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. If you are going through something right now, this would probably be a great podcast to listen to as Rabbi Heim. And I discuss some aspects of the 118th Psalm with God's anger and Jonah being in the belly of the fish.
Sit tight. It's going to be an amazing ride.
So buckle up your seat belt and let's go to Psalm 118, verse 21. I will give thanks. Because Because you were angry with me? And um I must share, it's a trite comment on those words. that we have in our tradition.
And we could all appreciate that it's a well-known cliché. But um Likening it to the story of the guy who was going to set sail on some really, really major business trip. and he breaks his leg on the way to the boat and misses the ship and He's furious with God. Why did you do this with me? Until he hears a couple of weeks later that the ship went down at sea with all hands on board.
So the saying, I said there was an old saying in our tradition. the recipient of the miracle doesn't appreciate the miracle. We can play any we don't we don't We don't have it. the foggiest notion. And if I can also add Going back to what you commented earlier.
Yeah, with respect to All the travails and all the suffering, and all the torment, Uh this is going to be uh Particularly Ampropos observation At least from my perspective, liturgically today. Why today? Because today Ros Jodes. Oh. The beginning of the month.
the beginning of the sixth month in the biblical calendar. Just one month from now. This is Rosha Sana. And The reason I mentioned Today's Russian scholarships, of course, we sing the Psalms of Thanksgiving. on Rosh Khodesh the psalms that we call Halel.
That is the Set of Psalms. that begins Then Some one hundred thirteen and extends through Psalm one hundred eighteen. And In in particular, the point that I want the stress. The stork contrast. that we experience between two verses in Psalm one hundred sixteen.
On the one hand, In Verse Three and into four. The cords of death surrounded me, the pains of the netherworld seized upon me, I found trouble and sorrow. And I called in the name of the Lord. And just a few verses later, We reheat it. In Verse 13.
I will raise the cup of salvation. and cool in the name of the Lord. And both of these Expressions. conclude exactly the same way. I'm calling you in the name of the Lord.
Whether it is That I am finding trouble and sorrow or lifting up the cup of salvation. I call on the name of the Lord. And We have this tradition, it is Actually expressed A mitzvah. Um The Mishnah That We are enjoined to bless God. For hearing bad news That's when we hear good news.
And you know the Abi's question. We don't see the same blessing. They're two different blessings. When we hear bad news, We say Blessed are you God, our Lord. King of the universe.
Who is the true judge? Wanna hear good nose? Blessed are you God, our Lord, King of the universe. Who is good and bestows goodness? It's not the same blessing.
So what do you mean Likeness between these two formulas. Ultimately, the formula of You are blessed, God. Of course, you noted earlier Psalm 119, we get that formula from Psalm 119.
So what's the parody between these two circumstances. Ah, they're both blessings. And you should say both of these blessings. In happiness. What happiness.
I just heard horrific nose. A loved one leaves this world. How can you say a blessing with happiness? And maybe this is indeed a challenge that will remain. an unattainable challenge.
By virtually all humanity. But on some level the summons is whatever happens It gives you a new bond with God that you didn't have before. It would be great if we could Make bonds with God only through good news, but every blessing by definition is a bond. It's like a metaphysical physical bridge that we build between ourselves and God. And When good news Comes our way.
Of course. That enables us to build a new bridge between ourselves and God. And when bad news comes our way, The same happens. we build a new metaphysical bridge with God. And you may have to do it.
And you may know um Yeah um You know, we consider it one of those amazing passages in the book of James. It says, consider it pure joy when you undergo trials of many different kinds. And tribulation. And I remember when I was crushed behind a Jeep, and when I was still going through chemotherapy for my cancer. that I looked at that passage, consider it pure joy.
Yeah. Yeah. Oh. Oh, let me tell you. It was the worst of times.
But it was the best of times. Never was God closer people. In some ways, again, I've experienced all sorts of things in the life he's given me, but oh my gosh, there's no doubt that the deepening of my faith through those particular trials. I would not be who I am. today without some of those things that that we go through Um And I also wanted to say, and I'm very interested.
Is isn't that Somewhat quoted by Jonah when he was. Um saying his prayer in the belly of the fish. Certainly That's a major theme You're talking about Jonah chapter 2? Right. You know, I I always Like to Site Jonah chapter 2 As a a good way of illustrating that But Prayer really means is not what we think.
Because The way the chapter begins. Is Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, and Jonah prays to God. And I always like to Present this as a thought experiment. when I'm speaking to an audience.
So I Imagine you were sitting in the belly of a fish for three days and three nights. And you start praying. What do you think you would say? And I think more or less everyone would agree. Get me out of here!
Ha ha ha. And And what does Jonah Never say. He never says get me out of here.
So Why kinda prayer is this? And you go through The entire Text of this prayer. I cried to the Lord out of my distress, and he heard me. I cried, you did hear my voice. You did cast me into the deep.
into the heart of the sea. I said, I am cast out of your sight, yet I will look again toward your holy temple. What's he talking about? And Very much along the lines of what you just said, I'm going to say.
Well, you know, before we ask the question of get me out of here. Maybe the important question to ask is, how did I get in here in the first place? Ah. He got in there first place because At the beginning of the book of Jonah, Got cooled. And Jonah slammed down the telephone on God.
Right? Um And everything, of course, is a consequence of that.
So what's the role? of Jonah chapter 2. God, I'm picking up the phone and calling you. It would cheapen it.
So make it into some Technical request like, get me out of here, even though get me out of here is a pretty burning need when you've been the belly of fish for three days and three nights. But but the critical Question is. Am I picking up the phone? Am I dialing? Of course, nowadays no one knows the dial is, but you know, you get the idea.
That is. reconnecting because ultimately that's what it's all about and Of course, but when you Describe. Oh god, the the the chemo and the being crushed but you didn't tell me about this this Jeep. That was that's something that's new to me now. But um I think we've At some point, In our journey hand in hand.
Um I shared with you The tradition that we have On Micah Chapter 7. Verse eight. Rejoice not against me, O my enemy. When I fall I arise. when I sit in darkness The Lord is my light.
And the comment in the midrash Had it not fallen I would not have arisen. Had I not sat in darkness, God would not be my light.
So While I'm falling. And while I'm sitting in darkness. It's not pleasant. No. And Almost any human being would we also rail.
Why do you do this to me? And again, that message in Isaiah chapter 12 verse 1. Furies with me. I felt that fury. But then you withdraw your wrath from me and you console me, and I realize.
Ah. I have my Eureka moment. Um Likewise, In much the same vein. Thinking in terms of the Psalms. of Thanksgiving that are part of our morning prayers.
on Rosh Kodesh. Um the almost identical formulation that we encounter In Psalm 118.
Some hundred eighteen In Verse twenty one Truth of the matter is there are there are different ways potentially of translating this verse. But the one that I'll prefer Very similar to Isaiah chapter 12, verse 1. I thank you. For you afflicted me. I thank you for your foot in me.
and you are become my salvation. And um These are Two clauses that seem about as much diametrically opposed to one another as can be, but they're not. Because the affliction can also be part of the salvation. Right? I think we may have discussed this previously, so you can.
Cut you short of This is something Well, I hate to cut you short, but it's nine o'clock and I have a So maybe if you're listening to this, you're probably like me like, oh my gosh, I could talk. for hours and hours and loved it so much. What? Oh yeah, sure, sure. If you if you go to sleep.
Did we talk about Um the Implications of The strength and the pruning of the Lord has become my salvation. Is that something we have? But we definitely need to. Maybe that's a good tease for our next episode.
Okay. We will we will definitely go there, but for now we have to stay shalom. And um God bless you. This is always such a fascinating journey. Like always, I'll be thinking about this episode for days.
As God reveals Uh so much through Through you, Rabbi, I appreciate your love for God that you have no idea. Um I so appreciate this opportunity because You know, like again. I keep on saying this. You just parked me in front of a microphone, but you wouldn't be here. I I Boy, I think I would be boring myself to tears.
But um that's something in the way we journey together is such a blessing. as we walk hand in hand.
So the word of God. Amen. Yes. That's that. Thank you.
And Shalom, my friend. Till next week. Salaam. From God's holy city, from Jerusalem. We are so honored that you would join us today on Voices from Zion, Rabbi 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 Dillmore. at the Christian CarGuy website. That's ChristianCarGuy.com.
Once again, Shalom from Jerusalem, the Holy City, God's City.
