הִנָּ֤ךְ יָפָה֙ רַעְיָתִ֔י הִנָּ֥ךְ יָפָ֖ה עֵינַ֥יִךְ יוֹנִֽים׃
Narito, maganda ka, aking sinta; narito, maganda ka; ang iyong mga mata ay gaya ng mga kalapati.
Akeidat Yitzchak
The Midrash quoted at the outset of this chapter, listing a variety of comparisons for the Israel/G-d relationship, refers to the various temples. The first example, the shepherd and his dwelling, refers to the tabernacle in the desert. G-d’s function in the desert was to provide all the needs of the people directly. (Manna-water-meat) Solomon's temple,-since it did not endure-, was referred to as a hut, the need of the guardian to keep manning his observation post. Israel was referred to as the vineyard during that epoch. (Compare Isaiah chapter five or Song of Songs chapters one and eight) In the first chapter of Isaiah we find that after the destruction of Solomon's temple, Israel is described as having been abandoned like a hut in a vineyard. These various prophecies envisage the rebuilding of something permanent. None of the prophecies concerning rebuilding can be matched to historic events that have already occurred. A temple that lacked the holy ark, to mention but one of the many items missing in the second temple, and one that had been built at the direction of, or at least with the consent of a gentile government to which Israel owed allegiance, cannot possibly be something that manifests G-d’s reign on earth. Chaggai and Ezekiel clearly refer to the temple of the future. If it is an honour for the father to be surrounded by his children as the Midrash says, the small number of Jews that returned to Israel during the reign of Cyrus etc., surely cannot confer much honour on the father. This latter condition will only come about as we read in Psalms 126, "when the Lord returns to Zion we shall be as dreamers," during an era of which we can truly say "then our mouth will be full of laughter and our tongue will be filled with jubilation." That the expanded temple in the days of Herod- a slave of the Hasmoneans-, his hands bloodstained by much Jewish blood, could not be the temple envisaged by our prophets, goes without saying. One must therefore view the entire relationship between Israel and G-d as that between groom and betrothed. The proper husband/wife relationship is to be consummated when the permanent temple will be built. An alternate view of the opening Midrash would be that it refers to parts of the tabernacle. The inner sanctuary would be referred to as the house, the sanctuary proper, heychal, as the hut, and the courtyard as the enclosure, the pen. In the latter event, "enclosure," G-d has a claim on us because He provides food and shelter. In the case of "hut, He can demand more, since He has also given us the Torah. In the case of "house," since He is prepared to act as our father, providing All, He can expect that we prepare His abode accordingly. The author clearly refers the first approach.
Akeidat Yitzchak
Since Torah observance intensifies in three stages, so do the rewards for such observance. Stage one of observance, is the general movement in line with G'ds natural law, i.e. "if you will walk in My ways." Stage two is to refrain from violating specific injunctions, i.e. "you will guard My laws." The third category is the carrying out of specific commandments i.e. "and you will perform them." In response to this conduct, the Torah promises (1) rainfall; something that is a natural prerequisite for all specific material blessings. Next the Torah promises bountiful harvests of the field, i.e. your toil will be rewarded, you will enjoy the necessities of life. (2) Next the Torah promises the harvest of the trees, i.e. luxuries rather than necessities. Then comes the promise of dwelling securely, enabling you to enjoy the blessings that have been bestowed on you. You will neither have to fear attack from predators nor from hostile neighbours. (3) When the Torah describes the heroism displayed in chasing off would be attackers, the point is made that such gevurah, bravery, is not handed out to each person in equal measure. Some people can put to flight twenty times their number, others even one hundred times their number. (4) When the Torah adds in verse 11, "I will set My residence amongst you, and My soul will not abhor you," referring to spiritual reward, the last few words need clarification. When a renowned and handsome king marries a lady who seems plain, and comes from a nondescript background, the cultural gap between them may cause the king embarassment on occasion. When said king's wife acquires her husband's cultural refinements however, there will be no cause for the king ever to feel embarassed in her company. The ideal relationship between G'd and Israel is similar. The words "My soul will not abhor you" is an intensification of the prior blessing "I will place My residence amongst you." It means "I will never have occasion to be embarassed by keeping your company." Amos 7,7, may be understood in similar fashion. The whole Song of Songs, similarly extols the Jewish people's role as a partner fit for G'd to keep company with. In verse thirteen, G'd simply states that His right to demand all this from us, stems directly from the fact that He took us out of Egypt, broke our yoke and gave us human dignity. The new yoke G'd placed upon us enabled us to walk upright for the first time. As long as we shoulder this yoke, we are free from the wiles of the yetzer hara, the angel of death etc. The Torah continues that should we, however, fail to observe all that is expected of us, G'd will not punish us immediately, but only after seven fundamental sins have been committed. This is the list contained in verse 14 and 15. Once G'd does react, He will bring samples of the three basic punishments David was given a choice of, in order to alert people to what may be in store for them if they persist in their evil ways. The diseases quoted are not fatal, but leave one at the threshold of death. The planting of seeds, many of which will go to waste, does not yet result in complete starvation. Your enemies, while inflicting defeat on you, are not yet annihilating you. (verse 17) All this so far is in the nature of a warning of what my befall you if you persist in your corrupt ways. Should Israel ignore these warnings, the full force of these three punishments will be unleashed. The sevenfold retribution mentioned in verse eighteen, is to be understood as being seven times the scale of the sample punishment mentioned in verse sixteen. These various punishments do not occur simultaneously as do the blessings mentioned earlier in the Parshah, but in stages, one after another. For this reason we have the constant repetition "if you still do not listen." In verses 21, 23„ 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33, a chain of events will be set in motion of which each is practically a corollary of the one preceding it. The basic tenor of the punishments is that laxity in observing Torah due to not taking the time required, will result in the pressures of time becoming so overwhelming that there really will be felt to be no time for religious observances. This because of the pressing need to do something for one's physical survival. If the four escalations of retributory measures produce no results, then even though there is such a thing as the merit of the ancestors, the need to make up for all the shemittah years that have not been observed in the land, outweighs even the former, and exile continues. (7) Although this merit of the ancestors is not powerful enough to rescind the decree of exile, it does help to prevent total annihilation of the Jewish people while they are in exile. The covenant with G'd will therefore not be broken completely. Finally, G'd says, the one covenant I will remember, is not to nullify My name by the destruction of My people, as Moses had argued after the sin of the golden calf. These are the rishonim, the early ones. We observe this idea reflected in the first benediction of our amidah, central prayer, where we state "He remembers the kind deeds of the forefathers, and brings redemption to their children's children for the sake of His name, in love." When our sages formulated this benediction, they drew attention to the fact that though G'd does indeed remember the deeds of the forefathers, this may not be enough to guarantee the ultimate redemption. Failing all else, only the need to preserve His own image will guarantee that the redeemer will come. (5) Verse forty one, referring to some kind of humility az on the part of persecuted Jews, means that the humility is not sincere, only lip service due to the plight of the people.
Kol Dodi Dofek
Let us publicly and frankly confess: we complain about certain Israeli leaders and their attitude toward the values of our tradition and religious practice. The complaints are justified. We have serious charges against the secular leadership of the Land of Israel. However, are only they to be blamed, and are we as faultless and pure as the heavenly angels? Such an assumption is without foundation. We could have extended our influence and done something to shape the spiritual character of the Land if we had but hurried to awaken from our slumber and open the door for the Beloved who is knocking. I fear that we Orthodox Jews are still enveloped in sweet slumber. If we were to establish more religious kibbutzim, if we were to build more housing for religious immigrants, if we were to establish an extensive system of schools, our situation would be completely different. Then there would be no need to come forward with complaints against the leaders of other movements. We Orthodox Jews suffer from a unique illness that is not found in nonreligious Jews (with some rare exceptions). We are all miserly. We do not excel when it comes to giving generously, in comparison with the rest of American Jewry. We are satisfied to part with a couple of pennies, and we demand, in recompense for our piddling donation, our reward in this world and a share in the first allocations. Thus, our dignity has reached its nadir, and we do not exercise appropriate influence on Jewish life here in America and on the course of events in Israel. Great and free America is a land of charity. The government itself, in the years 1945 to 1956, disbursed $55 billion, $350 million in foreign aid projects (the numbers are truly beyond our comprehension), and philanthropists are truly respected in this land that knows how to give and help in such proportions. Accordingly, we Orthodox Jews are not entitled to the greatness that others possess. Lately, we have become experts at criticism and fault-finding. (“And the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean” [Leviticus 13:3]). We know well how to criticize, to look for blemishes and to express opinions as self-styled experts. One thing, however, escapes us, and that is that the priest who pronounces defilement must leave the encampment to be with the afflicted sufferer so as to purify him. “And the priest shall leave the encampment ... and the priest shall command” (Leviticus 14:3–4). We must build not just a few small nooks, whose impact is unfelt, but central institutions throughout the length and breadth of America and the Land of Israel. We have an obligation to purify those who are “outside the encampment,” who are situated in the huge camp of ignorance. To this end, there is a need for vast sums; and we, the Orthodox Jews, are far from being generous and charitable. For this reason, our institutions here and in Israel suffer from want. The Religious Zionist movement especially has to content itself with paltry sums. Due to lack of funds, the movement cannot function appropriately. Indeed, the loyal Lover is quite splendid, her eyes are like twin doves and her face radiates a beautiful charm (Song of Songs 1:15, 4:1). She is much fairer than the nonreligious lover. However, beauty is vain and grace is deceptive (Proverbs 31:30) if this Lover is stingy and very lazy. “I have removed my cloak, how shall I put it on again?” (Song of Songs 5:3). When one calls a rich Jew and asks him to give to a just cause, he answers, “I am going to Florida, and this year I have decided to stay in a luxury hotel, and I don’t have the wherewithal to give you what you requested.” What did the scholar tell the King of the Khazars? “You have embarrassed me, King of Khazars! … And our saying ‘worship at His holy hill’ [Psalms 99:9] is but the chirping of a starling” (HaKuzari 2:24). Do we not hear in our trembling over the safety and tranquility of the Land of Israel in our day, the beckoning of the Beloved who begs the Lover to let Him in? He has already been beckoning for eight years, and still He has not been properly responded to. Nonetheless, He continues to beckon. To our good fortune, our inherited Land has become more beautiful. The Beloved has not shown the Lover any favoritism, but He has compassion for her. The Beloved beckoned for only a short moment that night and disappeared, yet with us He has exhibited extraordinary patience. It is eight years that He has continued to beckon. Hopefully, we will not miss the opportunity!!