בס”ד
By Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
Painting by: Baruch Nachshon z”l
And You Shall Settle Upon the Land Securely
In this painting we see what seems to be a war between good and evil. The good is symbolized by the hasidim riding on horses with flags, considered in Biblical context a sign of armies. Note that there are twelve flags, a clear reference to the twelve arming tribes of Israel, mentioned in the Torah to carry flags. However, there are only seven horses, indicative of holiness “riding” upon the natural world, considered to be associated to the number seven (see Maharal on this topic in many sources). There also seven pomegranates above these horsemen, yet again signifying holiness in the natural, for the pomegranate is a symbol of the 613 mitzvot/seeds of the pomegranate, symbolizing the Divine command upon the natural world… Note that the armies are within shofars, apparently indicative of the calls of tekia and teruah that were used to move these camps in the Wilderness. We also see hasidim discussing together, apparently in Torah study. We also see figures with raised hands, apparently symbolizing the righteous in prayer. Above these we see a snake, a symbol of evil well known from the time of Adam and Eve.
This painting touches on this parsha for this parsha discusses the first conquest of Israel, on the eastern bank of the Jordan. There is also mention of snakes biting Israel, and a snake being lifted to the heavens so Israel remember/take on the yoke of Heaven. A simple explanation of this is that this episode reminds us to have belief that even the suffering we experience, as signified by the snake, is actually from Heaven. This faith ultimately causes the suffering to leave us, as it did to our ancestors in the Wilderness. Another explanation is that evil itself is actually coming from the same source as the prosecutor upon those who fall in the snare itself, as our Sages teach that the Satan is the one who causes the test of evil, and then when one falls in the test he is actually the very one who persecutes against that person in the Heavenly court saying “why did you listen to me?!” When one understands that evil, i.e the “snake”, is “from Heaven”, i.e as a test to bring reward to those who “past the test” (or punishment for those who do not, God forbid), then one’s ability to pass the test is much greatened, causing the test/suffering to be removed. These ideas can be found in the word Hebron, for Hebron stands for connecting to – hibur – to God. However, when its letters are rearranged it spells Hurban – destruction. In Breshit we learn about “the herev hamitahpechet” – which can symbolize how the word “herev” can go in to opposite directions. Similarly the snake, which took the form of a sword/stick in Moshe confrontation before Pharaoh, stands for this very opposition of roles, ultimately causing the source of destruction to become the source of cure and Divine connection – by gazing to the Heavens in true faith, belief, and trust, bringing us back to the Garden of Eden, for which Hebron is the Gateway (according to Torah sources Maarat Hamachepla is the gateway to the Garden of Eden).