The Sara Litton z”l Monthly Emunah Essay | Adar: Seeing Stars

Havdalah is recited at the conclusion of Shabbat when three stars appear in the sky. The well-known phrase “צאת הכוכבים,” when three medium sized stars are visible (Shabbat 35b) defines the beginning of the night. Counting stars is part of halakhic timekeeping for measuring the end of one day and the start of another and is relevant to many mitzvot.

The first record we have of counting stars is not in the Gemara or Shulchan Aruch. It’s part of the covenant in Bereishit 15:5 where God takes Avraham outside and tells him to look at the stars, “if you are able to count them- כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ – so shall your offspring be.”

The wording  here is strange. What is God telling Avraham?

While further on in the books of Bereishit (22:17, 26:4), Shemot (32:13) and Devarim (1:10, 10:22, 28:62) the verses clearly confer a blessing of descendants being as numerous as the stars, that is not necessarily what is being told to Avraham at brit bein habetarim.

 

Light in the Darkness- Hester Panim

Avraham descends into a great darkness (Bereishit 15:12,17) much as the People of Israel will have periods of darkness. And just as Avraham counts stars, only visible in the black of night, so too his descendants will do the same.

The ability to seek out stars, to find the light in the blackened sky, is not just a convenient halakhic tool. It is part of the secret power of Am Yisrael, inherited from our forefather Avraham. Even when God’s involvement is not immediately visible, even in times of hester panim (Devarim 31:18), light will emerge.

In Megillat Esther, God’s name is not mentioned. The very name Esther means hidden and comes from this concept of the hiddenness of divine involvement (see Talmud Chulin 139b –  אֶסְתֵּר מִן הַתּוֹרָה מִנַּיִן וְאָנֹכִי הַסְתֵּר אַסְתִּיר). The word megillah means scroll and also shares the root for the word to reveal. The act of revealing what is hidden is alluded to in the very words “ esther.”

So shall your offspring be-  כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ – able to discern light in the darkest of times.

 

Your Offspring Will Shine Like a Star

 Esther’s name is also thought to be derived from other nations calling her the Venus star based on the name Istaher (see Yalkut Shimoni Esther). In a dark time in Jewish history, when our enemieis wanted to eradicate us, Esther shone brightly as a star.

Esther had an opportunity to shine brightly and save the Jewish People. And she did. Individuals really can make a difference. Esther showed deep personal commitment to keeping her life as a practicing Jew. Chazal expound on Esther keeping kosher in the palace (Yalkut Shimoni), keeping Shabbat (Talmud Megillah 13a) and hilkhot niddah (Talmud Megillah 13b). Her clear moral compass in giving Mordechai the credit for sabotaging the plans of Bigtan and Teresh (Esther 2:22) and her self- sacrifice in going into Achashverosh unannounced (4:16) all played a role in the rising star of the heroine Queen Esther.

So shall your offspring be-  כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ – shining bright with a strong sense of justice and morality.

 

God’s View

God counts the number of the stars; to each He gave a name (Tehillim 147:4). As humans, we are limited and unable to count each and every star.  Yet God counts and treasures every single one. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (Covenant and Conversation, Parshat Naso) says:

The human person as such, man or woman rich or poor, powerful or powerless, is the image of God and therefore of non-negotiable, unquantifiable value… Only what we value do we name…God gives even the stars their names. All the more so does this apply to human beings, on whom He has set His image. When God calls, He calls our name, God – one and alone – meets us, one and alone, endowing us with a significance that cannot be quantified or measured by a census.”

So shall your offspring be-  כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ – each one unique and precious. 

 

Simply Heroes

While there are several verses in the Havdalah ceremony (one from Yishayahu and  five from Tehillim) there is one verse from Megillat Esther which stands out, as it is the singular pasuk which is said aloud by those listening- לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשֹׂן וִיקָר – The Jews enjoyed light and joy, happiness and honor (Esther 8:16). This great celebration was not the end of battle, rather it was the fact that throughout all of the provinces, the Jews had permission to gather in their cities to attack those who sought to harm them (Esther 9:2).

The Israel Defense Forces of today are a source of joy and honor. Our beloved soldiers protect us from the many who plot to hurt the Jewish People. Havdalah emphasizes God’s salvation (the word יְשׁוּעָה repeats 6 times in various forms) along with the human effort of protecting Am Yisrael. The IDF is the power of light against the dark. Each soldier is a shining star and a superhero.

So shall your offspring be-  כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ-   proudly protecting Am Yisrael

 

Next time we say Havdalah as three stars emerge in the sky, let it remind us of the covenant with Avraham and the triumph of Esther. As a nation we are able to discern light in the darkest of times and to shine brightly with our sense of justice and morality. And we are truly living among heroes, daily in Am Yisrael, another star is revealed, shining brightly in the darkness.