THOSE WHO FEAR MY NAME
“Several times I heard from the holy Chofetz Chaim, that we can learn about the end of our exile from what happened at the end of our exile in Egypt, as it says, ‘As in the days of your leaving Egypt, I will show wonders [in the Final Redemption].’” (Reb Elchonen Wasserman zt”l as quoted in Redemption Unfolding)
We stand at the eve of Pesach. Mighty events are unfolding on the world stage. What will the coming days and months bring? Here is a possible scenario.
In Mitzraim, we almost touched the bottom; we were drowning in the alien culture. Am Yisroel were almost lost as a discrete entity.
Let’s compare that to the present. Today, Am Yisroel is again almost lost. We are drowning in the surrounding culture, with no leader and countless factions, with anger and division among us, weakened in the eyes of the world and before Hashem.
But Hashem concluded an eternal covenant with our Patriarchs! In Mitzraim, He did not abandon us. And now, for sure, He will not abandon us!
How will our yeshua evolve? How will things play out in the contemporary world? Remember, contemporary events parallel the events of Yetzias Mitzraim.
In Mitzraim, during the Ninth Makkah, the vast majority of Am Yisroel disappeared in the blackness of Makkos Choshech. Perhaps this corresponds to the Holocaust.
The tenth plague was Makkos Bechoros, which perhaps corresponds to the death of the chiefs of the evil Empire of the Third Reich, who were hanged like the sons of Haman. Recently we also witnessed the miraculous death of the leadership of Iran, who all perished in one moment! Just as we say the names of Haman’s sons in the Megillah in one breath, so they all disappeared in one breath!
In Mitzraim, after the Death of the Bechoros, we left Mitzraim. Perhaps that corresponds to the opening of the gates to Eretz Yisroel, when the world momentarily forgot its hatred and conceded the fact that we have a Biblical Homeland.
But then, just as in Mitzraim, our enemies regretted their acceptance of our existence. In Mitzraim, they surrounded us at the Yam Suf, just when we had thought we were free. Perhaps that corresponds to the present moment in history, when Am Yisroel is surrounded everywhere in the world and our enemies believe that their “final solution to the Jewish Problem” is once more in sight, G-d forbid.
At Yam Suf, the people panicked, but Moshe Rabbeinu told them, “Do not fear! Stand fast and you will see the redemption of Hashem that He will perform for you today.” (Shemos 14:13) It is possible that we are at this point in history now, totally surrounded. And so many of us are crying out: “Ana Hashem … Please Hashem! Save us!”
This Shabbos we read the explosive words of Malachi, the last of all the Prophets, who spoke “parting words” to Am Yisroel, his brethren, as we entered the frightening Golus whose limits are still unknown.
Malachi tells us that our words “have become harsh against Hashem and we say, ‘It is useless to serve G-d.’” OY! How terrible!
Who are the true men in our days?
Please listen to the words of Malachi: “Then those who fear Hashem spoke to one another and Hashem listened.” Ah! Those who fear Hashem! That is what we need! These tzaddikim “will be a precious treasure for Me, says Hashem, Master of Legions …. For behold, days are coming, when all the wicked people will be like straw and the coming day will burn them up, says Hashem Master of Legions.”
With apologies, this sounds very much like thermonuclear war. And why should we be surprised? Has not modern history led up to this moment, a world of chaos populated by evil men whose fingers rest on the buttons which can unleash Gehenom? But no! They do not have the last word. “Rabos machashavos b’lev ish….” Puny men believe that they control the world, but they are nothing, like brittle grass.
And the Novi continues, “but a sun of righteousness will shine for you who fear My Name, with healing in its rays.” This is incredible. The earth-shattering global war which – G-d forbid -- mankind may inflict on itself will be the exact moment when heavenly healing comes to those who fear Hashem!
What does it mean to “fear My Name?” Why “My Name?” Why not Hashem Himself? We have to understand this.
Every day we whisper, “Baruch Shaim Kavod Malchuso l’olam va’ed,” after Shema. We are not even allowed to enunciate these words (except on Yom Kippur) because we “stole” them from the malachim! They must be extremely holy!
And every day, we say, “Y’hai shmai rabo ….” Again, why “Shmai … the Name?”
I would like to suggest that we bless “the Name” of Hashem because Hashem gave us His Name in this world so that we could come close to Him. We cannot come close to His Essence because we are basar v’dam, but He gave us something which we can grasp in this world which reflects His Glory, to which we can come close. This is really the job of the malachim, who “stand at the summit of the universe and proclaim …. The Name of G-d, the great mighty and awesome king.” (Shacharis)
But we Jews, in our desire to come close to Hashem, have “stolen” their trade! When we elevate ourselves through Torah and Tefillah, then we reach up to the exalted madreiga of malachim and give nachas to the Ribono shel Olam. This, I believe, is what Malachi ha Novi is telling us: if we push ourselves to this celestial madreiga, then Hashem will protect us from the conflagration which threatens the world and allow us to witness “the sun of righteousness” which will shine in the days of Moshiach ben Dovid, may we see it soon in our days!
Healing in its Rays
GLOSSARY
Basar v’dam: flesh and blood
Bechoros: the firstborn
Choshech: darkness
Golus: exile
Maakah: Plague in Egypt (Plural: makkos)
Madreiga: spiritual level
Malachim: angels
Mitzraim: Ancient Egypt
Nachas: happiness from children
Ribono shel Olam: G-d
Tefillah: prayer
Yam Suf: the Red Sea
Yeshua: redemption
Yetzias Mitzraim: exodus from Egypt
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