21 Adar Alef 5784
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Ki Tisa
From the Stone Edition Chumash Commentary on Parashat Ki Tisa...
...the original intent in making the calf was not to worship it as a god, ...the initiators of the project were the Eirav Rav, and ...only an infinitesimal proportion of Jews actually worshiped it. However, the sin was most grievous, nonetheless. As is clear..., there were Jews, few though they were, who were guilty of idolatry. The rest of the people did not resist the Eirav Rav or the Jewish worshipers. This constituted either silent acquiescence or lack of faith, which was a condemnation of the nation as a whole.
Can anyone else see that we are still repeating the sins of the past instead of rectifying them??? Hashem yerachem!
~ SHABBAT SHALOM ~
so what should 'we' do?
ReplyDeleteSeparate yourself from those who are calling for our engagement with idolatry and call them out publicly, so others may be warned. That is how we "resist."
Delete...the people did not resist the Eirav Rav or the Jewish worshipers. This constituted either silent acquiescence or lack of faith...."
בס"ד
ReplyDelete"Can anyone else see that we are still repeating the sins of the past instead of rectifying them??? Hashem yerachem!"
That much is, or should be obvious. The question for me is what exactly it the golden calf today. Can it be identified as an object, or as you posted, a lack of faith? Or something else?
There is a thought provoking passage from parashat Ha'azinu; .....21 They have roused Me to jealousy with a no-god; they have provoked Me with their vanities; and I will rouse them to jealousy with a no-people; I will provoke them with a vile nation." We have been provoked almost continually in our heritage since '48. by a "no-people. If ever a biblical description fit perfectly to the so called palestinians, it is this, a no-people, a vile and foolish people.
So what exactly is our golden calf? What are we doing or failing to do that Hashem provokes us with a no people?
From parashat ma'asei ....." 55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then shall those that ye let remain of them be as thorns in your eyes, and as pricks in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land wherein ye dwell."
We had three occasions and a just cause to do so, '48, '67 and '73, and in this we failed also. We were warned not to make a covenant with the nations and with their gods. In creating a "state of all its
citizens, we have proved that we cannot escape the consequences of disregarding the mitzvot of Torah. We must become the nation that Hashem intended us to be and "Live" by Torah. I don't see any other solution.
-----stingray-----
Absolutely right, Stingray. But, here again as in the time of the golden calf, it was the Erev Rav who initiated the whole episode and again it was the Erev Rav who brought in from Tunisia the 'non people'. Once again, they were the cause of our tzarot. Trouble is they are the ones always leading, whether in influence or having the power in leadership roles and making alliances.
ReplyDeleteReturning to H' & our Torah is the only way.
H' Yerachem! Am Yisrael needs to wake up and remember how &
who started this latest repeat of an egel hazahav.
Rather than it simply referring to previous inhabitants and those with illegitimate claims (e.g. Esav & Yishmael), is there a way to directly tie the identity of the non people to either Amalek who had a trait of cosplay as other nations (from the time they pretended to be Canaanites up to the present) or to the Erev Rav who prevent us from removing the former?
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to look at the current situation and involvement of the UN, effective merged with terror groups (and support of the rest of the world) as the likely Gog U'Magog embodiment of the 70 nations waging war against Hashem and his people?
Jesterhead, I can't give you a definitive answer, but I am happy to share my opinion based on what I've learned.
ReplyDelete1. Because the nations were mixed up over time - intentionally - starting with Sancheriv (maybe Nimrod did it, too, not sure), but certainly we have sources which describe how Sancheriv relocated whole people groups in order to break their attachment to their homeland.... Because of that, it's impossible to know who the descendants of ancient people groups are, except The Jews. And it is observance of the Torah which has kept us apart as a distinct and identifiable ancient people group. It is well known and documented that a great many, perhaps even the vast majority, of 'Palestinians' migrated from Syria, Egypt and Jordan. Somewhere around 75% of the current population of Jordan today identifies as 'Palestinian'.
On the other hand, we don't know where their souls originated. Our Sages claim that at the End of Days, all of our old enemies will return to try to finish the job of our destruction. They are referring to gilgulim of souls. If that is the case then surely, the 'nation' of Amalek is here.
While we can't conclusively identify who is who - including the Erev Rav - we can make an educated guess based on their actions - as in "if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's most probably a duck."
2. I don't see why not.
Just for interest: Mass deportation: the Assyrian resettlement policy
Devorah Chayah, definitely read of how Sancheriv's deportation and resettlement policy played a role in mixing things up in the past.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time what Rabbi Bar-Hayim, Rabbi Chananya Weissman and others have raised in the past (not sure if Rabbi Yehuda Ricther ever brought it up) regarding Amalek being viewed as a status rather than a distinct people, there being identifiable traits from which to draw upon in Jewish sources and how (regardless of origin or underlaying motivation) they define themselves against in relation to Hashem / Jewish people / Geulah process / etc, does resonate and seem increasingly relevant in this era in helping one demystify things.
בס"ד
ReplyDeleteI might add to my previous post, that the original philistines were not even Ishmaelites, they were Greek sea farers from Cyprus (kafrisin) Crete (Caphtor) and some of the other islands who migrated to the Azza area after an earthquake somewhere around 1496 b.c.e. I believe they are also called Caphtorim in the Tanak.
The linguistic root of philistine is Falash, an invader, definitely not indigenous. And since they were of Greek origin, the spurious claims of the palestinians to be descended from the philistines is more than just simply delusional. They have no legitimate claim to any area of EY whatsoever. They are as you stated from Syria, Jordan and Egypt predominantly.
-----stingray-----
You know there was avoda zara at the dance party right????!!
ReplyDeleteTo Anon @7:43 pm, yes there was avoda zora at that party, r'l.
ReplyDeleteThe last comment by Chaya Devorah is spot on and so is Stingray's comment in regard to the non-people. There are no Amaleikim, per se,
today, but whoever and whatever nation retains the hatred and has
the violence as this non-people, definitely have blood of the original amaleikim in them. We also know that when we see this evil and also there are those people who doubt that there is a G-D (doubters) are also referred to as Amaleik, as it has the same gematria as 'doubt'.
When these pereadam refer to themselves as descendants of the Cnanim, you can be sure, they are Cnaanim, the same ones that Hashem Commanded Yehoshua to destroy. Now, at the end of days,
all these vicious souls have returned for final judgment.
The world knows who and what they are, they have shown us, r'l.
There are no more excuses - to make nice what is so ugly.
Just must add that most (not some) of the arabs who have been in Israel since the rebirth of the state of Israel are from the other nations in the area because they were invited by the Turks when Jews started returning in the 1800's because they did not want to have a majority of Jews in Eretz Yisrael. Then the nasty British continued the same thing.
ReplyDeleteMost arabs are from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq and other countries.
Many of the arabs at that time were also nomads, beduoins traveling trough as they do in that whole region. THE ONLY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF EY ARE THE JEWISH PEOPLE!!!