HAAZINU: For a fire
blazed in My wrath, and burned to the lowest depths. It consumed the land and
its produce, setting aflame the foundations of mountains. (Deuteronomy 32:22)
Positive light: For a fire blazed in My wrath [against
Amalek], and burned since Shaul. It
consumed [Amalek] the land and its produce, setting aflame the foundations of
mountains.
HAFTORAH: For I have kept the ways of the Lord and
have not wickedly departed from [the commandments of] my G-d. (II Samuel 22:22)
QUALITY TO ACQUIRE THE TORAH: Minimized Laughter (Miut Schok)
PROPHET: Eliezer son of
Dodavahu
LEVITICAL CITY: Kedesh in Galillee (city of refuge)
Week Twenty-Two is the week of Rosh Chodesh Adar. This month is
connected to the tribe of Naftali and the attribute of desire (ratzon). It is also the month of Purim. Haazinu’s verse for this week speaks of
how G-d’s wrath burned and led to the destruction of the land and its
surroundings.
A positive interpretation is that the
wrath spoken of here is not against Israel, but rather against the “foolish
nation” that attacks it: Amalek. The Hebrew word translated at first as “lowest
depths” is Sheol, which can also be
read as Shaul, the first king of
Israel who failed to wipe out Amalek,
and G-d’s anger against it continued since. In Adar, we read Parashat Zachor,
in which we remember to destroy Amalek, and everything it represents. The Purim
story itself is a contrast between Mordechai, a descendant of Shaul, and Haman,
a descendant of Hagag, the King of the Amalekites. Ultimately, Mordechai
defeats Haman, who is killed along with this sons.
The Haftarah’s
verse also appears to point to this contrast between good and evil. The first
half of the verse affirms good behavior, while the second rejects negative
behavior. Interestingly, the part about good behavior, “I have kept the ways,” Shamarti Darchei, contains the letters
of Mordechai. The second half, “have
not wickedly” Veloh Rashati, is
likely a reference to Haman who is called Haman
HaRashah. Veloh Rashati is reminiscent
of the name, “Vashti,” King Achashverosh’s evil wife, prior to Queen Esther.
The
quality for this week is minimized
laughter (miut schok). Laughter can
lead a person to frivolity, and to ultimately being dragged in to the wrong
circles. Laughter is certainly not bad per say – it can have mind expanding
qualities, it is even a custom, based on the Talmud, to begin each lesson with
a joke - nevertheless such laughter has to characterized by miut, smallness, humility. This is true of the month of Adar, when we are Marbim B'Simcha, we increase in joy, and true for Purim itself,
when it is a mitzvah to get drunk and act in a way of schok; we just have to remember to do it with the right intentions.
This week’s prophet is Eliezer son of
Dodavahu. His words to King Yehoshaphat incorporate the above idea of being
careful in ones social interactions. King Yehoshaphat was righteous, but at one
point he associated himself with King Ahab. The prophet rebuked King
Yehoshaphat for his actions, and he was punished. The ships he had made with
King Ahab were broken, and they were unable to sail them. This is the last
event described in the Tanach prior
to the King Yehoshaphat’s death.
The
levitical city for this week is Kedesh,
which is also a city of refuge. Its name comes from the Hebrew word Kadosh, which means “holy.” It is also
related to the word Kiddush, which is
the blessing over wine. It appears related to the drinking that takes place in Adar, which as superficially frivolous
as it might seem, is in fact tremendously holy, in many ways even holier than Yom Kippur.
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