The Camel: Exile and Survival

by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine

Sponsored by Joel and Mazi Gola of Cherry Hill, NJ

in loving memory of Mr. Aaron Gola, Ahron ben Nachum z.l.

A part of Series 2 (Hope and Redemption) of the Perek Shirah Collection by TEACH613™,

sponsored by Mr. Steve Frankel in loving memory of

Mrs. Chaya Dinah (Iris) Frankel, Chaya Dinah bas Avraham Yakov z.l.

 

The Camel: The desert animal that will come home

For the full Hebrew/ English text of this class, please click here

 

1. The Camel says: Hashem roars from on high, He sends His voice from His holy abode. The roar that He roars is regarding His Lodging.

 

Understanding the word “Gamal”

 

2. The child grew older and he was weaned. Avraham made a great feast on the day that Yitzchak was weaned.

 

3. As for me- In Your kindness I trust. My heart will rejoice from Your salvation. I will sing to Hashem for He has dealt kindly with me.

 

4. “Alef Bais” Alef Binah- Learn wisdom. “Gimmel Daled” Gimol Dalim- Give benevolently to the poor. Why is the leg of the Gimmel stretched out to the Daled? Because that is the way of one who does kindness to run after the poor. Why is the leg of the Daled reachilg out to the Gimmel? So that he should make himself available [to be helped]. Why is the Daled facing away from the Gimmel? Because it is proper to give in a hidden way, so that the poor should not be embarrassed.

Imagery of Golus/ Exile

5. Rabbah bar Bar Channah said: We were once going on a ship, and we saw a fish that had dirt on its back, and had things growing on it. We thought it was dry land, and we disembarked. We cooked and baked on it. When it got hot, it turned. If we had not been close to the ship we would have drowned.

Understanding “The Roar”

 

6. The night is divided into three “watches”. At each “watch” Hashem roars like a lion. As the verse says: Hashem roars from on high, He sends His voice from His holy abode. The roar that He roars is regarding His Lodging.

 

7. Rabbi Yosi said: I once was travelling, and I entered one of the ruins of Yerusholayim to pray. Eliyahu came and waited for me by the entrance. When I completed my prayers he said to me… “What sound did you hear in this ruin?” I told him, “I heard a voicemoaning like a dove, and saying, ‘Woe to the children, for through their sins I have destroyed my House, and I have exiled them.” He said to me, “Not just that, but when the Jews enter for prayer and they respond, “Yehey Shimey, May the Great Name be blessed,” Hashem nods in agreement and says, “Fortunate is the King who is praised like this in His Home. Woe to the Father who had to exile His children. Woe to the children who were exiled from their Father’s Table.”