{"id":48009,"date":"2019-01-23T12:27:04","date_gmt":"2019-01-23T10:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=48009"},"modified":"2022-08-17T18:26:46","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T15:26:46","slug":"israel-like-a-leaping-lioness-then-and-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/israel-like-a-leaping-lioness-then-and-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel Like A Leaping Lioness – Then And Now"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[363],"acf":{"old_id":"48009","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33877,"related_cahpter":"140","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"A midrashic elaboration of Balaam\u2019s blessings","content":"

In our chapter, Balaam, the gentile magician and prophet, returns to Balak, the king of Moab, to tell him, in a poetic parable (mashal<\/em>) that he cannot curse the people Israel whom God has blessed (Numbers 23:1-10). Balaam\u2019s parable continues in verses 14-17, ending with the graphic depiction of Israel as \u201ca people that rises up as a lioness, and as a lion does he lift himself up. He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain\u201c (Numbers 23:24). <\/span><\/p>\n

The Midrash (Numbers Rabbah 20:20) elaborates on this rather gory biblical image by metaphorically applying it to the far more pleasant (and present!) practices of the Jewish people: According to this rabbinic tradition, Balaam is made to proclaim that there is no nation in the world like Israel. When they are asleep, they are indeed far from Torah and Mitzvot. But as soon as they awake, they arise like lions (compare Shulhan Arukh, Orah Hayyim 1:1). They leap to read the Shema\u2019 (Deuteronomy 6:4). And, proclaiming the sovereignty of the Holy One, blessed be He, (\u201cBlessed be His name whose glorious kingdom is for ever and ever\u201c), they become like lions. <\/span><\/p>\n

Then they set sail to their worldly affairs to engage in business. If any of them stumble or if enemies (mechablim<\/em>) come to harm anyone of them, he again proclaims the sovereignty of the Holy One, blessed be He. \u201cHe shall not lie down until he eats of the prey\u201d (Numbers 23:24). <\/span><\/p>\n

To this day, when a Jew recites the words in the Shema, \u201cThe Lord is one\u201d (Deuteronomy 6:4), his enemies are subdued before him, and they are forced to repeat in a whisper after him, \u201cBlessed be His name whose glorious kingdom is for ever and ever\u201d and then they flee. From morning to night, the Jews are sustained through reading the Shema\u2019 by angelic guardians. When a Jew goes to sleep he commits his spirit to the Holy One, blessed be He by reciting \u201cInto Thy hand I commit my spirit\u201d (Psalms 31:6). And when he awakes, he again proclaims the sovereignty of the Holy One, blessed be He (by again reciting \u201cBlessed be His name whose glorious kingdom is for ever and ever\u201d). Then the angelic guardians of the night entrust him to the angelic guardians of the day, as it says, \u201cMy soul is handed over to the Lord, from the guardians of the [previous] morning to the guardians of the [following] morning\u201d (Psalms 130:6). <\/span><\/p>\n

And so, Balaam continues to proclaim that there are no people like Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n

image:\u00a0A Chinese gilt bronze leaping lion: Tang Dynasty,<\/a> dated 7th to 8th century; Freer and Sackler Galleries, Washington D.C.<\/p>\n","image":{"ID":48011,"id":48011,"title":"num23-Leaping_lion,_gilt_bronze,_Tang_Dynasty","filename":"num23-Leaping_lion_gilt_bronze_Tang_Dynasty.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/num23-Leaping_lion_gilt_bronze_Tang_Dynasty.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/israel-like-a-leaping-lioness-then-and-now\/num23-leaping_lion_gilt_bronze_tang_dynasty\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"num23-leaping_lion_gilt_bronze_tang_dynasty","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":48009,"date":"2019-01-23 10:27:27","modified":"2019-01-23 10:27:41","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1024,"height":821,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/num23-Leaping_lion_gilt_bronze_Tang_Dynasty-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/num23-Leaping_lion_gilt_bronze_Tang_Dynasty-300x241.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":241,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/num23-Leaping_lion_gilt_bronze_Tang_Dynasty-768x616.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":616,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/num23-Leaping_lion_gilt_bronze_Tang_Dynasty-1024x821.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":821,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/num23-Leaping_lion_gilt_bronze_Tang_Dynasty.jpg","1536x1536-width":1024,"1536x1536-height":821,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/num23-Leaping_lion_gilt_bronze_Tang_Dynasty.jpg","2048x2048-width":1024,"2048x2048-height":821,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/num23-Leaping_lion_gilt_bronze_Tang_Dynasty.jpg","post_full_size-width":1024,"post_full_size-height":821,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/num23-Leaping_lion_gilt_bronze_Tang_Dynasty-524x420.jpg","home_baner-width":524,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"Israel Like a Leaping Lioness - 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