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Is it possible that the Canaanites actually stooped that low? More importantly, was there really a chance that the sons of Avraham, people described as merciful, shy, and full of kindness, could embark on such a path?
If we take a look at p’sukim throughout Tanach, we indeed see that not only did the seven nations and the descendants of Lot commit the heinous crime of killing their own children, but even members of our own nation did so. We will prove this claim based on two sources.
The first is related to the account of King Yehoshafat of the Kingdom of Judea, who helped King Yehoram of the Kingdom of Israel put down the rebellion of King Meisha of Moav. The aftermath of the battle is described as follows: "The King of Moav saw that the battle was beyond his strength … and he took his oldest son, who was to rule after him, and brought him as a sacrifice on the wall, and there was great anger at Israel, and they left him and returned to their place" (Melachim II, 3:26-7). There are many opinions as to what happened, as Rav and Shmuel (Sanhedrin 39b) argued as to whether Meisha brought his son as a sacrifice to Hashem or to idolatry. Regarding the anger against Bnei Yisrael, the gemara explains that if Meisha sacrificed for idolatry, the anger at Bnei Yisrael was that some of them had done the same.
In Sefer Yeshaya, within the prophecies of consolation, there are p’sukim that illustrate how drastic the deterioration reached at the time of King Menasheh (Yeshaya 57:3-7). The p’sukim speak of bringing objectionable sacrifices and of slaughtering the children under the trees along the streams. Although the words are difficult to translate (and so, we did not try to present them in this forum), it is hard to deny that the p’sukim refer to the exact phenomenon that we initially wondered if it could occur within our nation.
Let us summarize the situation as follows. Bnei Yisrael are the chosen and beloved of Hashem and are referred to as "the holy flock" and a "light unto the nations." Yet, as great as their level, so is the magnitude of the spiritual fall that they can experience. Let us make our efforts that we make continuous strides in the proper direction.
Rabbis in Midrash
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
