The Third Showing – Lech Lecha
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ. (בראשית יב, א)
HKB"H tells (וַיֹּאמֶר in a gentle tone) Avram (not yet Avraham) to take a leap of faith. To leave everything he knows - his culture, language, surroundings, neighborhood, family, etc. - and venture to some unknown place "that I will show you" אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ.
HKB"H promises Avram many things, that he will become a great nation, he will receive blessings, fame, wealth, etc. Sounds like a "glossy brochure" from a travel agent (except that here HKB"H is the "travel agent", so it is more credible). Avraham willingly does HKB"H's bidding, not because of the "glossy brochure", but simply because HKB"H commanded him to do so כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו ה', the word דִּבֶּר this time, a harsher, commanding tone - not the soft, gentle "sales pitch" of two psukkim before.
It is not far off the mark to call Avraham the first Oleh Chadash. When you read about the things that happen to him upon his arrival in Israel (then Canaan), they are reminiscent of the trials and tribulations every Oleh experiences when making Aliyah – difficulty in finding a place to live, problems with employment and parnasa etc.
Avram arrives in the land HKB"H "showed" him and HKB"H appears וַיֵּרָא to Avram and promises this land to his descendants. A few psukkim later, after Avram and Lot part ways, HKB"H again says to Avram שָׂא נָא עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה, see the land before you, כִּי אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה רֹאֶה, all the land that you see will be forever given to your descendants.
Hagar runs away from Sarah and HKB"H sends an angel to tell her to return and suffer under Sarah's hand. Hagar calls the angel (or HKB"H who sent the angel) אֵ-ל רֳאִי.
HKB"H then appears to Avram וַיֵּרָא, renames him Avraham and promises him a son – Yitzchak.
We now skip to next week's parsha, וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו, after the brit milah, HKB"H appears to Avraham. Sarah hears she is to give birth and laughs. HKB"H chastises her and she replies לֹא צָחַקְתִּי כִּי יָרֵאָה, I was fearful. Avraham banishes Hagar and Yishmael and Hagar and when Yishmael is on the brink of death an angel calls to her and says אַל תִּ֣ירְאִי, do not fear.
At the end of Vayeira we have the parsha of the Akeida and again we have multiple references to similar words above –
וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת הַמָּקוֹם מֵרָחֹק
וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֱ-לֹקִים יִרְאֶה לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה
וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה אַיִל אַחַר נֶאֱחַז בַּסְּבַךְ בְּקַרְנָיו
וַיִּקְרָא אַבְרָהָם שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא ה' יִרְאֶה אֲשֶׁר יֵאָמֵר הַיּוֹם בְּהַר ה' יֵרָאֶה
There are many more examples, but these will suffice.
Throughout the recounting of the life of Avraham in the Torah we have prodigious repetition of verbs that have the root ראה, in all different constructs – show, look, see, appear, fear.
In fact, it is not only with Avraham, but also with the other Avot, Yitzchak and Yaakov.
Many generations later, HKB"H commands Moshe to return to Egypt and redeem Am Yisrael. Moshe's initial visits to Pharaoh result only in further hardship and suffering for Am Yisrael. Moshe questions HKB"H "Why did you send me?"
Davka at this point, at a point of doubt, HKB"H says to Moshe וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב בְּ"קֵל שַׁקָּי" וּשְׁמִי "יְקוָק" לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם. In response to Moshe's lack of understanding, HKB"H finds it necessary to teach Moshe a profound and fundamental principle regarding G-d's relationship with Am Yisrael.
HKB"H says to Moshe "I appeared to the Avot numerous times. They recognized Me and My modus operandi, despite the fact that they suffered terrible nisyonot." Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov all lived lives filled with trial, tribulation and suffering mixed with mercy, מִדַּת הַדִּין mixed with מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים. When HKB"H appeared to the Avot it was in that form, א-ל ש-ד-י, from the word דַּי - "enough" suffering (Kli Yakar). "The Avot never saw Me in my pure מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים form, "י-ה-ו-ה.
HKB"H reveals to Moshe that יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם is to be a nexus between the mida of קֵל שַׁקָּי and the mida of יְקוָק. From this point on HKB"H wants the relationship with Am Yisrael to only be מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים with no further suffering. And it would have been if Am Yisrael had not sinned. By sinning, Am Yisrael set the clock back and we have to wait now for the third and final nexus, the Geulah and the Mashiach, where our relationship with HKB"H will be totally devoid of suffering.
Moshe needed this clarification, because although he "looked" (he recognized that everything was being orchestrated by HKB"H), he did not "see" (he did not understand where all this was going). It was a reprimand to Moshe. HKB"H said "The Avot also looked and often they did not see (understand), but they didn't question". When Yitzchak asks Avraham "I see the wood and fire, but where is the sacrificial ram?" Avraham does not yet "see" the ram, but he does not question Hashem. "HKB"H will show the ram, my son!" Avraham does not know the end of the saga yet, but whatever it will be, it is OK with Avraham. Avraham knows there is going to be a sacrifice, he just does not know if it is going to be מִדַּת הַדִּין or מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים. In the beginning, he thinks it is going to be דִּין, he says אֱ-לֹקִים יִרְאֶה (לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה). At the end, he realizes that is רַחֲמִים and he calls the place י-ה-ו-ה יִרְאֶה.
This is Avraham's entire life, beginning with לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ and ending with וְלֶךְ לְךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה. In all this time, Avraham is unquestioning, except once. HKB"H promises Avraham that his descendants will inherit Eretz Yisrael forever and Avraham asks וַיֹּאמַר ה' א-לוקים בַּמָּה אֵדַע כִּי אִירָשֶׁנָּה. Avraham is not questioning that HKB"H is going to give his descendants the land, he just wants to know whether it will be with מִדַּת הַדִּין or מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים. Avraham is not chas vechalila lacking faith or questioning HKB"H's justice, he simply wants to know with which מִדָּה his descendants will inherit. HKB"H's answer – "Your descendants will suffer exile for 400 years and even though they will not be deserving, I will redeem them – it will be entirely with מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים, as HKB"H later tells Moshe. The difference between Avraham's question and Moshe's is that Avraham is asking "how", while Moshe is asking "why" and thus he receives the reprimand.
The ultimate destiny of Am Yisrael is to inherit the land and be redeemed because of מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים, not because we are deserving of it, but simply because HKB"H promised it to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. It is not because of the Balfour Declaration in 1917 or the UN Resolution in 1948, or because we are such big Tzaddikim, or more or less moral than any other nation in the world, or more or less militarily superior. It is simply because of a Divine promise, well documented in the Torah and in the Prophets. That is our raison de'etre, nothing else. Any other claims to this land or by anyone else are baseless. The world, including Eretz Yisrael, was created by HKB"H and belongs only to Him. He chooses when and to whom He gives it (that is the first Rashi in the Torah) and He promised it to us, Am Yisrael.
That is the profound lesson HKB"H is teaching Moshe in parshat וָאֵרָא, the subtle nuances of ראה, the difference between looking and seeing. The fact that HKB"H "appears" is a given. If someone never "looks" they will never recognize HKB"H's הַשְׁגָּחָה in the world. Some of us look, but we do not "see". Sometimes we cannot see, we are not meant to see – we do not know the next step. We do not need to know the next step, only the final outcome.
This was Avraham in a nutshell. He recognized and feared HKB"H (another variation of ראה - יִרְאָה) and that was enough. Avraham felt no need to know all the details and the reasoning.
All the details and understanding will be in retrospect.
Rebi Shlomo Kluger asks why the Korban Toda will be the only individual Korban to persist in the time of the Geulah. A Korban Toda is brought by someone who returns safely from a voyage at sea, a journey in the desert, recovers from illness or is set free from bondage. In the time of Mashiach, none of us will be going on sea voyages or journeys in the desert. All the best holiday spots, scenery, climate and wonders of the world will be right here in Eretz Yisrael. We will not need to go outside Eretz Yisrael on business. All nations of the world will be delivering their natural wealth to us right here on our doorstep (via Amazon? Ali Express?). There will be no illness and certainly no bondage. So, what reason will there be to bring a Korban Toda?
The answer is that in the time of the Geulah we will bring a Korban Toda to give thanks for everything that happened to us prior to the Geulah that we did not understand at the time. All the trials and tribulations, the suffering … When we merit the Geulah, we will be able to look back in retrospect and see (understand) why these things had to take place and how they were for our benefit, each and every time – even though we could not understand them while they were actually taking place. We will achieve "perfection of seeing" and realize that כָּל דַּעֲבִיד רַחֲמָנָא לְטָב עָבִיד. This is why יְרוּשָׁלַיִם is so named. It is a combination of יִרְאֶה and שָׁלֵם – "perfect seeing".
In these times of suffering and tribulation we need to revisit the lesson HKB"H taught Moshe when he asked "why?"
We need to derive comfort from the fact that the "happy-end" point is very near. HKB"H is "appearing" to us all the time, we just need to "look" and in most cases we will also "see", but accept that until our "seeing is perfect", there are some things we will not see and understand.
In the remainder of the shiur I would like to share with you a treasure trove of such "things that can been seen/understood in retrospect". These מַרְגָּלִיּוֹת were discovered by your faithful servant, who is eons away from anything remotely approaching a talmid chacham and from a brief, cursory inspection of the texts. The only thing that can be said in my zchut is that I made the hishtadlut and looked. Imagine what we will discover if these texts were examined in much more depth by a real talmid chacham. What insights, inspiration and comfort we would derive.
This analysis is all based on תורת הרמז – gematriyot, etc. Warning – the only value of such an analysis is to understand things in retrospect. No one today has the gift of nevuah to be able to foresee the next steps in the progression. The only thing we do have is the end step – that the Geulah will arrive. That is not predicting the future, that is simply HKB"H's promise to us.
Applying the רֶמֶז methodology to the fourth chapter of the Navi Yoel (the chapter that talks about מִלְחֶמֶת גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג), reveals the following. The perush is from the Metzudot and the Radak.
א. כִּי הִנֵּה בַּיָּמִים הָהֵמָּה וּבָעֵת הַהִיא אֲשֶׁר אָשִׁיב אֶת שְׁבוּת יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלָי͏ם
The Navi says that in the time of the Geulah HKB"H will restore the Tribes to Eretz Yisrael that were exiled from the Kingdom of Yehuda and from the city of Yerushalayim. Although it is known that the Ten Tribes exiled from the Kingdom of Israel will also return, Yoel was the first to prophesy specifically those from Yehuda.
ב. וְקִבַּצְתִּי אֶת כָּל הַגּוֹיִם וְהוֹרַדְתִּים אֶל עֵמֶק יְהוֹשָׁפָט וְנִשְׁפַּטְתִּי עִמָּם שָׁם עַל עַמִּי וְנַחֲלָתִי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר פִּזְּרוּ בַגּוֹיִם וְאֶת אַרְצִי חִלֵּקוּ
I (HKB"H) will gather all the nations to a place called עֵמֶק יְהוֹשָׁפָט and there I will do a reckoning with and punish them for what they did to Am Yisrael and thus all the world will know that these nations sinned, by exiling Am Yisrael and by dividing Eretz Yisrael up between themselves. The reference here is to מִלְחֶמֶת גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג that will take place in this valley.
The gematriya of עֵמֶק יְהוֹשָׁפָט is –
מַפָּלַת גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג
מִצְרַיִם עֲמָלֵק
The "nistar" of חָמָאס, (חית מם אלף סמך without the 1st letter, i.e ית ם לף מך)
אֵם כָּל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת
רַעַשׁ אֲדָמָה
עֵת סְפוֹד
ג. וְאֶל עַמִּי יַדּוּ גוֹרָל וַיִּתְּנוּ הַיֶּלֶד בַּזּוֹנָה וְהַיַּלְדָּה מָכְרוּ בַיַּיִן וַיִּשְׁתּוּ
The nations drew lots to see who would get each member of Am Yisrael. They gambled with the male children to pay for their prostitutes and they sold the female children to pay for their wine (Rachmana litzlan).
The gematriya of this passuk is –
הִתְגַּלּוּת בְּחַג סֻכּוֹת תשפ"ד
פָּקֹד פָּקַדְתִּי אֶתְכֶם וְאֶת הֶעָשׂוּי לָכֶם (שמות ג, טז)
ימֵי צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אַרְאֶנּוּ נִפְלָאוֹת (מיכה ז, טו)
ד. וְגַם מָה אַתֶּם לִי צֹר וְצִידוֹן וְכֹל גְּלִילוֹת פְּלָשֶׁת הַגְּמוּל אַתֶּם מְשַׁלְּמִים עָלָי וְאִם גֹּמְלִים אַתֶּם עָלַי קַל מְהֵרָה אָשִׁיב גְּמֻלְכֶם בְּרֹאשְׁכֶם
And to you, the cities of Tzor and Tzidon (in Lebanon), what did I (HKB"H) do to you that you perpetrate this evil deed to attack Eretz Yisrael. By attacking Am Yisrael you show ingratitude to HKB"H. And also the counties of the Philistines (Gaza), why do you repay me by entering Eretz Yisrael and attacking Am Yisrael? Do you repay Me for something bad I did to you? I did nothing bad to you. And you now repay me with evil deeds? I will speedily repay you in kind.
ה. אֲשֶׁר כַּסְפִּי וּזְהָבִי לְקַחְתֶּם וּמַחֲמַדַּי הַטֹּבִים הֲבֵאתֶם לְהֵיכְלֵיכֶם
You (the nations) took the silver and gold and all the precious things I gave to Am Yisrael and you took it into your temples and places of idol worship.
The gematriya of this passuk is –
חָמָאס יִתְקְפוּ בְּשִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה
תְּקוּפַת סוּכּוֹת מִלְחֶמֶת גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג
ו. וּבְנֵי יְהוּדָה וּבְנֵי יְרוּשָׁלַים מְכַרְתֶּם לִבְנֵי הַיְּוָנִים לְמַעַן הַרְחִיקָם מֵעַל גְּבוּלָם
And you (the nations) sold the children of Yehuda to Greece in order to send them far away from their land and thus the location of their sale would not be discovered by their parents.
ז. הִנְנִי מְעִירָם מִן הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתָם שָׁמָּה וַהֲשִׁבֹתִי גְמֻלְכֶם בְּרֹאשְׁכֶם
I will awaken them (the children) and instill in their hearts a yearning to return to Eretz Yisrael, they will return and take revenge on those who sold them.
ח. וּמָכַרְתִּי אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם וְאֶת בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם בְּיַד בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה וּמְכָרוּם לִשְׁבָאיִם אֶל גּוֹי רָחוֹק כִּי ה' דִּבֵּר
I will give your (the nations) children into the hands of Am Yisrael who return to Yehuda and they will sell your children to a land named Sheva which is even further than Greece, thus I swear.
ט. קִרְאוּ זֹאת בַּגּוֹיִם קַדְּשׁוּ מִלְחָמָה הָעִירוּ הַגִּבּוֹרִים יִגְּשׁוּ יַעֲלוּ כֹּל אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה
You (the nations) proclaim – "Ready yourselves for war (גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג)". "Awaken your heroes". "All warriors go up to Yerushlayim to wage war".
The gematriya of this passuk is –
יוֹצֵר אוֹר וּבוֹרֵא חֹשֶׁךְ עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם וּבוֹרֵא רָע אֲנִי ה' עֹשֶׂה כָל אֵלֶּה (ישעיהו מה, ז)
י. כֹּתּוּ אִתֵּיכֶם לַחֲרָבוֹת וּמַזְמְרֹתֵיכֶם לִרְמָחִים הַחַלָּשׁ יֹאמַר גִּבּוֹר אָנִי
Break your (peacetime tools) spades to make swords and your shears to make spears. Even the weak among you will say they are heroes and partake in the war.
יא. עוּשׁוּ וָבֹאוּ כָל הַגּוֹיִם מִסָּבִיב וְנִקְבָּצוּ שָׁמָּה הַנְחַת ה' גִּבּוֹרֶיךָ
All the nations will gather around to fight with Am Yisrael. There, in עֵמֶק יְהוֹשָׁפָט HKB"H will smite your heroes.
The gematriya of this passuk is –
שְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת תשפ"ד
עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה גִּילּוּי עֲרָיוֹת שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים
וְהִתְרַסְּקוּת אֱמוּנַת כּוֹחִי וְעוֹצֶם יָדִי
יב. יֵעוֹרוּ וְיַעֲלוּ הַגּוֹיִם אֶל עֵמֶק יְהוֹשָׁפָט כִּי שָׁם אֵשֵׁב לִשְׁפֹּט אֶת כָּל הַגּוֹיִם מִסָּבִיב
The nations will awake and rise up to fight Am Yisrael in עֵמֶק יְהוֹשָׁפָט. There I will judge and punish all the nations who surround Am Yisrael and they will be defeated by Am Yisrael.
יג. שִׁלְחוּ מַגָּל כִּי בָשַׁל קָצִיר בֹּאוּ רְדוּ כִּי מָלְאָה גַּת הֵשִׁיקוּ הַיְקָבִים כִּי רַבָּה רָעָתָם
HKB"H turns to Am Yisrael and says in a mashal – kill the nations with your swords because it is time for them to die, like one reaps with a scythe.
יד. הֲמוֹנִים הֲמוֹנִים בְּעֵמֶק הֶחָרוּץ כִּי קָרוֹב יוֹם ה' בְּעֵמֶק הֶחָרוּץ
Many throngs of the nations will die in (a synonym for) עֵמֶק יְהוֹשָׁפָט, for the day of their judgement is near.
טו. שֶׁמֶשׁ וְיָרֵחַ קָדָרוּ וְכוֹכָבִים אָסְפוּ נָגְהָם
From the magnitude of oblivion that the nations will suffer, the sun and the moon will cease to shine. Also, the stars will issue no light.
טז. וַה' מִצִּיּוֹן יִשְׁאָג וּמִירוּשָׁלַים יִתֵּן קוֹלוֹ וְרָעֲשׁוּ שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ וַה' מַחֲסֶה לְעַמּוֹ וּמָעוֹז לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
After HKB"H returns his Shechina to Zion, He will roar like a lion to frighten the nations, from Jerusalem His voice will emanate and Heaven and earth will tremble at the voice of HKB"H. And He will shield Am Yisrael so that they do not suffer the fate of the nations.
יז. וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי ה' אֱ-לֹקֵיכֶם שֹׁכֵן בְּצִיּוֹן הַר קָדְשִׁי וְהָיְתָה יְרוּשָׁלַים קֹדֶשׁ וְזָרִים לֹא יַעַבְרוּ בָהּ עוֹד
And then you will know that I am Hashem your G-d, and Yerushalayim will acquire the law of Hekdesh (that no members of the nations can enter it and harm its inhabitants). And no strangers will pass through it ever again.
יח. וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם הַהוּא יִטְּפוּ הֶהָרִים עָסִיס וְהַגְּבָעוֹת תֵּלַכְנָה חָלָב וְכָל אֲפִיקֵי יְהוּדָה יֵלְכוּ מָיִם וּמַעְיָן מִבֵּית ה' יֵצֵא וְהִשְׁקָה אֶת נַחַל הַשִּׁטִּים
And on that day the mountains will flow wine and there will be so many goats it will be as if the hills are flowing milk. All the dried up rivers will resume their flow and water will emanate from the Beit HaMikdash and fill Nachal Shittim.
יט. מִצְרַיִם לִשְׁמָמָה תִהְיֶה וֶאֱדוֹם לְמִדְבַּר שְׁמָמָה תִּהְיֶה מֵחֲמַס בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר שָׁפְכוּ דָם נָקִיא בְּאַרְצָם
Egypt and Edom will become desolate in punishment for them spilling the blood of Am Yisrael who were not deserving the death penalty.
כ. וִיהוּדָה לְעוֹלָם תֵּשֵׁב וִירוּשָׁלַים לְדוֹר וָדוֹר
Yerushalayim will be populated and endure forever
The gematriya of this passuk is -
דֹּב בִּשְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת תשפ"ד
כא. וְנִקֵּיתִי דָּמָם לֹא נִקֵּיתִי וַה' שֹׁכֵן בְּצִיּוֹן
Even if I forgive the nations for the rest of their sins, I will not forgive their sin of killing Am Yisrael, and then HKB"H will avenge his people when His Shechina is in Zion in the Beit Hamikdash.
The gematriya of this passuk is –
פָּרָשַׁת נֹחַ תשפ"ד
חֲרָבוֹת בַּרְזֶל עוֹטֵף עַזָּה אַחֲרִית יָמִים
וַיִּרְדְּפֵם עַד חוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר מִשְּׂמֹאל לְדַמָּשֶׂק (בראשית יד, טו)
וַיִּכָּלְאוּ מַיִם רַבִּים וָאַקְדִּר עָלָיו לְבָנוֹן וְכָל עֲצֵי הַשָּׂדֶה עָלָיו עֻלְפֶּה (יחזקאל לא, טו)
This is a brief synopsis of the chapter (4) relating מִלְחֶמֶת גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג in sefer Yoel.
Even without the gematriyot, the resemblance to current events is mind blowing.
Look, see, understand and have faith in HKB"H's first showing/appearance (to the Avot), His second showing/appearance (during יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם) and the soon to be witnessed third showing/appearance (the coming of the Geulah).
Am Yisrael, take heart! Our Geulah is fast approaching. Unite. Do tshuva. Do not be afraid of what you see, however horrific it may seem. Do not believe what the nations say, not their leaders and not their media. Believe what HKB"H promised us via the prophets. It is all coming to pass. This time HKB"H is fighting our fight and we will prevail.
