CHOCHMAS NASHIM: BO: ALWAYS CONNECTED
By: Suri Davis
| 27You fear not, O Jacob My servant, and be not dismayed, O Israel! for behold, I will redeem you from afar and your children from the land of their captivity, and Jacob shall return and be quiet and at ease, and there shall be none who disturb his rest. | כזוְ֠אַתָּה אַל־תִּירָ֞א עַבְדִּ֚י יַֽעֲקֹב֙ וְאַל־תֵּחַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּ֠י הִֽנְנִ֚י מֽוֹשִֽׁעֲךָ֙ מֵֽרָח֔וֹק וְאֶת־זַרְעֲךָ֖ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ שִׁבְיָ֑ם וְשָׁ֧ב יַעֲק֛וֹב וְשָׁקַ֥ט וְשַֽׁאֲנַ֖ן וְאֵ֥ין מַֽחֲרִֽיד: | |
| 28You fear not, My servant Jacob, says the Lord, for I am with you, for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end, but I will chastise you justly, and I will not completely destroy you. | כחאַ֠תָּה אַל־תִּירָ֞א עַבְדִּ֚י יַֽעֲקֹב֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּ֥י אִתְּךָ֖ אָ֑נִי כִּי֩ אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֨ה כָלָ֜ה בְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִ֣ם | אֲשֶׁ֧ר הִדַּחְתִּ֣יךָ שָׁ֗מָּה וְאֹֽתְךָ֙ לֹֽא־אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֣ה כָלָ֔ה וְיִסַּרְתִּ֙יךָ֙ לַמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט וְנַקֵּ֖ה לֹ֥א אֲנַקֶּֽךָּ: |
This is the end of the Haftorah of this week’s torah portion Bo. It is always juxtaposed to Tu B’shvat, the new year for trees.
Kabbalah teaches us that Adam and Eve sinned by misunderstanding that their pleasure in the world which was provided by G=d was not meant as a merely personal experience of hedonism, but by enjoying the world that G-d gave them, it was to bring them closer to G-d. When they at from the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Life, it was clear that the act was one of personal desire in abrogation of what G=d gave them. By making a blessing on fruit on Tu Bshvat, which comes out this year on January 25th, we aim to correct this hedonism, by connecting fruit and abundance with G-d who provides us with these fruits.
We might not be in the mood for making a shehecheyanu on fruit this year, when our hearts go out to those who have been taken hostage and killed in war. Celebrating what G-d gives us, connects us with G-d and our request that he continue to bless us and return those in captivity as he promised hundreds of years ago.
Good Shabbos.
-Suri