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Parshat Haazinu
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Cleaving to the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

"Remember the Days of the World"

"Don't cast us away, and Your Divine inspiration do not take away from us!" (Ps. 51 and selichos)

In this plea we essentially express that 'Divine inspiration' is something natural for us, and we ask that this inspiration not be taken away from us. Indeed, in the past we have shown sources that point to Divine inspiration being the 'normal' state of Israel, while its lacking is none other than a 'sickness'. One of the important keys to these holy days is the realization that in reality our souls are great with tremendous potential. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to return to God by realizing our great mission in the grand Divine Plan in context of our location, time, and personal characteristic. These facets are hinted in the verse of our title quote, which states "Remember the days of the world (location), contemplate the years (time) of the generations, ask your father and he will tell you, your elders and they shall speak unto you."

This verse seems to outline the three fundamentals of Creation, spelled out in the ancient Kabbalistic work 'Sefer Yetzira', 'world, time, and (human) soul'. As our parsha always coincides with the Days of Awe, it seems that reading this verse reminds us to contemplate our location, place in time, and personal traits that give us clues to what is our personal rectification and 'return to God' in the grand Divine Plan. As we just mentioned, one of the important matters to contemplate is the element of location. Obviously, our People's great return to the Holy Land, the 'soul' of all location across the globe, carries with it many ramifications even for an individual living in the Diaspora. This is due to the fact that the souls of Israel are all connected on an essential level, meaning that one's personal 'return to God' should ideally be thought of in context of the People in general. Therefore, it follows that Hebron and Jerusalem which act as the 'soul-centers' of the Holy Land are also dominant factors in each individual's return to God.

Last week we showed how Yarmut, one of three cities tied to both Jerusalem and Hebron in the book of Joshua, essentially synthesizes the 'energies' of both Jerusalem and Hebron in a unique way. The two other cities, Lachish and Eglon, mentioned in this context in the book of Joshua, also seem to point to a unique synthesis. The prophet states that God 'has a fire in Zion and a furnace in Jerusalem.' Many times we have mentioned that Zion is synonymous to Hebron according to the Arizal. This verse ties Hebron and Jerusalem to a relationship similar to fire and a furnace. The word Lachish comes from the same verb root as 'lechesh', which is a burning element used in fires, ovens, in the like (see Mishna Shabbos ch. 2). Therefore, it seems that Lachish conveys the high-energy fiery dynamic that connects Hebron and Jerusalem, also hinting to Hebron being the initiating 'fire' while Jerusalem is the goal - 'the furnace'.

'Eglon', one the other hand, seems to hint to the common royal hues of both Hebron and Jerusalem. Our Rabbis mention that Moabite king Eglon's grand-daughter was no other than Ruth, the Moabite convert. Our Sages explain that Eglon merited this honor due to the honor he gave to HaShem, for when Ehud the Judge told him about the God of Israel he stood up. Thus, it is not surprising that the city of Eglon is tied to Hebron and Jerusalem, for the direct descendant of Eglon was David, the prototype of royalty, who reigned both in Hebron and Jerusalem. 

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #191

During the Ten Days of Repentance, when it is customary to pray for sustenance and livelihood, I just 'happened' to meet two of the main supporters of the Torah institution which I run at various locations, a matter that has never happened before...' I.G

Sample Prayer #4: 'Blessed are You... returns His Holy Presence to Zion (see previous issues). Thank You for Your Holy Land and Temple (imagine yourself in the Temple),  thank You for Hebron and Jerusalem. Thank You for inspiring us to return to You with Your Light that shines throughout location, time, and people. Thank You for returning our People to the Holy Land! Indeed, may we evermore see Your Presence return to Zion...'

Sources: Joshua 10, Isaiah 31, 9, Rut Raba 2, 9

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