IT SAYS IN EICHAH (LAMENTATIONS) IN 1:16 " OVER THESE DO I WEEP " It says in Midrash Rabbah Eichah (Lamentations) 1:50 " Miriam was taken into captivity with her 7 sons. The emperor took and placed them in the innermost of seven rooms. He had the eldest brought and said to him, 'Bow down before the idol!' He answered, 'G- d forbid! I will not bow down before the idol.' The emperor asked him ' Why not?' The eldest son answered ' Because it is written in our Torah, I AM HASHEM, YOUR G-D' (SHEMOS 20:2). The emperor immediately had him taken out and killed. The emperor had the second son brought and said to him, 'Bow down before the idol!' He answered, ' G-d forbid! My brother did not bow and I will not.' The emperor asked him 'Why not?' He replied, ' Because it is written in out Torah, YOU SHALL NOT RECOGNIZE THE GODS OF OTHERS IN MY PRESENCE' (SHEMOS 20:3) The emperor immediately had him taken out and killed. The emperor had the 3rd son brought and said to him, 'Bow down before the idol!' He answered, 'I will not bow down.' The emperor asked, 'Why not?' He answered, ' Because it is written in the Torah, FOR YOU SHALL NOT PROSTRATE YOURSELVES TO AN ALIEN GOD' (SHEMOS 33:4) The emperor immediately had him taken out and killed. The emperor had the 4th son brought and he quoted, ' ONE WHO BRINGS OFFERINGS TO THE GODS SHALL BE DESTROYED - ONLY TO HASHEM ALONE!'(SHEMOS 22:19) He was taken out and killed. The emperor had the 5th son brought, and he quoted, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL: HASHEM IS OUR GOD, HASHEM IS THE ONE AND ONLY.' (DEVARIM 6:4) He was taken out and killed. The emperor had the 6th son brought, and he quoted, 'FOR HASHEM, YOUR GOD IS AMONG YOU, A GREAT AND AWESOME GOD.' (DEVARIM 7:21) He was taken out and killed. The emperor had the 7th son brought, who was the youngest of them all and the emperor said, 'My son, bow down before the idol!' He answered, ' God forbid!' and the emperor said, 'Why not?' The youngest son replied, 'Because it is written in the Torah, ' YOU SHALL KNOW THIS DAY AND TAKE TO HEART THAT HASHEM, HE IS THE GOD - IN HEAVEN ABOVE AND ON THE EARTH BELOW - THERE IS NONE OTHER.' (DEVARIM 4:39) A PERSON HAS TO KNOW THAT THERE IS A GOD IN THE WORLD! The midrash continues: The youngest son continues, not only that, but we have sworn to our God that we will not exchange Him for any other god; as it is written in the Torah, 'YOU HAVE DISTINGUISHED HASHEM TODAY TO BE A GOD FOR YOU' (DEVARIM 26:17) and as we swore to Him, so He swore to us not to exchange us for another people; as it is written, ' AND HASHEM HAS DISTINGUISHED YOU TODAY TO BE FOR HIM A TREASURED PEOPLE' (DEVARIM 26:18) The emperor said to him, ' Your brothers had their "fun-filled" years and had experienced happiness; but you are young, you have had no 'fun- filled" years and have not yet experienced happiness. Bow down before the image and I will give you whatever you want! He replied to the emperor, 'It is written in our Torah, HASHEM SHALL REIGN FOR ALL ETERNITY! (SHEMOS 15:18) and it is said, 'HASHEM IS KING FOREVER AND EVER; WHEN THE NATIONS HAVE PERISHED FROM HIS EARTH.'(PSALMS 10:16) 'You are of no account and so are His enemies! A human being, of flesh and blood, lives today and dies tomorrow, rich today and poor tomorrow; but the Holy One blessed be He, lives and endures for all eternity.' The emperor said to him, ' See, your brothers were killed before you. Behold, I will throw my ring to the ground in front of the idol; pick it up so that all may know that you have obeyed my command.' He answered, ' Woe unto you, O emperor! If you are afraid of human beings who are the same as yourself, shall I not fear the supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, the God of the universe!' The emperor asked him, ' Is there a god of the universe?' The youngest son replied, 'Shame on you, O emperor! Do you, then behold a world without a master!' The midrash continues: The emperor asked, ' If there is a Master of the Universe, then, why does he not deliver you out of my hand [and for that matter you could ask the same question about the 6 million,the first Temple destruction, the 2nd Temple destruction, the Crusades,the Blood Libels, etc.etc.] in the same manner that He rescued Hananiah, Michael and Azariah from the hands of Nebuchadnezzar?' He answered, 'Hananiah, Michael were worthy men and king Nebuchadnezzar was deserving that a miracle should be performed through him. You, however are undeserving!; and as for ourselves, we deserve death! If you don't kill us, God has numerous executioners. There are many bears, wolves, serpents, leopards and scorpions to attack and kill us; but in the end the Holy one, blessed be He, will avenge our blood on you.' The emperor immediately ordered him to be put to death. The child's mother said to him, ' O emperor, give me my son that I may embrace and kiss him.' They gave him to her and she bared her breasts and suckled him. She said to the king, 'O emperor, put me to death first and then slay him.' He answered her, ' I cannot agree to that because it is written in your Torah, 'BUT AN OX OR A SHEEP OR GOAT, YOU MAY NOT SLAUGHTER IT AND IT'S OFFSPRING ON THE SAME DAY.' (LEVITICUS 22:28) She retorted, " Idiot is what you are, you fool! What, all of a sudden you follow the Torah! The emperor immediately ordered the last son to be killed. The mother threw herself upon the child and embraced and kissed him. She said to him, 'My son, go to the patriarch Abraham and tell him, "Thus said my mother, ' You Abraham, our father, don't get a fat head, don't pat yourself on the back because you were willing to bring up Isaac as a sacrifice. Behold, my mother brought up 7 alters and offered up seven ones in one day. Yours was only a test mine was the real thing! While she was kissing him and hugging him, the emperor gave the order and the child was killed in her arms. They wanted to know how old this child was! The Sages calculated the age of the child and found that he was 2 years, 6 months and 6.5 hours old. YOU HEAR! THIS CHILD KNEW AT 2.5 YEARS OLD WHAT MOST JEWS DON'T KNOW! OVER THESE DO I WEEP The question is asked who was greater Avraham or the mother who lost 7 sons? The answer is Avraham was greater because the only reason why that lady could lose seven sons was because Avraham passed the test with Yitzchok. The Nefesh Hachaim says if a person today gets an urge to go to Eretz Yisrael it is because Avraham passed the test of leaving the home of his fathers. If a person can die sanctifying G-d's name, it is only because Avraham was willing to sacrifice Yitzchok. We believe in spiritual genetics. May it be the will of G-d that we merit the building of the Beis Hamikdash. Torah Blessings, Y. Bertram bertram@ohr.israel.net