In Parshas Balak, we find a unique reference to Hashem’s love for the Jewish people: ותרועת מלך בו. The words seem to refer to the blowing of trumpets for the King. However, Rashi says that the word תרועה means friendship. Hashem finds us endearing to Him. He loves us; he is our רע, re’ah, our friend, something unique to the Jewish people. How can we be zoche to this friendship? Firstly, if we recall our discussion a few weeks back on Parshas Beha’aloscha regarding the trumpets that the Jewish people were commanded to use when gathering the Jewish people, we mentioned a beautiful peirush on Tehillim regarding the word teruah, which contains three meanings. One is crying out with trumpets to Hashem, the second is conquering the yetzer hara, and the third is friendship.
Hashem works middah keneged middah – if we embrace and love others, Hashem embraces and expresses His love for us, too.
If we were to implement all three definitions, we could be much more certain that we will see the geulah very soon.
The Chafetz Chaim would remind his students that when news comes from the other side of the world, it’s a bas kol for the Jews. If nations are fighting, and certainly, if missiles are flying into Israel and sirens are going off, it’s a message from Hashem: שובו אלי ואשובה אליכם – return to Me. When a siren goes off or we hear any news that is equivalent to a siren, the real response is to stop and say ה הוא האלוקים or אין עוד מלבדו or שמע ישראל. These are all statements that express our acceptance that the world is running only in accordance with Hashem’s will. Yes, we must do hishtadlus, but the thought process has to be spiritual, asking and beseeching Hashem to help us. At the same time, we must use the teruah to accept on ourselves to have ahavas Yisrael for each other. And lastly, we must accept upon ourselves to break a bad middah that we struggle with.
May we see the Geulah very soon.
RABBI DANIEL COREN
SEMICHAS CHAVER SHIUR in R’ Coren’s office every Wednesday at 9:00 PM
Hachana L'Shabbos Shiur in 20 Upstairs every Wednesday at 9:45 PM
