My Musing
How do we exact revenge on our enemies in the modern era. The second midrash of the Tanhuma on Matot begins with the command to avenge the wrong done by Midian and then segues into the uses of the special trumpets. The fanfare was always used to announce publicly the start of an event, from the advent of the Shabbat to the impending battle to the journey from the encampment to the gathering of the assembly.
In the Medieval period and in our modern day, we do not declare war on our enemies to exact revenge. But how do we declare our revenge. Perhaps the midrash is implying tha the best revenge is to openly live our lives as Sabbath observing Jews. As my 11th grade rebbe, Rabbi Ganzfried a”h said, the best revenge we have on the Nazis, and the Roman, and the Kossacks etc., is that we are still here learning Torah proudly and not hidden from view. Perhaps that is our trumpet sounding the call for revenge in our day.
How do we exact revenge on our enemies in the modern era. The second midrash of the Tanhuma on Matot begins with the command to avenge the wrong done by Midian and then segues into the uses of the special trumpets. The fanfare was always used to announce publicly the start of an event, from the advent of the Shabbat to the impending battle to the journey from the encampment to the gathering of the assembly.
In the Medieval period and in our modern day, we do not declare war on our enemies to exact revenge. But how do we declare our revenge. Perhaps the midrash is implying tha the best revenge is to openly live our lives as Sabbath observing Jews. As my 11th grade rebbe, Rabbi Ganzfried a”h said, the best revenge we have on the Nazis, and the Roman, and the Kossacks etc., is that we are still here learning Torah proudly and not hidden from view. Perhaps that is our trumpet sounding the call for revenge in our day.
מדרש תנחומא )ורשא) פרשת מטות סימן ב
(במדבר לא:א,ב)"וַיְדַבֵּר יְדֹוָד אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר.נְקֹם נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֵת הַמִּדְיָנִים אַחַר תֵּאָסֵף אֶל עַמֶּיךָ"
And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying: 'Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people.'
ילמדנו רבינו: כמה תקיעות תוקעין בערב שבת כדי לבטל את העם מן המלאכה?
Our Rabbi will teach us: How many blasts are blown on Friday evening to warn the nation to desist from their labor for Shabbat?
כך שנו רבותינו: שלשה תקיעות תוקעין בערב שבת. כיצד?
חזן הכנסת נוטל את החצוצרות ועולה לגג גבוה של עיר ותוקע. כל מי שהיה רחוק מן העיר היה נפטר ממלאכתו. וחזר ובא ותוקע שנייה. הקרובין נכנסין לעיר. שלישית תוקע והיו מטמינין את החמין ומדליקין את הנר. גמר מלתקוע היתה קדירה על גבי כירה מניחין אותה בארץ ואם היה הנר ביד האשה מנחת אותה בארץ.
Our rabbis taught: Three blasts were sounded on the Sabbath eve. How?
The leader of the community would take the trumpet and go up to the roof of the city and blow. Whoever was far from the city would end their labor. Then the leader would return and blow a second time. Those who were near the city would stop their work and enter the city. He would blow a third time and the people would stoke their hot foods and light the candles. When he finished blowing, if there was a pot on the fire they would set it on the ground and if there was a candle in her hands she would put it on the ground.
The leader of the community would take the trumpet and go up to the roof of the city and blow. Whoever was far from the city would end their labor. Then the leader would return and blow a second time. Those who were near the city would stop their work and enter the city. He would blow a third time and the people would stoke their hot foods and light the candles. When he finished blowing, if there was a pot on the fire they would set it on the ground and if there was a candle in her hands she would put it on the ground.
השבת מתקדשת בחצוצרות. וכן ראשי חדשים והמועדות שכן הוא אומר (במדבר י:י) "וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶם וּבְמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם וּבְרָאשֵׁי חָדְשֵׁיכֶם וּתְקַעְתֶּם בַּחֲצֹצְרֹת עַל עֹלֹתֵיכֶם וְעַל זִבְחֵי שַׁלְמֵיכֶם וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן לִפְנֵי אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲנִי יְדֹוָד אֱלֹקֵיכֶם:
The Sabbath is consecrated by the trumpets, as are the new moons and holidays. Such the scripture says "And in the day of your gladness, and in your appointed seasons, and in your new moons, you will blow the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the Lord your God.'
וכשהיו נוסעים, בחצוצרות נוסעים ותוקעין שנאמר (במדבר י:ה)"וּתְקַעְתֶּם תְּרוּעָה וְנָסְעוּ הַמַּחֲנוֹת הַחֹנִים קֵדְמָה"
And when they were traveling they would blow the trumpets as it says "And you will blow the blast and the camps that lie on the east side shall take their journey"
וכשמתכנסין, מתכנסין בחצוצרות שנאמר (במדבר י:ז("וּבְהַקְהִיל אֶת הַקָּהָל תִּתְקְעוּ וְלֹא תָרִיעוּ"
And when they would gather, they would gather by the trumpets as it says "And when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but do not sound an alarm"
וכשהצר מיצר, תוקעין בחצוצרות שנאמר (במדבר י:ט) "וְכִי תָבֹאוּ מִלְחָמָה בְּאַרְצְכֶם עַל הַצַּר הַצֹּרֵר אֶתְכֶם וַהֲרֵעֹתֶם בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת וְנִזְכַּרְתֶּם לִפְנֵי יְדֹוָד אֱלֹקֵיכֶם וְנוֹשַׁעְתֶּם מֵאֹיְבֵיכֶם"
And when the enemy oppresses they blow with the trumpets as it says "And when you go to war in your land against the adversary that oppresses you, then you will sound an alarm with the trumpets; and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies"
וכשהלכו למלחמה למדין, בחצוצרות עשו נקמה שנאמר (במדבר לא:ו) " וַיִּשְׁלַח אֹתָם מֹשֶׁה אֶלֶף לַמַּטֶּה לַצָּבָא אֹתָם וְאֶת פִּינְחָס בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן לַצָּבָא וּכְלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ וַחֲצֹצְרוֹת הַתְּרוּעָה בְּיָדוֹ:
And when they went to war against Midian we learn that they enacted their revenge with the trumpets as it says "And Moses sent them, a thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy vessels and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.
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