Let’s study the story of our Egyptian exile. Let’s find out who our enemies are and learn about their true intentions. “Pharaoh wanted to destroy only the males, while Lovon tried to destroy us all. ” מצרימה וירד - אבי אובד ארמי And so the story of our Egyptian exile unfolds
with a blood relative by the name of Lavan . “Arami is out to destroy my fatherand
so we went down to Egypt” is how the story of our nation began.
Yet one wonders. Why usethe nickname of Arami? Why not call him Lovan that is far more familiar? Furthermore, the word אובד is written in the present tense when it should actually have been written in the past tense. After all, it’s something that happened many years ago! Beside, was Lovan really such a bad guy as the Haggadah makes him out to be? He just seems to be very dishonest and a big cheater, but he didn’t kill anyone. So why portray him as being worse then Pharoh who tried killing and drowning all our boys and was guilty of murder? In order to understand what’s happening, let’s go back and carefully examine Yaakov’s peacepact with Lovon for it will reveal something very strange indeed. The Torah tells us
that they erected a pile of stones that Lovon called “Yegar Sahadusah,” while Yaakov
called it “Gal’ed“. Yegar Sahadusah is nothing but the Aramaic translation of Gal’ed,
so why does the Torah have to tell us what Lovon called it? Just look up the Aramaic
equivalent and you’ll know what the word Gal’ed means in Aramaic. This should
have best been left for Unkelus. It’s highly unusual to have Aramaic words appear in
the Torah, especially when there doesn’t seem to be any reason for it.
As one continues studying the parsha, one is struck by many other strange things
said by Lavan. For instance, Lavan makes mention of some deal he made with
Yaacov at a place called Mitzpeh, yet nowhere earlier do we find mention of such a
deal. The meforshim seem to have much difficulty trying to figure out to which deal
Lavan is refering to, since we find no previous mention of it!
We also find what seems to be a very strange gemorah in Mesechta Shabbos
(12:) that says that one should never ask for one’s needs in Aramaic because the
heavenly angels don’t understand this particular language. This seems rather odd. Is
the Aramaic language any more difficult to learn than any other, that the Malachim
simply can’t figure it out? If they comprehend all the other sixty-nine languages, then
why can’t they learn this one as well? Is it more difficult than Chinese or Japanese?
And if indeed they don’t know the language, why can’t they go study it? After all,
how long would it take an Angel to learn a new language? Or is it perhaps such a
terrible language that they simply refuse to study it? Why?
One also wonders why there are certain tefillos such as Kaddish, Yekum Purkon
and Akdomos that are written in Aramaic. Isn’t this a no no?
Perhaps the answer is that Lovon was called Arami because he was a cheater,
a fraud, and the master of deception. He spoke from two sides of his mouth. He
said one thing but meant another. He made an agreement with Yaakov to give
him “Rochel, his younger daughter”, yet when it came to the actual wedding he
substituted Leah instead. His word as well as his signature could never be trusted.
He always interpreted the agreements of the contract differently. He always switched
the language around and had another version with an answer for everything. His
agreements weren’t worth the paper they were written on!
Words have more than one meaning and it’s certainly not too difficult for Lovon
Ho’arami the master of deception and chicanery to use words in his agreement
that are vague or have a dual meaning. When we translate a word into another
language we must be very careful. When we translate the word “because” into the
Hebrew word “Ki,” we must be very careful since the word “Ki” in Hebrew has three
other translations. Someone reading the contract in the Hebrew version may later
claim that he meant one of the other three meanings.
Yet Aramaic is not just a language in which a word can have more than one
meaning. It is one it which the very same word can have two opposite meanings. Up
can mean down and yes can also mean no. ( Note: those who study gemarah know
that in Aramaic the word “in” can mean yes or no – two opposites. ) “Jihad” doesn’t
mean a holy war, claimed Arafat; it simply means a friendly peace pact. Politicians
are masters at such deception. They use it all the time. Later, when they are caught
with an outright lie, they always claim that it meant something else. When someone
can later claim that “is” is not really “is” but is another is, then he’s a real master of
Arami’s tactics! Those who are familiar with the Camp David agreement signed by Egypt and Israel surely know that even though the Arabic and Hebrew versions
are supposedly an accurate translation of the English version, the Israelis and Egyptians still can’t agree on the exact meaning of many of its frases and clauses. The Hebrew version does not match the Arabic version; there are countless discrepancies. That’s because the English version was worded very diplomatically. It’s written in the language of Lovon Ho’arami, a language of deceit, deception
and double talk so that it will satisfy both sides. Each one can interpret it in his
own way. This way both sides would agree to sign, each being able to interpret the
language in the way they understood it. The better the politician and diplomat, the
better he is in being able to use words that are both vague and have more then one
connotation. Later when there is a question as to what it means, each side gives the
words a different twist and meaning. This is the language of Lovon Ho’arami. Even
when he clearly wrote “Rochel, my youngest daughter,” he wiggled his way out of
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it. He must have had a different version or explanation of the agreement or perhaps
it was all a “misunderstanding” or “just an oversight“. Just read some of the U.N.
resolutions and you will get a sample of this type of language called diplomacy.
Lovan’s contract was probably no different then today’s Oslo agreement which both
sides interpret differently.
While Yaakov called the agreement Galed, Lovon gave it his own Aramaic name-
Yigar Sahadusah. Lovon felt much more at home using his Aramaic deceitful lanquich.
Yigar Sahadusah may be the translation of the word Gal’ed, yet as you may notice
there is already a slight inaccuracy. While in the Hebrew it is written as one word,
in Aramaic it is two words. There is a fine distinction that is not so readily apparent.
(Yigar Sahadusah is the equivalent of Gal Ed and not Gal’ed). Take the words New
York. As two words New York can be either a name of a city or can mean a new city
by the name of York. However when written as one word “Newyork” then it must be
a name. And so it is with the words “Yigar Sahadusa. When written as one word it
is a name but when written as two words it can have an entirely different meaning.
And so Lavan of course uses two words instead of one, this way he can always claim
that it meant something else. Yaacov immediately translates it into one word “Galed”
so that it be clearly understood that it is a name. Lovan thereupon follows by saying
that this was his original intention. He had absolutely no intention of fooling him. His
Aramaic version was already slightly different than the Hebrew version so he could
always later claim that it meant something else. Leave it to Lovon who is a master
diplomat and has an amazing talent and ability at deceiving others with words.
After all, Lovon was the father and originator of all “Ramais“; he was the greatest
cheater and deceiver of them all. He was the forerunner of today’s politician.
He was the master diplomat speaking a perfect Aramaic language of deceit and
double talk. Angels have great difficulty understanding a languge whose words are
vauge and have oposit meanings.
Angels simply can’t relate to this kind of double talk called Aramaic-the deceitful
language of Lovon and his politicians. After all, angels can’t read a person’s thoughts.
So when the words have a double meaning and they are uncertain of what the
words actually mean they want no part of them and they refuse to bring such
deceitful words in front of the Heavenly Throne!
When our words are uttered in a language of deceit where the words can have
a double meaning, the Angels cannot understand them. It’s outright deception. It’s
the language of Lovan Ho’arami-the master conniver and cheater. It’s insincere
and meaningless! They would be severely punished if they would repeat them in
front of the King of Kings. This is why the Gemorah uses the terminology that the
angels are not nizkak to this language. They don’t seem to understand it because
it’s contradictory, deceitful and confusing, and not because it’s difficult to
learn.
It’s obviously not the particular language of Aramaic that they don’t understand
but rather the way the words are used. This explains why the Gemorah, as well as
Kaddish, Yekum Purkon and Akdomos were written in Aramaic. These words were
carefully chosen to make sure that they cannot be missinterpreted.
And if you’re wondering about the deal Lovan says
he made with Yaakov at the place called Mitzpah,
I’ll let you in on a little secret. Do you know
anything about the deal the Syrian President made
with Rabin about giving back the Golan Heights? It
seems as if noone does! That’s because there probably
never was such a deal. Leave it to a master cheater to
make all sorts of preposterous claims that never took
place. They learned it all from Lavan Ho’arami
– Lovan the master scam artist who suddenly came
up with a deal he claimed he made at a place
called Mitzpah, yet no one ever heard of such a deal – and
no wonder!
Arafat, as well as his protégé Muhamed Abas, Arami’s prize student (and
Israel’s partner in peace!?) tells Israel that he is for peace and against all terrorism
and then turns around and gives Hamas the green light to continue to attack her
from someplace else so that he shouldn’t get the blame. He accepts the peace prize
while at the same time eulogizes mass murderers and terrorists such as the “engineer”
as freedom fighters and promises them a place in heaven. He frees all the Hamas
murderers from jail so that they can continue their murderous rampage, but still
continues to claim that he is against all forms of terrorism! This is the language of
Lovan Ho’arami. Anyone that has studied Lovan’s tactics in Chumash along with
the interpretation etation of Chazal, clearly understands the meaning of אבי אובד .ארמי
Arami’s real intention is to destroy all that is sacred to Klal Yisroel. The Palestinians
do’t want just Yerushalayim; thhe want the entire country; from east to west and
from north to south! “Your daughters are my daughters, your sons are my sons, your
sheep are my sheep, and everything you own is mine” is what they say. (Vayetzei
31). He claims that all of Israel is his!
Despite Lovon’s promises of peace and claim of love for Yaakov, we know that
he wants to destroy us completely - הכל את לעקר בקש לבן , and will not stop until
he has driven Israel into the sea! His hatred for Yaakov is אובד ever present ( in the
present tense). It continues on throughout all ages – עלינו עומדים ודור דור שבכל
לכלותנו . He tries to drag us down into the tumah of Mitzrayim- מצרימה וירד . He
knows that this is the best way to ,chas v’shalom, destroy us completely.
Klal Yisroel must realize that it has no true friend. Even those that shower us with
gifts and kindness can never be fully trusted for they have their own agenda as the
gemorah tells us on the first daf of Mesechta Avodah Zorah. While on the surface
they seem to be our very best friend and want to give us millions of dollars in loans
and guarantees, they have their own interests in mind– חטאת לאומים וחסד . -We’ve
learned this bitter lesson over and over again throughout history. Our best friends
have always turned their backs on us in time of need. Just listen to the Nixon tapes to
get a clue of what he really thought of Israel; if only they could make it disappear-chas
v’shalom. When we dare build housing on our very own land, we are condemned
by the entire world, including our best friend. When we stood vulnerable and
easy prey for an Egyption invasion in ‘67, the U.N. peacekeeping forces suddenly
disappeared into the night. It was only מידם מצלינו והקב”ה . When Israel blew up
Iraq’s nuclear reactor in an act of self-defense, its action was denounced even by our
best friends. Israel has no right to protect itself from atomic annihilation. And
so, when Israel closes its borders so that Palestinian terrorists can’t blow up innocent men, women and children, there’s a world uproar. Leave it to us, they said. “We’ll protect you from the scud missiles.” Yet today we all know that the American Patriot missile was nothing but a mirage and that it was only מידם מצלינו !והקב”ה
It’s time we put our trust in Hashemrather than in the promises of politicians that
speak to us in ארמי לשון , Believing politicians in their false hopes of bringing peace
only leads us deeper into the Egyptian exile. Their promises of “Land for peace” are
no better than their promises to revoke their Charter calling for the total destruction
of Israel!
Is it a wonder then, that Arami’s Oslo Peace Pact or Road Map can’t be
trusted if even the angels themselves refuse to deal with such a language so full of
deception?