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Orchard of Delights Devarim
£The Changing of the GuardThe Changing of the GuardThe Changing of the Guard How (aicha) has the faithful city [Jerusalem] become a harlot; it
was full of judgment, righteousness dwelt in it but now murderers.
££
Your silver has become dross, your wine is mixed with water. Your
princes are rebellious and companions of thieves, every one loves
This portion is called Mattot (Tribes) because it begins with God bribes and follows after reward; they neither judge the fatherless or
telling Moses to speak to the heads of the tribes about the laws of the cause of the widow does not reach them. (Isaiah 1:21-23)
vows. The Talmud teaches that after receiving a revelation from
God, Moses always taught Aaron first, Aaron’s sons next, then the Chronologically the “aicha” of the book of Lamentations is the last
elders (including the leaders of the tribes), and finally the people who of the four times this word is used. Had Adam and Eve responded
assembled at his tent (Eruvin 54b). We discussed above in Kedoshim appropriately to God’s original ayeka and mended their ways, and
why God told Moses to depart from this custom and address the had the Jewish people heeded the heartrending “aicha’s” of Moses
entire assembled people first. In this portion, Moses does not depart and Isaiah, the final “aicha” of Jeremiah could have been avoided.
from his normal manner of addressing the elders before the people, The cry of ayeka/aicha remains till this day a piercing challenge to
yet the heads of the tribes are surprisingly highlighted in the opening the Jewish people and in fact all mankind. Each person needs to hear
verse. Rashi wonders why and he answers by stating that they were not only the personal challenge being issued but also, and even more
specifically mentioned here in order to teach that a single expert, importantly, each person must nurture the ability to scream aicha
like a tribal prince, could annul a vow, and if none is to be found an from his or her innermost soul, in response to the brokenness of the
impromptu court of three laymen could perform the same task. world around us.
Moses’ speaking to the heads of the tribes moreover serves as The numerical equivalent of aicha is thirty-six, the number of
another indication that the torch is being passed on to a new hidden tzaddikim in each generation in whose merit the world
generation. Joshua has just been appointed Moses’ successor and God continues to exist. These righteous souls not only perform acts
has again informed Moses that he will not be entering the Promised of loving-kindness without anyone knowing but also experience
Land; Moses, consequently, further empowers and honors the heads profound pain at the world’s condition. They know how beautiful
of the tribes by addressing them. This is especially important because this world could be and feel to the depths of their beings the anguish
the Jewish people had just spent forty years in the desert because of this unredeemed world (see “God’s Goodness and the Existence of
the previous heads of the tribes – the ten spies – had undermined Evil” in the portion of Ki Tisa).
their faith in God’s promise and in their ability to conquer the When we study Pirkei Avot, perhaps Judaism’s most condensed
Land of Israel with disastrous results. Moses is indicating that the collection of moral, ethical, and wise sayings, we customarily begin
new leadership is ready to assume responsibility and lead the new each chapter by reciting the following words: “All Israel has a share
generation into the Land of Israel.
in the World to Come as it is said: ‘And your people [Israel] are all
Aware of the symbolic importance of lines and circles, discussed righteous, they shall inherit the land forever, they are a branch of
in the previous portion, we immediately notice that the Hebrew My planting, My handiwork in which to take pride (Isaiah 60:21).’”
word for tribes is “mattot,” which also means staffs or rods. Another Each Jew has a spark of righteousness, the potential to be a tzaddik,
Hebrew word for tribe, “shevet,” also denotes a staff or a rod. We within. Every Jew is called upon to make contact with the innate
discussed above the significance of Pinchas’ spear, and how his act point in his or her heart that is existentially uneasy with the state of
created a total paradigm shift in Israel (“A Covenant of Peace”). This the world. Having done so, he or she must then learn what actions to
spear, shaped like a staff, a symbolic line, has now been spiritually take to bring redemption and light into the world.
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