Audio of lecture:
Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai stated הלכה היא, בידוע שעשו שונא ליעקב
We all know that anti-Semitism is very strong around the world.
Words and actions that just a few years ago were considered a crime are now being pushed and portrayed as normal behavior by those in power.
Many elderly people who survived the holocaust and experts who studied this, say that the same incitement and actions that were done at the start of the Holocaust is now openly being repeated.
For the past 70 years we heard the words “NEVER AGAIN” and here we are seeing anti-Semitism happening again in front of our eyes.
People are asking will Hashem allow another Holocaust? Where is Hashem? Where was Hashem at the during the German Hitler led Holocaust?
These are great questions: -Precisely in the Holocaust we see Hashem!! – as Moisha Rabainu already asked in the Torah.
In Parshat Ha’Azinu 32: 37 it says ואמר אי אלהימו צור חסיו בו “where is their God, the rock they sought refuge in?”
The answer lies in the same 32:39 Hashem says
ראו עתה כי אני אני הוא ואין אלהים עמדי אני אמית ואחיה מחצתי ואני ארפא ואין מידי מציל
See now that it is I, there is no God with me, I put to death and I bring life, I crushed, and I heal there is no one who can rescue anyone from me.
ואין מידי מציל there is no one who can rescue anyone from me
Parshat Ha’Azinu pasuk 1-6 speaks about the great things Hashem will give His nation in the land of Israel when we have Faith in Him and only in Him.
האזינו השמים ואדברה ותשמע הארץ אמרי פי
Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! And let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
יערף כמטר לקחי תזל כטל אמרתי כשעירם עלי דשא וכרביבים עלי עשב
My lesson will drip like rain; my word will flow like dew; like storm winds on vegetation and like raindrops on grass.
כי שם יהוה אקרא הבו גדל לאלהינו
When I call out the name of the Hashem, ascribe greatness to our God.
הצור תמים פעלו כי כל דרכיו משפט אל אמונה ואין עול צדיק וישר הוא
The deeds of the [Mighty] Rock are perfect, for all His ways are just; a faithful God, without injustice He is righteous and upright.
Pasuk 13-14 describe how Hashem will raise the Jews to great heights and the food will be plentiful and filling.
ירכבהו על במותי ארץ ויאכל תנובת שדי וינקהו דבש מסלע ושמן מחלמיש צור
חמאת בקר וחלב צאן עם חלב כרים ואילים בני בשן ועתודים עם חלב כליות חטה ודם ענב תשתה חמר
He made them ride upon the high places of the earth, that they would eat the produce of the field. He let them suck honey from a rock, and oil from the mighty part of the crag.
The cream of cattle and the milk of sheep, with the fat of lambs and rams of Bashan and he goats, with kidneys of wheat, and it [the congregation of Israel] would drink the blood of grapes [which was] as the finest wine.
The chapter continues pasuk 15-18 Hashem says that if, when things go too well, we forget Hashem, and we turn to other Gods or people for help. This will provoke Hashem’s anger.
וישמן ישרון ויבעט שמנת עבית כשית ויטש אלוה עשהו וינבל צור ישעתו
And Jeshurun became fat and rebelled; you grew fat, thick and rotund; [Israel] forsook the God
Who made them, and spurned the [Mighty] Rock of their salvation.
יקנאהו בזרים בתועבת יכעיסהו
They provoked His zeal with alien worship; they made Him angry with abominations deeds
יזבחו לשדים לא אלה אלהים לא ידעום חדשים מקרב באו לא שערום אבתיכם
They sacrificed to demons, which have no power, deities they did not know, new things that only recently came, which your forefathers did not fear.
צור ילדך תשי ותשכח אל מחללך
You forgot the [Mighty] Rock Who bore you; you forgot the God Who delivered you.
Pasuk 19-25 clearly states all the punishments that will come on the Jewish nation for turning away from Hashem.
ירא יהוה וינאץ מכעס בניו ובנתיו
And the Lord saw this and became angry, provoked by his sons and daughters.
ויאמר אסתירה פני מהם אראה מה אחריתם כי דור תהפכת המה בנים לא אמן בם
And He said, “I will hide My face from them. I will see
what their end will be, for they are a generation of changes;
they are not [recognizable] as My children whom I have
reared.
הם קנאוני בלא אל כעסוני בהבליהם ואני אקניאם בלא עם בגוי נבל אכעיסם
They have provoked My jealousy with a non god,
provoked My anger with their vanities. Thus, I will provoke
their jealousy with a non people, provoke their anger with a
foolish nation.
כי אש קדחה באפי ותיקד עד שאול תחתית ותאכל ארץ ויבלה ותלהט מוסדי הרים
For a fire blazed in My wrath, and burned to the lowest
depths. It consumed the land and its produce, setting aflame
the foundations of mountains.
אספה עלימו רעות חצי אכלה בם
I will link evils upon them. I will use up My arrows on
them.
מזי רעב ולחמי רשף וקטב מרירי ושן בהמת אשלח בם עם חמת זחלי עפר
Bloating of famine consumed by fever sudden deaths’ bitterness, and the teeth of beasts I shall dispatch against them.
מחוץ תשכל חרב ומחדרים אימה גם בחור גם בתולה יונק עם איש שיבה
From outside, the sword will cause bereavement, and terror from
within; young men and maidens, suckling babes with
venerable elders.
We see these punishments stated in the Torah coming alive in front of our eyes, Covid-19, anti-Semitism and mass killings such as the holocaust and terror attacks.
The punishment for those who harm the Jews is also clear in this parshaha from pasuk 27.
Hashem is showing us that we cannot depend on ANY human being, whether government officials or rabbis.
We often hear “צדיק גוזר והקדוש ברוך הוא מקיים” A righteous man decrees and Hashem will do his will. Yet so many tzaddikim, learned men and holy Jews who were referred to as miracle workers were all together in the ghettos and not one of them was able to be goizer on Hashem to change HIS will and millions of Jews were killed.
We need to learn from history before it is too late. Stop beseeching human beings like politicians and rabbis, and turn only to Hashem.
Hashem has stricken the biggest rebbes and politicians with corona to show us as stated in pasuk 39 ואין מידי מצי there is no one who can rescue anyone from me no-one will be able to help you, Hashem is the only one.
Don’t think that you are too small or too insignificant to pray and call out to Hashem, or that you need someone to go to Hashem in your behalf.
This is what ישו הנוצרי (yishow hanozri) said when he created Christianity. This is עבודה זרה (avoda zarah meaning doing something that Hashem did not decree us to do).
Yishow hanotzri (known as Jesus) brought Avoda Zarah to the world by convincing people that they need a third party to go to Hashem on their behalf.
The is not the Torah way. Hashem wants to hear from YOU. Call out to Hashem with davining 3 times a day or by saying Thillim at any time of the day or night, just like all our founding fathers taught us to do in every situation we find ourselves in.
May you merit to feel a close connection to Hashem our father, and may we all merit to greet Moshiach very soon in our days.
