14 Adar Rishon 5768 – Parshas Ki Sisa 20 February 2008

Yeshaya Perokim 45 - 52

Hi to all my Yeshaya comrades. How are you doing? We are getting very far in Yeshaya – you know that you are giving me inspiration to join this venture. I also need to learn through Nach….

You probably have noticed or are noticing many pesukim, which are the basis for much of our davening… parts of berachos of Shemona Esrei… parts of Yamim Noraim Davening… and much more. The reason for chazal using Yeshaya is obvious – especially these sections of Yeshaya – which deal with the Ideal Klal Yisrael. Although the Navi is predicting Galus Bavel, he is pointing out that Klal Yisrael come out stronger and more cohesive.

One of the more famous pesukim (which we say every morning) is found in 47:4 – “Goaleinu Hashem Tzevakos Shemo Kedosh Yisrael…” Hashem is our redeemer. Something that Yeshaya repeats many times in these perakim (I counted the word ‘Goalech’ – “your redeemer” in at least 5 pesukim – 47:4, 48:17, 48:20, 49:7, 49:26… or at least the idea is found there..)

Introduction (A):

The MAHARAL (Netzach Yisrael, chapter 1) tells us that the word for Go-al (redeemed) and ‘Galah’ (exiled) are related – the only difference between them is that ‘galah’ has a letter ‘Hey’, while ‘go-al’ has a letter ‘Alef’ (write it out, you’ll see what he means). What does this represent?

Galus and Geulah, are concepts of Dispersion and Unification: ALEF represents 1. HEY represents 1+4 – meaning, that the center point goes out into 4 directions. We become dispersed from Eretz Yisrael (the geographic and spiritual centre of the world) to the 4 corners of the world. The letter HEY, however is made up of a ‘Daled’ and a small extra dot, which makes it into a HEY not a DALED – and this represents the promise that we are going to be brought back to that centre point – to become ‘Go’al’ – redeemed.

Introduction (B):

We know (from the MAHARAL in Gevuros Hashem chapter 62 and many other places…) that Klal Yisrael Have 2 names – Ya’acov and Yisrael. One name is the physical Klal Yisrael (Ya’acov), and one is the Spiritual Yisrael (Yisrael)….

Introduction (C):

Klal Yisrael when they are in Galus are like a heel (Eikev – Ya’akov), the lowest part of the body – but when they reach Geula, they become the head (Rosh – Yisrael)…

Introduction (D):

We know that night time represents the difficult exiles of Klal Yisrael – from the Gemara Berachos (12a) that says : “Anyone who has not said ‘Emes VeYatsiv’ in the morning and ‘Emes VeEmunah’ at night has not fulfilled his obligation – as it says “Lehagid baboker chasdecha ve’emunasecha balaylos”.” – Meaning, that in the morning we describe the FIRMNESS (veyatsiv) or clarity in which we see Hashem’s presence, but in the evening we describe our EMUNAH that Hashem will redeem us. The Morning is time of Geula. The night is time of Galus.

PUNCHLINE:

The end of the Beracha at NIGHT of Emess Ve’Emunah is:

Vene’emar; “Ki Padah Hashem Es Ya’acov U’gealo Miyad Chazak Mimenu”, Baruch Ata Hashem Go’al Yisrael.

The end of the Beracha in the MORNING of Emess VeYatsiv is:

Tzur Yisrael, Kumah Be’ezras Yisrael, U’fdeh Kinumecha Yehuda VeYisrael, “Goaleinu Hashem Tzevakos shemo Kedosh Yisrael” Baruch Ata Hashem Go’al Yisrael.

The night-time, which is a time associated with context-less-ness and Galus; where we remember the past redemptions, and hope for the future Geula – is the hope that although we are now in a state of Ya’acov – of the heel – we will none-the-less reach the state of Yisrael.

The day-time, associated with clarity and Geula is when we mention Yisrael 5 times! We are almost obsessed with Yisrael. We focus only on that name for Yisrael that connotes Geula. It is then that we quote the pasuk from our section of Yeshaya that Hashem as the Kedosh Yisrael, who has that special relationship of Kiddushin, of Kedusha with Klal Yisrael, will redeem us – LeMa’an Shemo.

These mentionings of Yisrael five times reminds R’ Wolbe [Vol. II P.331] of a famous Rashi in Beha’alosecha, where the pasuk mentions the word Yisrael 5 times in one pasuk.

Here is the Rashi (Bamidbar 8:19):

“Why are Benei Yisrael mentioned 5 times in this pasuk? To tell us of the love [that Hashem has] towards them, therefore they are mentioned the same number as the 5 books in the Torah.”

As we step into Shemona Esrei, we are leading straight from ‘Geula’ into ‘Tefilla’ (se’michus Geula LeTefilla) which tells us that we take the idea of Geula with us into our Tefilla;

a) We remind ourselves of our ultimate position as ‘mekudashim’ – betrothed to Hashem. Our unique relationship with Hashem, and us as the higher ‘Yisrael’

b) We remind Hashem of His love for us, by mentioning Yisrael 5 times – just as He did in the Torah to remind us of His love for us.

AFTERTHOUGHT:

I can’t resist mentioning a midrash [Yalkut Shimoni on Yeshaya #470] (maybe also a Gemara, I don’t know) on the pasuk (49:14-15) where the midrash uses a play on the word to describe a conversation between Hashem, and Klal Yisrael – which is encoded in these pesukim in Yeshaya:

(יד) ותאמר ציון עזבני ידוד ואדני שכחני:

(טו) התשכח אשה עולה מרחם בן בטנה גם אלה תשכחנה ואנכי לא אשכחך:

Klal Yisrael: You have left me and forgotten me. שכחני

Hashem: How can I forget the Olos (burnt offerings) that you offered up. עולה

Klal Yisrael: If you never forget anything maybe you still ‘remember’ (i.e. hold against us) the sin of the golden calf (this week’s sidra), where we said “Eleh Elohecha Yisrael” – “this is your god, oh Yisrael”? אלה

Hashem: גם אלה תשכחנה – The word “Eleh” I will forget. (i.e. – I will ignore the sin of the Golden calf).

Klal Yisrael: If so, maybe you will also chose to ignore Har Sinai, where you said “Anochi Hashem Elokecha”?

Hashem: ואנכי לא אשכחך – The moment of “Anochi”, I will not forget.

Chazal are telling us that in this pasuk in Yeshaya, lies the promise of the eternity of the relationship that Hashem has will Klal Yisrael – “Yisrael, even thought they sin are still Yisrael.” We retain our relationship with Hashem, even when we sin – and Hashem focuses on Matan Torah, where this Kiddushin was forged.

These were some of the thoughts I wanted to share with you. I feel that it is very important not to lose sight of what is the Ikkar. Often, we can get lost in the intricacies of the pesukim (which are also important) – but our relationship with Hashem and His relationship with us as “Kedosh Yisarael” is the most important.

I was going to write about Christianity this week, but my heart wasn’t in it. I feel quite distracted right now. I will be in London from this Thursday until next Thursday, hopefully I will have time to write about it. Perakim 52:13 until the end of 53 is what they use as texts of prophecy about their “savior”. As preparation, it would be cool if you could just have a quick look at all the references in Yeshaya, particularly in the chapters 40-56, where the term “my servant” appears – and try and formulate your own opinion of what “my servant” is referring to. It won’t be too hard. I promise.

See you next week. Good Shabbos.

By R’ Shmuel Kimche

shmuelkimche@hotmail.com