SEDRA BESHALACH SHABBAT SHIRA January 2010
This Shabbat sees Rosh Hashana L’Ilanot New Year for Trees aka TuBeshvat 15th Shevat.
It had been my intention to focus on this Rosh Hashana looking at the customs and ceremonies associated with it.
Instead I found myself drawn to the letters representing the number 15 as signified by the TET and VAV.
With the help of my sefer “The Wisdom of The Hebrew Alphabet,” I found the following.
THE TET:
This letter is normally associated with the word TOV= good, first found in the story of creation…………….VAYAR ELOKIM KI TOV… G-d saw that it was good.
We all yearn for a good life, good business, a good year. WHAT IS GOOD?
Material success can become corrupting while trials and tribulations and adversity can become the stepping stone for advancement and triumph.
Only G-d knows what is truly objectively good for us.
In Talmud Shabbos G-d is referred to as TOV UMETIV “The Good One Who does good.”
However sometimes a small or diminished TET can describe a calamity:-
In Eicha (Lamantations) The destruction of the Temple is bewailed and mourned
TO-V-U BO-ORETZ SH-OREHO Her (Jerusalem’s) Gates are sunk into the ground.
Here the gematria of TET= 9 alluding to the Ninth of Av the day the 1st and 2nd Temples were destroyed.
We will see shortly in similar vein how this letter TET occurs in our Sedra.
THE VAV:
The sixth letter of the Alef Beis has a gematria of 6 denoting physical completion.
The physical world was completed in 6 days and a complete self contained object consists of 6 dimensions:- above, below, right, left, before, and behind ( Maharal)
When the VAV is prefixed to a verb it changes the tense from past to future or vice versa.
Familiar example is the word:-
VA-YEDABER- The word YEDABER means HE will speak- in the future.
But VA-YEDABER means HE spoke- in the past.
Two frequent uses of this type of CONVERSIVE VAV are used for the conversion of the word HO-YO- was-(past) to V-HO-YO- will be (future) and the word
Y-HI - will be ( future) into VA-Y-HI was (past).
The use of the conversive VAV conveys diametrically opposed moods.
The Anshei Knesset Hagadola – handed down a tradition:-
VA-Y-HI EYNOW EYLO L’SHON STZAAR
V-HO-YO L’SHON SIMCHA
The word VA-Y-HI is used to convey anguish
The word V-HO-YO is used to convey gladness………… Megillah/Pesichta Zuta
Now let us refer to the Sedra itself.
TET:
See TET Ch.15 Verse 4 “and the select of his officers were sunk”
The word TU-B-U- sunk (see Rashi’s explanation) = The term is normally translated as ‘sinking’ but here refers only to sinking in a place of mud.
VAV:
See Ch 15 Verse 2 “G-d’s strength and power to eradicate (has been) was a salvation for me.”
See Rashi on words VA-Y-HI LI LISHUA, comprising the future verb Y-HI (it will be) and making it past tense by adding the conversive VAV.
See Rashi’s comments on the use of the conversive VAV. “do not be puzzled over the use of VA-Y-HI ( and it was), that it did not say HOYO ( it was) which is preferable.
Now let us turn to TU BESHEVAT- New Year For Trees.
Dayan Swift zt’l describes the common link between Shabbat Shira and Tu B’Shvat. On the one hand, from Moses’s complaint about the miserable conditions in Egypt when they were ground down by the slave labour in Pharoah’s brick fields building Pisom and Ramses; Israel rose to the Song of Freedom. On the other hand, on Tu B’Shvat we are reminded of the wonderful workings of nature, when from the murky depths of the thick black earth, there rises a stately tree with its blessed shade and its fragrant flowers.
Trees are represented as symbols of goodness and nobility.
See Psalm 1:3
The upright person is compared to a tree planted near a stream that bears fruit in due season with leaves that never fade.
See Psalm 92:13.14
The righteous will flourish like the palm tree: they will grow like cedars in Lebanon.
We say this on Friday night MIZMOR SHIR L’YOM HASHABBOS
“ TZADDIK CATOMOR YIFRACH”
When we put the Torah back into the Ark we say ETZ HAYIM HI
“It is a tree of life to those who grasp it.”
Let us be worthy of G-d’s blessings,that we may flourish like the palm tree and our children will be the fruit of our labours to become leaves that never fade in their enthusiasm for Judaism.
Shabbat Shalom from me and TTFN.
(Part of a regular Shiur given at Young Israel of North Netanya Synagogue)
