בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה
בְּרוּךֶ אַתֶה חֲוָיָה שְׁכִינּוּ רוּחַ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדַשְׁתַנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתֶיהֶ וְצִוְתָנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה
בְּרוּכָה אַתְּ יָהּ אֱלֹהָתֵינוּ רוּחַ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קֵרְבָתְנוּ לַעֲבוֹדָתָהּ וְצִוְתָנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה
Blessings for learning and studying Torah
Berakhot 11b:
Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu la’asok b’divrei Torah
Nonbinary Hebrew Project:
B’rucheh ateh Khavayah Shekhinu ruach ha’olam asher kidash’tanu b’mitzvotei’he v’tziv’tanu la’asok b’divrei Torah
Feminine God Language:
Brukhah at Ya Elohateinu ruach ha’olam asher keir’vat’nu la’avodatah v’tziv’tavnu la’asok b’divrei Torah
וַיִּסְע֞וּ מֵהֹ֤ר הָהָר֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יַם־ס֔וּף לִסְבֹ֖ב אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ אֱד֑וֹם וַתִּקְצַ֥ר נֶֽפֶשׁ־הָעָ֖ם בַּדָּֽרֶךְ׃ וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר הָעָ֗ם בֵּֽאלֹהִים֮ וּבְמֹשֶׁה֒ לָמָ֤ה הֶֽעֱלִיתֻ֙נוּ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם לָמ֖וּת בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין לֶ֙חֶם֙ וְאֵ֣ין מַ֔יִם וְנַפְשֵׁ֣נוּ קָ֔צָה בַּלֶּ֖חֶם הַקְּלֹקֵֽל׃ וַיְשַׁלַּ֨ח יהוה בָּעָ֗ם אֵ֚ת הַנְּחָשִׁ֣ים הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים וַֽיְנַשְּׁכ֖וּ אֶת־הָעָ֑ם וַיָּ֥מׇת עַם־רָ֖ב מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ וַיָּבֹא֩ הָעָ֨ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֜ה וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ חָטָ֗אנוּ כִּֽי־דִבַּ֤רְנוּ בַֽיהוה וָבָ֔ךְ הִתְפַּלֵּל֙ אֶל־יהוה וְיָסֵ֥ר מֵעָלֵ֖ינוּ אֶת־הַנָּחָ֑שׁ וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל מֹשֶׁ֖ה בְּעַ֥ד הָעָֽם׃ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה עֲשֵׂ֤ה לְךָ֙ שָׂרָ֔ף וְשִׂ֥ים אֹת֖וֹ עַל־נֵ֑ס וְהָיָה֙ כׇּל־הַנָּשׁ֔וּךְ וְרָאָ֥ה אֹת֖וֹ וָחָֽי׃ וַיַּ֤עַשׂ מֹשֶׁה֙ נְחַ֣שׁ נְחֹ֔שֶׁת וַיְשִׂמֵ֖הוּ עַל־הַנֵּ֑ס וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־נָשַׁ֤ךְ הַנָּחָשׁ֙ אֶת־אִ֔ישׁ וְהִבִּ֛יט אֶל־נְחַ֥שׁ הַנְּחֹ֖שֶׁת וָחָֽי׃
They set out from Mount Hor by way of the Sea of Reeds to skirt the land of Edom. But the people grew restive on the journey, and the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why did you make us leave Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread and no water, and we have come to loathe this miserable food.” יהוה sent seraph serpents against the people. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned by speaking against יהוה and against you. Intercede with יהוה to take away the serpents from us!” And Moses interceded for the people. Then יהוה said to Moses, “Make a seraph figure and mount it on a standard. And anyone who was bitten who then looks at it shall recover.” Moses made a copper serpent and mounted it on a standard; and when bitten by a serpent, anyone who looked at the copper serpent would recover.
כַּיּוֹצֵא בַּדָּבָר אַתָּה אוֹמֵר: ״עֲשֵׂה לְךָ שָׂרָף וְשִׂים אוֹתוֹ עַל נֵס וְהָיָה כׇּל הַנָּשׁוּךְ וְרָאָה אוֹתוֹ וָחָי״, וְכִי נָחָשׁ מֵמִית, אוֹ נָחָשׁ מְחַיֶּה? אֶלָּא: בִּזְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל מִסְתַּכְּלִין כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה וּמְשַׁעְבְּדִין אֶת לִבָּם לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם — הָיוּ מִתְרַפְּאִין, וְאִם לָאו הָיוּ נִימּוֹקִים.
Similarly, you can say: The verse states: “Make for yourself a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass, that everyone that is bitten, when he sees it, he shall live” (Numbers 21:8). Once again it may be asked: Did the serpent kill, or did the serpent preserve life? Rather, when the Jewish people turned their eyes upward and subjected their hearts to their Father in Heaven, they were healed, but if not, they rotted from their snakebites.
על נס שיהיה גבוה ויראו אותו הכל ורבים השתבשו ואמרו כי זאת הצורה לקבל כח עליונים וחליל' חלילה כי הדבר נעשה בצווי השם ואין לנו לחפש למה צורת נחש ואם לא כן יראנו היש עץ שימתיק המים המרים אפי' הדבש לא ימתיקם ומה טעם לשום דבלת תאנים על השחין ואין בתולדת הדבלה להסיר השחין והאמת כי נשגבה ממנו דעת עליון:
AND SET IT UPON A POLE. So that it be on a high place and everyone will be able to see it. Many err. They say that this was an image that had the capability of receiving powers from on high. Far be it, far be it [for one to believe such a thing], for this thing was made by God’s command. We should not investigate why Moses was commanded to make the form of a snake. Should someone disagree, let him show us if there is a tree that makes bitter waters sweet. Even honey will not sweeten them. What reason was there to put a cake of figs upon a boil? It is not in the nature of figs to remove boils. The truth is that the mind of the Almighty is beyond us.
והביט אל נחש הנחשת על ידי שהיה נתון כתורן על הנס הנשוך תולה עיניו למעלה ומכוין לבו לאביו שבשמים כדפירש רש״י ודוקא נחש ולא בריה אחרת להודיע נפלאותיו של הקב״ה שכך מדותיו שהוא מכה באיזמל ומרפא באיזמל.
והביט אל נחש הנחשת, “and when he looked at this replica of a copper coloured snake (he would live);” looking at this phenomenon automatically would make such a person think of heaven, and that his only hope for surviving the snakebite would come from heaven. (Rashi). The reason that G-d chose this particular phenomenon was to remind the victim that the cure for his ailment had to be found in reversing the source of his affliction. The miraculous powers of the Creator to heal, would best be demonstrated if it was shown that He could use the source of the affliction as the medicine that would cure it.
וַֽיְהִי֙ בִּשְׁנַ֣ת שָׁלֹ֔שׁ לְהוֹשֵׁ֥עַ בֶּן־אֵלָ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מָלַ֛ךְ חִזְקִיָּ֥ה בֶן־אָחָ֖ז מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃ בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְחָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנָה֙ הָיָ֣ה בְמׇלְכ֔וֹ וְעֶשְׂרִ֤ים וָתֵ֙שַׁע֙ שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ אֲבִ֖י בַּת־זְכַרְיָֽה׃ וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הַיָּשָׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י יהוה כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֖ה דָּוִ֥ד אָבִֽיו׃ ה֣וּא ׀ הֵסִ֣יר אֶת־הַבָּמ֗וֹת וְשִׁבַּר֙ אֶת־הַמַּצֵּבֹ֔ת וְכָרַ֖ת אֶת־הָֽאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה וְכִתַּת֩ נְחַ֨שׁ הַנְּחֹ֜שֶׁת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֣ה מֹשֶׁ֗ה כִּ֣י עַד־הַיָּמִ֤ים הָהֵ֙מָּה֙ הָי֤וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מְקַטְּרִ֣ים ל֔וֹ וַיִּקְרָא־ל֖וֹ נְחֻשְׁתָּֽן׃ בַּיהוה אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בָּטָ֑ח וְאַחֲרָ֞יו לֹא־הָיָ֣ה כָמֹ֗הוּ בְּכֹל֙ מַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֖וּ לְפָנָֽיו׃
In the third year of King Hoshea son of Elah of Israel, Hezekiah son of King Ahaz of Judah became king. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years; his mother’s name was Abi daughter of Zechariah. He did what was pleasing to the LORD, just as his father David had done. He abolished the shrines and smashed the pillars and cut down the sacred post. He also broke into pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until that time the Israelites had been offering sacrifices to it; it was called Nehushtan. He trusted only in the LORD the God of Israel; there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those before him.
דרש להן מקרא זה (מלכים ב יח, ד) וכתת נחש הנחשת אשר עשה משה כי עד הימים ההמה היו בני ישראל מקטרים לו ויקרא לו נחושתן אפשר בא אסא ולא ביערו בא יהושפט ולא ביערו והלא כל עבודה זרה שבעולם אסא ויהושפט ביערום אלא מקום הניחו לו אבותיו להתגדר בו אף אני מקום הניחו לי אבותי להתגדר בו
Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi interpreted this verse to them: “And he broke in pieces the copper serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan” (II Kings 18:4). Is it possible that they burned incense to it and Asa, a righteous king, came and did not eradicate it, and Jehoshaphat, a righteous king, came and did not eradicate it, and it remained until the time of Hezekiah? But didn’t Asa and Jehoshaphat eradicate all objects of idol worship in the world?Rather, it must be that in not eradicating the serpent, his ancestors left Hezekiah room through which to achieve prominence [lehitgader]. I too can say that my ancestors left me room through which to achieve prominence by permitting untithed produce from Beit She’an.
From Rabba Avital Engelberg, "The Copper Snake - How a Miracle Turns into Idolatry" at https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/338906.16?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en
Hezekiah, who comes generations later, sees in the snake a very problematic situation with a clash of values. On the one hand, the Copper Snake is a divine creation, while on the other hand, he cannot stand idly by when he sees how this holy and ancient object turns into idolatry. In a world of such halakhic values clashing, Hezekiah chooses to crush the serpent. His desires for a holy people exceeds the value of preserving that which is in existence even if at a certain time it was a symbol of holiness. Hezekiah sees that even a symbol of holiness, an object that once saved the people, now harms him, and therefore, he cuts it off.
From Rabbi Aviva Richman "Critique and Creativity" at https://www.hadar.org/torah-resource/critique-and-creativity
However, this is not really a satisfying proof-text for the idea that someone can rule differently from their ancestors; it just shows that one can continue to expand upon it. They uprooted idolatry, and he continued to uproot more. Rabbi, in contrast, rules leniently, against the stringencies in his inherited tradition. Yet, the Talmud still links Rabbi’s innovative ruling to this story about the snake to explain Rabbi’s departure from earlier traditions.
What is fascinating, then, is the way this tradition about Hizkiyyah crushing the snake ends up being deployed. It is not only about continuing the unfinished work of ancestors, and certainly not about doubling down and expanding inherited stringencies. The copper snake becomes a paradigm for later generations to arrive at independent conclusions. Once one has absorbed a rich inheritance of Torah, the copper snake teaches that one can, perhaps must, also produce.