{"id":73506,"date":"2020-04-20T15:10:59","date_gmt":"2020-04-20T12:10:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=73506"},"modified":"2020-04-20T15:10:59","modified_gmt":"2020-04-20T12:10:59","slug":"one-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/one-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"One Heart"},"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":[],"acf":{"old_id":"73506","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33877,"related_cahpter":"463","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"A heart of flesh to replace the heart of stone\r\n\r\n\u00a0","content":"

Our chapter begins with Ezekiel being lifted up by \u201cthe Spirit\u201d and transported in visionary experiences from Babylonia to Jerusalem (11:1) and then ends with him returned to Babylonia (verse 24) where this set of visions concludes. In the first part of our chapter, Ezekiel prophesies against the wicked counselors in Jerusalem predicting their doom. As Ezekiel is prophesying, one of these wicked counselors, Pelatiah son of Benaiah, suddenly drops dead. Immediately, Ezekiel falls on his face and asks God if He intends to wipe out what remains of the people of Israel (verses 4-13). God reassures Ezekiel: \u201cI will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the Land of Israel. And they shall return there\u2026I will give them one heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove the heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh, that they may follow My laws and faithfully observe My rules. Then they shall be My people and I will be their God\u201d (verses 17-20).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Later, God repeats this promise: \u201cAnd I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit into you: I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh; and I will put My spirit into you. Thus, I will cause you to follow My laws and faithfully to observe My rules. Then you shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers, and you shall be My people and I will be your God\u201d (Ezekiel 36:26-28).<\/span><\/p>\n

Here, we may hear an echo of the Flood Narrative (Genesis Chapters 6-8), in which lawlessness and moral corruption leads to doom and destruction, followed by purification of the Land and a new beginning of lawfulness by Noah and those with him who survived the Deluge in the Ark.<\/span><\/p>\n

Note that the \u201cone heart \u2013 lev eha<\/span>d<\/span>\u201d mentioned in our chapter, in the early Jewish Septuagint Greek translation is replaced by the graphically similar \u201cother heart \u2013 lev ahe<\/span>r<\/span>\u201d. \u201cOther heart\u201d does seem a more suitable parallel to \u201cnew spirit\u201d in our chapter and in chapter 36. But the description of all those returning from Exile to the Land of Israel as having \u201cone heart\u201d (i.e. being of one mind) provides a powerful metaphor for spiritual and political unity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The prophetic promise of national unity finds memorable expression in Psalm 133: \u201cHow good and how pleasant it is that brothers dwell together in unity (gam yahad) \u2026 upon the mountains of Zion. There the Lord ordained blessing, everlasting life\u201d. <\/span>Rav Benny Lau recently<\/span><\/a> called attention to the \u201cradical\u201d comment of Rashi who understands \u201cdwell together in unity\u201d as referring to a much hoped for time \u201cwhen the Holy One, blessed be He, will dwell in the Temple with Israel, who are called \u2018brothers and friends.\u2019 And He too shall be together with them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":73507,"id":73507,"title":"ez11-heart","filename":"ez11-heart.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez11-heart.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/one-heart\/ez11-heart\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ez11-heart","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":73506,"date":"2020-04-20 12:10:44","modified":"2020-04-20 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