Bees, Epictetus, Tehilim 118, Israel's War, and Yom haShoah

Title: Bees, Epictetus, Tehilim 118, Israel's War, and Yom haShoah

Season 14 Episode 2
Length: 17 minutes 48 seconds
Synopsis: Yesterday I walked into a swarm of bees. In this episode, I reflect on that experience and follow my musings to the writings of Epictetus, to the bee reference in Tehilim 118, to musings about Israel's present war, and to yesterday's commemoration of the Holocaust.

Sources

Epictetus - Enchiridion (The Handbook) 1:5

Straightaway then, train yourself to say to every unpleasant impression, “You are an impression, and by no means what you appear to be. Then examine it and test it by the rules that you have, first (in this way especially) by asking whether it concerns things that are in our power or things that are not in our power; and if it concerns something not in our power, have ready to hand the answer, “This is nothing to me.”

Epictetus - Discourses 2:18

In the first place, do not allow yourself to be carried away by [the] intensity [of your impression]: but say, “Impression, wait for me a little. Let me see what you are, and what you represent. Let me test you.” Then, afterwards, do not allow it to draw you on by picturing what may come next, for if you do, it will lead you wherever it pleases. But rather, you should introduce some fair and noble impression to replace it and banish this base and sordid one.

Tehilim 118:10-12

(י) כׇּל גּוֹיִם סְבָבוּנִי בְּשֵׁם י״י כִּי אֲמִילַם. (יא) סַבּוּנִי גַם סְבָבוּנִי בְּשֵׁם י״י כִּי אֲמִילַם. (יב) סַבּוּנִי כִדְבוֹרִים דֹּעֲכוּ כְּאֵשׁ קוֹצִים בְּשֵׁם י״י כִּי אֲמִילַם.

(10) All the nations surround me; in the Name of Hashem, I cut them down! (11) They encircle me, they also surround me; in the Name of Hashem, I cut them down! (12) They encircle me like bees, but they are extinguished as a fire does thorns; in the Name of Hashem, I cut them down!

Malbim on Tehilim 118:12

כל גוים סבבוני – ר"ל אני רואה שמה שסבבוני כל הגוים, היה בשם ה' ובפקודתו, כדי שאמילם ואכריתם, ר"ל שה' סבב שכל גוים אלה יבואו לצור על ירושלים כדי שיפלו שם

All the nations surround me – this means to say, I see that the reason why all the nations surround me is because of the name of Hashem and His command, so that I will cut them down – in other words, Hashem caused all these nations to come and besiege Jerusalem so that they should fall there …

Bamidbar 10:9

וְכִי תָבֹאוּ מִלְחָמָה בְּאַרְצְכֶם עַל הַצַּר הַצֹּרֵר אֶתְכֶם וַהֲרֵעֹתֶם בַּחֲצֹצְרֹת וְנִזְכַּרְתֶּם לִפְנֵי י"י אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְנוֹשַׁעְתֶּם מֵאֹיְבֵיכֶם.

When you go to wage war in your Land against an enemy who oppresses you, you shall sound short blasts of the trumpets, and you shall be recalled before Hashem, your God, and you shall be saved from your foes.

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I guess I ended up taking a stance on one or two controversial points there. Curious as to what you think!

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