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Moses,
at the end of his life, asked God why he had to die.
“Because I have already named Joshua in your place to lead the
Israelites,” God responded.
“Let him lead,” argued Moses, “I will be his servant.”
God concurred, but Joshua was not pleased with the situation.
Moses then asked him, “Don’t you want me to stay alive?”
Joshua agreed and became leader and master even to him, to Moses.
When they went to enter the Holy Tabernacle [where the Ark was kept],
a cloud arose. Joshua was allowed into the holy place, while Moses
had to remain outside.
Said Moses, “A hundred deaths are preferable to the pain of envy.”
On that day he asked to die. |
 Dear
JHOM readers,
The emotion of envy is so destructive, we learn from the Bible, that it leads
to expulsion and even murder. So pernicious is envy, we learn from our tradition,
that it rots the bones and leads to misery comparable with the torment of hell.
And so pervasive is that envy, that not only is it rampant among human beings,
but the angels, too, experience envy. Even God has been known for His jealousy.
Among the articles in Edition 14 of the Jewish Heritage Online Magazine:
A
legend about the creation of man and the angels who objected
A modern poem about Sarah and Hagar
Classical paintings of bitter biblical moments
The "wayward wife" and the jealous husband
(Numbers 5)
Rabban Gamliel and a pagan philosopher talk it over
A theological discussion regarding emulating God's
ways
Words of wisdom by a great medieval Jewish luminary
Two medieval “fox fables” about envy
A modern love poem by Natan Alterman
Hebrew analysis of the rootword K-N-A
During this month of Shevat we celebrate Tu bi-Shevat, the New Year of the Trees.
We add to the many articles already in the Shevat
Calendar Archive, Neither Daylight Nor Darkness, a beautiful poem
by H.N. Bialik about the old
acacia tree. We include also a sound file, with a musical rendition of the
poem sung (1984) by the Efroni Girls' Choir in Israel.
Kri'ah me'hanah. 
Pleasant reading.
The Editor.
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