Rabbi Zvi Teichman

Torah Thought Og Slept Here!

By Rabbi Zvi Teichman

Moshe recalls the remarkable victories we experienced over the mighty warrior, Sichon, the king of Cheshbon, and his giant brother, Og, the king of Bashan.

The Torah goes on to record how in an earlier episode the nation of Ammon defeated the race of giants known as Refaim, with Og the only giant to escape. They took as a trophy of this great triumph the cradle that Og used as a child which was made of iron and measured nine cubits in length by four cubits in length, by the cubit of Og. The Torah’s detailed description of the precise size of his cradle as a child was to give us an idea of his enormous size and strength that these Ammonites were nevertheless able to overcome in his adulthood. ( י”שרו ם”בשר י”פע)

The Targum Yehonoson says the Ammonites displayed this cradle in a museum as a testament to their own might.

Why does the Torah go to such great length in discussing the ‘cradle’ of Og and its significance to these warring nations? If it were simply to amplify the greatness of the miracle in defeating this powerful goliath, it could have described his size as an adult as it appears in the Talmud where it depicts his ankle alone as being thirty cubits off the ground.

The Midrash reports how when Yitzchok was weaned from his mother, Avraham celebrated the event with a banquet, inviting many dignitaries, among them Og. These kings who attended we are told were all decimated by Yehoshua when he conquered the land many generations later. The kings there taunted Og who was wont of calling Avraham ‘a barren mule who would never beget children’. Og quickly retorted by cynically portraying Yitzchok as a mere excuse of a child who was so puny that he could be crushed with his one finger. G-d hearing this disparagement declares to Og that he will yet see countless thousands and myriads of Yitzchok’s descendants into whose very hands he will fall. (ז גנ ר”ב)

The Midrash concludes with the words of Rebbi Levi who said, the cradle was rocked for the first time in the house of our father Abraham.

Some commentaries suggest that Avraham was the inventor of the cradle, constructing it in a way that allowed for the child to be rocked and soothed. Others add that Yitzchok was actually the first child born undeveloped who would require constant nurturing as he would grow, whereas until that time children were born more fully developed and able to fend for themselves without significant outside intervention.

And there are those who suggest that the ‘rocking of the cradle’ refers figuratively to G-d having ‘rocked’ Og from his smug attitude towards Yitzchok, using the reference of his sturdy and large iron cradle as a metaphor for his misplaced overconfidence. (,י”שר ףסוי ץע ,הנוהכ תונתמ)

Clearly though, this depiction of the stature and character of Og in contrast to the worthy descendants of Avraham, represents a struggle between these forces that is somehow embodied in the imagery of the cradle.

Og exemplifies invincibility. Yet from the earliest days of his youth, he is ensconced in a mighty bed that emphasizes his enormous size and strength.

‘Puny’ little Yitzchok on the other hand is born into this world extremely vulnerable. Accenting this weakness is his need for a cradle that would allow his caretaker to reassuringly rock him, subconsciously instilling within him the sense that although he is so vulnerable someone is looking after him.

In the culture of Og a child from its infancy would develop an attitude of self-preservation and independence. A child incubating in this environment, especially one possessed with the hardiness of Og, was likely to come to think of himself as invulnerable.

Sichon went out toward us — he and his entire people - for battle...

Og king of Bashan went out toward us — he and his entire people — for war... (א ג - בל ב רבדמב)

The identical wording in these verses which describe these two ‘courageous’ brothers engaging in battle are instructive. Each of them arrogantly goes it alone, with their ‘people’ joining them, being described as merely a tangent, since it would have been more appropriate to write: ‘Sichon/Og and his entire people went out....’ They certainly counted on their prowess and might that have deemed them invincible. Wouldn’t it have been much easier for them to have enlisted the aid of their brother? But no, these ‘supermen’ thought they were unbeatable and needed only themselves. (ןהכ יתפש ,י”שר)

As it turned out, Sichon and Og were handily defeated and fell on their faces and their delusional invulnerability.

The Torah emphasizes in several places that defeating these two nations were the ‘entrance fee’ before entering the Holy Land.

Avraham, our beloved Patriarch, in appealing to G-d for children to develop slowly — allowing for our instilling within them in their years of extreme vulnerability a sense of security and trust in a ‘hand’ that ‘rocks them from afar’— was teaching us one of the most vital messages for life.

We are all too often victims of our fear of vulnerability.

We are afraid to admit ignorance, lest we be perceived as unintelligent.

We fear asking for help, lest we appear weak and incapable.

We dread sharing our deepest feelings openly and honestly, lest we be viewed as emotionally infirm.

We recede from challenge lest we embarrassingly fail.

One who senses G-d’s constant love, concern and validation will never be ashamed nor defeated and will give themselves permission to expose their vulnerability.

On Tisha B’Av we face our vulnerability in the most profound way.

We have sinned, failed, suffered, shamed, and abused, yet we reassert that despite this failure and pain, He is still rocking our cradle, assuring us that He is there waiting with hope and encouragement until we finally ‘grow’ up.

Those who wear the armor of invincibility will inevitably fall on their faces. Those who are ready to shed the shackles of false pride, delusional power and foolish self-determination, permitting themselves to be honest in exposing their weaknesses, fearlessly reaching out towards their fellow man and G-d, will reap the rewards that await those who realize the steady hand that guides us amidst the most difficult of times and ‘rocks’ us so warmly.

We must each cast off the ‘Og’ within us, facing candidly our limitations but rising unabashedly to the challenges that face each one of us, restoring healthy relationships among ourselves and clinging to the hand that soothes us so reassuringly that we will indeed grow up.

What may seem like weakness now will blossom into newfound strength.

For G-d comforts Tziyon, He comforts her ruins, and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her wastes like a garden of G-d, gladness and joy shall be found there, thanksgiving and the sound of music. (ג אנ היעשי) ומחנת םילשוריב!

11 Rabbanim and 14 Singers to Appear Live at Tu B’Av Together, Yad L’Achim’s Global Events of Music and Tefillah for Shidduchim Night and Morning Online Events Scheduled for Tu B’Av, Thursday 8/11 and Friday 8/12 By Nosson Gold

One day. Two live online events. Half a million Jews united in tefillah for all of klal Yisrael’s singles. It’s called Tu B’Av Together, and it is an opportunity not to be missed.

The 15th day of Av, Tu B’Av, has been synonymous with shidduchim since the times of chazal. The Jewish people have always connected through tefillah in times of happiness and sorrow, and Tu B’Av Together taps into our powerful desire to help each other. For the past five years, Tu B’Av Together has steadily grown in scope and momentum. Now it’s bigger than ever.

This year, Yad L’Achim is once again spearheading Tu B’Av Together as over 500,000 Jews across the world unite in davening for shidduchim. At the same time, a minyan of talmidei chachamim will spend the day in Amuka davening for each name submitted through Yad L’Achim. As the resting place of the tanna Yonasan Ben Uziel, Amuka is an auspicious place to daven for a shidduch. In previous years, members of klal Yisrael submitted thousands of names for tefillah for shidduchim on Tu B’Av. Thanks to the policy instituted by Director R’ Nesanel Gantz, names can be submitted for tefillah even without a donation.

Until now, Tu B’Av Together was one event of music and tefillah, but because Tu B’Av is on a Friday this year, Yad L’Achim will host two live events. Both are free to the public.

Join on Thursday, August 11 at 7:30 p.m. EST for an evening of musical inspiration with many of today’s leading superstars. The program will include words of inspiration by Rabbi YY Jacobson and a lineup of top performers:

● Uri Davidi ● Levy Falkowitz ● Eitan Katz ● Eli Marcus ● Joey Newcomb ● Lipa Schmeltzer ● Moshe Tischler ● Akiva (Turgeman) ● Yitzy Waldner ● Beri Weber ● Surprise guests

Tune in again on Friday, August

12 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

EST for the much-anticipated live tefillah event broadcasted online to hundreds of thousands. Opening remarks will be delivered by Rav Yisroel Reisman, shlita. Afterward, eight chapters of Tehillim will be led by the following rabbanim shlita:

● Rav Eytan Feiner ● Rav Eliezer Ginsberg ● Rav Dovid Goldwasser ● Rav Paysach Krohn ● Rav Berel Lazar ● Rav David Ozeri ● Rav Yisroel Reisman ● Rav Meyer Yedid

The following eight kapitlach will be recited: ,ב”פ ,’ע ,ח”ל ,ב”ל ח”כק ,ז”כק ,ד”כק ,א”כק (Psalms 32, 38, 70, 82, 121, 124, 127, 128). The rabbanim will also inspire us with chizzuk and powerful stories about shidduchim. Rav Ari Bensoussan and Rav Eli Stefansky will deliver additional words of inspiration. Both events will be hosted by Nesanel Gantz.

How Tu B’Av Together Came to Be

Yad L’Achim was founded over 60 years ago by Rav Sholom Dov Lifshitz, zt”l, to aid new immigrants in Eretz Yisrael. It has been a major source of support for Russian and French immigrants, placing thousands of boys and girls in yeshivahs and schools throughout Eretz Yisrael. When the organization began receiving calls about Jewish women trapped in Arab Villages, it established a division dedicated to prevention as well as the rescue of trapped women and children. These women are often rescued with nothing more than the clothes they are wearing at the time, and Yad L’Achim helps them secure basic necessities as they begin rebuilding their lives. With Hashem’s help, many of these rescued women have gone on to marry bnei Torah and establish Jewish homes.

For many years, Yad L’Achim arranged for talmidei chachamim to daven that these women would merit finding their basherts. As time went on, Yad L’Achim began accepting tefillah requests from Jews throughout the world. These tefillah requests grew into the Tu B’Av Together programs.

Tu B’Av Together unites Yidden from across the world. Last year, Yad L’Achim received messages from participants in places as far-flung as Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hong Kong, Cyprus, Greece, Argentina, and even Iran.

To register for the free events, submit names for tefillah for free, or download the chapters of Tehillim in advance, visit www.TuBavTogether. com or call Yad L’Achim at 1-866923-5224.