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TORAH-FAX BEHAALOTCHA SERMONETTE

BHAL74AR
CLOUD BY DAY, FIRE BY NIGHT
BY RABBI BRAD ARTSON
One of the most famous of ancient Israels sym!ols of "ods #resence is the !ush
that $as aflame yet $ould not !e consumed% &hat startlin' ima'e has !een ta(en
!oth as a re#resentation of a li)in' faith and of the un*uencha!le s#irit of the
+e$ish #eo#le%
&he !urnin' !ush has !ecome the lo'o for countless +e$ish institutions ,such as
the +e$ish &heolo'ical -eminary. for e/am#le0 and adorns innumera!le &orah
mantles in syna'o'ues all o)er the $orld%
1o less stri(in' a Bi!lical sym!ol is the #illar that led the Israelites throu'h the
$ilderness% As the &orah e/#lains. 2On the day that the 3ish(an ,&a!ernacle0 $as
set u#. the cloud co)ered the &a!ernacle. the &ent of the 4act. and in the e)enin'.
the fire $ould settle do$n. sho$in' the Israelites $here to #itch their cam#. and in
the mornin'. the cloud $ould mo)e for$ard. #ointin' the $ay the Israelites $ere
to #roceed%2
&he &orah #oints out that this miraculous fire5cloud $as the )ery locus of "ods
#resence 6 the )oice of Adonai s#o(e from amidst this flamin' smo(e. and it $as
this com!ination of fire and cloud that $as a #ermanent si'n that "od $as the
ultimate leader of the Israelite tri!es throu'hout their $anderin's%
Accordin' to the Bi!lical scholar. +aco! 3il'rom. this fire $as in the center of the
cloud. and !ecame )isi!le in the dar( or $hen "od $anted to summon 3oses to a
s#ecial audience% &he fire $as (no$n as "ods (a)od. "ods 'lory% It a##eared to
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only three of Israels leaders 6 to 3oses. to Aaron and to -amuel 6 conferrin' a hi'h
le)el of distinction on each of them%
&his #er#le/in' sym!ol. unli(e the !urnin' !ush. doesnt adorn any &orah mantles.
and hasnt !een ado#ted !y any +e$ish or'ani8ations as its si'n to the $orld%
4erha#s !ecause it seems more flam!oyant. it rarely made its $ay into 'ra#hic
re#resentation% 9et the 3idrash is filled $ith references to it that 'i)e it a #ost 6
Bi!lical life that is *uite illuminatin' in its o$n ri'ht%
&he 3e(hilta #oints out that "ods (a)od #layed a s#ecial role in defeatin' the
:'y#tian soldiers $hen the Israelites $ere esca#in' to freedom; the fire made the
'round so hot that the chariots stuc( in the meltin' mud. tra##in' the cruel soldiers
so the sla)es could ma(e it to freedom%
&he 3idrash <aneh states that the cloud #erformed an additional miracle.
containin' t$o He!re$ letters; yud and heh% &hose t$o letters s#ell one of "ods
names. the name throu'h $hich "od created the $orld% &hose letters $ould #oint
the Israelites in the #ro#er direction each mornin'. assurin' that their march to$ard
the 4romised Land $ould succeed as "od had #lanned%
3ele(het ha63ish(an notes that the cloud $ould #roceed $hen and $here "od
$anted it to. !ut as a courtesy to 3oses. it $ould sto# in front of him and a$ait his
actual instruction to de#art or to return% 3oses $ould shout 2<uma Adonai ,Arise.
"od=02 and 2-hu)a Adonai ,Return. "od=02 and the cloud $ould res#ond to his
$ords% >e use those same $ords in our -ha!!at &orah ser)ice in the syna'o'ue%
Accordin' to the 3idrash 9al(ut. the radiance of the Cloud and ?ire $as a !rilliant
#ur#le. $hich shone li(e the sun and the stars% Heathens $ho sa$ it from a
distance $ere fri'htened of the Israelites and $ere also mo)ed to #raise "od for
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this ne$est miracle% &he 3idrash also #oints out that the miraculous ro!es the
Israelites $ere 'i)en !y the an'els $ere made in that same !eautiful #ur#le. so that
they shone li(e "ods (a)od as they #araded throu'h the desert%
&he 3idrash -ifre notes that it $as the (a)od. the fire and cloud. that $aited $hile
3iriam $as reco)erin' from her !out of t8araat. that forced the Israelites to $ait
for her. too% &hus. the Cloud of "lory lent s#ecial di'nity to this $orthy 4ro#het in
the si'ht of the Israelites in the cam#%
By addin' these fanciful details to the ra$ maAesty of the &orah #ortrayal of the
4illar of Cloud and ?ire. the 3idrah connects the 4illar to the creation of the $orld
,throu'h the lin( of "ods name0. to the miracle of 9et8iyat 3it8rayim ,the
:/odus. throu'h 'roundin' the 4haroahs chariots0. to the authority of 3oses
,hence of the entire &orah and the Re)elation at 3ount -inai0%
&hus all the maAor strands of &orah theolo'y 6 the mar)el of "ods creation. the
#assion of "ods li!eration. and the 'ift of "ods re)elation 6 are com!ined in this
$onderful sym!ol; a #illar of cloud and of fire%
In a #lace $here $ords cannot 'o. our #ath is illumined for us !y the radiant li'ht
of "ods (a)od% -hine on%
-ha!!at -halom%