wilderness, is not only the legacy of all Jews, but that Torah may not be taught through hubris. In fact, whoever exalts himself, the Holy One blessed be He casts him down. There is no room for arrogance on the part of the teacher, no matter how brilliant a Torah scholar they are. An instructor may not insist that because of his erudition that he can only teach students of superior intelligence. Neither may one turn away a foolish question, if asked sincerely. Sincerity must be the determining factor, not endowed intelligence, which is purely a Divine gift, completely unearned.
Unfortunately, not everyone feels this way. Today there are yeshivot, schools established from kindergarten on, that are limited only to the children of clergy or scholars, so that these children will not be "contaminated" by the presence of children in the class whose parents may work for a living. One wonders, from how many yeshivot would Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Meir have been excluded. The same holds true for schools whose tuitions are so exorbitant that only the children of the most affluent can attend. The Talmud (Nedarim, 81a) warns to be careful with the children of the poor, for from them will Torah come.
The "mattanah," the gift of Torah, will indeed come from those who have traversed the wilderness, who appreciate what deprivation means, whether material or intellectual, and are prepared to share their Torah with all, to all sincere students.
That is the bold message of this seemingly innocuous poem. That is why it is so special, and so sacred.
Monday in the United States, we are celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence -- a document through which leaders of the colonies in the New World broke free from the King of England.
The declaration begins: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
While revisionist historians are working hard to remove any trace of Judaic/ Christian/Biblical ideals from the foundations of America, today's celebration finds its basis in a foundational document which appeals to the authority of a Divine Creator, one whom most of the founding fathers fully believed to have been the author and main subject of the Holy Bible, and who was the guarantor of certain "inalienable rights". So the Fourth of July should be more than just a celebration of independence, it should also to be a day which recognizes HaShem's participation in our nation's birth.
I've heard all kinds of advice about how we can get America back on it's feet, but all we need to do beloved is go back to HaShem's covenant offer. The words found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 can be claimed and applied by any nation, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
IF we truly want to see healing brought to any nation, then this conditional covenant needs to be applied. The restoration of our land and the land of Israel will require us to uphold our part in the covenant: humility, prayer and repentance, so that G*d can forgive our sin and heal our land!
True restoration and healing only comes through true repentance and G*d's grace! With so much work to be done -- may restoration begin with us beloved.
Psalms 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose G*d is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
Below is a paper written in 1991 on the historical background of our national anthem. The fourth stanza, yes you read correctly, is something we have to share with everyone. We need to let our government know that this country was founded by the Grace of G*D, and it is only with G*D's Grace that it will stand.
Much emunah, shalom, and ahavah,
Elisheva Amaris
In 1812, the United States went to war with Great Britain, primarily over freedom of the seas. We were in the right. For two years, we held off the British, even though we were still a rather weak country. Great Britain was in a life and death struggle with Napoleon. In fact,just as the United States declared war, Napoleon marched off to invade Russia. If he won, as everyone expected, he would control Europe, and Great Britain would be isolated. It was no time for her to be involved in an American war.
At first, our seamen proved better than the British. After we won a battle on Lake Erie in 1813, the American commander, Oliver Hazard Perry, sent the message "We have met the enemy and they are ours." However, the weight of the British navy beat down our ships eventually. New England, hard-hit by a tightening blockade, threatened secession.
Meanwhile, Napoleon was beaten in Russia and in 1814 was forced to abdicate. Great Britain now turned its attention to the United States, launching a three-pronged attack. The northern prong was to come down Lake Champlain toward New York and seize parts of New England. The southern prong was to go up the Mississippi, take New Orleans and paralyze the west. The central prong was to head for the mid-Atlantic states and then attack Baltimore, the greatest port south of New York. If Baltimore was taken, the nation, which still hugged the Atlantic coast, could be split in two. The fate of the United States, then, rested to a large extent on the success or failure of the central prong.
The British reached the American coast, and on August 24, 1814, took Washington, D. C. Then they moved up the Chesapeake Bay toward Baltimore. On September 12, they arrived and found 1000 men in Fort McHenry, whose guns controlled the harbor. If the British wished to take Baltimore, they would have to take the fort.
On one of the British ships was an aged physician, William Beanes, who had been arrested in Maryland and brought along as a prisoner. Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and friend of the physician, had come to the ship to negotiate his release. The British captain was willing, but the two Americans would have to wait. It was now the night of September 13, and the bombardment of Fort McHenry was about to start.
As twilight deepened, Key and Beanes saw the American flag flying over Fort McHenry. Through the night, they heard bombs bursting and saw the red glare of rockets. They knew the fort was resisting and the American flag was still flying. But toward morning the bombardment ceased, and a dread silence fell. Either Fort McHenry had surrendered and the British flag flew above it, or the bombardment had failed and the American flag still flew.
As dawn began to brighten the eastern sky, Key and Beanes stared out at the fort, trying to see which flag flew over it. He and the physician must have asked each other over and over, "Can you see the flag?"
After it was all finished, Key wrote a four stanza poem telling the events of the night. Called "The Defence of Fort M'Henry," it was published in newspapers and swept the nation. Someone noted that the words fit an old English tune called "To Anacreon in Heaven" --a difficult melody with an uncomfortably large vocal range. For obvious reasons, Key's work became known as "The Star Spangled Banner," and in 1931 Congress declared it the official anthem of the United States.
Now that you know the story, here are the words. Presumably, the old doctor is speaking. This is what he asks Key
Oh! say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
W hat so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
"Ramparts," in case you don't know, are the protective walls or other elevations that surround a fort. The first stanza asks a question. The second gives an answer
On the shore, dimly seen thro' the mist of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep.
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream
'Tis the star-spangled banner. Oh! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
"The towering steep" is again, the ramparts. The bombardment has failed, and the British can do nothing more but sail away, their mission a failure.
In the third stanza, I feel Key allows himself to gloat over the American triumph. In the aftermath of the bombardment, Key probably was in no mood to act otherwise.
During World War II, when the British were our staunchest allies, this third stanza was not sung. However, I know it, so here it is
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footstep's pollution.No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The fourth stanza, a pious hope for the future, should be sung more slowly than the other three and with even deeper feeling.
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation,
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n - rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation.Then conquer we must, for our cause is just,
And this be our motto--"In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
I hope you will look at the national anthem with new eyes. Listen to it, the next time you have a chance, with new ears.
And don't let them ever take it away.
--Isaac Asimov, March 1991
Emunah, Shalom, Ahavah
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