Excerpt from a shiur given on 14th Iyar 5786 (evening)

[The Rav begins by talking about the mechalel Shabbat, in Parshat Emor, then moves to the story of how the King of Israel sends three sets of soldiers to arrest Eliyahu HaNavi – but the prophet causes the first two platoons to be burned by fire from shamayim, before agreeing to go with the third. The Rav then says:]

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So here, we have the letter from Hussein, the father of Abdallah, who said that we are obligated to welcome guests.

So [American Ambassador to Israel] Huckabee, he says the verse from Lech Lecha, the brit bein ha beitarim, where [Abraham] says how will I know? [That his descendants would inherit Eretz Israel.

[He was punished with] 400 years [of exile for his descendants].

What, it’s forbidden to say how will I know?! I want to know which zchut (merit) this depends upon [in order to ensure that zchut won’t be nullified].

And if they do aveirot (transgressions) [the guarantee of Hashem will still be upheld].

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No, even if they do all the aveirot, the Aretz is theirs.

The Aretz is theirs. Don’t ask, how will I know?

But you asked. [And so now, Am Yisrael have to be in galut for 400 years.]

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What does it mean:

“With my tears, I soak?”[1] (AMSaH)

What does it mean, I soak? What is the alef? [Alef stands for the generation of] Enosh. What is the mem? Mabul [generation of the flood]. What is the samech? Sdom. What is the heh? Haplagah [generation of the dispersion.]

All of these entered into [the nation of Israel, in the exile in] Egypt.

Because if you don’t ask questions – with emuna, you can fix all the souls in the world. Only with emuna, alone.

And if not – you need [to experience] crushing servitude. You asked, how will I know – and they were enslaved and lost for 400 years. So then, 400 years…

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TBC

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Excerpted and Translated from Shivivei Or #456.

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FOOTNOTE:

[1] Tehillim, 6:7.  The full verse reads: “I am wearied with my sigh; I drench my bed every night, I soak my couch with my tears.” 6:8: “Dimmed because of anger is my eye, aged, because of all my tormentors.”