“Rising Lion”: What Does That Even Mean?

Article by Rabbi Mordechai Lipskier: Prime Minister Netanyahu named the recent operation, “Rising Lion,” based on the pasuk in parshas Balak. What’s the message to us? To stand tall and proud because of Israel’s impressive intelligence and military capabilities?

From a farbrengen by Rabbi Mordechai Lipskier

Prime Minister Netanyahu named the recent operation, “Rising Lion,” based on the pasuk in parshas Balak, “Behold, a people that rises like a lioness and raises itself like a lion. It does not lie down until it eats its prey and drinks the blood of the slain.”

What’s the message to us? To stand tall and proud because of Israel’s impressive intelligence and military capabilities?

Towards the end of Parshas Be’haaloscho, Hashem praises Moshe Rabbeinu’s power of nevuah. “I will speak to him face to face, lucidly and not in riddles, and he perceives the Eternal’s Image.”

The Imrei Emes of Gur explains that the words utemunas Hashem yabit (and he perceives the Eternal’s Image) cannot be understood according to pshat because Hashem has no image.Rather, these words should be interpreted: “And it’s with Hashem’s Vision that he sees.” Moshe Rabbeinu saw everything through a G-dly lens and thus saw the world as Hashem sees it.  

Hashem didn’t just give Moshe a one-time wealth of knowledge; He gave him a lens.

The Rebbe gave us complete clarity on all areas of life by showing us to view everything through the lens of Torah.

In our situation, we don’t have to look very far. Here’s what Rashi writes on the pasuk chosen to describe the current events:

“Behold, a people that rises like a lioness: When they awaken from their sleep in the morning they show the vigor of a lioness and a lion in grasping mitzvos, to don a taalis, recite the shema and put on tefillin. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 14, Num. Rabbah 20:20]

“It does not lie down: [I.e., a Jew does not lie down] on his bed at night until he consumes and destroys any harmful thing that comes to tear him. How so? He recites the shema on his bed and entrusts his spirit to the hand of the Omnipresent. Should an army or a troop come to harm them, the Holy One, blessed is He, protects them, fights their battles and strikes them [their attackers] down dead.[Mid. Tanchuma Balak 14, Num. Rabbah 20:20]”

Our true strength lies in our connection to Hashem.

Instead of checking the news first thing in the morning, let’s wake up and chap another mitzvah, another few minutes of learning Torah for the zechus of Eretz Yisroel.

What’s the last thing we do before going to sleep? Checking the news one more time will probably just make us more anxious. But taking a moment to say shema with kavanah and reflecting on the idea that Hashem is watching over us is more likely to calm us and effect a positive change for Eretz Yisroel.

On an individual level, many of us have friends or family who are affected because of the travel restrictions. It’s stressful, frustrating, and very upsetting for the tens of thousands of people whose plans have been turned upside down.

Here, again, we have a striking message of Hashem in this week’s sedrah.

על פי ה’ יסעו בני ישראל ועל פי ה’ יחנו

“At Hashem’s bidding, the children of Israel traveled, and at Hashem’s bidding they encamped.”

The Shaloh explains that this is a message to every Yid. Whatever we do and wherever we go, any plans we make, must include the provision im yirtze Hashem (if Hashem wills it), or be’ezras Hashem (with Hashem’s help).

Wherever a Yid ends up is orchestrated by divine supervision, hashgacha pratis.

L’chaim to revealed good by all Yidden wherever they may be.