Zephania: Chapter 2 - Answering The Abarbanel's "Wonder" Why Rav Ami Cried

This Torah class is brought to you by torahanytime.com. Okay, good morning everyone. A freilichen Adar. This Shabbos is ready Shabbos Mevorchim Chodesh Adar Beis. So, we have to be marbeh b'simcha. That's why we're here today to learn Torah piku dei Hashem yesharim m'samchei lev. So, we're learning Sefer Tzefaniah perek aleph pasuk uh yud zayin. Tzefaniah perek aleph pasuk yud zayin. Says the navi, again this is a nevu'ah about the impending churban of the Bais Rishon, "Va'hatzeirotiha adam." I will let set siege to man. Rashi says that refers to "Va'hatzeirotiha adam" l'Yisrael, "Tz'a'i Yisrael hakruyim adam." Which are called adam. Right? There's a concept that "Atem kruyim adam." "V'ein oif dei krei." "Kovim kruyim adam." Only Klal Yisrael is considered adam and not the Even though one would think that in terms of tracing lineage back to Adam HaRishon, one would think all mankind can do so. And in a physical way, certainly everyone can. But spiritually, there is a concept that all the neshamos of Klal Yisrael whatever come were were uh hanging on Adam HaRishon and that is specifically the neshamos of Klal Yisrael. So, I will set siege to adam. Adam refers to the Jewish people, "V'cholchu ka'ivrim." And they will walk like blind people, "Ki la'Hashem chatu." Because they sinned to God. "V'shupach damam ka'afar." Their blood will be spilled like dust. "U'lchumam kaglalim." "U'lchumam kaglalim." Says the Ibn Ezra, "U'lchumam kaglalim." What does the word "l'chumam" mean? Says the Ibn Ezra, it's very unusual word. There's no Hebrew word L'chumam. And therefore Ibn Ezra says, "Bisaram, their flesh will be poured like dung. But in what language does L'chumam mean flesh? Balashon Yishmael, in Arabic, the word L'chumam is flesh. V'chamayu, likewise says he Ibn Ezra, Vayamter aleihem bil chumai. Now, it is certainly of note that the Tanakh, which is written in Lashon Hakodesh, would use an Arabic word. I mean, here the Ibn Ezra is saying, "Ul'chumam does not have meaning in Lashon Hakodesh. Instead, it is it is Arabic. Ul'chumam keglallem." Well, please take a look. I have a booklet courtesy of Rabbi Yosef Farwood, he made the copies for us this morning. Um so, the Abarbanel comments on this uh perush of the Ibn Ezra. So, it's page kuf ayin vav. Um it's the Abarbanel at the end of pasuk zayin. It's the left-hand column on the first page. The left-hand column on the first page. And um he says, "Ul'chula ul'chumam keglallem perusham mefarshim shebisaram yihyeh keglallei tzo'as adam. That their flesh will be like the dung and the excrement of man. Va'amru, and the mefarshim say shel'chumam milashon Aravi, shekarin labasar lachem." Says the Abarbanel, "Velo yadati lamah lo yomar hanavi divarav bilashon Hakodesh? I don't know why the navi did not say his words in Lashon Hakodesh. V'yifka Lashon Ha'arvi'im, instead he chooses the Lashon of Yishma'elim. And therefore the Abarbanel disagrees with the Ibn Ezra. He says it would be more correct to explain Lachem Lachmam Kol Yisrael when they are in siege. Tamei Kegilalei Tzo'as Adam. That when they are in siege, their bread will be tamei. What does it mean their bread their bread will be tamei? In other words, when a siege is set to them, their bread will be ritually unclean. The the Arabians' bread? No, no, no, no. Now the even the Abarbanel is arguing on the Ibn Ezra, and he's saying this is not Lashon Ha'arvi, this is Lashon Hakodesh. Saying the Jewish people's bread will be like dung, they'll have to eat food which is tamei. But the Ibn Ezra learns that this is an Arabic word. So I want to point out, I mean just as a defense for the Ibn Ezra, how it's even possible to say that there's a word in the Tanakh that's not in Lashon Hakodesh, why in the world would a pick an Arabic word? So I uh direct your attention to the pasuk at the end of Parshas Bo, Vehaya Le'os Al Yadcha, to be a sign on your hand, Uletotafos Bein Einecha. So what does the word Totafos mean? So Rashi says, Tefillin. And why are tefillin called Totafos? Da'as Sheheim Arba Batim, because there are four uh stations, Koru'in Totafos. Tat Bekaspi Shtayim, Pat Be'afriki Shtayim. Tat in Caspian is two, Pat in African is two. And therefore Totafos is tefillin. Now, since when does the Torah write uh in Caspian? Since when is a Torah for Africans? Even though the truth is we are the true African-Americans. Because only we actually came from Africa. We don't come from South America. But that's a different discussion for a different time. But Why why would the Torah choose to use Caspian words? So here Rashi seems to be utilizing the same thing that Ibn Ezra did. Ibn Ezra said is Arabic for flesh. And here Rashi is saying is um pat is um pat pat um in African and Caspian. So I once saw, I believe it was in the Maral, that in all these situations the Hebrew word is a Hebrew word. is a Hebrew word. And is a Hebrew word. Yeah, but we don't answers like this. Originally Adam spoke Hebrew. The 70 languages that were created 70 languages Let's let's investigate now. Are they new invented languages? Is Japanese is Italian? Are these invented languages? Or is it merely a discombobulated Hebrew? In other words, when the was the language It is very reasonable and perhaps it is even true that what did was he merely discombobulated Hebrew to produce different languages. And each language is just a formula of in fact I know somebody who's writing a thesis on how there 70 different permutations you could do to a Hebrew word to make 70 other words. For example, you could do it backwards. You could do it even and then odd. You could there many ways to to to mumble a language. So, in fact, there are many Hebrew words that if you many English words that really could be the etymology is Hebrew, you know. And the obvious ones, sack. Right? Sack. Where does the word sack come from? Sack. Sackcloth is a sack. Or my grandfather likes to say, what do you call somebody who is uh cruel without any mercy? Ruthless. Ruth was the great marachim. Someone who is a cruel and azari is ruthless. I once thought, you know, how do you say uh scales in Hebrew is kaskasim. So, just scales backwards, right? Kas sak, scales. Or fins, snapier. Fins is snapier backwards. So, there are many words that you could claim or perhaps uh make the case that their etymology is lashon hakodesh. So, what what what hazal mean that toita fois tad and pad in is two and two in Caspian and in African, the answer is it's two and two in Hebrew. It's just right now, nobody uses tad and pad in Hebrew as two. But, the proof that it does mean that is the fact that in other languages it means that and it originally did come from lashon hakodesh. Okay. So, that's the first offering. Let us continue last pasuk in the perek. Gam kasbachem, gam kasbam. Also, their silver. Gam zahavam, also their gold. Lo yukal hatzilam, cannot save them beyom evras Hashem, on the day of God's anger. For the age cannot say and in the fire of his jealousy take off all the color of the whole earth will be consumed. He holla because he will make an end and abrupt end. Yes, I he will make is called your to all the inhabitants of the land. So in fact here Holla is an end and if holla means suddenly. Not only will the end come, but the end will come abruptly. So why didn't So what is the holla end to it? Could have said after holla. Holla is suddenly, but suddenly what? Suddenly you win the lottery? No, suddenly you will end. Oh. Okay, so okay. Now I will say we begin base. Base begins with a very famous a very important in in general. Um says like this his issue Literally his issue means gather yourselves. For cash you and correct your deeds. I go the nation without desire. So gather yourselves and correct yourselves. What does this mean? Let's start with Rashi. His issue gather yourselves could have two batteries, please. His issue gather yourselves but cash you. Now the language of his cash issue what's the root of his cash issue? Cash. Cash like straw. That's why it means to gather like you gather straw. His luck to gather the us and I gather together come on the cash is cash to gather straw. The cash you and So gather yourselves like straw the kosher. The kosher means and correct your deeds. His will I say come and that's kind of you actions. Make your actions on par with the desire of your creator. Uh However, now Rashi quotes a Gamara Baba Basra. This is very important Gamara. Before you correct others, correct yourself. His kosher shoe correct yourself the kosher and then correct others. In other words, in order for a person to be worthy to correct others, they need to they themselves be flawless. They need to be free of the need to be corrected. So his kosher shoe kosher shoe the kosher and then correct others. Both words mean a language of equating a magic as my someone who makes himself equal me as you are that guy. So here the Torah is is warning us that before you correct others, one needs to correct themself. Then the passage says how good it is to have stuff. The nation that does not desire. What does it mean the nation that doesn't desire? The nation that doesn't desire what? Why are the Jewish people being called the nation that does not desire? Says the Targum Yonathan Aziel The nation that does not want desire to learn Torah. That's the critique over here. The nation that does not want to study Torah. Rashi also says tag Manassas Hamid the Mesa of lawyer ASA. Classic base. The term led us a hike. Before the decree is born. Rashi says the time led us a hike the Baja before the decree comes. Kim lights of our young. You'll become like chaff. Before the day passes. The term lawyer by a lake and before it doesn't come upon you how really not for shame the fierce anger of God the term lawyer by a lake and before it does not come upon you young of a shame the day of God's anger. Says Rashi. Come on of our. Rashi says I raise a micro culture. This is a a bridge classic. Come on to say I'm not near a like chaff that passes before the wind who have a nice and like smoke that passes before the sun. The day target my show of our young. Have to tell me honest on to have wine diamond. The chemist say. The national cannot be added in cotton yarn. And what's the difference between the term lawyer by a lake and how really not for shame and the term lawyer by a lake and young of a shame. What's the difference between the how really not for shame and the young of a shame. Says the Malbim. The term is lawyer show the term lawyer by a parodies. K Even if the day comes it will not bring anger. And then the possuk adds, "Not only will God's anger not come on that day, but that day will not come at all." That day will not even be designated. In other words, do teshuvah so that God's anger does not come upon you. Do teshuvah so even the day that was designated for anger will not be such a day. Bakshu Hashem, seek out God, call anvei haaretz, all the humble of the land. Now, according to the Malbim, it's speaking to the tzaddikim. It's not only speaking to the the multitudes, which are compared to the straw, it's it's speaking to the tzaddikim. Says the Malbim, "That those who go in the chukei Hashem and the mishpatam, seek out Hashem, bakshu tzedek, seek out righteousness, bakshu anavah, seek out humility. Seek out humility. Ulai tissastru, perhaps you will be saved beyom af Hashem." What's the meaning of ulai tissastru? What's the lashon of tissastru? The Radak says, tissastru, you will be hidden. Or protected, the Targum says, "Moeim yisgain." But that says this promise was only that they won't die by the sword. But they were not they were no promises that they will not be exiled. Cuz a decree was already decreed in the times of Manasseh like it's ready till Malachi that you will be gathered to your forefathers in peace. Okay. Ki Azah Azuvah Siyah. What does this mean? You will be Azah Azuvah Siyah. And So Azah usually means strong, but here it refers to the place, the Philistines. Ki Azah Azuvah Siyah. Azah the Gaza will be abandoned. They'll be deserted. The Ashkelon Ashkelon will be a wasteland. Ashdod bat Tzahorayim. Yehoshua Ashdod in the afternoon will be chased out the Ekron Yakar. Ekron will be uprooted. What's Ekron? Ekron is also a Philistine area. Ekron? That's Ekron there. That's further north. Let's see Rashi. Ki Azah Azuvah Siyah. Ki im tasu ken if you do this God will have mercy. I will visit punishment on your evil neighbors precious. The Ammon and Moab commotion is like the enumerating that if we do God will visit punishment on our enemies. But so so Azah will be deserted, Ashkelon will be desolate, Ashdod will be chased out in the afternoon says Rashi. Ashdod shamah. Ashtod will be desolate with tsaharayim asher yishod bah. Ketev yigarshuha u'dei u'tehi shodedah. So, this is Rashi trying to explain what is the meaning of batsaharayim yigarshuha. Tsaharayim is the morning. Tsaharayim is the noon. Noon. Noon, too. Yeah, okay. If um can someone pass me a siddur? Is there a siddur here? In yoshev beseter elyon, which is which capital? 91, it says yippol mitsidcha elef u'revavah el yemincha. Elef like uh so, you um yippol mitsidcha elef u'revavah mimincha. So, there in yoshev beseter elyon, it says yashud batsaharayim. That there's a certain demon this chapter 91 in Tehillim, we say like this, lo yira mimachat laylah, mechets yom ya'af, midever ba'ofel halech, miketev yashud tsaharayim. From ketev will fall desolate in the tsaharayim. That there's a certain demon called ketev, which causes desolation in the tsaharayim. So, when we say over here ashtod batsaharayim yigarshuha, Rashi in this first pshat, like it means like this, u'vetsaharayim in the afternoon, asher yashud bah ketev, that ketev causes desolation yigarshuha. He'll chase them out. An alternative Shua she says about Saharayim you go Shua Makon Mir'eh Tzon Hayah. It was a place of pasture. With Bet Saharayim Kasha Latzon we know in the afternoon it's very difficult for sheep to pasture because of the the heat of the sun like in Shir Hashirim we say Eicha Tarbitzi Betzaharayim. Okay. So here we're given a prophecy that if the Jewish people repent the punishment is going to go on the enemies. Let's see the Abarbanel on these Psukim Pasuk Dalet Ki Means according to the Radak we saw that this is a promise that the Jewish people will be offered some degree of protection but not complete protection because the Golus the impending Golus was already given. Let's see the Radak in this Hakdamah to Perek Bet. He says the Acharei Sho Yediah Hanavi Livnei Yehudah Kol Ra'ah See the love of Hashem after Hashem told the Bnei Yehudah all the evil that was going to befall them the Peshaim Hoitzi Mezeh Atzmi Yanachna. Vehu Sheyoshevu Lashem. The Navi and him so took the appropriate understanding that what our reaction should be is to do Teshuvah. Veyizchanenu Lifanav. Betaram Yavo Yapo Veha'avrot Aleihem Vezehu Omrei Hiskashshu Vekoisu. Like here the Abarbanel agrees with the Ibn Ezra. And then the Abravanel continues. Looking at pasuk gimmel. L'fi sha hayu b'Yerushalayim. Uv'eretz Yehuda anashim yirei Elokim, because in there was in Yehuda and Yerushalayim God-fearing people. V'hein heimah me'atim, although they were small. K'mo she'amar David. V'chein omer, k'negdam, he's saying to these tzaddikim who remain in Yerushalayim, Bakshu Hashem kol am v'aretz, seek out God. Now, in pasuk gimmel, we have an astounding pasuk. And this is something that we learned in when we're learning in Maseches Chagigah. And on this pasuk, um where the navi's talking to the tzaddikim he's saying, "Bakshu Hashem, seek out God. Ulai tisasru, maybe you'll be saved." What do you mean maybe? What do you mean maybe? If you do teshuvah, isn't it for sure? So Rav Ami said no. Rav Ami would come to this pasuk, he would cry. He said, "All of this and only maybe? Kulei hai v'ulai?" All of this and only maybe? In other words, a frightening thing. Here the navi is telling us to repent, but even so, maybe ulai tisasru, it's only a maybe, it's not guaranteed. That's what the Gemara says. So the Abravanel is quoting this Gemara. So but the Abravanel says, "V'lo yada'ti l'mah hu yavo Rav Ami." I don't know why he cried. I don't really know on the bottom line why he says I don't really understand why he cried. They have to do with the sins so many sins. I don't really get why he cried. I mean See we understand why he cried because what he is saying is that look here the says do do only maybe. So saying like what should I do? That's not very hopeful for me. That's not very comforting. I'm going to do try to do do and it's only a maybe. Come on I mean don't you understand what kind of level that these people sunk to? They had sinned for so long so long so long and now you hold you think that if they do in the last moment they should be guaranteed to be forgiven. I mean I mean you have to understand it's not like the Jewish people have been so great. They've sinned continuously for so many generations. That's why it's only but if somebody really tries his best and then he does then they they have a much better shot. So interestingly that he doesn't know why would cry. So in a way he's leaving off with a question like he doesn't get why he cried. So in the defense of me we have to say and utilize the very important principle. And that is despite the fact that the is severely castigating the Jewish people. We have to understand that in reality their sin was what we call the It was a very minuscule. Something that if we would look at, we wouldn't be able to see anything. Like the Gamara says many times, "Kol Yisrael are ein lo aliyah. Kol Yisrael are arevim chata ein lo aliyah." That all the chata'im that the nevi'im heap upon us and that we're severely castigated for, that's because the nevi'im blow up our sin. They exaggerate our sin. Why? As we're going to see, the navi Amos says a pasuk, "Rak es chem yeda'ati mikol mishpechos ha'aretz, al ken efkod aleichem es avonoseichem." "Rak es chem yeda'ati." "Rak, only, es chem, you, the Jewish people, yeda'ati." You know what yeda'ati means? Literally, I know. But in lashon hakodesh, yediah is referring to love. Like "Vayeida Adam es Chava ishto." Hashem says, "Because I love you, that's why I punish you." With love like that, right? Who needs a But what does that mean? Very simple. You're walking down the street with your child and he has little part of his shirt sticking out. And of course the street there's some hooligan who looks like he belongs in the zoo. And you scream AT YOUR KID, "YOU HOW YOU WALK AROUND like that? With a shirt like that?" WELL, WHAT ARE YOU? A BUM? What about that guy across the street? He's a billion times worse. What's the answer? He's hopeless. You don't care about him. What do you care how he dresses and what he looks like? But you love your child and you want to see your child's perfection. So to the to the father, every imperfection of the child is magnified. It's like the father's looking at the imperfections of the child under the magnifying glass. Same with all of Israel. Here the golden calf the Kuzari writes what's the golden calf we would have done it would have been considered a mitzvah. Wasn't a Zarah. They weren't making an idol. They had a Moshe Moshe wasn't coming down. What are they how are they supposed to connect with God? Just sit there and think? We don't do that. We go to shul. Why do we go to a shul? Because we attribute that God than elsewhere. That's heretical. That's that's a curse. The only reason we're allowed to make a shul is because God allows us to. Had we not been allowed to make a shul, had God not authorized us to make a shul, a shul would be a Zarah. It's for us to go to a market and say God is here more than in my house or more than outside. Well, what is that? The answer is allows such a thing. But had not authorized So the only thing wrong with the is they wanted to say by the way why did they pick an idol? They picked an idol because that's one of the faces on the cover of the show. So are they going to pick an Adam? That would be too idolatrous. They're going to pick an it's not kosher. You're going to pick an it's not kosher. The show is the most logical and reasonable choice to pick if you needed if you needed to have something as a tangible way to connect with them. What? The horse wasn't on the cover. I know what you're saying. Oh, front and back. Oh, the front and back. Oh, you mean that? I see it. He said the show was true. It could be that. They didn't intend to make the they just wanted to make the show. The back end you know sometimes Doesn't say they tried it. They tried to make a show. They put in the piece of paper that said they didn't didn't say a horse. Right? But the Kuzari says that had we made the idol it would have been a big mitzvah. So you have to understand everything in the Tanakh is blown up because of Hashem's love for us. There are no compliments in Tanakh. What? L'chora not. L'chora was on a very minuscule level. It was on a level of dakkos. I mean the fact that the possuk says that tachas kol. There was avoda zara, but what exactly that means was that outright avoda zara? The philosophy of Slabodka was that all the aveiros mentioned in Tanakh are blown up and exaggerated. Like the navi itself says, "Because I love you, that's why I punish you so much." And there are very little There are very little compliments in the Chumash. In fact, there are no compliments in the Chumash. The only compliments we have in Chumash is from Who's going to compliment us? Moshe Rabbeinu? Why would we believe Why would Why put that in the Chumash? What our own leader says about us? The Chumash is just full of criticism. Because it demonstrates Hashem's love. Only compliments? Ma tovu ohalekha Yaakov. Who says that? A rasha, Bilam. Why? Because if the rasha says then you'll believe it. If If Moshe Rabbeinu says you're a bunch of tzaddikim, no one's going to believe it. Of course, that's what uh The only thing is at the end of Moshe's life he said, "You know what? Let me tell you how it is." Ah, shvei'eim Yisrael mikhamokha. But the rest of the Torah, the rest of the Tanakh. So it could be the answer to Abravanel's question. Why Rav Ami was crying? Rav Ami, what are you crying? Of course, it's only ulai. The Jews had sinned for so many generations. The answer is we have to know what kind of sins these were. These were not outright egregious sins. You know, we We always consider it. and that's why the you can't accept the interpretations of the Tanakh of the Bible critics. Oh, King David, he did this, he did that. The Sukkah has interpretations exactly every act that seems to be a wrongdoing of David Hamel has to be interpreted in the through the lens of the Torah Shebaal Peh. So, maybe that is why Rabbi Ami was crying. In other words, Rabbi Ami understood Yeah, yeah, there were sins, but they were sins on a very minuscule level. Okay. Rabbi Seagal, let's hold it over here. Shkoyach. You've just experienced another Torah class brought to you by torahanytime.com.