Why is the name of Hashem spelt Yud Yud in our siddurim?
The Sefer Nachalat Chamisha suggests that the origin is in Parshat Tetzaveh. There we find Hashem telling us ‘ושכנתי בתוך בני ישראל - and I will reside within the midst of the children of Israel’. Elsewhere Hashem says ‘ושכנתי בתוכם - I will dwell in their midst’. So why these additional words?
Says the sefer Nachlat Chamisha: the term ‘בני ישראל – the children of Israel’ is spelt out in full because the last letter of ‘בני – children’ is a Yud and the first letter of ‘ישראל - Israel is Yud. When combined, Yud Yud represents the presence of Hashem in the midst of the ‘בני ישראל – the children of Israel’. In the prayers that we utter from the Siddur, we dearly like Hashem to be a part of our lives, to be in the midst of everything we are going through – the highs and the lows of our existence. Therefore Yud Yud is the spelling that is used for Hashem in our siddurim.
Reb Naftali of Ropshitz takes this one step further. He reminds us that in Chassidic thought, the Yud stands for a Yid – a Jewish person. Therefore when you have two Yuds together, that represents two Yidden, two Jewish people.
So when therefore is Hashem found in our midst? It is when Jewish people exist alongside each other in peace and harmony. This message is of particular poignancy at the time of the celebration of the festival of Purim, which always takes place in close proximity to the reading of Parshat Tetzaveh. At the very moment when we recall how our enemies sought to destroy us, it is of the greatest importance that we realize that Jewish people need to coexist peacefully. The last thing that we can afford is unnecessary and tragic divisiveness within our own ranks. So therefore, the spelling of Hashem’s name Yud Yud comes to remind us of Hashem’s desire to dwell in our midst and how we at all times need to deserve that.
And our prayer during these exceptionally challenging times is, may Hashem bless our brave IDF soldiers, police officers, medical professionals, firefighters, ZAKA members, security personnel and all those citizens protecting us in Israel as well as all the Jewish people, that we will indeed achieve a state of joy, and may that take us again and again to many more experiences of joy. Let’s also pray for those who need healing, shidduchim, children or parnassah and may we be blessed to have the most awesome, gorgeous, beautiful, peaceful, healthy, amazing, relaxed, spiritual, safe, quiet and sweet Shabbat and Purim Sameach.
NUMBER OF MITZVOT: 7
MITZVOT ASEH: 4
MITZVOT LO TAASEH: 3
NUMBER OF PESUKIM: 101
NUMBER OF WORDS: 1412
NUMBER OF LETTERS: 5430
This year, (5783 / 2023) Tetzaveh is a special Shabbat. It is Shabbat Parshat Zachor: The Shabbat immediately preceding Purim is called Shabbat Zachor.
The Maftir, from Devarim, Parshat Ki-Teitze, (25:17-19), deals with the commandment to "Remember what Amalek did to you on the way, upon your departure from Mitzrayim.... ... how they perpetrated a cowardly and unprovoked attack... You shall erase the memory of Amalek from the heavens, you shall not forget." This commandment, to remember Amalek, is one of the 613 commandments. It is incumbent, therefore, upon every person to attend services on Shabbat Zachor in order to hear this special reading and remember its message.
What is the connection between erasing the memory of Amalek and Purim? Haman was a descendant of Amalek.
HAFTORA
Ashkenazim & Chabad: Shmuel I 15:2-34
Sephardim: Shmuel I 15:1-34
תענית אסתר Taanit Esther is observed on Monday, March 2, 13 Adar followed by PURIM on Tuesday and Shushan Purim in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Please feel free to check out our Halachot and Minhagim sheets available.
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