Comments on: Crushed By an Idol: Part Two: Menashe’s Argument http://blog.thefoundationstone.org/2011/02/14/crushed-by-an-idol-part-two-menashe%e2%80%99s-argument/ Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from The Foundation Stone Blog Sun, 17 Mar 2013 02:25:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: moshe stepansky http://blog.thefoundationstone.org/2011/02/14/crushed-by-an-idol-part-two-menashe%e2%80%99s-argument/comment-page-1/#comment-7952 moshe stepansky Fri, 18 Feb 2011 01:28:03 +0000 http://blog.thefoundationstone.org/?p=4453#comment-7952 Thought #4: R' Simcha raises an important question- "If Israel’s response to Moshe’s “delay” on Sinai was to make the Golden Calf, how would they react to feeling that God was distancing Himself, His Shechina, from the nation and the land? If the people were so unstable because of their fear of distance, how could they survive when they lived so distant from the Beit Hamikdash?" The Torah actually alludes to this in Sh'mot 34;24-When the yidn will be far-flung and there will be great distances to be covered in coming closer to G-d,no one will lay claim to that which is yours. G-d promises He will continue sending each person their own personal pipeline of shefa, abundance. Thought #4:
R’ Simcha raises an important question-
“If Israel’s response to Moshe’s “delay” on Sinai was to make the Golden Calf, how would they react to feeling that God was distancing Himself, His Shechina, from the nation and the land? If the people were so unstable because of their fear of distance, how could they survive when they lived so distant from the Beit Hamikdash?”
The Torah actually alludes to this in Sh’mot 34;24-When the yidn will be far-flung and there will be great distances to be covered in coming closer to G-d,no one will lay claim to that which is yours.
G-d promises He will continue sending each person their own personal pipeline of shefa, abundance.

]]> By: moshe stepansky http://blog.thefoundationstone.org/2011/02/14/crushed-by-an-idol-part-two-menashe%e2%80%99s-argument/comment-page-1/#comment-7951 moshe stepansky Fri, 18 Feb 2011 01:13:21 +0000 http://blog.thefoundationstone.org/?p=4453#comment-7951 If Israel’s response to Moshe’s “delay” on Sinai was to make the Golden Calf, how would they react to feeling that God was distancing Himself, His Shechina, from the nation and the land? If the people were so unstable because of their fear of distance, how could they survive when they lived so distant from the Beit Hamikdash? If Israel’s response to Moshe’s “delay” on Sinai was to make the Golden Calf, how would they react to feeling that God was distancing Himself, His Shechina, from the nation and the land? If the people were so unstable because of their fear of distance, how could they survive when they lived so distant from the Beit Hamikdash?

]]> By: moshe stepansky http://blog.thefoundationstone.org/2011/02/14/crushed-by-an-idol-part-two-menashe%e2%80%99s-argument/comment-page-1/#comment-7950 moshe stepansky Fri, 18 Feb 2011 01:11:24 +0000 http://blog.thefoundationstone.org/?p=4453#comment-7950 Thought #3: The essence of idolatry is Man's desire to be in control, to make g-d in his own image (Man's). Menashe was afraid of being alone. R'Shlomo was always saying "It's not how much you love someone when you love - it's how much you love them when you absolutely HATE them. The absolute WORST situation between people in a relationship is when they enter into the ignoring phase. When you ignore someone, that's like saying 'For me- you don't exist'. When Moshe didn't come down from the mountain according to their calculations, Ahm Yisrael must have felt powerful flashbacks to the loneliness they suffered in Mitzrayim. Any reaction is better than NO reaction. Similar too must have been Menashe's line of reasoning. Ironically, one may wonder whether he was trying the method of committing an 'aveirah lish'mah', anything to connect to G-d,even if from the negative side. (See various Izhbitser teachings) Even Menashe's cry to G-d of "If You will not hearken to my prayer,of what profit was my turning to You?” points to his fallacious notion of what a relationship with G-d constitutes. His notion is the exact opposite of what it should be. Rather than "the reason for my existence is to serve G-d" - I allow for G-d's recognition so He may serve me!!" Thought #3:
The essence of idolatry is Man’s desire to be in control, to make g-d in his own image (Man’s).

Menashe was afraid of being alone. R’Shlomo was always saying “It’s not how much you love someone when you love – it’s how much you love them when you absolutely HATE them. The absolute WORST situation between people in a relationship is when they enter into the ignoring phase. When you ignore someone, that’s like saying ‘For me- you don’t exist’.

When Moshe didn’t come down from the mountain according to their calculations, Ahm Yisrael must have felt powerful flashbacks to the loneliness they suffered in Mitzrayim.

Any reaction is better than NO reaction.

Similar too must have been Menashe’s line of reasoning. Ironically, one may wonder whether he was trying the method of committing an ‘aveirah lish’mah’, anything to connect to G-d,even if from the negative side. (See various Izhbitser teachings)

Even Menashe’s cry to G-d of “If You will not hearken to my prayer,of what profit was my turning to You?” points to his fallacious notion of what a relationship with G-d constitutes. His notion is the exact opposite of what it should be. Rather than “the reason for my existence is to serve G-d” – I allow for G-d’s recognition so He may serve me!!”

]]> By: moshe stepansky http://blog.thefoundationstone.org/2011/02/14/crushed-by-an-idol-part-two-menashe%e2%80%99s-argument/comment-page-1/#comment-7945 moshe stepansky Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:27:30 +0000 http://blog.thefoundationstone.org/?p=4453#comment-7945 Thought #2: Expanding upon the suggestion of portability mentioned above - instead of 'visiting' the Sh'cheenah at the Mikdash, the Temple, G-d sent the Sh'cheenah into exile with the yidn. With all the trials and tribulations visited upon the yidn spanning the generations of exile, can we even imagine whether Ahm Yisrael would still be extant without the Sh'cheenah's presence? Thought #2:
Expanding upon the suggestion of portability mentioned above – instead of ‘visiting’ the Sh’cheenah at the Mikdash, the Temple, G-d sent the Sh’cheenah into exile with the yidn.

With all the trials and tribulations visited upon the yidn spanning the generations of exile, can we even imagine whether Ahm Yisrael would still be extant without the Sh’cheenah’s presence?

]]> By: moshe stepansky http://blog.thefoundationstone.org/2011/02/14/crushed-by-an-idol-part-two-menashe%e2%80%99s-argument/comment-page-1/#comment-7944 moshe stepansky Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:16:12 +0000 http://blog.thefoundationstone.org/?p=4453#comment-7944 A few thoughts: 1. I believe the C'ruvim, the Cherubs, perched upon the Capoaret atop the Ark of the Covenant, were indicators of the connection, positive or negative , between G-d and Ahm Yisrael. The Talmud (Baba Batra 99a)indicates when Ahm Yisrael was following G-d's path the C'ruvim faced each other. When they were not, the C'ruvim faced away. Interestingly enough, upon the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash and the destroyers entered the chamber of the Holy of Holies, the C'ruvim were intertwined intimately. Perhaps we may understand G-d's message to us that although we strayed from serving G-d ==> G-d has not deserted us-rather than wipe us out, He took out his anger on the inanimate. There may even be a deeper message - G-d underscored an old/new concept of portability==>>"v'Ahsoo lee Mikdash v'Shachantee b'toachum"Each one of you may make an individual sanctuary for Me for Me to dwell within you===>> A yid can be at the end of the world and still be so connected to The One Above in the deepest way. Each one of us can experience a daily Sinai revelation experience that does not require a physical locus of "A House of G-d". Even so, we pray for the day of the Final Mikdash being rebuilt, for that will signify that Ahm Yisrael has returned to the elevated state of "c'Ish Ekhad, b'Leiv Ekhad" of One Unified People. A few thoughts:
1. I believe the C’ruvim, the Cherubs, perched upon the Capoaret atop the Ark of the Covenant, were indicators of the connection, positive or negative , between G-d and Ahm Yisrael.
The Talmud (Baba Batra 99a)indicates when Ahm Yisrael was following G-d’s path the C’ruvim faced each other. When they were not, the C’ruvim faced away.

Interestingly enough, upon the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash and the destroyers entered the chamber of the Holy of Holies, the C’ruvim were intertwined intimately. Perhaps we may understand G-d’s message to us that although we strayed from serving G-d ==> G-d has not deserted us-rather than wipe us out, He took out his anger on the inanimate.
There may even be a deeper message – G-d underscored an old/new concept of portability==>>”v’Ahsoo lee Mikdash v’Shachantee b’toachum”Each one of you may make an individual sanctuary for Me for Me to dwell within you===>> A yid can be at the end of the world and still be so connected to The One Above in the deepest way. Each one of us can experience a daily Sinai revelation experience that does not require a physical locus of “A House of G-d”.

Even so, we pray for the day of the Final Mikdash being rebuilt, for that will signify that Ahm Yisrael has returned to the elevated state of “c’Ish Ekhad, b’Leiv Ekhad” of One Unified People.

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