HISTORY AND EGO

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

Mazal Tov to Baty and Shmueli on your upcoming Anniversary. Wishing you a successful year with much nachas from your children.

Mazal Tov to Eliana on her birthday next week. You are turning 6 Eliana, and you are already such a big girl BH. A big hug from all of us and wishing you a happy year!

Mazal Tov to Zalmy on passing his Law exams for this year with such good results. Wishing you to go from strength to strength Zalmy. Well done!

In this week's Sedra Chukas, the 40 years that Bnei Yisrael had spent in the desert was now coming to an end, and they were about to enter Eretz Yisrael.

They were travelling Northwards on the East side of the Jordan. (see map attached)

The Emori Nation under leadership of Sichon, had captured territory from Moav and Amon between the 2 rivers of Arnon and Yabok.

In the Sedra, Bnei Yisrael request from Sichon, king of the Emori, permission to pass through his land, but Sichon refused, and went out to confront Yisrael.

A battle ensued and Sichon was executed and Yisrael conquered all their territory, all the way up to Amon on the N side of the river Yabok. So the territory they captured, used to belong to Amon before Sichon conquered them.

(Yisrael then battled further with Og king of Bashan etc)

The Haftorah for this week, occurs 300 years later, and is kind of a continuation of the battle that occurred in our Sedra.

The story here is about Yiftach the son of Gilead, who was a mighty Israeli warrior.

He was an outcast in his family because he had been born through a prostitute, and he fled to the land of Tov. Here he built up an army.

A few years later, the Ammonites were preparing to attack Yisrael, and so the elders of Gilead went to the land of Tov to get Yiftach to come and fight for them.

Of course Yiftach was not happy to comply, but when they promised him that he could be their leader, he agreed and returned with his army.

He then sent a message to the king of Ammon and asked, why are you attacking us?

And we hear the same old familiar dialogue and lies that we still are hearing today. And Yiftach answers ' If you believe this land is yours why have you waited for 300 years before trying to recover it?'

A divine spirit descended on Yiftach and he made a vow to Hashem, that if Hashem makes him successful in the war, (he was thinking of offering a sacrifice), he would offer to Hashem the first thing he sees coming out of his house when he returns!

Yiftach was victorious in the battle conquering 20 cities.

But guess who was the first to approach him when he returned home? (This is a continuation of the Haftarah)

His daughter!!

Now there is a way to annul vows in halacha, and the Priest wanted Yiftach to come to him to perform the procedure.

BUT YIFTACH REFUSED, SAYING THAT HE WAS THE LEADER OF ISRAEL, AND THE PRIEST HAS TO COME TO HIM!

This did not happen and his daughter was exiled to a forest where she had to live in solitary confinement for the rest of her life, being only allowed visits from her friends a few days each year!

Gut Shabbos to all, and wishing us success in conquering our difficult egos!