Showing posts with label Ha'azinu. Show all posts

Ha'azinu

Thursday, October 13, 2016 · Posted in , , ,



Thursday, 11 Tishrei 5777 / October 13, 2016

Parshat Ha'azinu, 5th Portion (Devarim 32:29-32:39)

רְא֣וּ עַתָּ֗ה כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י אֲנִי֙ ה֔וּא וְאֵ֥ין אֱלֹהִ֖ים עִמָּדִ֑י אֲנִ֧י אָמִ֣ית וַֽאֲחַיֶּ֗ה מָחַ֨צְתִּי֙ וַֽאֲנִ֣י אֶרְפָּ֔א וְאֵ֥ין מִיָּדִ֖י מַצִּֽיל

32:39 See, now! Behold, it is I! I am the One! There are no other gods with me. I kill and I give life. though I wounded, I will heal. No one can be delivered from My hand.

According to Rabbi Yehudah, this verse is addressed to the Jewish people.  G-d tells them: See, I brought retribution against you and I delivered you. I am the only power.

This theme is echoed by the prophet Yirmeyahu / Jer. 30:12-17:

"Your bruise is incurable... No one can bind your wound... I have wounded you like an enemy... I have done this to you because of the multitude of your sins... but, I will restore health to you and heal your wounds."

According to Rabbi Nechemia, the verse promises that G-d will reveal His salvation and redeem His people from their oppressors.

Sanhedrin 91b explains the apparent redundancy in the clauses, "Behold, it is I! I am the One!" as follows: "I am the One Who redeemed you from Egypt, and I will redeem you in the Messianic redemption." The commentaries not that the word אֲנִי "I" is mentioned four times in the verse, alluding to the redemption from the four exiles in which Yisrael has suffered.

Mechiltah also indicates that this verse refers to future prophecies: The phrase, "Behold, it is I! I am the One!" alludes to Yeshayahu's prophecy (40:5): "And the glory of G-d will be revealed, and all flesh will witness how the mouth of G-d has spoken."

Similarly, "I kill and I give life" alludes to the prophecy (Yeshayahu / Isa. 25:8) "He will swallow up death forever. Hashem, the G-d, wipes away tears from every face."

Pesachim 68a interprets "I kill and I give life. Though I crushed I will heal," as alluding to the resurrection of the dead, as follows:

"Can it be implied that the verse refers to two different people; one who G-d kills, and another, to whom He grants life..? To negate that thesis, the verse continues 'Though I wounded, I will heal.' The second clause implies that He will heal the same person whom He crushed, the same person who died will again be granted life."

That Talmudic passage continues, explaining that from a different standpoint, "Though I wounded I will heal" can be interpreted as a second stage that will follow after "I kill and I give life." First, G-d will resurrect the dead. Afterwards, any people who were afflicted with physical blemishes will be healed.

Rabbeinu Bachya notes that the sequence of these allusions in the verse follows the order of events in the future. The Messianic redemption and the in gathering of exiles will precede the resurrection of the dead.

- Me'am Lo'ez

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Ha'azinu

Tuesday, October 11, 2016 · Posted in , , ,

[View of Gush Chalav, northern region of Yisrael]

Tuesday, 9 Tishrei 5777 / October 11, 2016

Parshat Ha'Azinu, 3rd Portion (Deuteronomy 32:13-32:18)

יַרְכִּבֵ֨הוּ֙ עַל־בָּ֣מֳתֵי (כתיב על־במותי) אָ֔רֶץ וַיֹּאכַ֖ל תְּנוּבֹ֣ת שָׂדָ֑י וַיֵּֽנִקֵ֤הוּ דְבַשׁ֙ מִסֶּ֔לַע וְשֶׁ֖מֶן מֵֽחַלְמִ֥ישׁ צֽוּר

32:13 He let them ride high on the peaks of the earth  and feast on the crops of the field. He let them suckle honey from the bedrock, and oil from the flintstone.

Targum Onkelos renders this verse as follows:

He gave them dominion over the powers of the earth and allowed them to eat the spoils of their foes. He granted them the booty of the rulers of cities and the possesions of powerful capitals.

The peaks of the earth: refer to Eretz Yisrael. Eretz Yisrael is "the highest place on earth" (Rashi, Sifri). Reference is made in various placed of the Torah (Bereishit 13:1, 46:4, Bamidbar 13:21, 30) to "going up" to Eretz Yisrael.

In contrast, Ibn Ezra renders the phrase במותי אָ֔רֶץ "the center of the earth." This interpretation, quoted also by Rabbeinu Bachya, is developed at length by Zohar (II: 222a, b) which explains that Eretz Yisrael was first to appear above the world-ocean which covered all the earth.

The crops of the field: also refers to Eretz Yisrael, whose produce ripens before that of other lands (Rashi). Her land is so fertile that even "bedrock" and "flintstone" yield "honey" and "oil."

Generally, the "honey" mentioned in Torah refers to honey produced from dates. However, in this instance, it may refer to bees' honey. It is far more likely for a beehive to be situated between rocks than for a date palm to grow there.

There is no such difficulty in the verse's concluding phrase. I particular, the oil mentioned in this verse refers to the olive groves of Gush Chalav, a large town in the northern region of Eretz Yisrael (Rashi).

This verse also refers to the Temple service:

He let them ride high on the peaks of the earth: refers to the Temple, the highest place on the earth, as in Yeshayahu / Isa. 2:2-3):  "The mountain of Hashem's house will be established on top of the mountains... and many nations shall say: 'Let us go up to the mountain of Hashem.'"

and feast on the crops of the field: - refers to the baskets of first fruits [brought to the Temple].

 oil from the flintstone: - refers to the oil libations (Yalkut Shimoni).

- Me'am Lo'ez

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