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The Jewish People Are Like the Twins

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The Jewish People Are Like the Twins The Month of Sivan Sivan 5756 / 19th May 1996 - 17th June 1996 THIS MONTH’S SIGN OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES TEUMIM/GEMINI AND SUCKLINGS... e are all familiar with he first two astrological signs are both represented by animals: Taleh the phrase “Out of the (Aries) the Lamb, and Shor mouths of babes and (Taurus) the Bull. It is only with sucklings.” But what is its this origin and real month’s sign - significance? Teumim (Gemini), When you intend to the Twins - that we donate a priceless find a sign which is treasure to an art represented by Man. gallery or a museum, The Torah was given you want to be this month on the sixth (Continued over) of Sivan - under the first human sign, Teumim - WHAT’S IN to indicate that only after the giving of the Torah A KISS? can Man achieve his full issing potential, to be raised is not above the level of the merely a animals. physical When the Jewish People show of camped at the foot of love. It Sinai in preparation to is the way that receive the Torah they The two souls become achieved a harmony and joined together. unity which was Jewish People are On the festival unparalleled before or like the Twins - physically of Shavuot, we since. Israel was united separate, but joined in a spiritual kinship. read in in heart and mind like a Synagogue the single person. It was Book of Ruth. The story begins with Naomi and only in this state of unity, of being One, that they her husband, Elimelech, leaving the land of could receive the Torah which is One. For the Torah Israel because of famine. They move to Moav. is the mind of The Creator Who is One. The symbol Elimelech dies, and their two sons marry of the Twins is an expression of ‘one-ness’; of different Moabite women: Machlon marries Ruth, and people, physically separate, but joined in a spiritual Chilion marries Orpah. Ten years later, the kinship in which they resemble each other to the point (Continued over) that they are identical. guarantors who are not indebted to Me. And who” con- OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES AND SUCKLINGS tinued Hashem “is not indebted to me..?” (Continued from other side) “Bring Me the suckling babes!” Hashem com- certain that the treasure will be cared for; that it won’t be manded. Immediately, the babes were brought from their damaged or neglected. So, naturally you ask for guaran- mothers’ breasts (and those yet unborn in their mothers’ tors. When Hashem wished to give the world’s greatest wombs which had taken on the appearance of translucent treasure - the Torah - to Israel, He said to them “Give Me glass). Hashem spoke to them: “Do you stand as guaran- guarantors that you will observe the Torah.” Israel tors that if I give your parents the Torah you will be replied “Are not the patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac and responsible for them observing it?” They answered “Yes!” Jacob guarantors for us?” Hashem replied “They are al- Then Hashem said “I am Hashem, your G-d” And they ready indebted to me.” answered “Yes!” “You will have no other gods.” “Yes!” It’s like someone coming into a bank for a loan. The children agreed to each of the Ten Command- When the bank manager asks for a guarantor the man ments, one by one. Finally Hashem said “Through your borrowing the money says that his guarantor will be one mouths I give the Torah to My people.” As it is written of the bank’s biggest existing credi- in the book of Psalms ‘Out of the tors! mouths of babes and sucklings you Hashem said “You have have founded strength’ (Psalm 8), brought me the patriarchs who and there is no strength, but the themselves owe me a variety of debts Torah. - as guarantors. Rather bring me WHAT’S IN A KISS? If all the heavens were parchment, holy progeny. (Continued from other side) If all the trees of the forest were By kissing them, she hoped to two sons also die, and Naomi pens, arouse this spirit so that it would If all the waters of the sea were decides to return to the Land of unite with her own soul and in ink, Israel. Her two daughters-in- this way one of these two women And if every creature was a scribe, law also set out with her, but who stood before her would be- Naomi tells them to return to They would not suffice come Jewish. With this accom- their families. She kisses them To expound the greatness of plished, her daughter-in-law both and they weep. Ruth, how- The Creator, would then become eligible to And the reflection of His Majesty ever, refuses to go back to her mother the holy seed that would in Heaven and on Earth - family. She clings to her result in the Royal Family of (Effortlessly-created mother-in-law, converts to David. Judaism and subsequently be- With the breath of the letter When Orpah, the other comes the great-grandmother of Heh) daughter-in-law, kissed Naomi it King David. The poem Akdamus is read on the morning of Shavuot was no more than a gesture of Naomi knew that one of her two before the Torah reading. Every line ends with the syllable ‘ta’, which consists respectively of the last and affection. In no way was she daughters-in-law would have the the first letters of the Aleph-Beis. The allusion is to the affected by the kiss. But since honor of being the source of the endlessness of the Torah. As soon as we reach the final letter ‘Tav’, we immediately start to dwell again on its Ruth was the destined one, when Kingdom of David and the infinite depth with the first letter -’Aleph’. she kissed her mother-in-law, her ancestress of the Mashiach. neshama (soul) made an eternal Though they both stood silently in front of her as she connection with Naomi. urged them to return to Moav and their families, she It was just a kiss, but the whole of world history knew that one of them contained the spirit of her turned on it. dead husband, and this would be the foundation of SOURCES : THIS MONTH’S SIGN - ‘Above the Stars’ - Rabbi M. Glazerson OUT OF THE MOUTHS - Medrash, ‘Sefer HaToda’ah’ - Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov, translated by Rabbi Nachman Bulman AKDAMUS - translated by Rabbi Nachman Bulman WHAT’S IN A KISS? - The Alshich on The Book of Ruth, translated by Rabbi Leaonard Oschry and Ravi Shahar SEASONS OF THE MOON is written by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair and edited by Rabbi Moshe Newman. Designed by Y.A. Sinclair and Michael Treblow. Published by Ohr Somayach/Tanenbaum College, 22 Shimon HaTzadik Street, Jerusalem, Israel. tel: 972-2-810-315; fax: 972-2-812-890; E-mail: [email protected] WWW http://www.jer1.co.il/orgs/ohr This publication contains words of Torah. Please treat it with due respect..
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