BESHALACH:
17. And the children of Israel did so: they gathered,
both the one who gathered much and the one who gathered little. 18. And they
measured [it] with an omer, and whoever gathered much did not have more, and
whoever gathered little did not have less; each one according to his eating
capacity, they gathered.
HAFTORAH:
She put forth her hand
to the pin,
and her right hand to
strike the weary;
Talmud
Sotah: Daf 35 - Calev
GENERATIONS FROM ADAM TO THE LAST KING OF JUDAH: Rehoboam
JOURNEYS IN THE DESERT: They
journeyed from Mount Hor and camped in Zalmonah.
Week 35 is the week of Yom Yerushalayim and Rosh Chodesh Sivan. The Torah portion
section for this week describes that “whoever gathered much did not have more,
and whoever gathered little did not have less.” This idea is connected to how
to achieve harmony – each one doing their share. The unity is a symbol of Sivan and is also a symbol of Yom Yerushalayim. (One of the
connections to the Six Day War is perhaps the fact that the so much was
accomplished in so little time. In six day’s time, Israel’s territory more than
tripled – this seems related to the idea of “whoever gathered little did not
have less” – when it comes to miracles, time and effort is not necessarily commensurate
to the outcome.
The Haftorah verses speak of Yael’s brave and cunning actions. She
struck Sissera at the right time. Similarly, one of the greatest miracles of
the Six Day War was the fact that we struck our enemies bravely and
effectively, at the right time.
Daf Lamed Heh (Folio
35) of Sotah continues the discussion of the spies, particularly Calev. It
also discusses transporting the Aron
and the rocks that were used for writing the Torah and as signs for future
generations. The theme of the spies and Calev is very appropriate for Yom Yerushalayim, for Calev showed the
kind of spirit needed to conquer the land, as was done in 1967. Part of the
discussion of the Aron also relates
to bringing the Aron to Jerusalem.
The setting up of the rocks in order to write the Torah on them seems parallel
to the encampment at Har Sinai.
Rehoboam,
the son of Solomon, was king at the time the Jewish kingdom split into two. His
name comes from Rehav (wide
expansive) Am (nation). His
counterpart is Jeroboam, who was crowned the king of the Kingdom of Israel. His
name is also related to the nation (Am),
and can be translated as one who “will increase” or “will fight for” the
nation. Unfortunately, the division between the two kingdoms did nothing to
increase the nation. How appropriate then that Rehoboam be the one to be
connected to Week 35, when the nation was united (on Rosh Chodesh Sivan), and when the territories of Jerusalem and
Judea and Samaria were reunited under Jewish Sovereignty (Yom Yerushalayim).
Both
Rehoboam and Jeroboam’s ways were sinful. In Rehoboam’s time, idol worship and
adultery spread in the Kingdom of Judah. Jeroboam, in the Kingdom of Israel,
caused even more idol worship to take place. He is cited in Pirkei Avot as the quintessential
example of someone who sinned and caused others (including future kings) to sin
as well. Jeroboam’s rebellion against Hashem was such that he even set up
golden calves to be worshiped in an alternate temple to the one in Jerusalem.
Our getting ready to accept the Torah must also involve banishing the “idols”
and “adulterous” behaviors of our time, focusing completely on Hashem.
In the
thirty-fifth week, the Jews journey from Mount Hor and camp in Zalmonah.
Zalmonah comes from Zalmon, darkness. Rabbi Jacobson
explains that this is connected to the verse in Psalms 68:15, “becoming
whitened from the dark shadows of exile” (Targum Yonasan. Rokeach)[1]
These words are reminiscent of the song of the deer in week 36 of Book 1, "And
I shall sing of Your strength, I shall rejoice of Your kindness in the morning,
for You were a refuge to me, and a hiding place on the day of my
oppression." (Psalms 59:17) On Shavuot,
we think of all the darkness we had to endure (such as during the counting of
the omer) to get to this moment of light. The personal journey for this week
is to internalize the concept of love and peace related to Aharon and the
receiving of the Torah, and now focus on light we are about to receive after
the darkness we endured.
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