After thirty-eight years in which the People of Israel walked in the desert, when they were on the verge of entering the Land they grew weary, as it says, "The Israelites moved on from Hor Mountain, going by way of the South Sea, so as to skirt the territory of Edom. The people began to grow discouraged [vatiktzor nefesh] along the way." (Numbers 21:4) Rashi comments, "Because of the difficulties of the journey." The expression "kitzur nefesh" is used to refer to anything that is hard for people. It envisions a person who encounters a difficulty and cannot bear it, having no room for it in his heart.
Imagine someone running a forty-kilometer marathon. On the thirty-eighth kilometer, his spirit weakens and he has no more strength or will to complete the last two kilometers, so he stops running. That is how it was with the Israelites towards the end of their trek through the desert. They grew discouraged and complained and spoke harshly against G-d and Moses. As it says, "The people spoke out against G-d and Moses, 'Why did you take us out of Egypt to die in the desert?'" (Numbers 21:5)
The punishment was, "G-d sent poisonous snakes against the people, and when they began biting the people, a number of Israelites died." (verse 6) Moses, the faithful shepherd who loved his people, prayed and sought mercy for his people (verse 7). He fashioned the copper snake as G-d commanded him: "Moses made a copper snake and placed it on a high pole. Whenever a snake bit a man, he would gaze at the copper snake and live." (verse 9)
Rashi asks: "Was it the snake that killed or gave life? Rather, as long as Israel gazed heavenward and subjugated their hearts to their Father in Heaven, they would be cured. Otherwise, they were harmed."
Nefesh HaChaim comments, "They poured out their entreaty over the great suffering they caused G-d in Heaven through their own suffering on being punished for their sins." (Sha'ar 2:11) When Israel suffer punishment and are sorry over it, they are then cured, for then, so to speak, there is suffering in Heaven.
Today, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has grown discouraged towards the end of the long trek of thousands of years from Egypt to Jerusalem. He announced for all to hear, "We had a dream of a Jewish State in all parts of Eretz Yisrael; yet, we lack the ability to fulfill that dream. I have therefore initiated the Disengagement Plan." (June 28, 2005) It is well-known that when a private individual loses his dream or his spirit, so to speak, it will be he, himself, who despairs and gets depressed. Yet, when a prime minister says, "We had a dream," i.e., when he stops dreaming about our beloved country, he thereby weakens the spirit of the nation. Where there is no dream, there is no vision. And where there is no vision, the people pay for it.
Sharon has grown discouraged. Rather than uniting the people, he is dividing them. Instead of preserving Eretz Yisrael, he longs to establish a state for the Arabs in the very heart of the land of our life's blood. Instead of exalting the nation, he is abasing it in the eyes of the nations and in the eyes of our enemies, who rejoice over our downfall. Instead of raising the banner of the pioneer settlers who are sacrificing themselves for the sake of their people and their land, out of his great "love" for them, he is transforming them into enemies. And he is doing all of this because his spirit has been extinguished, with his ceasing to dream.
Yet, the Jewish People have been living for thousands of years by the light of the great dream of the return to Zion: "When the Lord brings the exiles back to Zion, we shall be like those who dream." (Psalm 126:1) The Jews dreamt and believed even when they reached the nadir of existence in the dark exile, with the furnaces of Auschwitz.
Mr. Sharon, you have ceased to dream. Your spirit has been extinguished, your good spirit has departed from you and has been replaced by an evil spirit. Yet, that does not mean that the nation has stopped dreaming and believing, and coming to the Land to settle all parts of it. The Jewish People possess great patience and great faith. "We shall surely go up and conquer it. We can do it!" (Numbers 13:30) The black cloud that you have brought upon us will speedily disperse.
Let us be strong and courageous!
Imagine someone running a forty-kilometer marathon. On the thirty-eighth kilometer, his spirit weakens and he has no more strength or will to complete the last two kilometers, so he stops running. That is how it was with the Israelites towards the end of their trek through the desert. They grew discouraged and complained and spoke harshly against G-d and Moses. As it says, "The people spoke out against G-d and Moses, 'Why did you take us out of Egypt to die in the desert?'" (Numbers 21:5)
The punishment was, "G-d sent poisonous snakes against the people, and when they began biting the people, a number of Israelites died." (verse 6) Moses, the faithful shepherd who loved his people, prayed and sought mercy for his people (verse 7). He fashioned the copper snake as G-d commanded him: "Moses made a copper snake and placed it on a high pole. Whenever a snake bit a man, he would gaze at the copper snake and live." (verse 9)
Rashi asks: "Was it the snake that killed or gave life? Rather, as long as Israel gazed heavenward and subjugated their hearts to their Father in Heaven, they would be cured. Otherwise, they were harmed."
Nefesh HaChaim comments, "They poured out their entreaty over the great suffering they caused G-d in Heaven through their own suffering on being punished for their sins." (Sha'ar 2:11) When Israel suffer punishment and are sorry over it, they are then cured, for then, so to speak, there is suffering in Heaven.
Today, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has grown discouraged towards the end of the long trek of thousands of years from Egypt to Jerusalem. He announced for all to hear, "We had a dream of a Jewish State in all parts of Eretz Yisrael; yet, we lack the ability to fulfill that dream. I have therefore initiated the Disengagement Plan." (June 28, 2005) It is well-known that when a private individual loses his dream or his spirit, so to speak, it will be he, himself, who despairs and gets depressed. Yet, when a prime minister says, "We had a dream," i.e., when he stops dreaming about our beloved country, he thereby weakens the spirit of the nation. Where there is no dream, there is no vision. And where there is no vision, the people pay for it.
Sharon has grown discouraged. Rather than uniting the people, he is dividing them. Instead of preserving Eretz Yisrael, he longs to establish a state for the Arabs in the very heart of the land of our life's blood. Instead of exalting the nation, he is abasing it in the eyes of the nations and in the eyes of our enemies, who rejoice over our downfall. Instead of raising the banner of the pioneer settlers who are sacrificing themselves for the sake of their people and their land, out of his great "love" for them, he is transforming them into enemies. And he is doing all of this because his spirit has been extinguished, with his ceasing to dream.
Yet, the Jewish People have been living for thousands of years by the light of the great dream of the return to Zion: "When the Lord brings the exiles back to Zion, we shall be like those who dream." (Psalm 126:1) The Jews dreamt and believed even when they reached the nadir of existence in the dark exile, with the furnaces of Auschwitz.
Mr. Sharon, you have ceased to dream. Your spirit has been extinguished, your good spirit has departed from you and has been replaced by an evil spirit. Yet, that does not mean that the nation has stopped dreaming and believing, and coming to the Land to settle all parts of it. The Jewish People possess great patience and great faith. "We shall surely go up and conquer it. We can do it!" (Numbers 13:30) The black cloud that you have brought upon us will speedily disperse.
Let us be strong and courageous!