{"id":79284,"date":"2020-08-26T22:41:04","date_gmt":"2020-08-26T19:41:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=79284"},"modified":"2020-08-26T22:41:04","modified_gmt":"2020-08-26T19:41:04","slug":"visions-and-portents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/visions-and-portents\/","title":{"rendered":"Visions And Portents"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\"><\/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":"79284","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":73524,"related_cahpter":"555","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Foretelling an end to idolatry\r\n\r\n","content":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zechariah 5 contains two strange visions of flying things. As bizarre as they seem, both share a single message,\u00a0 the purification of the land of Israel. As such, this chapter can be considered a continuation of what we saw in chapter 3 \u2013 the purification of Joshua the high priest. From within the Temple to the borders of Judah, God is methodically removing the impediments that are preventing the rebuilding of the new community.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first vision is a flying scroll, which Zechariah identifies as being twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide \u2013 the exact dimensions of both the entrance to the Sanctuary (Mishkan) and the ante-chamber of the Temple. On it, a curse against those who steal and those who swear falsely. The scroll will enter the homes of the dishonest, destroying them and their houses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The angel returns with an even stranger vision, a flying tub (Hebrew \u2013 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ephah<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). Zechariah sees a disc of lead being lifted, revealing a woman flying in a tub. The angel identifies the woman \u2013 she is Wickedness, and he presses a leaden weight over her. Two women with long wings carry the tub to Shinar (Babylonia). While some commentators suggest that this is either the removal of sin to the exile, or a curse on the Jews who remained in Babylonia, the Talmudic rabbis saw a deeper meaning (Yoma 69b) \u2013 the annihilation of the desire to worship idols, the scourge of the Jews during the time of the First Temple.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;And they cried out with a great voice to the Lord, God&#8221; (Nechemiah 9:4).\u00a0 What did they say? Said Rav, &#8220;Woe, woe. It is the [inclination for idolatry] which destroyed the Temple, burnt the Sanctuary, killed all the righteous and exiled Israel from our land, and it is still dancing among us. We want neither it nor the reward (for resisting it) \u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They sat fasting for three days and three nights, and it was handed over to them.\u00a0 It departed from the Holy of Holies as a fiery lion-cub. The prophet [Zechariah] said to Israel: &#8220;This is the inclination for idolatry,&#8221; as it is written, &#8220;And he said: &#8216;This is THE Wickedness'&#8221; (Zech. 5:8).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[When it resisted, the rabbis asked &#8220;What should we do?&#8221; \u2026\u00a0 Zechariah said to them: &#8220;Cast it into a pot of lead and close its opening with lead \u2014 for lead muffles the sound \u2014 as it is written, &#8220;And he said: &#8216;This is the wickedness.&#8217;\u00a0 And he cast it down into the basket, and he cast the lead weight upon its opening'&#8221; (ibid.).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever the hidden meanings between this legend, one interesting fact remains \u2013 biblical books in the Bible never condemn the Jewish people for idolatry ever again. Generally, we have to stand up to face our challenges. Yet times will come when we have to acknowledge that certain challenges are beyond our ability to cope with \u2013 and therefore, we need Divine help to remove them.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":76677,"id":76677,"title":"hos14-idol","filename":"hos14-idol.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hos14-idol.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/forget-me-yes\/hos14-idol\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"hos14-idol","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":76676,"date":"2020-06-30 07:49:16","modified":"2023-08-04 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