FRAMING BROKENESS
(ז) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑יו אֲנִ֣י ה' אֲשֶׁ֤ר הוֹצֵאתִ֙יךָ֙ מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֔ים לָ֧תֶת לְךָ֛ אֶת־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַזֹּ֖את לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃ (ח) וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אדושם ה' בַּמָּ֥ה אֵדַ֖ע כִּ֥י אִֽירָשֶֽׁנָּה׃ (ט) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו קְחָ֥ה לִי֙ עֶגְלָ֣ה מְשֻׁלֶּ֔שֶׁת וְעֵ֥ז מְשֻׁלֶּ֖שֶׁת וְאַ֣יִל מְשֻׁלָּ֑שׁ וְתֹ֖ר וְגוֹזָֽל׃ (י) וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֣וֹ אֶת־כׇּל־אֵ֗לֶּה וַיְבַתֵּ֤ר אֹתָם֙ בַּתָּ֔וֶךְ וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אִישׁ־בִּתְר֖וֹ לִקְרַ֣את רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְאֶת־הַצִּפֹּ֖ר לֹ֥א בָתָֽר׃ (יא) וַיֵּ֥רֶד הָעַ֖יִט עַל־הַפְּגָרִ֑ים וַיַּשֵּׁ֥ב אֹתָ֖ם אַבְרָֽם׃ (יב) וַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ לָב֔וֹא וְתַרְדֵּמָ֖ה נָפְלָ֣ה עַל־אַבְרָ֑ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵימָ֛ה חֲשֵׁכָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה נֹפֶ֥לֶת עָלָֽיו׃ (יג) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאַבְרָ֗ם יָדֹ֨עַ תֵּדַ֜ע כִּי־גֵ֣ר ׀ יִהְיֶ֣ה זַרְעֲךָ֗ בְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙ לֹ֣א לָהֶ֔ם וַעֲבָד֖וּם וְעִנּ֣וּ אֹתָ֑ם אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃ (יד) וְגַ֧ם אֶת־הַגּ֛וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲבֹ֖דוּ דָּ֣ן אָנֹ֑כִי וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֥ן יֵצְא֖וּ בִּרְכֻ֥שׁ גָּדֽוֹל׃
(7) Then [God] said to him, “I am ה' who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to assign this land to you as a possession.” (8) And he said, “O lord ה', how shall I know that I am to possess it?” (9) Came the reply, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young bird.” (10) He brought all these and cut them in two, placing each half opposite the other; but he did not cut up the bird. (11) Birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. (12) As the sun was about to set, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a great dark dread descended upon him. (13) And [God] said to Abram, “Know well that your offspring shall be strangers in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years; (14) but I will execute judgment on the nation they shall serve, and in the end they shall go free with great wealth.
וַיֹּאמֶר לְאַבְרָם יָדֹעַ תֵּדַע כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ (בראשית טו, יג), יָדֹעַ שֶׁאֲנִי מְפַזְּרָן, תֵּדַע שֶׁאֲנִי מְכַנְסָן. יָדֹעַ שֶׁאֲנִי מְמַשְׁכְּנָן, תֵּדַע שֶׁאֲנִי פּוֹרְקָן. יָדֹעַ שֶׁאֲנִי מְשַׁעְבְּדָן, תֵּדַע שֶׁאֲנִי גּוֹאֲלָן.
"You shall surely know..." Know that I will scatter them and know I will gather them. Know that I will create a home for them and know I will uproot them. Know that I will enslave them, and know that I will redeem them.
(ט) עמד אברהם והיה מתפלל לפני הב"ה כדי שלא ישתעבדו בניו בארבע מלכיות הללו ונפלה עליו שנת תרדמה ויישן לו שנאמר ותרדמה נפלה על אברם וכי יש לך אדם שהוא יושב וישן ויוכל להתפלל אלא ללמדך שהיה אברם שוכב וישן מכח תפלה כדי שישתעבדו ארבע' מלכיות הללו שנאמר והנה אימה חשכה גדולה נופלת עליו אימה זו מלכות אדום שנאמר דחילא ואימתני ותקיפא חשכה זו מלכות יון שהחשיכה עיניהם של ישראל מכל מצות התורה גדולה זו מלכות פרס ומדי שגדלה למכור את ישראל חנם נופלת זו מלכות בבל שנפלה בידם ישראל עליו אלו ישמעאלים שעליהם בן דוד יצמח שנאמר אויביו אלביש בושת.
(9) Abraham arose and prayed before the Holy One, blessed be He, that his children should not be enslaved by these four kingdoms. A deep sleep fell upon him, and he slept, as it is said, "A deep sleep fell upon Abram" (Gen. 15:12). Does then a man lie down and sleep, and yet be able to pray? But this teaches thee that Abraham was lying down and sleeping because of the intensity of his prayer that his children might enslave || these four kingdoms, as it is said, "And, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him" (ibid.). "Horror" refers to the kingdom of Edom, as it is written, "And behold a fourth beast, terrible and powerful, and strong exceedingly" (Dan. 7:7). "Darkness" is the kingdom of those who darken the eyes of Israel (by preventing the observance of) all the precepts which are in the Torah. "Great" (Gen. 15:12) refers to the kingdom of Media and Persia, which was great (enough to be able to afford) to sell Israel for nought. "Fell" (ibid.) refers to the kingdom of Babylon, because in their hand fell the crown of Israel, as it is said, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen" (Isa. 21:9). "Upon him" (Gen. 15:12) refers to the Ishmaelites, upon whom the Son of David will flourish, as it is said, "His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon him shall his crown flourish" (Ps. 132:18).
(ג) וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֣י ה' לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃
(3) I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make Myself known to them by My name ה'.
(ג) ושמי ה' לא נודעתי להם. לֹא הוֹדַעְתִּי אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי, לֹא נִכַּרְתִּי לָהֶם בְּמִדַת אֲמִתּוּת שֶׁלִּי, שֶׁעָלֶיהָ נִקְרָא שְׁמִי ה', נֶאֱמָן לְאַמֵּת דְּבָרַי, שֶׁהֲרֵי הִבְטַחְתִּים וְלֹא קִיַּמְתִּי:
(3) ושמי ה׳ לא נודעתי להם BUT BY MY NAME THE LORD WAS I NOT KNOWN TO THEM — It is not written here לא הודעתי [My name the Lord] I did not make known to them, but לא נודעתי [by My name, the Lord], was I not known [unto them] — i. e. I was not recognised by them in My attribute of “keeping faith”, by reason of which My name is called ה׳, which denotes that I am certain to substantiate My promise, for, indeed, I made promises to them but did not fulfill them [during their lifetime].
"JEWISH STORY TELLING"- Narrative Frameworks
מַתְחִיל בִּגְנוּת וּמְסַיֵּים בְּשֶׁבַח. מַאי בִּגְנוּת? רַב אָמַר: ״מִתְּחִלָּה עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה הָיוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ״. [וּשְׁמוּאֵל] אָמַר: ״עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ״.
It was taught in the mishna that the father begins his answer with disgrace and concludes with glory. The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the term: With disgrace? Rav said that one should begin by saying: At first our forefathers were idol worshippers, before concluding with words of glory. And Shmuel said: The disgrace with which one should begin his answer is: We were slaves.
PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSES
(ז) יוֹצֵ֥ר אוֹר֙ וּבוֹרֵ֣א חֹ֔שֶׁךְ עֹשֶׂ֥ה שָׁל֖וֹם וּב֣וֹרֵא רָ֑ע אֲנִ֥י ה' עֹשֶׂ֥ה כׇל־אֵֽלֶּה׃ {פ}
(7) I form light and create darkness,I make weal and create woe—I the LORD do all these things.
אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה ״עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם וּבוֹרֵא רָע״, מִי קָא אָמְרִינַן כְּדִכְתִיב?! אֶלָּא כְּתִיב ״רַע״ וְקָרֵינַן ״הַכֹּל״ לִישָּׁנָא מְעַלְּיָא, הָכָא נָמֵי לֵימָא ״נוֹגַהּ״, לִישָּׁנָא מְעַלְּיָא!
The Gemara strongly objects: But if so, what about the continuation of the verse: “Who makes peace and creates evil”? Do we say this blessing as it is written in the Bible? Rather, it is written evil and we euphemistically recite the blessing all things to avoid mention of evil. Here, too, let us euphemistically say brightness instead of darkness.
חַיָּיב אָדָם לְבָרֵךְ עַל הָרָעָה כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמְּבָרֵךְ עַל הַטּוֹבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכׇל לְבָבְךָ וְגוֹ׳״. ״בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ״ — בִּשְׁנֵי יְצָרֶיךָ, בְּיֵצֶר טוֹב וּבְיֵצֶר הָרָע. ״וּבְכׇל נַפְשְׁךָ״ — אֲפִילּוּ הוּא נוֹטֵל אֶת נַפְשְׁךָ. ״וּבְכׇל מְאֹדֶךָ״ — בְּכָל מָמוֹנְךָ. דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״בְּכָל מְאֹדֶךָ״ — בְּכָל מִדָּה וּמִדָּה שֶׁהוּא מוֹדֵד לְךָ הֱוֵי מוֹדֶה לוֹ.
The mishna articulates a general principle: One is obligated to recite a blessing for the bad that befalls him just as he recites a blessing for the good that befalls him, as it is stated: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). The mishna explains this verse as follows: “With all your heart” means with your two inclinations, with your good inclination and your evil inclination, both of which must be subjugated to the love of God. “With all your soul” means even if God takes your soul. “And with all your might” means with all your money, as money is referred to in the Bible as might. Alternatively, it may be explained that “with all your might” means with every measure that He metes out to you; whether it is good or troublesome, thank Him.
(ו) והיה כי יבאו עליך כל הדברים האלה הברכה והקללה וכו'. הענין שנכתב ברכה וקללה, היינו כי גם אצל הקללה נמצא גם ברכה בהסתר והשבות אל לבבך וכו' היינו הדבר הזה שגם בהקללה נמצא ברכה כנ"ל. ושבת עד ה' אלקיך ושמעת בקולו, היינו קול פנימאה הנמצא בכל דבר
(6) “And it shall be, when all of these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall take them to your heart among the nations, to where Hashem has driven you. And you shall return unto Hashem your God, and heed His voice … And if your exiles shall be in the outermost regions of the cosmos, from there Hashem your God will gather you, and from there He will take you … And Hashem your God will circumcise your heart … to love Hashem your God … And Hashem your God will put all these curses upon your enemies and on those who hate you … And you shall return and listen to the voice of Hashem, and do all His mitzvot, which I command you this day.” (Devarim, 30:1–8)The way the Torah says “the blessing and the curse” has a special meaning. Within the curse, the blessing also exists in secret. “You shall take them to your heart,” means that you shall take to your heart that the blessing also exists within the curse. “And you shall return unto Hashem your God, and heed His voice” means the inner voice that exists in everything.
RADICAL REINTERPRETATIONS, OR DENIAL OF REALITY?
אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן: מֹשֶׁה תִּקֵּן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּרְכַּת ״הַזָּן״ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיָּרַד לָהֶם מָן. יְהוֹשֻׁעַ תִּקֵּן לָהֶם בִּרְכַּת הָאָרֶץ כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ לָאָרֶץ. דָּוִד וּשְׁלֹמֹה תִּקְּנוּ ״בּוֹנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם״. דָּוִד תִּקֵּן ״עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמֶּךָ וְעַל יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עִירֶךָ״, וּשְׁלֹמֹה תִּקֵּן ״עַל הַבַּיִת הַגָּדוֹל וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ״. ״הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״ בְּיַבְנֶה תִּקְּנוּהָ כְּנֶגֶד הֲרוּגֵי בֵּיתָר. דְּאָמַר רַב מַתְנָא: אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם שֶׁנִּיתְּנוּ הֲרוּגֵי בֵּיתָר לִקְבוּרָה תִּקְנוּ בְּיַבְנֶה ״הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״. ״הַטּוֹב״ — שֶׁלֹּא הִסְרִיחוּ, ״וְהַמֵּטִיב״ — שֶׁנִּיתְּנוּ לִקְבוּרָה.
With regard to the origins of the four blessings of Grace after Meals, Rav Naḥman said: Moses instituted for Israel the first blessing of: Who feeds all, when the manna descended for them and they needed to thank God.Joshua instituted the blessing of the land when they entered Eretz Yisrael.David and Solomon instituted the third blessing: Who builds Jerusalem, in the following manner: David instituted “…on Israel Your people and on Jerusalem Your city…” as he conquered the city, and Solomon instituted “…on the great and Holy Temple…” as he was the one who built the Temple. They instituted the blessing: Who is good and does good, at Yavne in reference to the slain Jews of the city of Beitar at the culmination of the bar Kokheva rebellion. They were ultimately brought to burial after a period during which Hadrian refused to permit their burial. As Rav Mattana said: On the same day that the slain of Beitar were brought to burial, they instituted the blessing: Who is good and does good, at Yavne. Who is good, thanking God that the corpses did not decompose while awaiting burial, and does good, thanking God that they were ultimately brought to burial.
Daniel S. Nevins, A Place Among the Mourners of Jerusalem, Conservative Judaism, 58:4 (2006): 56-57
Rabbi Joseph B Soloveitchik, Festival of Freedom, pp 96-97
(Commenting on the verses of kedusha)
Sometimes we need not search for the Holy One; we see His presence in the whole world. Other times we must search for Him at great length. When it is a time of favor and grace, when we can see him in the world, He is praised on Kadosh- the Kadosh Baruch Hu. When the Divine Presence is not evident, when their is Hester Panim, we say his glory is blessed from His place, mekomo, wherever it may be.
The path of the Jewish is neither a straight road nor an easy one; it twists and turns, up and down, over seas and deserts. True- in the end, the Holy One Kept his promise and 'calculated the end' of the bondage. God ultimately took our forefathers our of Egypt, but in the beginning, the choosing of Abraham was by the Makom and the realization of his promise hidden from view.
The Jew has taught me to wait- so wrote Heinrich Ibsen, a gentile and very sensitive person (Peer Gynt [1867], act 4). This is the greatness of our people. Waiting is the art a Jew knows best; no other nationa knows how to wait like the Jew. "Next year in Jersualem!" "This year we are here; next year-in the land of Israel!" "This year we are slaves; next year - free men! This is a characteristic trait of the Jew. The Messiah is a little slow in coming; nevertheless, we are still waiting. If he knocks on our door, we will open it for him.
Daniel Reiser, Creative Writing in the Shadow of Death: Psychological and Phenomenological Aspects of Rabbi Shapira's Manuscript "Sermons from the Years of Rage", in Don Seeman, Daniel Reiser and Ariel Evan Mayse eds., Hasidism, Suffering and Renewal: The Prewar and Holocaust Legacy of Rabbi Kalonymous Kalman Shapira (USA: SUNY, 2021), 196
There are times when a person is astounded by himself, exclaiming, “Am I not broken? Am I not nearly always in the state of tears crying from time to time? How can I study Torah? I want means may I strengthen myself to produce new teachings of Torah and chasidut?’ At times, his heart strikes him, as he declares: “Is it not my heartlessness and allows me to fortify myself in the study of Torah on my sorrows when the sorrows of the Jewish people are so great?“ He will once more answer himself, “Am I not broken? How great are my tears; all of my life is well and gloom.“ This person is perplexed by himself.
Reiser’s comment on this text. The ability to live in between these two opposing worlds – the world of literary creation and innovation in the world of total destruction – his testimony to a special kind of resilient deserving description in it’s own right
(Self-reflective editorial Comment of Shapira in the margins of the book.)
CREATING PATHWAYS OF HOPE
Hope in psychological terms is a positive perceptual BIAS that facilitates the DISCOVERY and RETENTION of favorable future OUTCOMES – Anthony Scioli
Rabbis Nancy Levi and Jo Hisrchman, Maps and Meaning: Levitical Models for Contemporary care, pg. 123
The experience of entering a contemporary michutz lamachaneh setting such as an acute care hospital , a nursing home , or a psychiatric hospital is often characterized by rupture and loss . Frequently , people in these situations lose their orientation to person , place , and time , as well as to their usual ways of accessing the transcendent . At the same time , these experiences open up new possibilities for connection — with God , with other people , and with the environment that now constitutes home . For the two of us , this experience of connectedness is at the heart of any definition of spirituality , which we understand as the experience of being connected to something larger than ourselves . This could be a transcendent relationship with a deity or with nature , music , art , tradition , community , family , or anything else that gives our lives meaning .
(כט) ועל פי זה יובן מה שנאמר אז ישיר, לשון עתיד על שעלתה בלבם לומר שירה קודם התשועה. וכמו שפירש רש"י שמשום שעלתה בלבם לומר שירה נאמר ישיר. ובזה מובן שכוונת הכתוב כך, ויאמינו בה' ובמשה עבדו אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל, פירוש אז בעת ישיר משה ובני ישראל, שקאי על קודם התשועה שמשום הכי נאמר ישיר, אז ויאמינו בה' ובמשה עבדו, שגם קודם התשועה האמינו שבוודאי יעשה עמהם ניסים ונפלאות. וחידוש גדול השמיענו הכתוב שגם קודם התשועה האמינו בה' שבוודאי יושיע להם שלבם היה נכון בטוח בה'. וקאמר ויאמינו בה' ובמשה עבדו ואז ישיר, וזהו לשון אז, כלומר באותו זמן שקפץ נחשון לתוך הים ובא עד צוארו קודם שנבקע הים עלה במחשבה של ישראל שיעשה להם נס וישירו שירה ולכן מובן תיבת הזאת שאיננו מובן, כלומר באותו זמן קודם שנבקע הים בטחו שיעשה האל נס ויבקע הים ואז בטחו שישירו שירה הזאת על הנס. ובזה יובן הכתוב נכון כסאך מאז, שאמר המדרש נכון כסאך מאז, מאז ישיר:
(29) According to Rashi on the last words, G’d told Moses that the merit of their forefathers coupled with their own faith would suffice for the sea to split and to allow them passage. G’d told Moses that He was aware of the people’s basic faith that He would split the sea for them. This awareness of G’d stemmed from His knowing that they had already formulated in their minds the words of the song of thanksgiving that they would sing after completing their safe crossing of the sea. This is also what Rashi means when he says on psalms 114,2 היתה יהודה לקדשו ישראל ממשלותיו, “Yehudah became His holy one, Israel His dominion.” The psalmist refers to Nachshon’s act of faith in jumping into the sea. Because the Israelites’ faith was so strong they were able to formulate the words of the song even before the miracle of their deliverance had occurred.
תניא אמר רבי מאיר מניין לתחיית המתים מן התורה שנאמר (שמות טו, א) אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל את השירה הזאת לה' שר לא נאמר אלא ישיר מכאן לתחיית המתים מן התורה כיוצא בדבר אתה אומר (יהושע ח, ל) אז יבנה יהושע מזבח לה' בנה לא נאמר אלא יבנה מכאן לתחיית המתים מן התורה
It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir said: From where is resurrection of the dead derived from the Torah? It is derived from a verse, as it is stated: “Then Moses and the children of Israel will sing this song to the Lord” (Exodus 15:1). It is not stated: Sang, in the verse; rather, the term “they will sing” is stated, indicating that Moses will come back to life and sing the song in the future. From here it is proved that resurrection of the dead is derived from the Torah. On a similar note, you can say: “Then Joshua will build an altar to the Lord God of Israel on Mount Ebal” (Joshua 8:30). It is not stated: Built, in the verse; rather, the term “will build” is stated. From here, resurrection of the dead is derived from the Torah.
(א) מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה מִן הַתּוֹרָה לִזְעֹק וּלְהָרִיעַ בַּחֲצוֹצְרוֹת עַל כָּל צָרָה שֶׁתָּבוֹא עַל הַצִּבּוּר. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר י ט) "עַל הַצַּר הַצֹּרֵר אֶתְכֶם וַהֲרֵעֹתֶם בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת". כְּלוֹמַר כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁיָּצֵר לָכֶם כְּגוֹן בַּצֹּרֶת וְדֶבֶר וְאַרְבֶּה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן זַעֲקוּ עֲלֵיהֶן וְהָרִיעוּ:
(ב) וְדָבָר זֶה מִדַּרְכֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה הוּא. שֶׁבִּזְמַן שֶׁתָּבוֹא צָרָה וְיִזְעֲקוּ עָלֶיהָ וְיָרִיעוּ יֵדְעוּ הַכּל שֶׁבִּגְלַל מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הָרָעִים הוּרַע לָהֶן כַּכָּתוּב (ירמיה ה כה) "עֲוֹנוֹתֵיכֶם הִטּוּ" וְגוֹ'. וְזֶה הוּא שֶׁיִּגְרֹם לָהֶם לְהָסִיר הַצָּרָה מֵעֲלֵיהֶם:
(ג) אֲבָל אִם לֹא יִזְעֲקוּ וְלֹא יָרִיעוּ אֶלָּא יֹאמְרוּ דָּבָר זֶה מִמִּנְהַג הָעוֹלָם אֵרַע לָנוּ וְצָרָה זוֹ נִקְרָה נִקְרֵית. הֲרֵי זוֹ דֶּרֶךְ אַכְזָרִיּוּת וְגוֹרֶמֶת לָהֶם לְהִדַּבֵּק בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הָרָעִים. וְתוֹסִיף הַצָּרָה צָרוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת. הוּא שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה (ויקרא כו כז) "וַהֲלַכְתֶּם עִמִּי בְּקֶרִי" (ויקרא כו כח) "וְהָלַכְתִּי גַּם אֲנִי עִמָּכֶם בַּחֲמַת קֶרִי". כְּלוֹמַר כְּשֶׁאָבִיא עֲלֵיכֶם צָרָה כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּשׁוּבוּ אִם תֹּאמְרוּ שֶׁהִיא קֶרִי אוֹסִיף לָכֶם חֲמַת אוֹתוֹ קֶרִי:
(1) It is a positive commandment from the Torah to cry out and to sound trumpets for all troubles that come upon the community; as it is stated (Numbers 10:9), "upon an enemy who attacks you and you sound trumpets." That is to say, [with] every matter that troubles you — such as famine, a plague, locusts and that which is similar to them — cry out about them, and sound the trumpets.
(2) And this thing is from the ways of repentance. For when a trouble comes and they yell out about it and sound [trumpets], everyone will know that it was because of their evil deeds that this bad was done to them. As it is stated (Jeremiah 5:25), "It is your iniquities that have diverted, etc." And this is what will cause them to remove the trouble from upon them.
(3) But if they do not cry out and sound [trumpets], but rather say, "What has happened to us is the way of the world, and this trouble is merely happenstance" — it is surely the way of cruelty, and it causes them to stick to their bad deeds. And the trouble will add other troubles. About this is it written in the Torah (Leviticus 26: 27-28), "but walk arbitrarily with Me. Then I will (also) walk arbitrarily with you in fury." That is to say, "When I will bring upon you troubles — if you will say that it is arbitrary, I will increase the fury of this arbitrariness."
EXODUS AS A LONG INNER JOURNEY
