Musar su Isaia 24:78

Correspondingly, he should contemplate the holiness of the Divine name at that time, as is mentioned in Ra’ya Meheimna (Parashas Kedoshim 126b): Fortunate are the limbs that are sanctified at the time of marital relations, for they are like the logs of a burnt offering, to which the holy fire attaches itself, and then the name of Hashem adheres to them. For this reason it is written: “With pyres shall you honor Hashem” (Yeshayahu 24:15). Similarly, it is written elsewhere in the Zohar (Parashas Metzora 56a): At the time of marital relations a man should reflect upon the will of his Creator in order that he bring holy children into the world. And in Parashas Kedoshim (84a): When Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai was walking through town with his disciples following after him and he spotted a woman, he would lower his eyes and say to his colleagues, “Do not turn to look, for whoever looks upon a woman in the daytime will have forbidden thoughts at night. And if a man has relations with his wife while engaging in forbidden thoughts it is said of the children thus conceived, ‘Do not make for yourself molten gods’ (Shemos 34:17). As rule from these come the apostates.

This was however, not the case after Moses had died, and Joshua therefore was entitled to reconnoiter the land in the manner that he did. Of course, the Alshich says that Joshua knew beforehand exactly what the spies would report, but he wanted the people to have the feeling that he had done everything humanly possible, read: "by natural means," to ensure the success of their mission. Gideon was another leader who, though relying on G–d's help, made it appear as if every possible means at man's disposal had been exploited. The author feels that Joshua had to send out the spies since ever since Aaron's death there had been no pillar of cloud, and he would not have known the way without reconnaissance. This is the reason that these Israelites use the expression ויחפרו "so they will dig up" (information), when they describe the purpose of the spies' mission. They wanted these men to discover the weakness of the country and its inhabitants, if indeed there should be such. Rabbi Chiyah in Talmud Sotah 34b, says that the sole intention of the spies was to find fault with the land. He understands the word יחפרו as analogous to Isaiah saying (24,23) "וחפרה הלבנה ובושה החמה," meaning that the moon will be shamefaced, and the sun will be abashed." Applied to our situation, the spies then were to find the points the land of Israel had to be ashamed of. However, the Israelites had not made up their minds, they only wanted to know if there was truth to negative comments about the land of Israel.

Just as contempt is associated with the wicked, as in the verse we mentioned earlier "When a wicked man comes, there also comes contempt" (Mishlei 18:3), so is honor associated with the righteous. For honor resides with them and does not separate from them, and it is written: "and before his elders there is honor"(Isaiah 24:23).

We have already seen that Moses, the greatest man that ever lived, was also the most humble.

You can see clearly that most high officials and kings or other people in positions of power, regardless of their rank, stumble and become corrupted by the flattery of their subordinates.

When Israel was freed from the dominance of the angel of death while it received the Torah at Mount Sinai, and lost this freedom due to the sin of the golden calf, the angel Mattatarmolin with the face of an ox took up position on Israel's left, and Satan and the nations of the world started counting the people. Once the sin had been redressed by means of, amongst other things, the ashes of the red heifer, Torah was restored to being perfect, i.e תורת ידוד תמימה, so that even the מלאך רע יענה אמן, the angel that normally negates, portends evil, had to approve of Israel's rehabilitation. When this condition does not exist our situation is reversed and all our adversaries are waiting in the wings to applaud our downfall. In the introduction of Midrash Rabbah on Eichah, we find the comment on Daniel 8,12, וצבא תנתן על התמיד בפשע, "and a set time (army) will be allotted to the daily sacrifice because of sin." צבא means Malchiyut, i.e. dominance by other nations. We know this from Isaiah 24,21, יפקוד ה' על צבא המרום במרום "In that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven in heaven and the kings of earth on earth." The תמיד we referred to in Daniel, is a reference to Israel, since it is written והגית בו יומם ולילה, “occupy yourself with it by day and by night,” i.e. תמיד, constantly (Joshua 1,8). The word בפשע refers to the sin of neglecting Torah. Any time Israel throws Torah to the ground, other nations will prevail over us, since it says ותשלך אמת ארצה "when it throws truth to the ground." We know that אמת, truth, is a reference to Torah: אמת קנה ואל תמכור, "buy the truth, never sell it!" (Proverbs 23,23). If you throw words of Torah to the ground other nations will immediately prevail against you. Confirmation of this is found in Daniel 8,12, ועשתה והצליחה, "it will act and succeed." Since Gentiles do not have Torah, the verse must refer to the Gentiles prevailing over Israel.

We have learned in Avot 4,21, that "jealousy, lust, greed, and ego (i.e. the desire for public recognition) drive man from this world." These very negative virtues had driven Adam from the world. There was the jealousy of the serpent of Adam possessing Eve, its pursuit to gratify its lust, and the pursuit of ego, i.e. Adam and Eve wanted to usurp the unique place of G–d in the universe, since they responded to the lure והייתם כאלוקים, "you will be like G–d." Eve had squeezed out a cluster of grapes, ate it, found that they were unripe. This suggests that in this material world one must not pursue honor. Honor will be inherited by the scholars in the world to come. At that time what is written in Isaiah 24,23: "G–d's Presence will be revealed to His elders," will be fulfilled. This is what is meant when the sages describe יין המשומר, "well aged wine," as being part of the reward in store for the righteous in the future. Concerning what happens to the wicked at that time, it is written in Malachi 3,19: "For lo! that day is at hand, burning like a furnace.. All the arrogant and doers of evil shall be straw, etc." It also says in Samuel II 22,9: "smoke rose from His nostrils," i.e. when G–d was angry, and burned those whom He was angry at." Since we have shown that what happens on earth has its counterpart in the heavens, the Torah reports that the season the spies were dispatched was when the grape harvest commences on earth, i.e. a hint that many grapes are not ripe yet. The spies ignored the items mentioned in Avot as destructive. They ate unripe grapes, i.e they were greedy, they were concerned with their own honor and glory, hence they had to suffer what is described in Proverbs 10,26.

To return to the subject which we touched upon earlier of how the שר can don the "mantle" of the שכינה. Although this is a tremendous display of power for such a שר, it will boomerang and become the cause of his downfall as we mentioned earlier. This procedure is alluded to in the words of our פרשה in 10,2, where the Torah says: "how I have made a mockery of the Egyptians." Rashi explains that the word התעללתי במצרים, means "I have toyed with them." We need to understand the meaning of this שחוק, game, that G–d played. When we consider the august position of the שר של מצרים as we have described, we realise that when he was at the height of his power, this שר gave no thought to his eventual demise, and that the higher he would rise, the greater would be his eventual fall into a deep pit. The very "mantle" of the שכינה which he wore would become the cause of his downfall. At that time, G–d in Heaven, who is aware of the exact moment in time when events would cause the שר של מצרים to fall, would smile. The timing of these events is alluded to in Moses' words to Pharaoh in 10,3: "How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?" Humbling oneself means to turn from being evil to being good. We have a prime example of this when Samael, who had been Jacob's arch-enemy, changed direction and accorded Jacob his blessing, his recognition (Genesis 32,29).

In commemoration of this miracle the Jews of every generation must observe the festival of Chanukah for eight days during which they must also kindle lamps. These lamps have the status of mitzvah lamps. In many places we find that such lamps are very precious in the eyes of the Holy One Blessed is He. Thus it states, “Honor Hashem with lights” (Yeshayahu 24:15). Any lamp that is lit for the sake of a mitzvah has wondrous and immeasurable sanctity. If we merited the spirit of prophecy we would recite the blessings over them and immediately attain understanding and insight into the future by means of the kindling of the lamps. For a mitzvah lamp causes an outpouring of prophecy completely analogous to that of a prophet prophesying by the command of Hashem.