June 20, 2008
Toward the end of this Shabbat's Parashat Sh'lach Lecha ("Send for Yourself") we read the following: "Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him. Then YHVH said to Moses, "The man must surely be put to death; All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp." So, as YHVH commanded Moses and all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died" (Num. 16:32-36). This man was said to be "gathering sticks"; He was "me'ko'shesh", of the root kash, which is "stubble" or "straw". Thus anyone picking up stubble, straw or sticks is of necessity having to stoop low.
Another instance of stooping to the ground and picking up "two sticks" is found in the story of Elijah and the widow woman of Zarephath, who in her desperation "gathered" ("mekosheshet" of the same above mentioned root) sticks upon which she was about to cook the last meal for herself and her son. But because of her faith and obedience to the word of Elohim that came to her via the prophet, "the bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of YHVH which He spoke by Elijah" (1 Kings 17:16).
Like the widow woman of Zarephath, we too, with the rest of the inhabitants of this planet, could be coming to a time of dire need. In fact in Zephaniah chapter 1 there is a sobering description of what is called there "the Day of YHVH": "The great day of YHVH is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of YHVH is bitter; there the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers. I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against YHVH; Their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like refuse. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of YHVH's wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land" (Zeph. 1:14-18).
Immediately following this somber prediction, a call is issued out: "Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation" (2:1). The address to the "undesirable nation" should immediately alert us as to who is being referred to here, as the whole House of Israel has been issued a bill of divorce by the Almighty (ref. Is. 50:1, Jer. 3:8). But isn't He also telling us here to "gather and be gathered" (literal Hebrew translation)? And doesn't it mean that He has forgotten all the treacheries of His People? Well, the gathering according to this passage, in the context of the Day of YHVH must take place in the same lowliness and humility that it took the widow woman, or even the defiler of the Shabbat, to pick up those sticks and branches. It is also the same lowliness with which our ancestors gathered the straw in Egypt while they were in slavery (ref. Ex. 5:12). What's more the "koshu ve'hit'ko'shashu" ("gather and be gathered") that we encounter here, is in a form that is somewhat different from what one would expect, which would be "koshe'shu" (as is found in all the other instances sited).
Why "koshu" and not "koshe'shu"? For non-Hebrew speakers this might sound like a triviality, but those who know the language can immediately pick the similarity between "koshu" and "kasheh", meaning "hard" or "stiff", which takes us to "k'sheh oref", that is "stiff necked"; a title that has been accorded us time and again by our King (e.g. Ex. 32:9; 33:3,5; 34:9). It is therefore no wonder that the Zephaniah text goes on to warn us:
"Before the decree is issued, [before] the day passes like chaff, before YHVH's fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of YHVH's anger comes upon you! Seek YHVH, all you meek of the earth who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of YHVH's anger" (2:2,3 emphasis added). The message resounds loudly and clearly. And while the decree is about to happen fast, and (His enablement of) humility and righteousness are unquestioned requirements, He still says that "it may be that you will be hidden". Thus, we cannot take for granted being "hidden" in the day of trouble, and neither can we "be settled in [our] complacency", because He warns us that He will punish those who do so (Zeph.1:12). Finally, verse 4 of Zephaniah 2 may alert us as to the timeframe of all of this: "For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon desolate; they shall drive out Ashdod at noonday…" If you live in Israel you hear those names daily on the "not so good" News!
Before the great and mighty trees of Judah and Ephraim come together (ref. Ez. 37:15ff), it will be the lowly gathering of sticks and twigs that will take place under the terms prescribed by YHVH only. We may be like the widow woman, humbly obedient and acting in faith, or, YHVH forbid, we can decide to do our own gathering in a way and at a time which YHVH has not designated and cast our lot with the individual described above in Numbers 15:32-36.
Rimona
Toward the end of this Shabbat's Parashat Sh'lach Lecha ("Send for Yourself") we read the following: "Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him. Then YHVH said to Moses, "The man must surely be put to death; All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp." So, as YHVH commanded Moses and all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died" (Num. 16:32-36). This man was said to be "gathering sticks"; He was "me'ko'shesh", of the root kash, which is "stubble" or "straw". Thus anyone picking up stubble, straw or sticks is of necessity having to stoop low.
Another instance of stooping to the ground and picking up "two sticks" is found in the story of Elijah and the widow woman of Zarephath, who in her desperation "gathered" ("mekosheshet" of the same above mentioned root) sticks upon which she was about to cook the last meal for herself and her son. But because of her faith and obedience to the word of Elohim that came to her via the prophet, "the bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of YHVH which He spoke by Elijah" (1 Kings 17:16).
Like the widow woman of Zarephath, we too, with the rest of the inhabitants of this planet, could be coming to a time of dire need. In fact in Zephaniah chapter 1 there is a sobering description of what is called there "the Day of YHVH": "The great day of YHVH is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of YHVH is bitter; there the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers. I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against YHVH; Their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like refuse. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of YHVH's wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land" (Zeph. 1:14-18).
Immediately following this somber prediction, a call is issued out: "Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation" (2:1). The address to the "undesirable nation" should immediately alert us as to who is being referred to here, as the whole House of Israel has been issued a bill of divorce by the Almighty (ref. Is. 50:1, Jer. 3:8). But isn't He also telling us here to "gather and be gathered" (literal Hebrew translation)? And doesn't it mean that He has forgotten all the treacheries of His People? Well, the gathering according to this passage, in the context of the Day of YHVH must take place in the same lowliness and humility that it took the widow woman, or even the defiler of the Shabbat, to pick up those sticks and branches. It is also the same lowliness with which our ancestors gathered the straw in Egypt while they were in slavery (ref. Ex. 5:12). What's more the "koshu ve'hit'ko'shashu" ("gather and be gathered") that we encounter here, is in a form that is somewhat different from what one would expect, which would be "koshe'shu" (as is found in all the other instances sited).
Why "koshu" and not "koshe'shu"? For non-Hebrew speakers this might sound like a triviality, but those who know the language can immediately pick the similarity between "koshu" and "kasheh", meaning "hard" or "stiff", which takes us to "k'sheh oref", that is "stiff necked"; a title that has been accorded us time and again by our King (e.g. Ex. 32:9; 33:3,5; 34:9). It is therefore no wonder that the Zephaniah text goes on to warn us:
"Before the decree is issued, [before] the day passes like chaff, before YHVH's fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of YHVH's anger comes upon you! Seek YHVH, all you meek of the earth who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of YHVH's anger" (2:2,3 emphasis added). The message resounds loudly and clearly. And while the decree is about to happen fast, and (His enablement of) humility and righteousness are unquestioned requirements, He still says that "it may be that you will be hidden". Thus, we cannot take for granted being "hidden" in the day of trouble, and neither can we "be settled in [our] complacency", because He warns us that He will punish those who do so (Zeph.1:12). Finally, verse 4 of Zephaniah 2 may alert us as to the timeframe of all of this: "For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon desolate; they shall drive out Ashdod at noonday…" If you live in Israel you hear those names daily on the "not so good" News!
Before the great and mighty trees of Judah and Ephraim come together (ref. Ez. 37:15ff), it will be the lowly gathering of sticks and twigs that will take place under the terms prescribed by YHVH only. We may be like the widow woman, humbly obedient and acting in faith, or, YHVH forbid, we can decide to do our own gathering in a way and at a time which YHVH has not designated and cast our lot with the individual described above in Numbers 15:32-36.
Rimona
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