light of 11 Adar 2 5782 | לאור יא אדר ב' ה"תשפ"ב
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| Borrowed from a neighbor...here |
Ed.: This week, we celebrate the reversal of events in the Book of Esther, which we call Purim...and which we pray will occur in our times as in those. May Mashiah be revealed now!
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Shabbat Zachor: Celebrating the Belief in Providence
by Rabbi Eli J. Mansour
On Shabbat Zachor (the Shabbat preceding Purim), we read a special
section in the Torah (Debarim 25:17-19) about the Misva to remember the
vicious attack launched by the nation of Amalek against our ancestors in
the wilderness. The story of the attack, which appears in the Book of
Shemot (17:8-16), is read on the morning of Purim.
Following the
war against Amalek, G-d announced to Moshe, "Ki Yad Al Kes Kah, Milhama
L’Hashem Ba’Amalek" – "For a hand is raised [on oath] over G-d’s throne,
that a war will be waged by G-d against Amalek" (Shemot 17:14). The
commentators explain that G-d here is referred to as "Kah" – the letters
"Yod" and "Heh" – because His Name is incomplete as long as the nation
of Amalek exists. The complete Name, of course, is formed by the four
letters "Yod," "Heh," "Vav" and "Heh," but with Amalek in the world, the
final two letters – "Vav" and "Heh" – are missing, as it were, from the
divine Name.
It has been explained that this teaching is rooted
in the verse in Tehillim (96:11), "Yismehu Ha’shamayim Ve’tagel
Ha’aretz" – "The heavens shall rejoice, and the earth shall exult," the
first letters of which are the letters of the divine Name – "Yod,"
"Heh," "Vav" and "Heh." This verse expresses the fundamental tenet of
providence, that although G-d is in heavens, He is intimately involved
in the earth, as He governs, oversees and exerts full control over
everything that transpires here in the world. Both the heavens and the
earth "rejoice" – because both are under the control of the Almighty.
The nation of Amalek battled against this fundamental belief. In the
section read on Shabbat Zachor, Amalek is described with the verb
"Karecha," which is associated with the word "Mikreh" – which denotes
coincidence, or happenstance. Amalek argued that all events are
coincidental, unfolding randomly, without any rhyme or reason. They
believed in "Yismehu Ha’shamayim" – that G-d is in the heavens, but they
denied "Ve’tagel Ha’aretz," that G-d governs the events down here on
earth. And thus G-d proclaimed that as long as Amalek exists, His Name
consists of only "Yod" and "Heh," representing the words "Yismehu
Ha’shamayim," but without "Vav" and "Heh" – the words "Ve’tagel
Ha’aretz" – because Amalek denied the belief in G-d’s providence over
the events in our world.
***
Some goings-on in the run-up to our holiday, Purim, where defeat turns to victory...
Zelensky is disappointed by Israel's response | Letter to the editor: search term "not even once" | Nisan this year is their Ramadan..."Palestinians" anticipate more violence | Insights and advice from R' Itamar Schwartz for women on Purim | The Key Question is Why...Israel gets dragged into the middle | Keep your eye on the Covid ball | A Message from [a citizen of] Russia | Biden admin offering $1M for groups delegitimizing Israel |
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