The War against Aram

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1. But WHY didn't Ahab kill Ben-Haddad?

   Rabbi Gad Dishi

   תאריך פרסום: תשע"ג | | Hour and 5 minutes

   Why is Chapter 20 of Melakhim located where it is? It appears to be a battle narrative that is out of place with the surrounding chapters. And why is there such an emphasis on Ahav building up Yeriho (Jericho)? Why is God displeased by the end of the story in Chapter 20?

   
   Rabbi Gad Dishi brings the perakim to life through an interdisciplinary approach. Literary and linguistic tools, Ancient Near East studies, and archeological findings all enhance our understanding of Tanakh and of the important theological message within. Linguistic and thematic parallels to other parts of Tanakh and to other texts call into question whether these stories are meant to be read as battle narratives -or whether they are a different genre: a satirical polemic with an important message.

2. Tazria - Metzora

   Haftarot: Tazria - Metzora

   Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

   Four stories about lepers appear in the books of the prophets. Three of the stories relate to Elisha (Na'aman, Gehazi, the Four Lepers). Why is Elisha the only prophet who meets with lepers and is involved with leprosy? What is the connections between leprosy and the war with Aram?

3. A Test of Faith

   Rabbi Alex Israel

   Despite Eliyahu's response to the events in the aftermath of the showdown on Mt. Carmel, the evidence of the next few chapters would seem to show that the prophets of Ba’al do not return. Instead, prophets of God - many of them false prophets - have a fixed presence in the royal court which attests to the success of Eiyahu. When Aram lays seige on Shomron, Ahav is prepared to be a vassal state, but refuses a complete capitulation. Whether it is national pride that drives Achav, according to the Pshat, or a religious pride in protecting the Sefer Torah, according to the Midrash, God comes to Ahav's aid and sends him the tools for a miraculous victory.

4. Ahav's Final Battle

   Rabbi Alex Israel

   While the 400 prophets in the narrative are not prophets of Ba'al, but speak in the name of God, they are nonetheless false prophets. The method in which God reveals himself to prophets, other than Moshe, does not allow two prophets to prophecy in the same words. At the request of Yehoshafat, the king of Yehuda who enthusiastically embraces unity with the Northern kingdom, a solitary true prophet is brought. He brings a message of Ahav's demise and for this he is punished. Despite his disguise, Ahav is mortally wounded in battle, but remains in the battleground, sacrificing his life, in order to give moral support to his soldiers. 

   Ahav is a wavering personality who lacks a solid backbone and is easily influenced. He can be swayed towards Ba'al and can be shocked to veer closer to God worship. It is this lack of personal resilience and consistency that leaves him so susceptible to wide alterations in his religious orientation. The damage that he inflicted upon both the nation and the unfortunate individuals who met their death as a result of his actions means that he is one of the worst kings in the history of the Northern kingdom.

    

5. A Floating Axe Head and a Blind Army

   Rabbi Alex Israel

   Why do the Bnei Ha'Nevi'im seak a new place to live? Could it be that the departure of Geihazi with the problems associated with him open the doors to new students to join Elisha? 

   Wars are characterized by aggression and domination. The king of Aram sought to use his superior firepower to bludgeon Elisha into submission. In contrast, Elisha's way is not the path of confrontation, but rather the provision of food and drink, hospitality, kindness, and humanity. Ultimately, this makes a deeper impression than war.

6. Siege and Salvation in Shomron

   Rabbi Alex Israel

   Judaism does not always present redemption as flawless. We learn about the story of the siege and salvation of Shomron via characters who are ethically compromised: the cruel child-eating mothers and the selfish leprous outcasts. Moreover, God's salvation is discovered almost by accident. The study of this chapter leads to contemporary thought on a flawed redemption in modern day Israel.

7. Elisha's Tears

   Rabbi Alex Israel

   Eliyahu's mission to avenge the sinful kingdom of Israel and the House of Ahav by appointing Hazael as King of Aram, Yehu as King of Israel is not preformed by him, but by Elisha who is also part of this mission. Elisha instigates Hazael's reign in this chapter, but his character is a non-vindictive figure. Elisha's role is to mitigate the force of Aram and to ultimately prophesy the reversal of the tables in favor of Israel. 

8. The Fall and Rise of Yisrael

   Rabbi Alex Israel

   During Yehu's reign Aram, headed by Hazael occupy the Eastern bank of the Jordan. In Yehoahaz's time the situation becomes direr as Aram imposes a full demilitarization of Israel. The turnaround begins in the days of Yoash who receives a deathbed prophecy from Elisha of a victory over Aram and peaks in the time of Yerovam ben Yoash who receives a prophecy from Yona ben Amitai and restores the Northern border to a magnitude previously witnessed only during the days of David and Shlomo. While historians describe the decline of Aram due to the rise of Assyria, the book of Kings describes a divine process which is surprisingly almost entirely devoid of any repentance. 

   Does the outcome of the prophetic action that Elisha preforms with Yoash on his deathbed actually have an impact on the outcome in reality?

   Is the resurrection from death of the man who came in contact with Elisha's buried bones just another miracle of Elisha or does it symbolize a national resurrection?

9. King Ahaz – Abandoning God

   Rabbi Alex Israel

   After two generations of kings who upheld God's worship unequivocally, we encounter Ahaz - a king who is attracted to everything Assyrian. He looks to Assyria to offer his country military backing against Israel and Aram's alliance, disregarding an explicit prophetic directive from Yishayahu. In the religious sphere, he transforms the Beit HaMikdash into an Assyrian shrine. 

10. The Prophecies of Amos: Oracles Against the Nations (continued)

    Shiur #06

    Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom

    תאריך פרסום: 5778 |

    Aram, the first nation “addressed” by Amos, will be the focus of this shiur.  Aram’s mention at the top of the list is due partially to Aram’s position as the most frequent enemy Yisrael faces during this period.

    A brief background sketch of Aram and the role it plays in regional warfare will give us a broader understanding of the specifics of the oracle. This includes the pesha that seals Aram’s fate (and the meaning of "pesha" here) as well as the nature of that fated punishment.