Perashat Debarim 5776

Perashat Debarim 5776

A story is told about Napoleon Bonaparte, whose empire reached as far as the shores of the Land of Israel, and was believed to have even docked at Jaffa and spent a few days there. As he was visiting the Jewish community, it happened to be the night of Tish’a Be’Ab. He saw how the entire congregation was sitting on the floor, crying and weeping with barely a candle lit. He asked his assistant as to why the Jews were crying. He told him because their Temple was burnt and destroyed. Thinking that it was destroyed a week or so beforehand, he was shocked to hear that it happened over 1700 years before. When he was told that it was the Great Temple in Jerusalem, he couldn’t believe that a tragic event that occurred so many centuries earlier can evoke such sadness and a sense of loss. He commented that a people that can mourn such a tragedy that occurred so many years ago, and have not forgotten it, will be worthy of seeing it rebuilt. He committed himself to rebuild the Temple for them. We do not know exactly why he did not rebuild it as he promised. One opinion was that the Pope at that time objected to it, and prevented him from doing so. 

This week, we will be commemorating the 1948th anniversary of the destruction of the Second Temple, that took place in the year 68 of the Common Era. The Bet Hamikdash was rebuilt 2368 years ago - or in the year 352 BCE, - by the Jewish returnees from the Babylonian Exile, and stood for 420 years on the Temple Mount, that is occupied today by the Dome of the Rock Mosque. 

Indeed, for almost two thousand years the Jewish People have been mourning the destruction of our Temple and the exile of our People from the Land of Israel, as though it just happened only a few days ago. The sense of loss and exile is imprinted on the soul of our People, and has been part of every celebratory milestone, when we declare, “If I forget you O’ Jerusalem…”  

Our Sages arranged the Perasha-reading calendar to have Perashat Debarim and its Haphtarah, “Hazon,” to be always read the Shabbat before Tish’a Be’Ab – the 9th of Ab. One of the reasons given is, because both portions have the word – ״איכה״ “How,” which alludes to the Scroll of Eikha that describes the destruction of the First Temple and is read on Tish’a Be’Ab.  Of course, both portions, one spoken by Moshe and the other by the Prophet Isaiah eight centuries later, contain a rebuke to Bene Israel for their rebellious behavior that, respectively, caused them to remain in the dessert for 40 years, and the destruction of the Temple with the ensuing exile. 

Perashat Debarim, and the Humash Debarim, are named after the second word of the Perasha.  Debarim, means “words”; these were the words of rebuke that Moshe spoke to the Israelites.  Words can disappear into thin air and yet, they can be as strong as arrows that shoot at the target and can inflict great damage. 

“Hazon” means ‘vision’; Isaiah saw the vision of the destruction ready to happen. “A country that is desolate, cities burned with fire, strangers consume its yield in your presence; it is desolate as if overturned by foreigners.”

Those words of rebuke and that vision of desolation were apparent for 1880 years until the establishment of the State of Israel - after which, “the wilderness will become like Eden and her wasteland like a garden… joy and gladness will be found there.”  We have seen these changes with our own eyes, as Israel has turned dessert into blooming fields, and swamps into vineyards and orchards. 

However, hateful ‘words’ and ‘visions’ of doom are still being uttered and wished-for, by our enemies and detractors. Lies upon lies, falsehood upon falsehoods, doom and gloom prognostications are still being predicted against Israel on a daily basis. Not a day goes by, without reading false accusations, incitements, slander and evil speech against Israel and the Jewish People.  Not only are ‘words’ and ‘visons’ being used, but now, even ‘actions’ are taking place. BDS, violence, and terrorist acts are being perpetrated against our People and Israel.

However, the Prophet Isaiah [8:9-10] said: “Destroy, O’ you peoples, and then be devastated yourselves, hear this, all you far away parts of the world: Gird yourselves, and then be shattered! Plan a conspiracy and it shall be annulled; speak your piece and it shall not happen, for G-d is with us!”  All the hateful words against Israel and the Jewish People will not happen and will be shattered and disappear into thin air. And all the visions of doom and gloom shall come to haunt the very people who predicted them as they will turn against themselves. This notion is borne out by the fact that the three Haphtarot [prophecies] of destruction, are countered by seven Haphtarot [prophecies] of consolation and rebuilding. 

As we have seen, historically, those ‘words’ of rebuke and the ‘visions’ of destruction have become a reality; so too we have seen with our own eyes, a portion of the ‘words’ of consolation and the ‘visions’ of rebuilding and flourishing take place. We pray to A-mighty G-d that now, He will show us ‘actions’ of the ingathering of the Exiles and the rebuilding of our Third Temple – the Bet Hamikdash, on its historical place, the Temple Mount, just as He has promised our forefathers and us. May it come to pass in our time, Amen!

תזכו בנחמת ציון ובבניין ירושלים

May we merit in the consolation of Zion and the reconstruction of Jerusalem.