יום שישי, 25 בינואר 2013

Beshalach בשלח


My Musing
What are the goals of fame and fortune? They are ephemeral. Only God can truly make His name great among the nations. And that will be whether they like it or not.

מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת בשלח סימן ז
)שמות יד:ד) "וְחִזַּקְתִּי אֶת-לֵב-פַּרְעֹה, וְרָדַף אַחֲרֵיהֶם, וְאִכָּבְדָה בְּפַרְעֹה וּבְכָל-חֵילוֹ, וְיָדְעוּ מִצְרַיִם כִּי-אֲנִי יְקוָה; וַיַּעֲשׂוּ-כֵן."
And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he shall follow after them; and I will get Me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.' And they did so
מגיד, שכשיפרע הקדוש ברוך הוא מן האומות שמו מתגדל בעולם שנאמר (ישעיה סו:יט) "וְשַׂמְתִּי בָהֶם אוֹת, וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי מֵהֶם פְּלֵיטִים אֶל-הַגּוֹיִם תַּרְשִׁישׁ פּוּל וְלוּד מֹשְׁכֵי קֶשֶׁת--תֻּבַל וְיָוָן:  הָאִיִּים הָרְחֹקִים, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-שָׁמְעוּ אֶת-שִׁמְעִי וְלֹא-רָאוּ אֶת-כְּבוֹדִי--וְהִגִּידוּ אֶת-כְּבוֹדִי, בַּגּוֹיִם"
וכתיב (ישעיה מה:יד) "כֹּה אָמַר יְקוָה, יְגִיעַ מִצְרַיִם וּסְחַר-כּוּשׁ וּסְבָאִים אַנְשֵׁי מִדָּה, עָלַיִךְ יַעֲבֹרוּ וְלָךְ יִהְיוּ, אַחֲרַיִךְ יֵלֵכוּ בַּזִּקִּים יַעֲבֹרוּ; וְאֵלַיִךְ יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ אֵלַיִךְ יִתְפַּלָּלוּ, אַךְ בָּךְ אֵל וְאֵין עוֹד אֶפֶס אֱלֹקִים"
That is to say, when the Holy One, blessed be He, extracts payment from the nations , His name becomes greater in the world as it says, “And I will work a sign among them, and I will send such as escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard My fame, neither have seen My glory; and they shall declare My glory among the nations” and it is written, “Thus saith the LORD: The labour of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine; they shall go after thee, in chains they shall come over; and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee: Surely God is in thee, and there is none else, there is no other God”
מה כתיב אחריו? (ישעיה מה:טו) "אָכֵן, אַתָּה אֵל מִסְתַּתֵּר--אֱלֹקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, מוֹשִׁיעַ"
וכן הוא אומר  (יחזקאל לח:כב) "וְנִשְׁפַּטְתִּי אִתּוֹ, בְּדֶבֶר וּבְדָם; וְגֶשֶׁם שׁוֹטֵף וְאַבְנֵי אֶלְגָּבִישׁ אֵשׁ וְגָפְרִית, אַמְטִיר עָלָיו וְעַל-אֲגַפָּיו, וְעַל-עַמִּים רַבִּים, אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ"
What is written following? “Verily Thou art a God that hidest Thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour” and similarly it says, “And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will cause to rain upon him, an overflowing shower, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone will fall upon his bands, and upon the many peoples that are with him”
מה כתיב אחריו?
(יחזקאל לח:כג) "וְהִתְגַּדִּלְתִּי, וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתִּי, וְנוֹדַעְתִּי, לְעֵינֵי גּוֹיִם רַבִּים; וְיָדְעוּ, כִּי-אֲנִי יְקוָה"
ואומר (תהלים עו:ג-ד) "וַיְהִי בְשָׁלֵם סוּכּוֹ; וּמְעוֹנָתוֹ בְצִיּוֹן. שָׁמָּה, שִׁבַּר רִשְׁפֵי-קָשֶׁת;  מָגֵן וְחֶרֶב וּמִלְחָמָה סֶלָה"  (תהלים עו:ב) "נוֹדָע בִּיהוּדָה אֱלֹקִים; בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, גָּדוֹל שְׁמוֹ"
What is written afterwards?
“Thus will I magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself, and I will make Myself known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am the LORD.” And it says, “In Salem also is set His tabernacle, and His dwelling-place in Zion. There He broke the fiery shafts of the bow; the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah” “In Judah is God known; His name is great in Israel.”

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