HAAZINU: I will
intoxicate My arrows with blood, and My sword will consume flesh, from the
blood of the slain and the captives, from the first breach of the enemy.' (Deuteronomy 32:42)
HAFTORAH: They looked about, but there was no one to
save them; [Even] to the Lord, but He answered them not. (II Samuel 22:42)
PIRKEI AVOT QUALITY: Places Him [in The Path of] Truth
(Ma’amidoh Al Ha’Emet)
PROPHET: Mehsiah
LEVITICAL CITY: Mephaath
Week Forty-Two is the last week of the
month of Tammuz, and Haazinu’s verse refers to G-d destroying
Israel’s enemies. The Haftorah again
contains the same theme, associated also with the month of Tammuz, when in the future, the Jewish people’s fortunes in this
month will be reversed for the good.
The quality for this week is places him
[in the path of] truth (ma’amidoh al
ha’emet). The verb used does not means place, but rather "raise." It is the same verb used in the opening verses of Pirkei Avot, in which the Men of the Great Assembly advised that
future generations, “raise up many students.” The reason the word “raise” is
used, is that the students have to be able to stand on their own two feet.
Truth, by definition is the necessary foundation for one to be able to stand on his/her own.[1]
This week’s
prophet is Mehsiah. Mehsiah was the grandfather of Baruch and Seriah. His name
appears in Chapters 32 and 51 of the Book of Jeremiah. In both chapters, the punishment mentioned is ultimately necessary to set the Jewish people on a path of
truth and goodness.
This week’s
levitical city is Mepha’ath. Mepha’ath is also one of the cities mentioned in the
prophecy against Moab. The word Mepha’ath means "to shine." As mentioned previously, this month is about working on
our sense of sight. As we work on our own self-refinement and look at
things in the proper positive way, we can see beauty shine forth, both in others and in ourselves.
[1] The
letters of emet themselves allude to
this. They all have “stable foundations,” and can stand on their own. The
opposite of truth, sheker, is made up
of three letters that cannot stand on their own – they are unstable and fall.
This is reminiscent of the song of the Fox, in week 41 of Book 1, which states,
“Woe to him that builds his house without justice and his chambers without
lawfulness…” In Week 42 of Book 1, the hound sings, "Let the righteous
rejoice in G-d; praise is befitting to the upright." (As explained there, these
statements reflect why the Temple could not stand due to the corruption of the
times, as well as the proper way to correct these flaws.
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