"And Yitzchak went out to meditate in the field at evening time and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and behold, camels were coming." (Bereishit 24:63) Our rabbis say (Pesachim 88a) that Yitzchak went out to meditate regarding the sadeh (field); that is to say, he prayed concerning the Beit HaMikdash, which is likened to a field. "Lifnot erev," at evening time; i.e., he asked, 'Why must we wait so long for the final redemption?'
Yitzchak did not understand the cause of the delay. But then, he lifted up his eyes and saw the camels approaching. And then he understood.
Rabbi Dovid Moskowitz (from Transylvania, later a rabbi in Tel Aviv) explains, in his book Gelilei Zahav, that kosher animals are marked by two signs (simanim), one external and another internal. The internal sign is that the animal must chew its cud; the external sign is that the animal must have split hooves. It is the presence of both signs that renders the animal kosher.
So, too, says Rabbi Moskowitz, a kosher Jew is marked by two signs. The internal: faith, prayer and deveikut; and the external: the actual fulfillment of mitzvot. It is not enough to have one sign alone. The camel represents animals with internal signs, while the chazir (pig) symbolizes those that have only the external signs.
Seeking to understand what is delaying the final redemption, Yitzchak concludes: "Behold the camels are coming." At the time of ikvata deMeshicha, the Jewish people are like camels; they possess heartfelt belief, prayer and deveikut, but lack the external sign - the actual return to Eretz Yisrael. They cry and mourn over the destruction of the Temples and pray for the return to Zion, but are not prepared to arise and "return home".
At the time of ikveta deMeshicha, says the Gelilei Zahav, it is preferable that Jews should exhibit the external signs and take concrete steps to return and rebuild the land, even if they lack the internal signs. For, as chazal have said, the chazir is called by that name because, in the future, the Almighty will "return (yachzir) the chazir to its purity."
Returning to the Land of Israel and rebuilding it will bring the Almighty to purify us all.
Today, who does not want to be a "kosher Jew"? Therefore, in addition to praying for the return to Zion, we must act to return and thereby bring about the final redemption.
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Rabbi Zev Roness is from the Kerem B'Yavneh Yeshiva.
Yitzchak did not understand the cause of the delay. But then, he lifted up his eyes and saw the camels approaching. And then he understood.
Rabbi Dovid Moskowitz (from Transylvania, later a rabbi in Tel Aviv) explains, in his book Gelilei Zahav, that kosher animals are marked by two signs (simanim), one external and another internal. The internal sign is that the animal must chew its cud; the external sign is that the animal must have split hooves. It is the presence of both signs that renders the animal kosher.
So, too, says Rabbi Moskowitz, a kosher Jew is marked by two signs. The internal: faith, prayer and deveikut; and the external: the actual fulfillment of mitzvot. It is not enough to have one sign alone. The camel represents animals with internal signs, while the chazir (pig) symbolizes those that have only the external signs.
Seeking to understand what is delaying the final redemption, Yitzchak concludes: "Behold the camels are coming." At the time of ikvata deMeshicha, the Jewish people are like camels; they possess heartfelt belief, prayer and deveikut, but lack the external sign - the actual return to Eretz Yisrael. They cry and mourn over the destruction of the Temples and pray for the return to Zion, but are not prepared to arise and "return home".
At the time of ikveta deMeshicha, says the Gelilei Zahav, it is preferable that Jews should exhibit the external signs and take concrete steps to return and rebuild the land, even if they lack the internal signs. For, as chazal have said, the chazir is called by that name because, in the future, the Almighty will "return (yachzir) the chazir to its purity."
Returning to the Land of Israel and rebuilding it will bring the Almighty to purify us all.
Today, who does not want to be a "kosher Jew"? Therefore, in addition to praying for the return to Zion, we must act to return and thereby bring about the final redemption.
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Rabbi Zev Roness is from the Kerem B'Yavneh Yeshiva.