Post by Dovid Gernetz

In the Haftarah of Parashas Beha’alosecha, we read of the Prophet Zechariah’s vision of a Menorah flanked by two olive branches. This image later found its way into modern Jewish history. In 1948, the Shamir brothers designed the emblem of the newly established State of Israel, which was officially adopted on February 10, 1949. The emblem features a Menorah surrounded by olive branches, although the choice of the olive branches was not directly inspired by Zechariah’s vision. The decision to use the Menorah as depicted on the Arch of Titus was, however, criticized by Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Isaac Herzog. In Psakim u’Ketavim (Vol. 4, Siman 47), Rabbi Herzog argued that the large pedestal appearing beneath the Menorah in the Roman relief is inconsistent with Jewish tradition. He suggested that the original base of the Menorah may have broken off during its transport from Jerusalem to Rome and was subsequently replaced or reconstructed by Roman artists, resulting in the depiction preserved on the Arch of Titus. (This discussion is, of course, separate from the well-known debate concerning whether the branches of the Menorah were straight or curved.) Whether the relief accurately depicts the original Menorah remains the subject of considerable debate. Nonetheless, this image ultimately prevailed and became the emblem of the State of Israel. In a certain sense, this serves as a powerful message to our enemies: At a ceremony in 1997 at the Arch of Titus, Mayor Francesco Rutelli eloquently captured its symbolism: “Many see this arch as a testament to the suffering of a defeated people. But look closer. I see no defeated nation. This is a monument to one of the greatest modern nations on Earth. The conquering Romans are now a footnote in history, yet the Jewish people continue to thrive, both in and outside the State of Israel. That is what this arch truly represents.” In Nefesh HaRav (p. 77), Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik cites an interpretation in the name of Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik regarding the seemingly strange dialogue between Zechariah and the angel. Rabbi Chaim explained that the two olive branches in Zechariah’s vision represent the two institutions that require anointing: Kehunah (priesthood) and Malchus (kingship). Zechariah struggled to understand the vision because, during the Second Temple period, neither institution existed in its ideal form. To this, the angel replied that the vision was not referring to the Second Temple, but rather to the Third Temple. As Israel once again faces attacks from Iran, we pray for the safety and security of our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. May we merit to witness the coming of Mashiach, the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash, and the fulfillment of Zecharia's other words: "And the squares of the city shall be crowded with boys and girls playing in the squares."