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Beatings or Blossoms? Mizrachi
Rabbi Rabbanit Educators
Reuven Taragin Shani Taragin
he three Haftarah readings with his tribal name engraved upon “And it shall come to pass, that like as I have
we read at this time of the it. The next morning, only Aharon’s watched over them (shakadeti) to pluck up
T year begin with the first staff blossomed, brought forth buds, and to break down, and to overthrow and to
chapter of Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) and bore ripe almonds, indicating destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over
who was inaugurated as a prophet God’s selection of Aharon and his (eshkod) them to build and to plant, says
40 years before the destruction of descendants as priestly leaders. So God.” (Jeremiah 31:27)
the first Beit HaMikdash. Upon Yirmiyahu could have seen the almond
his initiation as national prophet, rod as a mateh of leadership and divine The same verb – “shakad” – used
God asks him: “What do you see?” selection. for the word almond is employed
in these words of comfort too!
Yirmiyahu answers, “I see a rod However, God enjoins him to look Just as God brought the makel of
(makel) of an almond tree (shaked),” closely – “What do you see?” i.e. striking quickly like the shaked, so
whereupon God responds, “You do you see a staff of leadership and too will He bring redemption and
have seen well for I shall bring My selection, or as you appreciate the rebuilding. The employment of the
word quickly.” Rashi explains that context of God’s words and the same verb underscores the message of
the almond rod is indicative of the religious-historical zeitgeist, do you consolation; sometimes we are meant
speed of God’s punishment: Just as see impending punishment represented to anticipate the beatings of exile and
the almond blossoms for 21 days by the makel? Yirmiyahu intuitively punishment, and sometimes we are
until fruition, so too will God bring answers correctly – he sees a makel of meant to see the blossoming of fruit
punishment during the 21 days between almond grain (Radak) – the imminent and redemption.
the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B’Av. punishment.
The Malbim (Jeremiah 1:11) explains What do we see? Do we see and
that one should not just focus on Nevertheless, Yirmiyahu later encourages anticipate rods of retribution or do
the almond, but on Yirmiyahu’s the people by telling them that God will we see blossoms of redemption?
identification of the rod as a makel – a heal their wounds and return their wearied The answer lies not in prophetic
rod. Not a staff of leadership (mateh) souls to the Land of Israel. interpretation, but in our internalizing
or a cane of support (mishenet), the messages of the prophecies of the
but a makel, a rod used for beating. past for the present. Are we deserving
Yirmiyahu understood that God’s of the fruitful almonds and blossoms
message was an indicator that He or are we to be wary of impending
was to bring His ‘rod of striking and punishment for not properly following
punishment’ upon the Nation. religious directives? The answer is that
what we see is up to us! This is the
Perhaps that is why God asks, “What season when we determine what will
do you see?” for Yirmiyahu could blossom. Let us take these 21 days to
have easily seen the same rod and heart and view our lives with clearer
identified it as a mateh! In Parshat vision and understanding!
Korach (Bamidbar 17), after Korach’s
rebellion against the appointment of
Aharon as the Kohen Gadol (High
Priest), God demonstrated the divine
nature of selection. Each tribal leader Rabbanit Taragin is a senior
was commanded to bring a staff educator in women’s higher
(mateh, which also means tribe) educational institutions in Israel
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