Forty years ago, in the summer of 1977, Menachem Begin boldly asserted the Jewish people’s Divine claim to the Land of Israel in his inaugural address as Prime Minister: “There are those who question our right to our ancient homeland, and even our right to exist within its sacred boundaries. How dare they?… Let the world know that we were granted our right to exist by the God of our fathers at the glimmer of the dawn of human civilization 4,000 years ago. The Jewish people have a historic, eternal and inalienable right to the whole of the land of our forefathers.”
Despite Begin’s strong convictions, following his resignation in 1983, he largely disappeared from public life. Upon his death, this once-fiery, unapologetic orator rejected a state funeral. As one of his close advisers recalled: “No lying in state, no military guard of honor, no official delegations, not even eulogies – just a shroud.”
The portion of the prophets, read in connection to the Bible portion, Balak (Numbers 22:2 -25:9) is taken from Micha (5:6-6:8). Perhaps the most famous line of this portion from prophets is
Modesty, as the Talmud explains applies even to public actions, such as weddings and burials, and all the more so to our private and personal matters.
With Micha’s concluding emphasis on modesty, the opening verse of this chapter is particularly glaring. The prophet introduces God’s rebuke to the Israelites as a charge to be called out publicly from the mountaintops: “Arise! Contend with the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Listen, O mountains, to Hashem’s argument…”
How do we understand the prophet’s initially declaring his prophecy most publicly with his final command to act modestly and privately?
The answer can be found through a careful look at the precise words used by Micha. He describes modesty as “tov” or good, which we find in the corresponding Bible portion as well. In Balaam’s final blessing of the Jewish people:
The sages apply extended learning to this verse: saying that Balaam saw the Jewish people’s modesty in their encampment which he considers “tov”, good.
Modesty, purity and humility are characteristics meant to limit our own self-aggrandizement, and remind us of our place before God. However, when it comes to defending God and His will, the opposite behavior is often warranted.
In the final episode of the Torah portion, we encounter an interesting story:
In response to this brazen, public sin of promiscuity, Phineas boldly arose and carried out the appropriate punishment, in front of the entire nation. For this courageous act in which he “zealously avenged My vengeance among them” (Numbers 25:11), God promised Phineas “my covenant of peace.”
It is this lesson that Micha is teaching as he proclaims publicly from the hills. He reviews God’s great kindness toward the Israelites people:
When it comes to declaring our gratitude and faith to God, we must do so publicly.
The essential quality of modesty is one that should pervade our personal lives. We are reminded of this idea when even the most prominent Jewish leaders are laid to rest in simple burial shrouds. However, we learn from Micha and Phineas that in defense of God and His word, we must be bold and unashamed.
As Micha described the process of the Jewish people’s entry into Eretz Yisrael, it is God who has given us this land, and we should not be ashamed to publicly say so. If Menachem Begin publicly acknowledged God’s hand in his opening address as Prime Minister, we can all use as many opportunities as are afforded to us to likewise assert Hashem’s role in delivering the Land of Israel to the People of Israel.
The Hebrew Bible is a very big book – actually, 24 books, to be exact. Studying it can feel very overwhelming. Where do you start?
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