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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>You’re reading it correctly, except the distinction is
more between good things and bad things. Essentially the Jews are being
compared to a wayward woman who is cheating on her husband. Hoshea is
furthermore being symbolically asked to take a wife who will be unfaithful to
him, just as the Jews are unfaithful to Hashem who loves them. Hoshea is then
to tell her that she can no longer sleep around, but he will also not be with
her. The nimshal in pasuk 4 (which you quoted) is that in the future, the Jews
will not have either G-d or their avodah zarah to lean upon. They will realize
that the avodah zara is worthless and G-d won’t help them either. Sort of
like a parent that says, “well if you can’t make up your mind, then
you’ll get neither”. Then eventually they will finally realize that
they should have been faithful to G-d all along (Pasuk 5).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Stuart<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
avodah-bounces@lists.aishdas.org [mailto:avodah-bounces@lists.aishdas.org] <b>On
Behalf Of </b>Silverman, Philip B<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, June 12, 2008 11:52 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> avodah@lists.aishdas.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Avodah] Hoshea verse<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Maybe the chevra can answer a question I have on a verse in
Hoshea.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>“For the children of Israel shall remain for many days
without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar,
and without ephod or teraphim…” -- Hoshea 3:4<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The list of things we Jews will be without for generations
appears to be jumbled up. It mixes up things we’re /sad*/ don’t
exist with things we’re /glad*/ don’t exist. Why is
that? (*If these assessments are mistaken, let me know.)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
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