HAAZINU: When the Lord
will judge His people, and will reconsider His servants, when He sees that the
power is increasing, and none is controlled or strengthened. (Deuteronomy 32:36)
HAFTORAH: And You have given me the shield of Your
salvation; And You have increased Your humility for me. (II Samuel 22:36)
QUALITY FOR ACQUIRING THE TORAH: Loves Reproof (Ohev Et
Hatochachot)
PROPHET: Jeremiah
LEVITICAL CITY: Kartah
Week Thirty-Six is the week of Shavuot and Haazinu’s verse states that G-d will judge His people and relent
once he sees the strength of the enemy increasing. Shavuot is not a day usually associated with judgment. However,
in many ways it does have many aspects of judgment, like Rosh Hashanah. How a person’s studies will go during the year is
largely determined on how they go on Shavuot.
Just like we try not to sleep much on Rosh
Hashanah, on Shavuot we stay up
all night learning Torah. Furthermore, as much as Shavuot is a day of celebration, the unfortunate events that took
place immediately following the giving of the Torah (ie. the sin of the golden
calf), required Hashem's great mercy, as well as Moshe's begging on our behalf.
The Haftorah’s
verse also appears to be a clear reference to Shavuot. At Mount Sinai, G-d lowered Himself (a sign of increased humility) in such a way that it was
possible that He be revealed to the Jewish people.
The quality for this week is loves reproof (Ohev Et Hatochachot). Prior to Shavuot every year we read the Tochachah (the “reproof”) in the Torah
Portion of Bechukotai. As
explained in the previous paragraphs, this week is also connected to the events
immediately following the giving of the Torah, which include much reproof.
Furthermore, it is only by being open to reproof that one is able to learn and
grow; it is an essential element in serving G-d, one of the main teachings of
the Book of Proverbs:
Reprove not a scorner lest he hate you; reprove a wise
man and he will love you. Give a wise
man, and he will become yet wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase
in learning. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge
of the holy ones is understanding. (Chapter 9:8-10)
This week’s prophet is Jeremiah, whose
prophecy is by far the one most associated with reproof. After all, it is
Jeremiah that so strongly spoke about the destruction of the Temple,
Jerusalem’s devastation and the Babylonian exile, and who witnessed these
events during his lifetime. It was also Jeremiah who recorded the Book of
Lamentations, depicting so vividly and emotionally G-d’s reproof. Jeremiah was
on a level attained by very few prophets, and it is therefore also appropriate
that he be the one associated with the week of Shavuot. Jeremiah’s message is also one that is extremely pertinent
to Shavuot:
"Thus
saith the L-rd: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the
mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches. But
let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me,
that I am the L-rd Who exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the
earth; for in these things I delight, saith the L-rd."
The
levitical city for this week is Kartah. Kartah (with an alef) means “city” in Aramaic. Perhaps the meaning here is that the
giving of the Torah involves knowing the simple truth, even if such a truth is
painful. The Jewish people come from Shem,
whose name literally means “name.” This also points to the simple truth he
represented. The ruins of Kartah, in the outskirts of Haifa, are an important
(and beautiful) archeological site in Israel today.[1]
There is
also an opinion that Kartah is Tavor, a city of the tribe of Issachar.[2]
Mount Tabor was shared by the tribes of Issachar and Zevulun. It seems
appropriate that Zevulun and Issachar would in this way “share” the levitical
city for the week of Shavuot, a sign
of brotherly love that was so essential to the giving of the Torah. It is also
worth noting that the zodiac sign for the month of Sivan is gemini, twins. It is also worth noting
that Mount Tabor thought itself worthy of being the mountain to receive the
Torah, and was later the scene of miracles in the times of Devorah:
3. Hear, O
kings, give ear, O princes; I, to the Lord I shall sing, I shall sing to the
Lord, the G-d of Israel.
אָנֹכִי
אָנֹכִי: This word is repeated. I have heard an Aggadic interpretation: The
Holy One did not rob (by withholding) the reward of Mount Tabor and Mount
Carmel who arrived at the giving of the Torah, expecting it to be given upon
them, and turned away in shame. The Holy One said to them, “I will pay you
double fold. It was said at Sinai, (Ex. 20:2) ‘(אָנֹכִי) I am the Lord your G-d,’
at Tabor it will be said, ‘I… I…’ (אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי). It was said at Sinai, ‘I
am the Lord your G-d (ה׳ אֱלֹקֶי),’ at Carmel it will be said twice, (I Kings
18:39) ‘The Lord He is G-d, the Lord He is G-d (ה׳ הוּא הָאֱלֹקִים)’ in the
days of Elijah.” (Rashi on Judges 5:3)
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