Newsletter
Parashat Shelach, June 18th, 2011, 16 Sivan, 5771
Dear Talmidot, Parents and Friends –
1) This week at Midreshet Moriah
2) Faculty Devar Torah – Rabbi Aharon E. Wexler
3) Mazel Tovs
4) Mi She-Berach List
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This Week at Midreshet
How fast the year has come to an end! It seems like only last week that we had our first Shabbat babayit whereas in reality we just had our last.
It was an emotional Shabbat for all as we began to draw a close on what can only be described as a fantastic year. We heard personal accounts from a staff panel on the subject of "What Inspires Us" in order to help motivate the girls and give them chizuk for the impending return home, away from the midrasha environment. As always the meals were filled with divrei Torah, songs and laughter and the final 'slow shirah' of the year was as harmonious as ever!
The following evening we all came together again, both students and faculty, for a wonderful Farewell Banquet hosted in the beautiful home of our very own Ruthie. The girls gave words of thanks to each and every member of staff and made a presentation to the Bet Midrash. Throughout the evening we were addressed by a number of staff, as well as Alisa Schnitzer who spoke beautifully on behalf of all the students thanking Midreshet for a wonderful year.
It is with great sadness that we have to say goodbye to all the girls but we look forward to welcoming some back next year for shana bet and hearing all the exciting news from those who are now called alumnae.
Shabbat Shalom.
Pictures from our year can be seen at http://midreshetmoriah.com/pictures/
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Who did Bnei Yisrael Encounter
in Eretz Yisrael?
Rav Aharon E. Wexler
It seems that it is quite appropriate that the Parsha we read this week as our girls go "home" is Parshat Shelach. While the obvious message of Parshat Shelach is to be very careful about how we speak about Eretz Yisrael, I want to take a look at the residents of Eretz Yisrael at the time of the meraglim in order to deepen our understanding of the Torah text.
The Canaanites
The first people we'll look at are the Canaanites. We start with them for they are the people like Israel that gave the region its name. According to the El-Amarna letters (a group of cuneiform tablets from the 14 th century B.C.E., describing amongst other things, life in Eretz Yisrael while the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt), Canaan was an Egyptian Province that falls more or less into the borders of Eretz Yisrael as described in Perek 34. Thus, the Torah's calling Eretz Yisrael "Eretz Canaan" is an accurate description of the geo-political climate of the time. The Tanach refers to the Caananites as descendants from Ham, and gives them a non-Semitic origin, yet their language was definitely Semitic. The term Canaan in later texts seems to refer to a merchant class. The word Canaan has an Akkadian equivalent of kinahhu meaning red-purple, referring to the special dye of the Chalizon that was prized by the Biblical world and was the main merchandise of the Canaanites. As merchants their job was to travel from place to place and spread their influence. It is probably for that reason that the Torah warns us again and again not to make any treaties with them and certainly not to marry them. In fact their ability to spread their culture and religion is best seen in the large amount of Canaanite words and ideas in the early Egyptian language and cult. The Canaanites as a people seem to disappear during the time of Shlomo HaMelech.
The Hittites
The Hittites are another people mentioned in our Parsha. The Tanach refers to the people living in Northern-Syria as Hittites but it is not clear if this is referring to the actual Hittite people or if the term Hittite is used as a general term for the northern peoples. Other than that, the Tanach gives us very little information about the Hittites, their practices, or their origins. In fact, historically the Hittites' vast empire was centered in what is today modern Turkey. Many places in Turkey can trace their names to the ancient Hittite language which was only deciphered in modern times and found to not to be Semitic but Indo-European. The Hittites were very advanced in the use of iron and were some of the most skilled chariot makers around. This proved a formidable advantage against the Israelites who were former desert nomads and then agriculturalists and thus had very little experience with iron.
The Amorites
The Amorites, descended from the fourth son of Ham, were a very strong Semitic people described by the Tanach as being as "tall as cedars." The Amorites figure greater in early Israelite history than the other ethnic groups that preceded Bnei Yisrael's entry into the land. The Amorites generally lived in the area of east and west of the Jordan River, including the Golan Heights . It is the Amorites that Bnei Yisrael encounter on their way to the Promised Land, and upon their refusal to allow the Israelites passage into their land, Bnei Yisrael defeat them in war. This of course refers to the war against Sichon Melech HaEmori. Later Yehoshua defeats the five kings of Emori, who lived in city-states at that time in Eretz Yisrael. By the time of Shmuel HaNavi though, the Israelites and Amorites share peace (I Sam.7:14). Chaza"l often interchange the Amorites for Canaanites, and speak with disgust about their superstitious and idolatrous practices. While the Amorite language has disappeared, there is one word that still exists and even made it into the Tanach; that of Shanir, which is another name for the Hermon Mountain. Egyptian writings describe the Amorites as having blue eyes, light skin and hair; which puts into question their Semitic origins.
The Jebusites
The Jebusites were the ancient inhabitant of Jerusalem and were defeated by David around the year 1000 B.C.E. The name Jebus is used for Jerusalem during the early Israelite settlement of the land. The Tanach describes the Jebusites as living in the hill of Jerusalem, but it is unclear if they are of Canaanite or Amorite origin. Jebus is portrayed as a stronghold, so strong, in fact, that they taunt David's armies that even the lame and the blind could hold back any attackers. The city was overtaken by Yoav in a daring surprise attack through the "water tunnels" of the city. While they were conquered by Yehoshua in his defeat of Adoni-Tzedek, and again by David, the fact that David buys the threshing floor of Arnon the Jebusite seems to indicate that David didn't annihilate them all and that at least some coexisted with the Israelites after their defeat.
The Amalekites
The Amalekites are descended from Eisav's son Eliphaz and his concubine Timna. The Ramban Gen. 36:12 asks, if they are in fact descended from Eisav, how can we be commanded to destroy them? After all, the passuk in Devarim 23:8 tells us specifically to not hate the desendants of Eisav! The Ramban ingeniously answers that since they were born from the concubine, it is only the legitimate sons of Eisav who went to settle Seir that we are told not to hate, not the sons of concubines. Alternatively, perhaps the Amalek mentioned in Bereishit was only named after the other Amalek, the father of the Amalekites. In fact, Arab historical sources agree with the Ramban and place the origins of the Amalekites as coming from the area of Mecca and from about the time of Abraham, thus preceding the birth of Amalek mentioned in Bereishit. The name Amalek is regarded by most scholars as of unknown origin. Either way, Amalek is presented in the Tanach as the arch-enemy of the Jewish people, and there is a special mitzvah to wipe them out. While here is not the place to go into the subject of Milchemet Amalek, we can at least quote the Rambam to throw some light onto the subject by stating his view that the Amalekites were to be destroyed only after they were sued for peace and refused to accept upon themselves the Noachide laws and to pay a special tax to the Jewish people. The Amalakites dwelt as nomads in the Sinai Peninsula and Negev region of Eretz Yisrael, and thus were the first to go to war against Israel after the Exodus. This put a deep hatred between the two nations that echoes till today.
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Mazel Tov
Weddings:
Sophie Golding (07-08) and Chaim Gothold
Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael
Please help us stay informed - http://midreshetmoriah.org/send-mazaltov.asp
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Mi SheBerach List
Please email midmoriah@gmail.com if there is a name you would like to add or remove!
Shmuel ben Miriam-toddler whose cancer has returned (5/26/11)
Karen bat Lena - undergoing chemotherapy (5/4/11)
Faiga Leah bas Henya (5/3/11)
Chaim ben Chashka (3/3/2011) – diabetes complications
Matityahu Yaakov ben Gittel Rivka (3/5/2011)
Tziporah Feiga Bat Sima Sheindel (2/26/2011)
Shira bat Deena Miriam – premature baby on a ventilator (2/19/2011)
Noa Batya bat Daniella Rut – 7 month old with leukemia (2/5/2011)
Leah Alona Bat Tziporah (2/5/2011)
Leora bat Sarah (2/5/2011)
Frimit bat Devorah (2/5/2011)
Rivah bat Jane (1/29/2011)
Amitai Yaakov ben Bracha - a 16 yr. old just diagnosed with leukemia (1/29/2011)
Dina Eta bat Chaya Tzippora Sheva (1/22/2011)
Aharon Yitzchak ben Deena Yehudis (1/6/2011)
Adi bat Zahavit (twin baby who is sick)
Reut bat Zahavit (twin baby who is sick)
Chaim Yissachar ben Chaya Mushkit (26 year old with 2 children, leukemia)
Shraga Feivel ben Sasha
Ari ben Rivka (young husband with brain tumor)
Inbal bat Nelya
Zacharia Kalman HaCohen ben Yael Margalit
Shai Ben Meital - 4 yr old with brain damage and seizures
Aviva Miriam bat Esther - 9 month old baby with cancer going through chemo
Tzipora Fayga Bat Sima Shaindel- 33 year old mother of 3 with Leukemia(9/19/2010)
Tzvi Ilan ben Gita (8/12/2010)
Chaya Tziporah Sheva bat Faiga (8/12/2010)
Chisha Bayla bat Miriam
Chaya Meira Mindel bat Chava Golda - Midreshet alumna with cancer
Refael ben Nomi- 10 month old baby who has meningitis
Avraham ben Elka (5/21/10)
Rivka Margalit bat Ita - 12 year old girl with a brain tumor (5/27/2010)
Rachel bat Re-ayah - mother of 7 with cancer that has spread
Batya Leah bat Sara - cancer
Noa Chaya bat Nava Yehudit - baby
Yehuda Moshe Yosef ben Miriam
Rayzel bat Rifka
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Midreshet Moriah
The Educational Wing
Shaare Zedek Medical Center
P.O. Box 3235, Jerusalem, Israel
tel: 972-2-652-7449 fax: 972-2-651-1524
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