Succah – Succot – Symbol – Event – Time – Place

 How have a few sticks with a couple of sheets for walls, and some cut-off branches for a ceiling come to symbolize a momentous episode of the past, and another, which will culminate this age, as well as (symbolize) those who form an inextricable part of these events? 

 Let us start with this last point. Psalm 139 says, “You covered me in my mother’s womb”. The Hebrew verb used here for ‘covered’ is “te’su’ke’ni”, i.e., literally, ‘You have made/formed me as a succah’.  Psalm 39:4-5 confirms our fragility and transience, much like the succah, which is a flimsy and temporary structure.

 Before taking a journey to visit the succah and the feast of Succot, it has to be admitted that, the original succahs in the wilderness were structured differently than the typical ones which have been traditional for hundreds of years in the Jewish world. Our forefathers dwelt in structures that consisted of stone-marked circles in the middle of which was placed a stone or stick pole with hides or furs draped from the top down, making it more like a tent (at least that appears to have been the case at Kadesh Barnea, where they remained for quite a few years).

 The reason for Succot is stated thus: “You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 23:42-43 emphasis added).   

 Quite frankly, this command seems curious and raises a question. Elohim performed great and mighty miracles and wonders for the people of Israel during their wilderness sojourn, protecting, rescuing, and providing for them in amazing ways, so why is it that out of all other possible symbols, the succah was chosen to commemorate this experience? Moreover, the succah is definitely not a secure shelter, and yet Amos 9:8-12 states:

 "’Behold, the eyes of the YHVH Elohim are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth; Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,’ Says YHVH.  ‘For surely I will command, and will sift the house of Israel among all nations, as grain is sifted in a sieve; Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.  All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, who say, 'the calamity shall not overtake nor confront us. On that day I will raise up the tabernacle/succah of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles [nations/peoples] who are called by My name,’ says YHVH who does this thing”.

 This text describes troublesome times, replete with judgments of sinners from among the people of Israel. And yet, YHVH also promises “in that day” to raise up the “falling” (literal Hebrew) succah of David. The usage of the present continuous tense may be indicative of an ongoing action, and likely connected to man’s similitude to a succah, which does not cease falling until YHVH Himself raises it/them (His people) as His own kingdom, according to the text.

 The words from Amos 9, relating to the succah, are quoted in Acts 15:16-17, albeit with slight modifications, and read thus: “’After this, I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up; so that the rest of mankind may seek YHVH, even all the Gentiles [nations/peoples] who are called by My name’, says YHVH who does all these things’”. Rather than “that they – Israel – will possess the remnant of Edom”, our present quote says, “so that the rest of mankind will seek YHVH”.

 In looking at the words that were changed, in Hebrew, it is very easy to see how “yirshu” – will possess – can be changed into “yidreshu” – will seek, and how “she’erit Edom” – the remnant of Edom – can be changed to “she’erit Adam” - remnant of mankind, i.e. Adam.  But beyond the simplistic word-switching possibilities, this alteration may be also viewed as the extension of YHVH’s plan - beyond the local and onto a worldwide one.

 Let’s examine the term “succah” again, as it appears in the two cited excerpts. Why “succah of David” and not “temple of David”? “sanctuary of David”, or “House of David”? Why is the succah one of the ultimate symbols of the establishment of YHVH’s kingdom on earth?

 Isaiah and Micha’s parallel prophecies (Is. 2: 2-4: Mic. 4:2) describe one of the greatest peaks of scriptural fulfillment: “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that, the mountain of YHVH's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it” (Isaiah 2:2). 

 On that great and auspicious day, what are the nations supposed to do? “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, YHVH of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Succot” (Zechariah 14:16 emphasis added), whilst draught and plagues await those who do not obey this word. The two previous temples, Solomon's and the 2nd Temple after the return from the 70-year Babylonian exile) were both inaugurated on Succot (1st Kings 8:2, 65-66; 2nd Chron. 5:3; Neh. 8:14-18).

 Many are of the opinion that the birth of Messiah was around the Succot season, while, unlike the spring feasts which have had their fulfillments during Yeshua’s first coming and immediately after, Succot’s fullest manifestation has not taken place yet. Nevertheless, John chapter 7 verse 10 inform us, perhaps with a view to the greater latter-day fulfillment, that Yeshua "went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret" (emphasis added).  Therefore, is it possible that His return (on which "day and hour no one knows", Matt. 24:36) will indeed take place around this time?

 Is it possible that His return will indeed take place around this time? In Revelation 19:6 -9 there is a description of the Lamb's royal wedding, and this, no doubt, is also referring to the time of Succot. Let's read it: "And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Halleluyah! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.'  And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.  Then he said to me, 'Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' "

 Later on, a new eon is described in Revelation 21:3: “Behold, the tabernacle of Elohim is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and Elohim himself shall be with them, and be their Elohim” is it referring to the time of Succot? In the Greek original, “tabernacle” as it is used here, and “dwell” both originating in a Semitic term, “skay-nay” which means a structure made of green boughs, skins, or other materials. What makes this verse even more fascinating is its context; this above-mentioned scene is to occur after the establishment of the “new heaven” and the “new earth” and also of the “New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from Elohim” (vs. 1, 2). Peter describes what precedes these occurrences: “… the heavens pass away with a great noise, and the elements melt with fervent heat” and “both the earth and the works that are in” are “burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). Moreover, the consonants of "skay-nay" are quite reminiscent of "succah" as well as of "shachan", which is the verb "to dwell", and thus, Mishkan.

 Remember our reference at the beginning, to Psalm 139:13: “You have covered – made a succah out of – me in my mother’s womb”? Psalm 27:5 says, “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in his succah”. That is to say that Elohim Himself has a sukkah, which is a place of refuge in times of trouble.

 How may we conclude this survey, and what does it point to?

Let us review: I and my formation in the womb are likened to a… succah. The reminder of the wilderness' miracles – YHVH’s incredulous provision for His people and His protection all add up to a… dwelling in succahs. The very establishment of Elohim’s kingdom is depicted as a… succah. The Messiah’s return is in… Succot when His marriage to His bride takes place.  Thus, it is no coincidence that when Jacob returned to the land from his sojourn to Aram, after meeting his brother Esau, he first “journeyed to Succot” which he himself named because of the succah he constructed there (Gen. 33:17), and that the first place the Israelites came to after leaving Egypt and before the Reed Sea crossing was Succot (Ex. 13:20), while the inauguration of both temples took place at Succot (1^st Kings 8:2, 65; Nehemiah 8). Succot seems to be indicative of new beginnings.

 Does the imagery of the succah and of the Feast of Succot give us a glimpse into the Mighty Creator’s worldview, as it were, where a flimsy and weak structure symbolizes His creatures, but also the shelter that He provides for His own, while the great wedding feast is also to take place during the feast that centers on the very same flimsy booth which points to His birth as well as to His much-awaited return at the very peak of human history?

 This survey will not be complete without citing Isaiah 4: 2-6: “In that day the Branch of YHVH shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing for those of Israel who have escaped. And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy -- everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. When YHVH has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, then YHVH will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory, there will be a covering - CHUPA.  And a tabernacle - SUCCAH - for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain”.  In the Hebrew original “succah” follows “chupa” without a break. Again, is this a hint as to the connection of succah to the wedding canopy, chupa, and to the time when Messiah marries His bride, pointing to His return in order to dwell among His own? 

Note: It seems that the succah ceases to be on the “eighth day” – Shmini Atzeret. In Leviticus 23:42 it says, “You shall dwell in booths for seven days”, while the eighth day, and not the seventh, is a “holy convocation” (v. 36). On this holy day, the eighth, there is no more booth dwelling. If we convert this day into a thousand years, then the eighth millennium symbolizes eternity when the proverbial ephemeral succah is not seen anymore.

Bitter-Sweet Tearful Guideposts

 

Last Shabbat, as we were reading Jeremiah 31 (one of the traditional readings for Yom Zichron Teruah), a verse from this chapter that exploded into my life back in 1976, was illumined in a surprising manner.  The 1976 experience is described in my testimony book, Return to the Land - an Ephraimite Journey Home*.  But little did I know at that time that there was far more to the episode…

The aforementioned incident occurred when a friend and I drove a motor home from San Francisco to Ohio.  Here is a quote from the book: “We were now out of the mountains and were crossing the Wyoming Plains. Wanting to get an early start, I woke up that morning at about 4:00 a.m., walked into the kitchen area, and saw my Bible open next to the sink. I was somewhat surprised, as I did not remember leaving it there. The flashlight lit up the open page and these verses jumped up at me as if they were on springs: “Set up for yourself road marks, place for yourself guideposts, direct your heart to the highway, the way by which you went. Return, O virgin of Israel, return to these your cities. How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter?” (Jeremiah 31:21, 22).

"Tears started streaming down my face. I couldn’t help but wail as if I had lost a loved one.  I think my travel partner thought I had “gone off the deep end.” How could I explain to her this longing in my heart for the Land of Israel?” End quote.

Fast forward almost 45 years. Here I was, sitting in my living room in Aviel ("God is my Father") Israel, with my wife, son, and his pregnant wife reading these very words, when Rimona pointed out a peculiar word from the above-mentioned verse that was used in Hebrew for “guideposts”.  In sort of a nonchalant way, as if it is just natural for a Hebrew speaker to make these connections, our son pointed out that the same word - “tamrurim” – also appears in a previous verse (15), which is translated as “bitter” (8564), “Thus says YHVH: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children because they are no more’" (Jeremiah 31:15, emphasis added. The Hebrew reads: "he is no more", referring to Joseph's disappearance in Gen. 37:30; 42:13;32,36).  However, in verse 21 “guideposts” (8563) is the translation of the same word, "tamrurim". Why would the prophet (Holy Spirit) connect these two verses with the same word, albeit each having an altogether different meaning?

My thoughts immediately went back to that strange experience in the Wyoming desert.  Was my bitter weeping a reaction to something so deep within that it reached back to the very heart of Joseph’s mother, Rachel?  I too felt as though I had lost a loved one, as she did over the loss of her firstborn Joseph.  Was Jeremiah using the one-word - “tamrurim” - as a guidepost for the sole (soul) purpose of directing us/me back to our/my identity as Rachel’s lost beloved son and in some mysterious way, comforting her and giving her hope?  “Thus says YHVH: ‘Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says YHVH, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.  There is hope in your future,’ says YHVH, ‘that your children shall come back to their own border’” (Jeremiah 31:16-17). Examining the respective roots of those two identically written and sounding words, one finds that bitterness is rooted in m.r.r.  whereas guidepost is rooted in t.m.r. which means "tall", hence a high heap of stones, a (tall) palm/date tree, as well as the fruit "date" – tamar. Breaking up "tamar" into "tam-mar" reveals that "mar" (bitterness) has come to an end and is therefore gone, that is, "tam".

Interestingly, an episode in our forefathers' desert experience also brings these two words together.  “They moved from Marah and came to Elim. At Elim were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there” (Numbers 33:9 emphases added).  Originally there were seventy Israelite souls who went down to Egypt, and now their progeny was moving from the bitter waters (that were made sweet) to an oasis that provided them with seventy palm trees loaded with sweet fruit.   

It is no coincidence that Jeremiah 31 presents the New Covenant immediately after all those verses that speak of Ephraim and Rachel’s “tamrurim”.  The prophet Amos addresses those who do not grieve “for the affliction of Joseph” (Amos 6:6), warning them of the punitive measures that will be taken against them.  Perhaps the sages of old made no mistake when they chose the following readings for the feast of the first of the seventh month: 1^st Samuel 1 -2:10; Jeremiah 31:2-21; Hosea 14; Micah 7:18-20.  Was it the wording of Psalm 81 that influenced their choices, since the House of Joseph is charged in this text to blow the shofar on that particular day?  “Blow the shofar at the time of the New Moon, at the covered moon, on our solemn feast day. For this is a statute for Israel, a law of the Elohim of Jacob.  This He established in Joseph [Yehosef] as a testimony” (Psalm 81:3-5). This the only instance where Joseph's name in Hebrew is spelled Yehosef (rather than Yosef).  Why Yehosef? Is it because he has been hidden and now, through the New Covenant, is brought out of darkness and concealment into the light by the power of resurrection life in Messiah Yeshua? The letter hey added to his name indicates the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  

I would like to end this letter with the apostle’s exclamation from the end of Romans 11: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of Elohim! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”   (Romans 11:33).  "But if you seek first His kingdom and His righteousness all these things [understandings] will be given to you" (Matt 6:33 emphasis added).

 *   Return to the Land  

Hebrew Insights into Parashat Ha'azinu - D'varim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 32

Parashat Ha’azinu, which consists almost entirely of the ”Song of Moses” - Shirat Ha’azinu in Hebrew - is the crescendo that has been building up in the Dvarim (Deuteronomy) account. It is a recitation that summarizes the Israelites’ history, projecting future situations, while at the same time continually revolving around a central pivot - YHVH as the Almighty and as the loving Father of His people. Shirat Ha’azinu (the Ha’azinu song or poem) was to bear testimony for future generations. Last week heaven and earth were also summoned as “witnesses”, as they are, indeed, here too: “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth” (32:1, italics added). The imperative “ha’azinu” (“listen”) is a derivative of “ozen” – “ear”, and would therefore be best translated “give ear”.  Psalm 80 also opens up with: “Give ear- ha’azina - O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!” Perhaps if we “give ear” to the Shepherd of Yisrael, He will also give ear to our cry.

The common Hebrew word for “scales” is “moz’na’yim” (e.g. Lev. 19:36). The ancients must have known that the ear is responsible for balance, thus connecting the two words which stem from the root a.z.n (alef, zayin, noon). With that said, the picture depicted before us is of heaven and earth acting as scales that are to weigh Israel in the balance. You will notice that many of the verses are made up of couplets, where the same point is stated once and then repeated with a slight variation. Perhaps this device highlights all the more the ‘weighing scales', as well as being a double witness. The first two verses of the poem serve as a good example of this poetic device, which is so typical of biblical poetry:

Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak;

And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

My doctrine shall drop as the rain;

My speech shall drop down as the dew.

 

As the small rain on the tender plant,

And.aslthe;showerslon;the;grass((vs.1-2).

These words find their confirmation in the following: "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:10-11 emphasis added).               

YHVH’s love and care for Yisrael form the backdrop against which Yisrael’s past and future are respectively described and cast. According to the poem, the people’s relationship with and toward YHVH appears to be a primary cause of the events (past, present, and future) that befall them. 

Verse 4 exclaims that YHVH is “the Rock whose work is perfect”. The word used here for rock is “tzur”. This word is repeated a number of times in the poem, and thus we read in verse 13, in reference to YHVH’s benevolence toward Yisrael, “He made him suck honey from the rock and oil out of the flinty rock” (italics added). In response, Yeshurun (Jeshurun) – rooted in “straight",?acts?more?like?apYa’acov (root of cc

"crookedness”), and; “scorned9the?Rockbofftheir Salvation” (v. 15).  Verse 18 reads thus: “You forgot the Rock who birthed you”. The verb used here for “forgot” is “teshi” of the root n.sh.h (noon, shin, hey), which is also the root for the name Menashe (Manasseh). The imagery of the “rock”, a substance that is definitely not associated with tenderness, much less with motherhood, is juxtaposed with metaphors related to birthing and suckling. This type of unusual imagery is echoed somewhat in 1^st Corinthians 10:1 and 4, where we read: “Our fathers…. all drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Messiah”.

In verses 30 and 31 there are several more references to “tzur” ("How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and YHVH had surrendered them?  For their rock is not like our Rock…"), while in verse 37 the “rock” is the one in whom “refuge is taken” (He will say: 'Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge?) “chasayu”, ch.s.h., chet, samech, hey – is to “take refuge”, being a more conventional usage of the rock metaphor. Because the idols of the peoples were often made of stone or carved into a rock, “tzur” is also used here in relation to the gods of the pagans (e.g., verse 31), contrasting the term with Yisrael’s Elohim, who is totally detached from the literal substance of the rock.

Other parts of our text appear to highlight different attributes of Elohim, one, in particular, is found in verse 27, but let us also include verse 26. YHVH says about His treacherous people: “I will make an end of them, I will make their memory cease from among men. Were it not that I dreaded the enemy’s provocation, lest their adversaries should misconstrue, lest they should say, ‘our hand is exalted and not YHVH has performed all this’” (italics added). This last verse (27) contains a very daring anthropomorphism [personification-humanization of YHVH], “indeed attributing to Him the sentiment of fear, as it were… has no parallel in the Torah”. In this commentary Nechama Leibowitz includes other instances where Moshe expresses concern over the desecration of YHVH’s name among the nations and concludes: “This concern over desecrating the Divine name… assumes a much more intense and extreme form in our sidra [Parasha]. Here it is the Almighty Himself who is, as it were, “concerned” over the world being misled and diverted from the path leading mankind spiritually forward. He is filled with apprehension lest His name be brought into disrepute instead of sanctified and His sovereignty universally recognized and acknowledged, which is the ultimate goal of all creation.”[1]  

“I will make an end of them…” (back to verse 26) is couched here in a very unique term, which appears nowhere else in the Tanach (O.T.) - “af’ey’em”. Several possible interpretations of this term have been extrapolated. Most “have traced its meaning to the word pe’ah – “corner”, while others connect it with af (“anger”)”. Rashi breaks up the word into its three syllables and comes up with: “af ey hem”, which is a question that reads as follows: “In anger (“af” meaning YHVH’s anger), where are they?” Thus implying that YHVH’s anger has reduced/*- them to non-existence.[2]?Da’attMikra4offersyanother interpretation, with the same “pe’ah” – “corner, edge” in mind: “I will not leave of them as much as an edge”,[3] or being picked up in the shemitta year by anyone who so wishes, and/or being scattered to the utmost ends (symbolized by the edges of the fields).

Another verse that requires some attention is verse 5 - which says: “They have corrupted themselves: they are not His sons; it is their blemish; they are a crooked and perverse generation”. And although the Hebrew is somewhat obscure, according to Da’at Mikra it should read, “His sons’ blemish is theirs” (literal translation), that is to say: “their perversion is of their own making. Hench it may then be said that they are “lo-banav”- “not-His-sons” (although there is yet another, alternate, though similar, reading of this). This is also reminiscent of the name that will be given at a much later date to Ephraim - “not-My-people”0(“Lo-Ami”,oHos.1:9).RIn? contradistinction, verse 6 names YHVH as “your father, the One who purchases you” – “kone’cha”. Quite often the term “koneh” (k.n.h, kof, noon, hey) – to “buy, or purchase” – is synonymous with redeeming and lends the latter act its graphic meaning, as the role of the redeemer is primarily to pay for and buy that which is lost (such as freedom or property). In 1^st Corinthians 6:20 and 7:23, Shaul (Paul) reminds the redeemed community: “You are bought with a price”. “Kone’cha”, with its similarity to “ken” (a “bird’s nest”), inspired Rashi to suggest that this is a reference to the nest that YHVH is making for Yisrael (see also verse 11) [4].

At this point, starting with verse 6 and through 14, the poem expounds very tenderly on the establishment of the Israelite nation, and on the care and love bestowed on it by its Maker. That Yisrael, even in its nascent state, had a major role in global affairs is made apparent from verse 8: “When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance; when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the sons of Israel” (italics added). When one takes into consideration the fact that the above separation took place after the Flood, and more particularly that YHVH scattered the people during the Tower of Ba’vel (Babel) era (see Gen. 10:25, 11:8), this statement becomes all the more significant and points to an even greater future for Yisrael.

A string of verbs, which follow one another in progressive intensity and describe YHVH’s involvement with Yisrael is introduced in verses 10 & 11. “He found him…He compassed him about … He cared for him…. Like an eagle that stirs up His nest… He hovers… He spreads his wings… He takes him… lifts him….”  The “desert land”, the “waste” and the “howling wilderness” mentioned here (v. 10), bring to mind a lost entity wandering around, and thus these verbs appear as the solution and response to the people’s dire condition. These verbs are fraught with activity: “vay’vone’nehu” (root b.n.h, bet/vet, noon, hey), translated “cared”, in actual fact could relate to “bina” – “wisdom” and thus may read: “endowed him with wisdom”. Another possibility is that the above verb stems from “hitbonen”, which is to “look closely, watch”, or to “boneh”, “build, build up, or edify”. “Guarded him” is a translation of “yitz’renhu” and continues, “as the apple of His eye”. The latter is the pupil, “eeshon”, which literally is a “little man”. When one looks into someone else’s eye, one sees a miniature reflection of one’s self.  “Hovers” is particularly interesting, as it is “ye’ra’chef”, of the root r.ch.f (resh, chet, pey/fey), which is found in B’resheet (Genesis) 1:2 in reference to the Spirit of Elohim. We recall the idea of being protected from above as well as being airborne in Parashat Va’era, in Shmot (Exodus) 6:7, 8 where we read YHVH’s promise: “And I will take you…. to the land concerning which I lifted up My hand…” (italics added). In Sh’mot (Exodus) 19:4 YHVH addressed Yisrael: “I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself”. Parashat Ha’azinu, therefore, echoes and captures promises of the past, transferring them to the Israelites’ present reality on the threshold of the Promised Land.

Next is the enumeration of the goodness and plenty that was conferred upon Yisrael, and with which she shall be blessed in the future ("He made him ride in the heights of the earth, that he might eat the produce of the fields; He made him draw honey from the rock, and oil from the flinty rock;  curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock, with fat of lambs; and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the choicest wheat; and you drank wine, the blood of the grapes" vs. 13-14). Verse 15 witnesses a transition, and once again there is an inventory, if you will, of densely listed verbs. Unfortunately, not all of them can be translated into verb form in English: “Yeshurun grew fat… kicked… became fat… became thick… covered in layers… forsook Elohim his maker….” In Hebrew all these are in verb and adjective form, and follow one another thusly: “va’yishman… va’yiv’at… shamanta, avita, kasita, va’yitosh… vay’na’bel”, almost in stampede fashion. Just as before, where YHVH’s intense activities around His people were depicted in verb form, action-laden, so too here - the Israelites’ intent on turning away from their Creator is described in a chain reaction of fast moves.

The excerpt of verses 28-35 presents a controversy, which has been engaging the commentators for generations. Who is the subject of verses 28-29 ("For they are a nation void of counsel, nor is there any understanding in them.  Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!")? Is it Yisrael, or is it the enemies? In verse 30 ("how could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight…), again, who is being chased, is it Yisrael, or the enemies? Verse 36: “For YHVH will bring His people justice; and He shall have compassion on His servants…” seems to indicate that the former section would have referred to the enemy. However, according to verses 30 and 31 again, it would appear that Yisrael is the subject of the section: “How shall one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight unless their Rock had sold them and YHVH had shut them up?  For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges”. Who is it that YHVH is “selling”? (Remember verse 6, where He was depicted as the Father and the “buyer”?) Does He not sell that which belongs to Him? And in verse 31, in the references to “their rock” and to “our rock”, is there, not a distinction made between Yisrael and the other nations?  Verses 37 and 38 ("He will say: 'Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge?  Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise and help you, and be your refuge") present a similar dilemma. Again, is it Yisrael or is it the nations that are the subject of this brief portion? Having just read that YHVH will have compassion on His people, this could possibly refer to the enemies, whose rock and god (the rock is the "god" and not a mere metaphor for strength, unlike the Elohim of Yisrael who is symbolized by the rock but is not the rock itself) is unable to help them. Conversely, this could also be talking to Yisrael, who had been leaning on false gods whom they trusted to no avail. What do you think?

“And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel. And he said to them, ‘Set your hearts to all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your sons to observe and to do, all the words of this law; For it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life. And by this word you shall prolong your days in the land where you go over Jordan, there to possess it’” (vs. 45-47 italics added). Thus, Moshe seals these most solemn words of the testimonial poem. The words, “for it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life” are rendered in Hebrew, “for it is not an empty word for you, because…” and here it is possible to read, “He is your life…"  “I am the way, the truth, and the Life”, were Yeshua’s words in John 14:6. And just as Shirat Ha’azinu was to bear a testimony, so did the Word-made-flesh (John 1:14) who bore testimony in His very being, “so that all may believe…” (John 1:7).

Once the recitation of the poem is over, Moshe is told by Elohim: "Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession"

(Deuteronomy 32:49). "Abarim" – avarim in Hebrew pronunciation - is rooted in our familiar "over", to cross or pass over. Thus, although Moshe was not to cross over to the land of C'na'an, there is another crossing that awaits him… from this present world to the next…

 

[1] New Studies in Devarim, Nechama Leibowitz, trans. Aryeh Newman. Eliner Library, Department for Torah Education and Culture in the Diaspora. Hemed Books Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y.

[2] Ibid

[3] Da’at Mikra, A’ahron Mirski, Rav Kook Inst., Jerusalem, 2001

[4] Ibid.

Yom Zichron Teruah

 Yom Zichron Teruah – The Day of Remembering the Sound

Why is the first day of the seventh month on YHVH's timetable designated as the Day of Remembering the Sound? On that day begins the countdown to Yom Kippurim - the Day of Atonement(s). What sound are we to remember? Obviously, it is the sound we all heard as His people. It was the one teruah no one could miss. If Israel ever had a moment of unity it was that moment that they all heard “this” sound. Most scholars and sages are in agreement that this is referring to the “voice” of YHVH heard at Sinai.  We experienced the "voice" back in the third month at a previous appointment, so why now, in the seventh month? What are we to remember about “YHVH’s Voice”, which to our ancestors' ears sounded like a shofar, when in actuality there were none there? Why are we, generation after generation, brought back, on the first of the seventh month, to Sinai to remember His voice with the blowing of the shofar?  

At Mount Sinai, YHVH’s voice materialized into our world as the “Ten Words” or “Ten Commandments". Thus, in a manner of speaking, the past meets the present in a unique way on this day, a day that inaugurates the Ten Days of Awe or Teshuva.  The prophet Malachi declared to all Israel that before the great and terrible day of YHVH they were to:   "Remember the Law (Torah) of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments” (Malachi 4:4 emphasis added).  Malachi is simply warning YHVH's people to remember the “Voice” before the great day of YHVH’s righteous judgments. Is this not what the Ten Days of Awe are all about? This is why there is so much soul-searching and repentance going on during this season.  It is a sobering time. But is it a time to fear or a time to stand in awe? 

Our forefathers at Sinai shrunk back as the Voice grew nearer (and that is why it kept getting louder), crying to Moses that he should hear for them lest they die.  Do you remember the time when the “Voice” called from the deep recess of your ancestral being, to come into the courtroom of heaven and stand trial before the Judge of the Universe? Do you remember how long you defended your pride and self-righteousness, while the Law was doing its job in pointing to the truth of your sinful condition? HaSatan was there too, as the prosecuting attorney, accusing you, of what he excels in, that is of your "lie".  Do you remember the moment you finally broke and admitted and submitted to the truth?  Do you remember how the courtroom suddenly became the most silent place in heaven and on earth as it waited for you, the defendant, to say those two fearful words, “I’m guilty!”?  Your heart was broken and you stood in your shame, you had nothing more to say in your defense, except for the admission: “I’m guilty”.  The prosecutor had no more to say either, only: “I rest my case”, and closed his files, waiting for the judge's decision of the impending death sentence. 

But what happened next surprised all and left them in awe. The Judge stood up to hit the gavel, but instead, he took off His judicial garment and came down to you, revealing His blood-stained, broken body that was nailed to the cross, taking you into warm loving arms, and with deep compassion He whispered: "I love you. You are forgiven. Come now with me out of this cold judicial courtroom, to the place that I have prepared for you". 

Recommended reading, Romans chapters 3&5

Hebrew Insights into Parashot Nitzavim and Va’yelech – D’varim (Deuteronomy) 29:10 - Chapter 31

 

Parashat Nitzavim may be subtitled “The Hebrew People - A Testimony of the Covenant and of the Promises”. Although Nitzavim is translated "You stand…" - it actually means "standing in position, standing firmly, or taking a stand", the root being y.tz.v (yod, tzadi, bet/vet) and the definition is “set, establish or take a stand”.[1] According to Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsh, however, the root is tz.v.v (tzadi, vet, vet), and means “cover while moving”. [2] Embodied in the two Parashot is the definition of the nation, as well as the ultimate promise of grace. Interestingly, about the “nations” which “rage” and “the peoples” who “contemplate a vain thing”, with their “kings and rulers” (mentioned in Psalm 2:1-2), it is said that they “take their stand together against YHVH and His Anointed…” (v.2). In Hebrew “take their stand” is, again, “yit’ya’tzvu”, which places the latter in a parallel but contradictory position to those who are now standing in solemn formation before entering the land promised to them by their Elohim. Moreover, Thus, these two “stances”, present a choice of, where to stand and with whom…

The familiar verb "avor", which means “to pass, go through, go over, enter”, and the noun and verb forms of "witness or testimony” ("ed"), show up more than once. The Hebrew people, YHVH’s witnesses, are characterized, as we know, by ‘crossing’ or ‘passing over’, hence different aspects of this action are presented in the text. 

But why are the “passers-over” standing “in position” or “formation”? “That you may enter ("avor") the covenant with YHVH your Elohim, and enter ("avor") into His oath [alah – an oath that if broken incurs a curse; in 30:7 it is used as “curse”] which YHVH your Elohim is making with you today, in order that He may establish you today as His people and that He may be your Elohim, just as He spoke to you and as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now not with you alone am I making this covenant and this oath, but both with those who stand here with us today in the presence of YHVH our Elohim and with those who are not with us here today" (29:12-15). With all the crossing over of the Hebrews, the passing/crossing over into the covenant is of prime importance. Notice also the far-reaching aspect of the covenant, to those “not with us today”, thus pointing to the continuity of the people of Yisrael and to generational unity within the boundaries of the covenant. Moreover, in 29:10-11 the text stresses the all-inclusiveness of the covenant by addressing “all of you”, as well as by enumerating the entire social structure of the nation: “your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives -- also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water”. 

“Covenant” – “brit” – is of the root b.r.t (bet, resh, tav), meaning to “cut". “Making a covenant” – “karot”- is another verb for “cut” (or fell, a tree, for example). Consequently, in making the covenant there is a double cutting as it were, which points emphatically to separation from one’s former situation, both naturally and spiritually (and is signified by the cutting entailed in the physical circumcision). By the same token, by transgression one may experience a “cutting (again, k.r.t, e.g. Lev. 7:20) … away” from the boundaries prescribed by the covenant. 

This covenant, being two-sided, is therefore like a two-edged sword. Abba laid down the conditions, but knowing the infidelity which is characteristic of His children’s heart, He also built into the covenant the promise of grace. In other words, ultimately it will be Him only who will make possible its fulfillment, as is seen so vividly in 30:3-10. In verse 6 He promises that at a latter time, He will “circumcise the heart” of His people. “Circumcise” is designated by the root m.u.l (mem, vav, lamed), meaning… “to cut”, once again. In between this promise of grace and the warnings of transgressing His commandments (29:16-28), we read in 29:29: “The things hidden are to YHVH our Elohim, and the things revealed are to us and to our sons -- that we may do all the words of this Torah” (literal translation, italics added). Disobedience cannot be excused by claiming that the Torah is mystical and concealed, and as if this were not enough it says in 30:11-14: "For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.  It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us that, we may hear it and do it?'  Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us that we may hear it and do it?'  But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it”. The word for “mysterious” here is different from the one employed in 29:29 for “hidden”. The present term (v. 14) is “niflet”, rooted in p.l.a (pey, lamed, alef. See Shoftim - Judges 13:18 and Tehilim - Psalm 139:6, in both this word is translated “wonderful”). However, having said all of the above, in the next Parasha, there is a warning that could result in situations where YHVH will hide His face from His people (31: 17).   

Repentance and turning to YHVH will bring a restoration which is expressed in the 30:3-10 passage where all the verbs are in the ‘active causative form,’ denoting that He is both the initiator and the ‘enactor’. Not only does He take it upon Himself to enable the fulfillment of the covenant, and at a later date sends Yeshua to carry all of our afflictions and sufferings, in 31:13 it also says that "YHVH your Elohim [is He] who will cross (“avor”) ahead of you" (italics added). YHVH is truly the Elohim of the Hebrews! He goes ahead of them by "crossing over" Himself! At the same time, together with the “crossing” or “passing over” we have here one of those Hebraic dichotomies indicated by “standing firmly”. The blend of both is the desired condition and status designated for the People of Yisrael. And indeed, we see Yeshua crossing - “over”* – ahead of us, entering within the veil giving us a hope which is sure and steadfast – “yatziv” (ref. Heb. 6:19, 20, Hebrew translation of the Greek, being also of the root y.tz.v). Thus, with a “yatziv” (sure) hope, we are enabled to be steadfast and stand firmly in our crossing-over journey.

Hebrews 12:15 warns against "a root of bitterness", alluding to Dvarim 29:18's "root producing poison and bitter fruit". The person so disposed of is said to treat the oath, which if crossed will incur a curse (alah, as mentioned above) with cynicism and arrogance, boasting, and even blessing and reassuring himself that "'I will have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of heart" so that the saturated one may heap suffering "sfot" - on the thirsty one" (v. 19 literal translation). Some more strokes are added to the picture depicted before us: The poisonous and saturated plant, as it produces more of its fruit desires to infect the rest of the vegetation, around it, that which may be suffering from thirst, to bring all of it to utter destruction ["sfot" - e.g. Gen. 18:23]. 

In the meantime, the drama of the covenant nation, its unfaithfulness, and the grace granted it, is to unfold in front of the entire universe and creation. The testimony – witness - “ed” – is being established by calling upon heaven and earth (ref. 30:19). The Song of Moses (referred to in Parashat Va’yelech 31:21 and presented in chapter 32) is the written record that serves as a witness, as does the Torah too, which is to be kept in the ark in the Holy of Holies (31:26). The desolate land (29:23-28) will also bear witness to the unfaithfulness of the people, both before their own sons' eyes, and in front of the foreigners (v. 22), as will their banishment from it (i.e., the land). All this is with a view toward the end that, the Hebrew people themselves will become a witness and a testimony nation. "You are my witness, declares YHVH" (Is. 43:10), to the fact that He is the Elohim of Yisrael, the Elohim of creation, and the Elohim of the universe.

As we have already seen, the covenant pertains to this preset day generation (see 29:14-15), just as much as it was to those who lived back then. Therefore, we too are to "stand firm in position", standing our ground today, to be a covenant people and a witness to the Elohim of the covenant, the Elohim of Yisrael, the Elohim of the Hebrews - the Elohim of grace.

While Parashat Nitzavim (“standing” as compared to “and he went/walked”) focuses on the “crossing over” of the Hebrew people, Parashat “Va’yelech” starts with… the “going” of Moshe: “va’yelech Moshe”, that is “and Moses went”, and continues with: “and spoke these words to all Israel” (31:1). These words of introduction, “Moses went”, regarding the statements that the elderly leader was about to make to his compatriots is quite curious. Was it a hint of his impending departure, and that he was ready to proclaim this fact to all Yisrael? Indeed, Moshe continues: “I am a hundred twenty years old today. I can no more go out and come in. Also YHVH has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan’” (31:2, italics added). Notice the elderly leader’s words, “I can no more go out and come in”, which in Hebrew is: “la’tzet ve-lavo” [literally “to go out” and “to come in”). The previous Parashot [plural for Parasha], Ki Tetze, “when you go out”, and Ki Tavo”, “when you come in”, seem to be related (respectively) to these words of Moshe about “going out to war” (Deut. 21:10), and “coming into the land” (26:1). Thus, paraphrased, Moshe is implying the following: “I am not able to lead you in war, and neither am I able to enter the land with you”.

But whereas Moshe will not be accompanying the people, he consoles them saying that “YHVH your Elohim will cross before you” – which is once more the familiar “over” (a.v.r – the root of “Hebrew”).*  “He will destroy these nations before you”, and in addition, Yehoshua will also “go – pass, cross - “over” - before you” (v. 3). Verses 6, 7, and 8, spoken to Yisrael and to Yehoshua summarize all of the above:  "’ Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them [the people of the land]; for YHVH your Elohim is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you’.  Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ‘Be strong and of good courage, for you will be the one to go with this people to the land which YHVH has sworn to their fathers to give them and you shall cause them to inherit it.  And YHVH is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed". Notice the repetition of “be strong and of good courage”, and of “YHVH is the One who goes with/before you”. YHVH is with His people, He is also with their leader, and at the same time is also going before/ahead of both. 

The third expression which is repeated in the above passage: “He will not fail you nor forsake you” is, “lo yar’pecha, ve-lo ya’az’vecha”. “Yar’peh” – translated “fail” - is rooted in r. p/f. h (resh, pey/fey, hey), meaning to “become weak, let go, be negligent, or remove”. In Tehilim (Psalms) 46:10 it says, “Be still and know that I am YHVH”. However, in Hebrew the rendering is “harpu”, literally “let go”, or “become weak”. Because YHVH will not “let go” of His people, they are the ones who must do the “letting go” and become “weak” before Him, and in so doing they will know that He is the Elohim who alone can give them strength. Shaul (Paul) echoes this when he says: “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness’. Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weakness, that the power of Messiah may overshadow me” (2^nd Corinthians 12:9 italics added). The next verb (of the above-mentioned expression, “lo yar’pecha ve-lo ya’az’vecha”) is azav (ayin, zayin, bet/vet), and means, “leave, abandon or forsake”. It is also used elsewhere in our Parasha, although in a different connotation, as we shall see at once.

 Thus verses 16 and 17 of Dvarim 31 record: “And YHVH said to Moses, ‘Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers. And this people shall rise up and go lusting after the gods of the strangers of the land into which they are going, into their midst. And they will forsake Me – ve’azavani - and break My covenant which I made with them. Then My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them - ve’azavtim…’” (Italics added). Verse 5 reveals to us that there is a condition for being preserved by YHVH: “…do to them [the nations in Cna’an - Canaan) according to all the commandments which I have commanded you”, to not “go lusting after [their] gods”, thereby forsaking the true One. Nevertheless, in verse 16 we read that, “This people shall rise up…” which is “ve’kam”. In  Parashat Nitzavim, above (Det. 29:13) it said: “…that He may establish you today for a people to Himself…” which is literally “that He may raise you up… - hakim”. Hence, it is the very people, whom YHVH was raising up – establishing - who “shall rise up and go lusting after the gods of the strangers…” (italics added), while the people themselves will own to the fact that, “have not these evils come upon us because our Elohim is not among us?” (v.17b italics added). Clearly, while the people are ‘engaging’ with false deities YHVH, Yisrael’s Elohim, cannot be present among them!

In the two examples above (and in many similar ones throughout the Tanach, some of which we examined very recently), we see the usage of identical words, or derivatives of the same root for the purpose of conveying contrasting messages. This method highlights or enhances an idea, and at times adds a touch of irony and a moral to the story or the description at hand.

YHVH is commanding Moshe to call on Yehoshua in order for both to “present” themselves in the Tent of Meeting (31:14); a command which is designated by the imperative “(ve-hit)yatzvu”, of the root y.tz.v that we just encountered in Parashat “Nitzavim” above. In presenting himself, Yehoshua is to make a “firm stand” and a commitment.

 Mentioned above, in Nitzavim, are "the hidden things – "nistarot" - that "belong to YHVH", while "those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law (29:29). This renders the Torah laws as not hidden or mysterious, in other words, "doable". In the present Parasha of Vayelech, the sins that Yisrael will be committing will incur the "hiddenness"… of YHVH's face from them (31:17). Whereas in 29:29 there is a promise that YHVH will be taking care of that which is hidden, relieving His people of certain burdens, now it's their lack of obedience that will cause Him to hide His face from them.

Further connection to Parashat Nitzavim is evident in the concept of “witness” – testimony – “ed”, masculine, and “eda”, feminine. In the previous Parasha, heaven, and earth were mentioned as witnesses (30:19). Now the “Song” (which constitutes the following Parasha), the book of the Torah (which of course includes the "Song"), and heaven and earth (again) are singled out as witnesses. The “Song”, in particular, is to “testify as a witness” against the people, “when many evils and troubles have found them” (31:21). “Testifying” in this particular case is “an’ta” (of the root a.n.h – ayin, noon, hey), meaning to “respond or answer”, as according to verse 19 the “Song” will be “in the mouths of the Children of Israel”. Therefore, when they recite this Song, their own words shall “respond” to, or echo, their evil actions and become a testimony against them. This brings to mind Parashat Nitzavim’s: “The word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may do it” (30:14 italics added), which is the other side of the same proverbial coin. Another usage of “ta’aneh”, “respond”, in relationship to “witness” is found in Sh’mot (Exodus) 20:16 and Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 5:20, where it says: “You shall not bear – “ta’aneh”- respond” - a false witness against your neighbor”. In view of this, we may ask: Are the things that we say and do but mere responses, or answers bearing testimony to a ‘Primary Cause’ (be it YHVH or the adversary)?

In 31:10-11 we read: “And Moses commanded them, saying, ‘at the end of seven years, at the set time of the year of release, in the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel has come to appear before YHVH your Elohim in the place which He shall choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing’.” The word for “read” is “kara” (k.r.a, kof, resh, alef), meaning to "read, recite, call”. At the end of the Parasha, in verse 29, it says: “For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And evil will happen to you in the latter end of the days…”  Moshe predicts that “evil” will “happen to you”, which is rendered here ve’karat, and shares the same root as the aforementioned “kara” (“read”). However, as a rule the spelling for “happen” (albeit of the same sound as “read” or “recite”), is different and therefore has another root. Thus, the special rendering and spelling of “happen” in this particular case incorporates, as it were, the verb for “reading”. Hearing the Torah read while turning away from it and from its Giver will result in evil befalling or happening to those who know better yet choose to rebel against its Giver (and against their own better judgment). 

Finally, the ironic vein makes its appearance again, in verses 28 and 29, if compared to verse 12, by the usage of the verb “gather” in its imperative form. In the first instance, it is the command to gather all the “people, men and women, and little ones, and the stranger… that they may hear and that they may learn to fear YHVH your Elohim and carefully observe the words of this Torah” (that is in the 7^th year gathering at Succot). In the second instance, “all the elders of your tribes, and your officers” are to be gathered “that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them”. The object of this second gathering is in order to predict that after Moshe’s death “You will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of YHVH, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands" (verse 29). Whereas the first gathering is of the entire people, the second is addressing only the ones with leadership responsibilities. Thus, if the first gathering will not yield the desired results, it will become necessary for the second one to take place. 

 

[1] The New Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon, Francis Brown Hendrickson.

Publishers, Peabody, Mass. 1979.

 [2] Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew, Rabbi Matityahu Clark, Feldheim

Publishers, Jerusalem, New York.

 *  “Over” is pronounced like “overt,” minus the “t” sound.