Parshas Chukas-Balak 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
והכרתי ערי ארצך והרסתי כל מבצריך ... (מיכה ה-י)
Micha HaNavi describes what will happen in the times of Moshiach, and how a reckoning will come to those who serve foreign idols. The Navi states, “I will destroy the cities of your land and demolish all your fortresses” (Micha 5:10). These words from the Almighty Himself seem strange. In the previous posukim and those immediately following this one, Hashem says that He will cleanse the land from all Jewish enemies, and he will eradicate idol worship from the land. With a clean and pure land, why would Hashem have the need to then destroy the cities and fortresses?
R’ Yaakov Ashkenazi zt”l (Tze’enah Ure’enah) explains that this promise was in fact a true declaration of love from the Almighty. When a person feels threatened for his life, he goes out and hires protection. This obviously affords him a sense of security which allows him to go about his life. However, the very thing that is protecting him now becomes a restraint. No longer can he go where he pleases. He now has to ensure that his security detail is available and ready to head out with him. So too with the Jewish people in Eretz Yisroel. Those living in the holy land always live by the Almighty’s protection, but it is still displayed in the form of restrictive physical fortifications. However, in the times of Moshiach, Hashem will remove those fortifications and the protective walls surrounding the Jewish cities will no longer be needed because Hashem’s protection will be open and apparent to all - not administered through a hidden hand.