Turnover from destruction to construction, from failure to victory

Parsha and its realization - Parsha Devarim - Shabbat Chazon - and the war of the 'Iron Swords' 5784

Rabbi Eliezer Haim Shenvald

Dedicated to the IDF soldiers' success, to safeguard them lest any harm come to them, to the healing of all the wounded and the return of the abducted.

Last Friday we toured Kibbutz Be’eri with the Yeshiva students. We passed through the burned and destroyed houses of the murdered and kidnapped kibbutz members and heard the horror stories of the Simchat Torah massacre.

Next to the burned and destroyed houses, areas ready for building new houses have already been prepared, in addition to the houses that were not damaged. In Be’eri we met community members determined to return and turn the ruins into new and vibrant buildings. Zionism at its best.

Before the tour Major General (res.) Yossi Bachar, member of the kibbutz, explained to us about the history of the kibbutz and the history of the conflict with Gaza, and about the fighting in the kibbutz against the "Nukhba Force" terrorists. His main message to the students was: We will continue and build! However, we must understand that we are destined to fight for our existence in future generations as well. 'The fate of the country depends on you,' he told the students, ‘On those who are willing to sacrifice themselves to sustain it. Without it we have no future.'

Since the targeted killing of the monstrous terrorists Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Ismail Haniyeh in Teheran, the State of Israel has been on high alert against the possibility of a revenge attack from Iran and its partners, who surround us from all sides. There are estimates that the attack is already expected during the week, but there is an estimate from western intelligence sources published on the British "Sky-News Arabia" network, that the Iranians are planning the attack precisely on Tisha Be'Av. A day of mourning, a day of destruction and disaster for the people of Israel. These symbols are important to them.

There is an example from the past, from the evil Haman, viceroy of the Persian Empire, who planned:

לְהַשְׁמִיד לַהֲרֹג וּלְאַבֵּד אֶת כׇּל הַיְּהוּדִים מִנַּעַר וְעַד זָקֵן טַף וְנָשִׁים בְּיוֹם אֶחָד

“…to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Judeans, from young to old, little ones and women, in one day…” (Esther 3:13)

To determine the date of the destruction, הִפִּיל פּוּר הוּא הַגּוֹרָל

“he cast a pur -that is, the lot- which is a lottery” (Esther 3:7)

Fate fell on the month of Adar.

״הִפִּיל פּוּר הוּא הַגּוֹרָל״, תָּנָא: כֵּיוָן שֶׁנָּפַל פּוּר בְּחוֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר שָׂמַח שִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה, אָמַר: נָפַל לִי פּוּר בְּיֶרַח שֶׁמֵּת בּוֹ מֹשֶׁה.

“A Sage taught the following Baraita: Once the lot fell on the month of Adar, he, Haman, greatly rejoiced, for he saw this as a favorable omen for the execution of his plans. He said: The lot has fallen for me in the month that Moshe died, which is consequently a time of calamity for the Jewish people”. (Megillah 13b:15)

He liked the date because it had symbolism of calamity and disaster.

וְלֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת, וּבְשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר נוֹלָד

However, he “did not know that not only did Moshe die on the seventh of Adar, but he was also born on the seventh of Adar, and therefore it is also a time of rejoicing for the Jewish people”. (ibid)

That same day is also a date for growth, the birth of Moshe Rabbeinu, the leader of the exodus from slavery to redemption and the victory over Egypt.

Destiny was turned around, and Haman was hung on a tree. The people of Israel defeated their enemies,

וְנַהֲפוֹךְ הוּא אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁלְטוּ הַיְּהוּדִים הֵמָּה בְּשֹׂנְאֵיהֶם.

“…but it was the opposite,⁠ that the Judeans ruled over those who hated them…” (Esther 9:1)

Since then, Purim has been celebrated.

Apparently, those who claim to be the successors of the Persian Empire do not know that Tisha Be’av, which is the day of destruction, is also the Moshiach’s birthdayדִּבְיוֹמָא דְאִיתְיַלִּיד אִיחְרוּב בֵּית מוּקְדְּשָׁא “because he was born on the day the Temple was destroyed”. (Talmud Yerushalmi Berachot 2:4). A day of transformations and reverses. From ruins to redemption and construction.

In the Iranians desire for revenge, they deviated from their strategy over the years, not to confront directly and hide behind the 'proxies'. Like a multi-armed octopus that wraps around its prey, from all sides in a choke ring. They are the ones that encouraged Hamas’ terrorists to attack on Simchat Torah, they are the Hezbollah patrons who are conducting an attrition war and threatening the home front with its missiles. Now Iran is taking the lead, openly. Fate will turn around and hit the octopus in the head. Iran will find an army and a determined nation that will fight back. They will have a heavy price to pay for their actions and its messengers’.

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה ה' צְבָאוֹת לַעֲטֶרֶת צְבִי וְלִצְפִירַת תִּפְאָרָה לִשְׁאָר עַמּוֹ. וּלְרוּחַ מִשְׁפָּט לַיּוֹשֵׁב עַל הַמִּשְׁפָּט וְלִגְבוּרָה מְשִׁיבֵי מִלְחָמָה שָׁעְרָה.

"On that day Hashem of hosts shall be for a crown of glory and for a diadem of beauty to the residue of His people; and for a spirit of judgment to him that sits in judgment, and for strength to those that turn back the battle at the gate." (Yishayahu 28:5-6) until the victory.

On Shabbat we will read Parashat Devarim, in which the sin of the spies is mentioned, among other things. When the people heard the false report of the spies it was said:

וַתֵּרָגְנוּ בְאׇהֳלֵיכֶם וַתֹּאמְרוּ בְּשִׂנְאַת ה' אֹתָנוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם לָתֵת אֹתָנוּ בְּיַד הָאֱמֹרִי לְהַשְׁמִידֵנוּ.

“You murmured in your tents, and said, "Because Hashem hated us, He has brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.” (Devarim 1:27)

Instead of rejoicing at the good news of entering the land, they burst into tears:

וַתִּשָּׂא כׇּל הָעֵדָה וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶת קוֹלָם וַיִּבְכּוּ הָעָם בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא.

“All the congregation lifted up their voices and cried; and the people wept that night.” (Bamidbar 14:1)

אָמַר רַבָּה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם עֶרֶב תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב הָיָה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: הֵן בָּכוּ בְּכִיָּה שֶׁל חִנָּם וַאֲנִי אֶקְבַּע לָהֶם בְּכִיָּה לְדוֹרוֹת.

“Rabba says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: That day was the eve of the Ninth of Av, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: On that day they wept a gratuitous weeping, so I will establish that day for them as a day of weeping for the future generations”. (Sotah 35a:11)

Since then, it became an evening of disasters, mourning and crying for generations.

However, in a paradoxical way, in Tisha Be’Av there are also 'Mo’ed - holiday' customs:

“People don't say Tachanun on Tisha Be'Av, and they don't fall on their faces (Nefilat Apayim), because it's called a festival. Not in the afternoon prayers before either. And Tziduk HaDin and not recited” (Shulchan Aruch, Tisha Be’av laws)

And from midday on, there are also 'Geula - redemption' customs:

“Some have the custom to specifically sweep their floor after midday of Tisha Be’av in order to tidy their home for the coming of Moshiach and instill faith in his coming.” (Sefer HaToda’a). And in the afternoon prayers add ‘Nachem’ נַחֵם as a consolation for the destruction.

At its root, Tisha Be’Av is a day of 'mo’ed' that became 'a crying day', and in the future, Hashem will change these (days) into joy and happiness and turn them from destruction to sovereignty and failure to victory.