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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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