[Avodah] "Chezkuni Vaccine"

[David Wacholder]

The  Baal  Pe'or worshippers are gone!  You the great majority overcame the
temptations  - you attached yourself strongly to Hashem - can expect
 Divine Protection as before!  One worry nags our serenity. How will  we
 guarantee that we will not back-slide and chalila do the worst? Included
must be the confidence that we can all avoid Pe'or worship.  But how to
make safeguards that we  can do all in our  power to avoid even the
temptation?


Chezkuni points out the answer.  If we take the "Chezkuni Vaccine", we
obtain  "immunization" against Idol Worship.  We will feel secure. We will
not worship Pe'or next time either, no matter what new stratagems  Bil'am's
wannabe-successors plot. Surely and securely, our expression of dedication
will be reciprocated by Hashem's  complete protection!!  We must eagerly
stand in line to take and absorb the "Chezkuni Vaccine". Then as
individuals, and collectively, we will be always and  ever more dedicated
to Hashem, and "beloved"   and protected by Hashem.


Chezkuni gives a treasure map.  "The entire Command that I personally voice
the command now - do not  substute for it and do not detract from it!!"
 Where is the potency?

At first he suggests it is akin to the medicine bottle message - "Effective
only when taken as directed!"  Part of parenthood is repetition, even to
children not paying fervent attention. Is that the magic elixir?

I repeat - "Do not stray - keep within the boundaries of the law"  or - "Do
not count wrong"! . What would be the temptation to count wrong?  We know,
we heard them at Har Sinai, then from Mosheh Eved hashem,. These are the
exact words even letters pronounced by Hashem to Mosheh! I will review my
lessons assiduously! If I am lazy, I could mistakenly go off track,
admittedly so. Does the Torah envision somebody in the shadow of Har Sinai
being  foolish enough to Add or Subtract from Hashem's words?  Would such a
person find a following?

Write his speech - "  I want only Eight Commandments - Ten is much too
heavy. Take out Kibud Eim, it so passe and outdated. Make Shabbos a
workday. We will meet at  4 PM and we will erase some!!"  This sounds
absurd.  Where is the realistic scenario that needs special desperate
warnings?


"Chezkuni Vaccine" -  is aimed specifically at the temptation to worhip
Avodah Zara. Avoidance of Avodah Zara indeed will lead us to Everlasting
Good Fortune.  If this works,  we will never end up in Idol-Worship, thus
avoiding also the dire punishments. But what gives the Vaccine its potency?
How do we become  Idol-Worship-Immune??


Pharaoh arrogantly substituted himself for the One and Only.  As SunGod
Par'oh "made" the sun rise and the "Nile-Creator-/Inventor"  "made"  the
annual floods. His Ministers  promoted him as an independent self-contained
substitute for the One Hashem.

To keep opposition from developing, any Kedushah - WillPower and
Self-Denial - was considered treasonous. Worship of the OneOnlyhashem would
 make Par'oh look mortal and vulnerable by comparison. Thus it became Law,
written in heiroglyphics and enforced.   The worship of  Phr'oh-Nile-Sun
 SuperHuman was set up as arch-rival  competitor  Worship of the
OneOnlyHashem.

Legislation  against  One-Only-God took many forms. It may have obligated
immorality, the flaunting of any potential for Faithful Family life in
Par'oh's "advanced" empire. Strong families were suppreessed  as they
weakened the grip of the Dictator/Idol.  Development of modesty
and self-control were outlawed as as potential breeding grounds for
Commitment to Par'oh'sarch-rival, the One-Hashem. With abandonment of
Family Life  worship of Hashem can have no foundation. .
If they were successful in destruction of families, it necessitated strong
action - Otot Umoftim b'admat Bnei Cham, the first  Land of Immorality.
 Mitzrayim had been associated with the "Loss of Signal" of  Hashem's
presence and involvement  - itself on the Divine Scale a deterioration of
Family Values. A necessary part of the transformation into Am Kadosh Atah
Lashem Elokecha - was restoration of the strong structure of  Family Life.
The way a child sees his Avraham-AVinu-microcosm l father is the model for
his relationship with Hashem.. Discredited was  the crown-prince, Idol to
Be, Par'oh's Bchor-God.


The Jewsactions connected them with the Avos, and developed them into the
Priestly Seed of Avraham.  They had absorbed Avraham's lessons well. Their
seperate uniquely modest life-style announces and reflects the mutual
commitment to each other. So as a nation yisarel i s connected to the
OneGod.
 [Specific mention that Hashem is King of the Wold is already implied once
he is entitled "Elokei Avraham". Tosafot bases the Kingship of Hashem on
Avraham's bringing the awareness of Hashem into the world. Melech Haolam
would be duplicative. "Elokei Avraham" is permanent and foundational. The
Jewish People are  the main foundation and expression of  Kingdom of Hashem
- which is the Commitment of Hashem. ] It is one relationship they are -
Zera Avraham Ohavo.  jAvraham created commitment  to Love of Hashem.
The Zera Avraham, even as powerless subjugated captives still maintained
 Modest Language and Modest boundaries, despite the ceaseless oppression.
Included was keeping  the backbone necessary to discipline bodily desires.
Mitzrayim - the non-Family self-worshippers - are contrasted with Hashem's
Kedusha. Torah repeatedly warns of the abominations that were promoted by
the Mitzrayim Kingdom. Chasing immodesty weakens and distracts from
 commitment  to Havayah the One Almighty. Tefillin express and strengthen
the commitment.

Bil'am first dissolved the mutual trust and comitment of the man wandering
outside the Clouds of Glory. I looked quite innocent, then the  old lady
was suddenly a young lady. Once he lost his family trust in himself, his
trust in hashem collapsed also. When he gave up on being able to return to
Camp, she would demand that the men sacrifice to Pe'or including exhibiting
their "connection with nature"  by  defecation.

Thus the fiery mutual trust and commitment to worship the God of Sinai
would be replaced by an embittered and shattered self image.
Bil'am's plot attempted to undermine the confidence of Bnai Yisrael that
they themselves can long-term worship Hashem faithfully  without straying
and  evoking Divine Anger.

"Chezkuni Vaccine" counters that you will keep to Kedusha within your
family structure. Then your strong connections separate you from Pe'or and
its destructie potential. Zera Avraham continues in his footsteps.  Kedusha
and commitment in the Family Home, leads to security in worship of Hashem.
You are secure in your own dedication. It is strong and stable and will
last evermore. Permance and Trust in Hashem is the Attachment.
.

Staying secure and strengthening family bonds at home - and with Hashem
lead to the strength of the Jewish People.  It begins with believing in
Hashem's untilateral permanent commitment.  We reply with our commitment to
accept Hashem as our Father Provider Protector.

As long as we act consistently with  the Mutual Commitment - Covenant -
which still applies we will be safe. .

Should we project desperation and  lack of Trust, we will add superstitious
novel distractions and magic like in Mitzrayim.  Connection - Prayer
expresses and brings  the Rachamim Pipeline - do not kick it under the rug.


A person who thinks he will worship Pe'or, feels rejected.  he will be
tempted to join the surrounding nations. Most ancient people quickly were
assimilated  until they completely lost their unique identities. They
became part of  the surrounding majority culture.  That was the expectation
of  Par'oh.
The goal of Bil'am's "White Paper" was to remove  Dor Hamidbar from their
Ananei Hakavod. t Hashem's commitment  to bring them and permanently keep
them in Eretz Yisrae;would be voided.

Fractionally, Bil'am succeeded in enticing some to worship Baal Pe'or -
thus leaving Hashem, self-destructing as part of Tziv'os Hashem, those who
are attached and committed to Him only.

Exercising the "muscles" of commitment - to the family we live among, to
our neighbors and to Hashem - that is the Chezkuni Vaccine. They use every
opportunity to  show their cleaving Dveikut in  Hashem. They feel no need
for "surrogate fathers" or substitutes. They  are all alive and
strengthened.
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