Is it black or white ?

Ever wonder why the sun might bleach hair but darken skin ? The answer may very well be found in Malachi 3:19-21.

Malachi, last of the prophets, culminates his prophecy with these apocryphal words -

"3:19 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts,t hat it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
3:20 But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. "

The rishonim point out, however, that this is not a case of a great battle between the oven that burns the wicked and the sun that protects the righteous. Rather, they are one and the same ! The judgment you will receive at the end of days is your own just dessert, period. The sun, in this case, is just clarifying the consequences - that's why it can burn the wicked like an oven yet be pleasing to the righteous like a summer's day. May we merit to see the redeemer soon and may we feel the balmy rays of the sun and not it's vicious heat, amen.