Welcome to Voices from Zion. Together we'll explore the scriptures in their original Hebrew. wrestle with hard questions, and celebrate the beauty of what unites us. and the respect that deepens when we acknowledge what doesn't.
So welcome to the dialogue. Welcome to the wrestle. Welcome to Voices from Zion. Robbie and the Rabbi. We are so thrilled to be back with you today on Rabbi and the Rabbi Voices from Zion and You know We left last week.
on a number of topics.
However, the the main theme of it is how To an extent, can you sing a song of redemption? When you just escaped The largest You know, empire in the world, you're still in their crosshairs. Your land is destroyed. And all these things are going on, and yet you're singing. Because clearly God did deliver you for the moment.
And it's kind of. You know, like the story of my life. When I think about it, Rabbi, that I've just been delivered for a moment, I'm still in the crosshairs of many other things. But that just proves you're alive. You are.
Right. That is. It the game ain't over till it's over. And so I love that Isaiah passage, and let's dig back in.
Okay, wonderful. I'm really looking forward to it. Thank you so very, very much. after all, because this is just such an exciting thing to talk about.
So again, just to maybe recap in brief. We noted that, of course, while We all All Jews and Christians. We'll see in the words at the beginning of Isaiah chapter 11.
something that Tells us about the coming of the Messiah. There's also the here and now in Isaiah. And this is, of course, true in all of scripture because. It's always a multi-layered text. We see it in terms of The Time, place, and circumstances of the prophet.
We also see it. As a message for all generations. And what Isaiah is describing, what he describes. In chapter 10, the onslaught of Sennacherib and the Assyrian Empire. The last two verses In chapter 10, intimating.
what we then see played out. In Isaiah chapter 37. culminating. In the angel of the Lord going forth and smiting in the camp of the Assyrians 185,000 soldiers and the morning. You're all gone.
And Jerusalem is saved. Jerusalem save got It came within a hair's breadth. of being sacked. And that's Jerusalem. What about the whole countryside?
Assyria was marching south. destroying everything as it went, the land is in ruins. And At the beginning of chapter 11, there is again. That Dimension of salvation and thanksgiving because the Sprout is going forth. The stock of Jesse, which again is intimating the coming of the Messiah, it's also talking about King Hezekiah.
But it still is A ruined land. And then we get Of course, to the song. of redemption Um Chapter twelve. And I think we already noted. Uh So f Roth.
Message In the first verse, which almost all the translations get wrong because it just seems so bizarre. to translate it correctly. That In that day, you will say, This is the song of redemption, I give thanks. Unto you. O Lord.
for you were angry with me. And then, either when your anger is turned away, you comfort me, or as a supplication, may your anger be turned away and may you comfort me. I'm giving thanks because you're angry with me. I'm looking out at this land. That is completely in ruins.
Demolished. And Yeah, inevitably. The question What do I have to sing about? Sure. as you so happily express it.
Okay, 185,000 soldiers are dead. And We've been saved from their clutches. But hey, we're talking about the greatest empire in the world at the time. You think they only had one army with 185,000 soldiers? They lost army number one.
Next year, they're sending army number two. And you know, on some level, I I need to add here. This is a really really profound point. There is this song of redemption. In Chapter twelve in Isaiah.
And Isaiah is talking about What is to happen Or maybe I should say What was supposed to happen? In that day you will say, And it still is going to happen because ultimately this is the song of the final redemption. And it's on the books. We know what to sing. When the time comes.
And yet simultaneously Is it really Fraud observation. King Hezekiah didn't sing. King Hezekiah was one of the most righteous kings. In all of the Davidic dynasty. He did sing.
I have to share with you. In some sense. This is A terrifying observation that we have in our tradition. He is taken to task for having not sung a song.
So much so? Again, the the the complexity of Is Isaiah chapter 11 talking about the Messiah? Is it k talking about King Hezekiah? In our tradition, The answer could be Yes. Because King Hezekiah Could have been the Messiah.
But he didn't sing. Do you not sing? You're not the Messiah. King Hezekiah had a lot of good reasons for not singing. The battle isn't over yet.
Wait until next year. We have to be screaming out for God's compassion. Not time to sing. Uh Of course, you have to be screaming out for God's compassion. It's the future.
That doesn't mean you don't need to sing a song of thanksgiving over the past. The pest meaning Right now, I experience God's salvation.
Well, sing about it. And This is a message. That We see as a take home. For All of us. All the time.
Every time We get that glimmer. For Each one of us. Each of us own 185,000 Assyrian soldiers who are camped around our city. And if God saves you. I know, Professor Robbie, you told me about.
Some of the battles you've Fourth. And have experienced God's salvation. And we all In varying degrees, I think your your story is just So awesome.
Okay. I'm not even getting into any remote competition. Um You you have Your 185,000 Assyrian soldiers miraculously wiped out. And You sing. Even if You got 185,000 other soldiers who are.
Rounding the bend. And About to be Tomorrow's battle.
Well, you have something else to think about tomorrow, but right now you have something to think about. Today. And That realization as the backdrop. For I give thanks to you, O Lord. For you were angry with me.
And you turn your wrath away from me, and you console me. Doesn't make All the anguish and all the suffering and all the ruin. magically disappear. It's still there. But I'm still giving thanks.
I've learned something new. And appreciate and this is going to be a a crucial if you will, exegetical observation. that when we Consider in this context What takes place? At the beginning of verse 2. Behold.
the God of my salvation. I will trust. and will not be afraid. No, I'm not even attempting to translate the second half of the verse yet because That's a major, major challenge. That we're about to address.
But before that, That aspect of trust. You know, we see Arguably the same thing. Theme. Trust. Also playing out In some 118.
We read in verses 8 and 9: it is better to take refuge in the Lord. and trust. In man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than trust. Trust.
in princes. And it's also about trust. And Maybe will note in this context As well. The message in Psalm fifty six. Verse four.
In the day that I am afraid. I will trust in you. In God. I will praise His word and God. Do I trust?
I will not be afraid. What can flesh do unto me? Verse twelve. And God Do I trust? I will not be afraid.
What can man do unto me? Of course, he inevitably This theme of trusting versus fear. Which is precisely front and center, Isaiah chapter 12, verse 2. I will trust and not be afraid. And Truth is in Psalm 118 where we read this theme of trusting.
It's also in the context of In Verse six: The Lord is for me, I will not fear.
So, you know, when you consider What is this trust? As opposed to being afraid. You know, if everything was smooth sailing from the outset. I don't know whether you trust, you don't trust fear, you know what fear means. And you don't really have a basis for That deep conviction Oh, I trust.
But if you're on the brink of death... If you saw Absolute disaster. staring at you in the face. You were on the brink and almost heading over the cliff. And God saved you.
Okay, I'll trust in everything now. Nothing can come my way. That will lead me to say Hmm. Maybe this is too tough even for God to do. No, no, no, God could do anything.
He can save me. Even if I'm already skidding off the cliff. I trust. And that Profound statement of trust. is what precipitates The second half of the verse.
Okay, now This is not what your translations will say. But I'm going to translate Rigorously, and I'm going to defend this translation. The strength and pruning of the Lord is become my salvation. In the Hebrew This expression, ozi vizimrat, ya. which I'm translating again as The strength and the pruning of the Lord.
It's become my salvation. Self-same expression appears. Verbatim. Three places in scripture. The first is in Exodus.
Chapter 15, verse 2. Not exactly off-the-beaten track real estate. We're talking about the second verse of the Song of the Sea. After the miraculous splitting of the sea. And It's the second verse there.
And the other place Isn't Psalm 118 that we've been speaking about so much? In verse 14. Again. They Strength I'll render it as and the pruning of the Lord. is become my salvation.
Now, why am I translating In A manner that so Great. Can I jump in here? Because you just you just wow like. There's so much I've been wanting to Please, but I just wanted to hear your teaching.
So badly, and I still want to hear your teaching, but I feel like we've got to jump in and say, absolutely, please do. When I look at the Hebrew of the word, and then I look at the root of the word that you're talking about, which I can't pronounce. But at least something like Zamar right right Zemmer. Yeah. That Um There's a book, I can't tell you the name of it, but it starts out: this was the best of times, this was the worst of times.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. And Anybody who's been through the That experience that you're describing, and I can remember it well when I had a A brain abscess. That was caused by a plate that they'd put in my head to try to fix my cancer, whatever they were doing. And that got a. staph infection and that staph infection spread through my brain And they couldn't stop the infection.
And this nurse was hanging the. last antibiotic. They said, we have tried everything else, Mr. Dilmore. this if this doesn't work, you really need to consider getting your things in order.
Get your family in, those kind of things. And so I was on the cliff that you described. I was there. She was going to say: if this doesn't work, then you really need to start praying harder than ever.
Okay. But it was exactly as you described. And it was probably exactly as Hezekiah felt as he laid out his letter before the Lord. A deep intimacy that you can only have when you realize that all you have is God, but that's all you need is God. And you can only explain it till the cows come home.
But it's a sense that you literally have to. feel you have to to push into God in order to know that. And Hezekiah had experienced that part of it. of pushing into God through that and Isaiah certainly was with him in that and it was absolutely beautiful. And remember, Isaiah also comes to visit King Hezekiah when King Hezekiah was on the brink of death.
But when you think about it, Praise God he was angry with me. That's right. How it all works out, I don't necessarily know. What I do know is clearly, you're in the midst of this great battle. And the battle is for God to show you how much he loves you.
Not to show you or for you just to understand and to trust. The idea is to come over to this point. Yeah. Like, oh my goodness, look what God has done for me. But I guess.
you are probably familiar and when you when you mention this word pruning Well You know, there's a famous, famous, you know, from the Christian faith, the idea of I'm the vine, and you are the, you know, and God is the. As a gardener, he's pruning. And that's the whole idea of that pruning is. That you would be bear more fruit. Because the idea of pruning is to bear more fruit.
And which is what God's looking for in all people is that we would bear fruit for his kingdom, not.
So the age. You know, but he was junior partners of what he's doing. And so, as you mentioned, that's, and as I look at that word, I'm like, Oh my gosh, you're exactly right. that that word could be song because it has the idea of fucking Right?
So so I actually I really I really wanted to to Like do a uh of Quick. overview of that route. in the Bible. That is Definitely, there's that meaning, not just of singing, in particular, singing a song of praise. That is, to give some examples.
In another Famous song in the Bible, the song of Deborah. The prophet is. in Judges chapter five We read in verse 3. Hear, O you kings, give ear, O you princes, I unto the Lord will I sing.
Now sing there is ashira, shir means song. Then I will sing praise Azamer from the Zain Mem Resh root. I will sing praise to the Lord. The God of Israel. And In the same vein.
In Second book of Samuel, chapter 22. Where We read about King David. As The one who is singing his song. of thanksgiving to the Lord. In verse 3.
Therefore, I will give thanks unto you, O Lord, among the nations. And I will sing praises again. Azamir. Unto your name. And well, the following chapter in the book of Samuel.
King David is described as the sweet Singer of Israel. That's Ni'im Zemirot. Same route. The sweet singer of Israel. And of course, in the same vein, I don't want to belabor this point too excessively.
I'll just note a couple of additional examples in Amos chapter 5, in verse 23. Take you away from me the noise of your songs, and let me not hear the melody of your psalteries. Which is God's words of rebuke for us. If The songs are coming in a context of being morally bankrupt. And on a positive note, And I think we discussed this verse in speaking of the renewal of the Holy Land.
In Isaiah chapter 51, verse 3. The Lord has comforted Zion, he has comforted all her waste places and made her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found in them. Thanksgiving and the voice of melody, Zimra again singing.
So we definitely have this theme of song. Thanksgiving. Praise And simultaneously. And of course, this is obviously what You, Pastor Robbie, were intimating with respect to the other meaning of the root. Leviticus chapter 25.
We read about the sabbatical year and the Jubilee year. In verse three. Three And verse four. Six years shall you sow your field, and six years shall you prune your vineyard. Prunier Vineyard, Pizmo, same three-letter root.
All the Hebrew experts know that in biblical Hebrew, you always look for the three-letter root, same three-letter root, Zain Memresh. In verse 4, the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the people. For the land, the Sabbath unto the Lord, you shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. And Also on the theme of the pruning. Yeah, ironically, in a negative way.
In Isaiah chapter five. When The Prophet gives us God's rebuke. to the inhabitants. of Jerusalem and the men of Judah. in the metaphor of The Judgment of the Vineyard.
And there's a description of God's vineyard. Which is what we're supposed to be. And They Result of our faithfulness. Verses five and six: Now come, I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up.
And I will break down the fence thereof, and it will be trampled. and I will lay it waste, it shall not be pruned. Nor hold shall not be pruned. Ye zamel came same root.
So I have to tell you I have a proposition with respect to how you could have such completely different Words That are derivative of one root. in the Hebrew. And My humble proposition is How do you transform? Prose In the song. You prune it.
Right? That is, you take away all of the Excess. And when you've trimmed all away, all of the excess away. You've pruned it. The prose has become song, Maybe that's how they both derive.
From the self same root. in biblical Hebrew. But in any case While We certainly could. Translate This images. As The song.
And there are undoubtedly translations that will render it as the strength and the song of the Lord is become my salvation.
Now, truth be told, we don't read about God singing. We're supposed to be singing to God. We do read about God pruning. And That inevitably leads to the proposition, let's consider the contexts. We know that this is an expression that appears exactly three places in Scripture.
The context in each of the three. Let's start with the one that we've been talking about the most which is isaiah chapter 12.
Well Isn't it obvious? Card is pruning. All of the cities of Judah were laid lay waste. It was all pruning process and it's something that Is just so profound when you consider the metaphor, and that is. Again, recall.
The destruction of the forces of Sennacherib. was described In Isaiah chapter 10, In Verses thirty-three and thirty-four. The last verses before The sprout going forth from the stock of Jesse. And how is that structured described? Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts.
will lop the boughs with a sore, And the high ones of stature shall be hewn down and the lofty shall be humbled. and he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron. and the Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.
Well, that is not pruning. That is cutting down. But you know It sure looks like the same thing. Doesn't it? If someone doesn't Understand the art of viniculture.
He sees The farmer out there in the vineyard. And he thinks it's kind of undivided. He doesn't ask what he's doing. It looks the same. And I'll go one step further.
I never personally interviewed Yvonne. But I suspect pruning. is a profoundly traumatic process. After all, it's pruning precisely because you're cutting the live potentials. The living branches So imagine God forbid it.
an amputee. Cutting off. the limbs of a person, Sometimes it's necessary because the limb has become gangrenous. But it's true as dramatic. And Inevitably There's the thinking What's going on here?
Is God cutting off the cities of Judah just like he is cutting off The forces of Sennacherib? You might think so. An expert in viniculture or a prophet. You might really confuse the two. But you know the next year round If it was cutting down, all you're going to see is stumps.
If it was pruning. Like you expressed it so well, Pastor Robbie. You'll see that the fines are so much more fruitful. They Expert. Who knows his vineyard?
knows how to prune the vines. And and he's dramatic. And it does hurt. And it's coming precisely on the heels again in chapter 12, verse 1. I will give thanks.
to you O Lord for you were angry with me. You are rebuking me. I felt Tortured. I felt Rebuked Even Cast away. And Only when I saw that.
What you were really doing to Sennacherib was not pruning him. You were. cutting him down. I realize that what you've been doing to me all along. was not cutting down, he was pruning.
And the redemptive moment is not because everything is all of a sudden fixed. And The sun is shining and the land is replenished and renewed. No, the land is still in ruins. But the redemptive moment Is That moment in my mind. When I gaze on the self-same reality and I say, Oh my god, I thought you were angry with me.
I thought you were cutting me down, and I realized you were pruning me. That's the song of redemption. It was all pruning. And of course, that's what leads to the following verse. With joy Shall you draw water out of the wells the fountains of salvation?
Because you realize it's all about God's salvation, not because everything is wonderful. Everything may be Waffle. But it's only awful because pruning hurts. Not because. God has turned his back on me.
So that's In Isaiah chapter 12. Inevitably. Let's consider the other two places. Again, the song of the sea. Exodus chapter fifteen, verse two.
Everything seems great, right? The See his split. Israel is going through The enemy has been cast into the depths. Yeah, but This coming at the end Yeah. How many years of torturous bondage How many children thrown into the Nile.
And I feel compelled in particular here To add an additional specific dimension. In the Story of the Exodus And that is what takes place. In Exodus chapter 5. In particular, the old model That God Gave Moses the game plan. You're gonna go to Pharaoh.
And Israel is going to go forth from Egypt. And when in fact happens When Moses goes to Pharaoh. In Exodus CHAPTER five Beginning in verse 6. Same day Pharaoh commanded. The taskmasters of the people and their officers are saying, You shall no more give straw to make brick as here.
Let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the tricks which they did make heretofore lay upon them. You shall not diminish any of it. For their idol, and that's why they're Crying out, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our Lord. The heavier work.
be laid upon the men that they may labour therein, and let them not regard lying words.
Okay. What was a terrible situation? just becomes so much More Terrible. In verse 12, the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. And The officers of the children of Israel whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them were beaten.
Because they aren't be able to produce the tally. And Of course they're broken. That is We read In Verse That They they they The officers of the children of Israel. They realized In just terrible circumstances. Because They couldn't demand of the people what the c the people could not produce.
and when they meet Moses and Aaron. They say to them, Verse twenty one. May the Lord look upon you and judge, because you have made our Savior a stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hands to slay us. and Moses himself is broken. The next verse, Moses returned to the Lord and said, Lord.
Why have you dealt so terribly with his people? Why are you sinny? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, It's only gotten worse. And you haven't saved them. And the next verse is God's Response Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh for my strong hand.
shall he let them go and by strong hand he shall drive them out of his land. What's going on?
So I feel compelled to share. an ancient tradition that we have in the Midrash. And it kind of focuses upon Verse 12: The people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt, their stubble for straw. The premise of me trash is looking at what's taking place Yeah. God's perspective.
When he sent Moses to Pharaoh, It was time It was time to roll out The cart with all of the awful plagues of Egypt. Except God, as it were. Had a problem. The problem was The moment the plagues will strike. The rank and file Egyptians We'll have a complaint.
They'll say Hey, Pharaoh sinned. What did I do? And That tacit complaint. Was enough. The stop.
The plagues in their tracks Because After all God is God of justice So what happens? What happens is Pharaoh comes up with this brutal decree. Which is brutal enough as it is. But you know, at the end of the day. Is it such a big deal?
to find Stubble? to gather for straw. After all after the harvest The fields are full of stubble. No one needs it. No one wants it.
It's just garbage.
So go in and take this double.
So, why do we read in verse 12 that the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt, the gathering of the tuples, destroyed, was so hard to find? And here the midrash Supplements the text by saying, Well, yeah, sure, because the Israelites would go into the fields of the Egyptians to gather stubble, and the Egyptians would come after them with sticks, get out of my field. And it was just more and more misery. Like they weren't suffering enough.
Now they're getting beaten by... the Egyptian landowners get out of my field and they have to Be scattered over the entire land of Egypt and gather stubble for straw. And the taskmasters are beating the officers, and the officers are broken themselves. And they complain to Moses. And Moses himself is broken.
What in the world are you doing here, God? And from God's perspective, What's going on? Remember what was preventing the plagues? That the rank and file Egyptians are going to say, We're innocent, why are we suffering? Oh yeah, not anymore.
This event was precisely what. Takes the spoke. They take the stick out of the spokes. And God says to Moses, Ah, you know what's going on here?
Now you're going to see the plagues. in all of their ferocity. unfolding before your eyes. Because this was the last impediment. Them taking place.
You thought. That This is The very contradiction of redemption. This is the pathway to redemption. And again, when you get then who Exodus chapter fifteen The Song of the Sea It's looking back. Unwall of the torture, unwall of the suffering, and it's that aha moment.
It was pruning. I thought you were cutting. You were pruning. That's the redemptive moment. The strength and the pain of the world.
Maybe from that situation. Do we have another example? That's another example right now. Oh, I can think of so many, it's unbelievable, but I wanna keep just keeping to scripture. Yeah, just keeping with this.
Go ahead. Go ahead. In Esther. Chapter seven Yeah, there's that fraught moment. When The king Tells Esther Please unmask this evil for me to whom you've just referred.
Who is the adversary? Who is this, and where is he that presumes in his heart to do so? And Esther says, an adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman. And what happens next? In verse seven.
The king gets up and leaves. And the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden. And just picture this. Esther is just Unmasked evil. Heyman.
And At this very moment. rather than experiencing salvation from the clutches of evil, She's alone in the room with him. The king is gone!
So first of all, I always like to ask this question. What am I supposed to talk about now? The weather? I mean, give me a break. What's going on here?
But on some level, the king, after all, represents the king. God. Evil has been unmasked, and evil seems to have. the upper hand.
Now, of course. The very next verse Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of fine, and Haman was fallen upon the couch. Where Anestor was, then the king said, Will he even force the queen before me in the house? And the word went out of the king's mouth. They covered Haman's face, and it's the end of Haman.
So only lasted a moment.
Well first of all I'm sure for Esther at that moment They have seemed like years. But you know If we read this as a symbol, We already know, of course. From Psalm ninety That A thousand years in your side are as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
So taking this as a symbol, a metaphor. Once evil is unnested. We don't necessarily see. that it's immediately vanquished.
Sometimes, as in Exodus chapter 5, If we could see things from God's perspective, we'd understand. There's some additional ingredient that's going to be taking place. Before Evil will be not only unmasked. but also obliterated. And in that Interim.
We really do see evil seemingly with the upper hand. But we know. Where things are heading. And the redemptive moment is being able to say Uh-huh. It was all pruning.
And of course the Third place where we encounter this self-same verse. As we already noted, is in Psalm one hundred eighteen. And Some hundred eighteen I I think non-incidentally I should note. Psalm 118 is the last of the Psalms of Thanksgiving that we recite on all holidays. Psalm 118 has in it this theme In verse twenty-one The town's Almost like a restatement.
of Isaiah chapter 12 verse 1 I will give thanks unto you. For you afflicted me. and thou become my salvation. There are other ways of translating that verse, but I think that's. The one that's most consonant.
With the whole theme of Psalm 118. After all, We read In Verse 17: I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. And the basis of that is verse 18: the Lord has chastened me sore. and he has not given me over unto death. At least not quite, but it came awfully close.
And the redemptive moment? Is I will give thanks unto you. For you afflicted me. So of course It is precisely in that vein That we appreciate that Psalm 118 is also that place where we're going to read. In verse fourteen.
The Lord The strength and the pruning of the Lord. has become my salvation. And I can only add here further, I know we already mentioned. This verse Micah chapter 7 verse 8. Rejoice not against me, O my enemy When I am fallen, I am arisen.
when I sit in darkness. The Lord is light unto me.
So I know there are other translations that instead of when Translate though, which really is not consonant with the Hebrew because key means then, but it does not mean though. And Our tradition on this verse. If I were not fallen, I would not be arisen. If I would not sit in darkness. the Lord would not be a light unto me.
So Just to jump in when you know again, I'm just about to explode about 40 ways, but I'll just explode this. Because it's so wonderful. It it it is so wonderful and so true. anybody that really has gone through much life know exactly what you're describing. But the other thing I would notice on listening.
that In a Passover Seder. Oh, exactly. which is all about Exodus. Right. And it's certainly all about all that they experienced, the plagues, et cetera, et cetera.
At the end, what do they do? They recite. And they sing. These songs. Right?
And what a picture of it, because it is the 118th Psalm. That is the last one that they sing. Absolutely. Which is the song that you just described. And for those who Um Have enjoyed a Passover to Seder at some point in time.
I know that I try to celebrate it every year with my church or with lots of other groups. That The picture is Is You know, that idea of God is going to take you out, God is going to redeem you, God is going to make you free. And it's not you that's going to do this, it is God. Um And because he is our salvation, which we always think, I've got to do something to save myself. And yet Um you know, whatever that may be, we come here to this place.
of God's pruning. That we may sing because the comfort that comes after it, as you describe, is just beyond. Unbelievable, but what a neat thing that it mentioned Sukkot, but all the feasts. are picturing this journey that we have. To the kingdom in such a beautiful way, right, Rabbi?
Absolutely. But I have to tell you, when you mentioned the Passover say there, boy. you really hit the nail on the head because Let's just consider. what's taking place altogether every year as we celebrate Passover. Are we commemorating Only the Exodus?
No. Because there are also bitter herbs on the table. commemorate the Exodus if you don't also commemorate the bondage. And we have this recurrent theme. Really, it's Throughout The Torah, especially in Deuteronomy.
You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, that you were a bondman. that that remembrance is integral to what the Seder is all about. And it's precisely in that vein, the imperative we read. In Exodus chapter 12. Verse 8 that The paschal offering you eat with unleavened bread and the bitter herbs.
in the description of the second Passover, that is the Passover for those who missed the chance of the first one. Again, in Numbers chapter 9, verse 11, they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. It has to be together with the Yeah. And the bitter herbs. And the truth of the matter is that with the unleavened bread itself, There's this complexity too.
Because, on the one hand, if you ask anyone what is the unleavened bread Symbolize So the obvious answer is that it symbolizes redemption as we read in Exodus. Chapter 12, verse 39, they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt. for it was not leavened. For they were thrust out of Egypt. Yes.
Excuse me. And they could not tarry. Neither had they prepared for themselves any provisions.
So the unleavened bread is a symbol of redemption, right?
Well Then we get to Deuteronomy chapter 16. Verse 3, and it's talking about Passover. That is, this is. Deuteronomy chapter 16, talking about the cycle of the holy days again, talking about the Passover offering. Verse 3 tells us, You shall eat no unleavened bread with it.
Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread therewith. The bread of affliction. For haste. You went forth out of the land of Egypt.
So there is this theme of haste, which we saw again in Exodus chapter 12 as the reason the bread didn't rise, but it's also called the bread of affliction. And the Passover said there. The first Manner in which we identify the matzah, the unleavened bread. It says that, the bread of affliction. Just it kind of morphs over the course of the say there and to the bread of redemption.
But they're both there. Present. Focused. It's actually particularly timely Ironically, that you mention the Passover Say there right now. Because The weekly Torah portion.
that we read Around the world this Sabbath. begins Yeah. Deuteronomy chapter 25. Which describes bringing the first fruits. to the holy temple.
And in particular, the declaration that is made by every single person. Yeah. who is bringing the first fruits. to the Holy Temple. And The relevance of that summer standard is actually.
That declaration serves as The core The template. For retelling the story of the Exodus. At the Passover say there. We we actually use these verses. From Deuteronomy chapter 25.
And the obvious question: why do we use these verses? Why don't we use. The verse is in Exodus. But Of course, what's so conspicuous in these verses in Deuteronomy chapter 25 is precisely They're not just talking about the excess, they're talking about the bondage. And Yeah, maybe we should just note altogether that You bring the first fruits.
And bring the first fruits. Is always Not just recalling The circumstances of being able to gather the first fruits. But you know as We read it. In some One hundred twenty-six. See Swong When God restores those who are restored to Zion, the last two verses.
Verses five and six. they who sow in peers Shall reap in joy The one who goes weeping on his way bearing the load of seed. shall come back. Enjoy carrying his sheaves. Isn't that what life is all about?
That is You can't Only Rejoice in the sheaves Was that recalling how you were weeping when you were carrying the load of seed? Rejoice in the harvest without weeping. When you saw And again, it's precisely that. realization It happens in so many different ways, on so many different cycles of life. to be able to sense that redemptive moment.
Not by distracting ourselves, forgetting about the suffering the weeping, the tears. but on the contrary, it's a redemption of the tears themselves. Because now I look back on them and I say Uh-huh. Oh. Wow, God really had a plan here, didn't he?
Yeah, that is the and it certainly circles back. you know, from my perspective back to Isaiah chapter 12. Exactly. And the beauty of that idea of Praise God that he just doesn't let me go off into oblivion without him. Pruning without him entering into my story and without him.
you know, disciplining me as it were. But even sometimes It's not about me. In fact, often it's not about me. It's about somebody else. that that God is working with as well, that we get to see.
And um Uh You know, it's amazing.
So many of the things that you have taught today. Again, just just light up my world with the idea of Hezekiah. With the idea of the Passover, with the idea of of all these Themes. that that we see in our lives um I hope our listeners We'll go back to some of those passages and reflect. and what and what you're saying.
But the overall thing that I don't want to miss. That I would love you to speak to. is the first letter In that word, Which This song slash prune. Is a Zallian, right? And that letter in the hundred and nineteen Psalm.
Clearly, it is connected to the idea from my point as David is describing it throughout those verses. of remember. It's almost like You know, I have a tendency to forget God a lot throughout my day, unfortunately, as much as I want to keep Him in my mind all the time. But that letter Zion, which happens to also be the seventh letter, right? And it's a spectacular letter.
Um But quite often has to do with just that idea, doesn't it? A hundred percent. Actually, I feel compelled here.
So share this is way way post-biblical this is the founder of the Hasidic movement. The 18th century. That Forgetfulness. leads to exile. and remembrance the wellspring of redemption.
Because it's precisely when we forget. We don't see the connection. What is exile? Exile is when we're just not home. Or someplace else?
And the homecoming. Uh-huh.
Now I remember. And one thing I couldn't Completely guarantee it just good has it has a caveat coming. And that is At the end of the story, everything becomes crystal clear. The caveat is In this world? But we never get to the end of the story.
So in this world We never get to that utmost clarity that only comes in the world to come. But God In his Boundless compassion. gives us The trips and the traps. That enable us to get a sense of that aha moment. That aha moment That In its most exalted sense, Like A firecracker.
Next to the magnitude. The overwhelming light. of the redemption of the future. That aha moment. is not something that this world can contain.
It's so far beyond. The bounds that this world could even possibly. Possibly. Support. But we got our little aha moments that enable us To have that trust.
And that's that's really the critical focus. Again, recalling the beginning of Isaiah chapter 12, verse 2. I will trust and will not be afraid. You get this Little Tiny aha moment. And that in itself.
Gives you the taste of salvation. In your mouth. Even if Your tongue is hanging out. And it enables you to go forward. In trust.
Not because I've See it all. But I saw a glimmer. The glimmers Worlds. Yeah, it's um A beautiful thing. I hate we um We can't go on and on.
And we will. We will. If I may add a prayer in this world and the next. Yes, please. Please, in this world and the next, we will go on and on.
And remember. Um and sing. Same. As I'm sure in everyone's life, as is in my own, there's moments. Are there things within our families?
There's things within. uh uh uh that that surround us Where we see the discipline, where we see the pruning, where we see the situation and I hope that today's episode will help everyone as it is help is helping me. to see Gotta do it. Easy, easy work. in ways that I can't see.
Trust. Trust. Um Push in. I love it. I love it.
Thank you so much for having me. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for drawing this out of me and enabling me. to connect I feel so much more deeply to the words of the Bible. Then I could have without this fellowship between us.
Because there's always the challenge, and it's a lifelong challenge. Yeah. Do it around me. Yeah. Chapter four.
There is, you will know it this day. and restore it to your heart so you know there's always Knowing it this day, But until you restore your heart, You don't play taking the first baby step.
So Thank you so much for helping me. Mr. Shalom from Which is Salem, North Carolina. And Shalom from God's holy city here in Jerusalem.
Some of them. everyone. God bless you. We are so honored that you would join us today on Voices from Zion, Robbie, and the Rabbi. For more information about Rabbi Haim, Go to his website, zionbible studies.org.
That's zionbible studies.org. or visit me, Robbie Dilmore. at the Christian CarGuy website. That's ChristianCarGuy.com. Once again, Shalom from Jerusalem, the Holy City, God's City.
