{"id":79597,"date":"2020-09-04T11:59:15","date_gmt":"2020-09-04T08:59:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=79597"},"modified":"2020-09-04T11:59:15","modified_gmt":"2020-09-04T08:59:15","slug":"cedars-of-lebanon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/cedars-of-lebanon\/","title":{"rendered":"Cedars of Lebanon"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At the beginning of our chapter, the Prophet Zechariah calls out: \u201cThrow open your gates, O Lebanon, and let fire consume your cedars!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The \u201cminor\u201d Talmudic tractate, Avot de-Rabbi Natan (<\/span>Version A Chapter 4<\/span><\/a>) preserves a dramatic interpretation of the chapter\u2019s opening verses:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThrow open your gates, O Lebanon, and let fire consume your cedars!\u201d \u2013 \u201cCedars\u201d refer to the High Priests who were in the Sanctuary. They took their keys to the Temple in their hands and threw them toward the heavens, crying out before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the World! Here are Your keys, which You entrusted to us. For we were not faithful custodians doing the King\u2019s work and eating from the King\u2019s table. <\/span>
\n<\/span>Moreover, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the twelve tribes, were also crying and screaming and lamenting. They exclaimed: \u201cHowl, cypresses! For cedars have fallen!\u201d (verse 2) \u2013 These refer to the Holy Temple. \u201cHow the mighty are ravaged!\u201d (verse 2) \u2013 These are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the twelve tribes. \u201cHowl, you oaks of Bashan\u201d (verse 2) \u2013 these are Moses, Aaron and Miriam. \u201cFor the stately forest is laid low!\u201d (verse 2) \u2013 this refers to the Holy of Holies\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

A Tannaitic tradition preserved in Babylonian<\/span> Talmud Ta\u2019anit 29a<\/span><\/a> elaborates on the demise of the Temple Priests.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our Rabbis taught: When the First Temple was about to be destroyed bands upon bands of young priests with the keys of the Temple in their hands assembled and mounted to the roof of the Temple and exclaimed, Master of the Universe! As we did not have the merit to be faithful treasurers these keys are handed back into Your keeping. They then threw the keys up towards heaven. And there emerged the figure of a hand that received the keys from them. Whereupon the Priests jumped and fell into the fire.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pesiqta Rabbati 33:1<\/span><\/a> interprets our verse in a somewhat different fashion:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Throw open your gates, O Lebanon, and let fire consume your cedars!\u2019 Israel cried out to God: \u2018Master of the Worlds! How long will it be like this?! Did You not write in Your Torah: \u201cHe who started the fire must make restitution\u201d (Exodus 22:5)? And You are the one who ignited the fire [that destroyed the Temple], as it says: \u201cFrom above He sent a fire down into my bones\u201d (Lamentations 1:13). So, it is You who need to rebuild it [the Temple] and to console us, not by the hands of an angel, but You in Your glory!\u2019 The Holy One said to them, \u2018By your life! So, I will do! As it says: \u201cThe Lord rebuilds Jerusalem. He gathers in the exiles of Israel\u201d (Psalms 147:2). For, I am the One who comforts you.\u2019 From where do we learn this? From what God said to Israel: \u2018I, I am He Who comforts you\u2026\u2019\u201d (Isaiah 51:12).<\/span><\/p>\n

Image: Gustav Dor\u00e9, Cedar and Fir Trees Brought from Lebanon for the Temple, The Bible panorama, or The Holy Scriptures in picture and story (1891) \/ wikipedia<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":79598,"id":79598,"title":"zech11-cedars temple","filename":"zech11-cedars-temple.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/zech11-cedars-temple.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/cedars-of-lebanon\/zech11-cedars-temple\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"zech11-cedars-temple","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":79597,"date":"2020-09-04 08:58:59","modified":"2023-12-05 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