Handwriting on the wall is clearer than ever
The Vilna Gaon (the Gr”a) said that “everything is in the Torah.” He confirms what Ben Bag-Bag said in Pirkei Avot centuries earlier: “Turn it over, turn it over, for everything is in it.”
In that regard, how many of us know where the well-known saying “the handwriting is on the wall” comes from? As my preamble suggests, it comes from the Torah (specifically the Tanach in sefer Daniel, 5:25).
In Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia, dies and his grandson, Belshazzar, becomes king. While Nebuchadnezzar had been vicious and evil and was responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple, he still believed that “G-d rules.”
Belshazzar on the other hand, was arrogant against G-d. During a wild party in which he and his court drank from the holy golden vessels stolen from the Temple, a disembodied hand appears on the wall and inscribes an Aramaic inscription (most of Daniel is in Aramaic) that says, “Mene, Mene, Tekel u’Pharsin.”
Belshazzar is clueless to its meaning, until Daniel explains it to him and prophesizes Belshazzar’s downfall. Each word is significant: “Mene, Mene” (you, Belshazzar, and your reign will be counted); “Tekel” (weighed and judged as if on the scales of justice; “u’Pharsin” (you and your empire will be torn apart and distributed to the new empire of Persia and Medea.
• • •
Last week’s election of Zohran Mamdani was “the handwriting on the wall” — we Jews (as a people and as individuals) are no longer welcome here. Which brings us to this week’s parsha, Chayei Sarah.
We are like Avraham Avinu, a ger v’toshav (an alien and a resident). As Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik put it, “the Jew is a resident of his country, and as such he must work and pray for its welfare, as Jeremiah urged his people on the threshold of exile. But on the other hand, the Jew in this world is always an alien, for his allegiance is to G-d and his goals are set forth by the Torah. A Jew must always be ready to be a lonely alien, resisting the culture that surrounds him and maintaining his unique responsibility.”
But Avraham Avinu had the respect of his neighbors. We do not.
And despite that, he was still required to pay an exorbitant amount of money to purchase the kever for his beloved Sarah. It is one of the three places noted in Tanach that had to be purchased, openly and publicly, by our forebears — the others being Yaakov Avinu purchasing Shechem and King David purchasing land from Aravnah the Jebusite which would become the site of the Bait HaMikdash. Despite these obvious contractual purchases — witnessed and acknowledged — they are the three most contested places in all of Israel (namely Hevron, Shechem [Nablus], and Yerushalayim, and we continue to be falsely accused of theft.
The Gr”a notably said that each parsha in sefer Devarim corresponds to a 100-year period in the sixth millennium, the 5000’s (we are currently in the year 5786), the millennium before the coming of Moshiach. So each century corresponds to a parsha. Others posit that each posuk in the Torah corresponds to a year in the time since creation.
The posuk for 5786, in Haazinu 32:32, is particularly interesting given the recent election in New York City.
“Ki migefen S’dom gafnam, u’mishadmot Amorah, anavemo invei rosh ashkelot merrorot lamo (for their vineyard is from the vineyard of S’dom and from the fields of Amorah; their grapes are grapes of gall, so clusters of bitterness were given them.”
T
he reference to Sedom is painfully reminiscent of New York City, which can be plausibly referred to as New Sedom, given some of the policies enacted that do more to protect the “rights” of assailants and assassins than their victims, as was the case in Sedom itself (masechet Sanhedrin 109b).
This verse comes after a long litany of condemnation of Am Yisrael rebelling against Hashem and His Torah, the result of which is their being scattered from their land as all the nations join in gleeful persecution of the Jewish people. (Sound familiar?)
Eventually, it appears that Hashem feels His chosen people have suffered enough and turns His wrath to their tormentors, the other nations. But about this, there is a dispute between Rashi and the Ramban.
Rashi believes Hashem is reverting back to a condemnation of Israel, who have been emulating the behavior of Sedom. Ramban argues no, the evil described is that of the other nations.
Through the lens of the recent election, it is apparent that they are both right.
The goyim, the nations, now represented by Mamdani, are easily identified (Ramban). But so are the useful Idiots, the 30% of Jews who voted for suicidal policies by voting for Mamdani (Rashi).
A
s one continues verse by verse (which according to this interpretation would mean year by year), we see that by verse 32:36, or four years hence, Hashem has clearly decided that the Jewish people have paid dearly for their rejection and abandonment, and He turns his full wrath on the other nations:
Verse 36: When Hashem will have judged His People, He shall relent regarding His servants…
Verse 41: If I sharpen My flashing sword and My hand grasps judgment, I shall return vengeance upon My enemies, and upon those that hate Me shall I bring retribution.
Verse 43: O nations, sing the praises of His people, for He will avenge the blood of His servants; He will bring retribution upon His foes, and He will appease His land and His people.
It is so interesting that this time, the retribution and comfort that Hashem will finally bring us is intimately tied to the Land, His Land, to Eretz Yisrael, as it says “He will appease His Land and His people.”
Hashem told us many times throughout Tanach (sometimes openly, sometimes cryptically yet prophetically, as here in Haazinu — Devarim 31:29 — where we are clearly told about the Messianic End of Days), that if we follow His will we will succeed, but if not we will be punished.
Yet here we are given a choice, an “off ramp” to end the suffering and persecution sooner. We can go home to Eretz Yisrael (if not now, then as soon as possible) to atone for our misdeeds.
The next four years in New York City are going to be rough. We can hearken to what another of our greatest prophets, Isaiah, told us: “The smallest shall increase a thousandfold, and the least into a mighty nation; I am Hashem, in its time I will hasten it.”
Our Sages (masechet Sanhedrin 98a) tell us this prophecy means that if we are not worthy, it will come in its time; if we are worthy, Hashem will hasten the geulah)
Let’s make ourselves worthy and hasten it.
Shabbat Shalom.
Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com
