Page 10 - HaMizrachi Yom HaAtzmaut AUS 2021

TORAT MIZRACHI

Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon and Rabbanit Sharon Rimon

Shir HaMa’alot

(Psalm 126)

e say Shir HaMa’alot every streams? Yosef Breslavi explains that
Shabbat and holiday before there are no streams which flow reg-
WBirkat HaMazon and for ularly in the Negev Desert, but there
decades we have sung it to the tune of are flash floods. The Negev is usually
Hatikvah at the conclusion of the Yom dry. There is almost no rain. However,
HaAtzmaut prayers. Why is this psalm the rain that does fall on the mountains
connected to Yom HaAtzmaut, and flows towards the dry streams. Because
what is its message? the ground is hard, the water does not
seep into the soil but appears suddenly,
This psalm is divided into two distinct
parts: almost instantaneously, on the surface
and flows very quickly. This phenome-
The first part (1–3) speaks in the past non characterizes the Negev. When it
tense, in which the redeemed Jews feel rains, hundreds of small tributaries fill
their redemption is like a dream. It is so up with water, flowing into dozens of
monumental that even the non-Jews are larger ones, flowing down to one big
amazed at the greatness of the miracle; site, which then looks like a river.
they see the hand of G-d and say, ‘ה לי ִ ּ ד ְ ג ִ ה This phenomenon can be compared to
ה ֶּ ל ֵ א ם ִ ע תֹוׂש ֲ ע ַ ל, “The L-rd has done great the flow of olei haRegalim to Israel, the
things for them.”
pilgrims who come to Yerushalayim at
After the non-Jews speak about the once, in large quantities, from many
magnitude of the miracle, Am Yisrael places across the Land.
finally understand it themselves, לי ִ ּ ד ְ ג ִ ה Moreover, the suddenness and surprise
ּונ ָּ מ ִ ע תֹוׂש ֲ ע ַ ל ’ה “The L-rd has done great
things for us.” At first, םי ִ מ ְ לֹח ְּ כ ּוניִי ָ ה, it was of the flash floods in the Negev is a
like a dream, but now, after others talk beautiful metaphor for the process of
redemption. Just as a dry and desolate
about it with such awe, “we were like
dreamers” becomes a clear reality: ּוניִי ָ ה desert is instantly filled with life-giving
water, so the lonely Land is suddenly
םי ִ ח ֵ מ ְ ׂש, “we were happy.”
filled with its returning children, and
Part Two (4–6) speaks in the future the barren begins to blossom.
tense. It is a request for redemption, The psalm also likens redemption to a
for G-d to return us ב ֶ גֶּנ ַּ ב םי ִ קי ִ פ ֲ א ַּ כ, “like plant, seeds and harvests. Indeed, in the
springs in the Negev.” Tears of struggle words of the prophets, a plant is often
accompany the sowing stage, and we a parable for Mashiach and Redemp-
request and pray that the harvest and tion. For example, Yirmiyahu (23:5) calls
the gathering will be with joy.
Mashiach קי ִ ּ ד ַ צ ח ַ מ ֶ צ, a true branch.
The order of the psalm is surprising – if Zechariah (6:12) also describes how
we have already proclaimed the vision Mashiach, whose name is Tzemach,
of redemption; why do we now request
Photo: Sharon Gabay redemption ּונ ֵ תי ִ ב ְ ׁש ת ֶ א ‘ה ה ָ בּו ׁש , “the L-rd ‘ה, “Behold, a man called the Tzemach
will build the Beit HaMikdash: הֵּנ ִ ה
ל ַ כי ֵ ה ת ֶ א הָנ ָ בּו ח ָ מ ְ צִי וי ָּ ת ְ ח ַּ ת ִ מּו ֹומ ְ ׁש ח ַ מ ֶ צ ׁשי ִ א
shall return us”?
To answer this, we must understand the
shall branch out from the place where
he is, and he shall build the Temple of
unusual expression, “as streams in the
the L-rd.”
Negev.” What are these afikim, these

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