Since Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made such a big point of it
in his election campaign more than 18 months ago, few
commentators can resist holding him to his promise to bring
security to the lives of people in Israel. Attacks continue,
and when innocents are murdered while doing nothing more than
going about their daily lives, the lack of security is
acutely felt. The question almost asks itself: when will we
have the security that Sharon promised?
This is an understandable and natural reaction. Yet raising
this issue brings up ideas that are important, and especially
at this time of year as we approach Rosh Hashana.
What can we reasonably expect in terms of security?
In terms of the military situation, there is now widespread
pressure on the Palestinian terrorists and it is clear that
the efforts of the Israeli forces -- the army, the police and
the security forces like the Shabak -- are accomplishing
quite a bit in stopping Palestinian terror. Terrorist
commanders are arrested or killed almost daily, homicide
bombers are stopped and infiltrators are shot. All the levels
are working hard and with mesirus nefesh and, with
evident siyata deShmaya, their efforts are having a
great effect.
The murderous criminals announce their intentions all the
time, proclaiming their desire for revenge or whatever. In
fact, for almost two years they have tried to murder and maim
as much as they could, using whatever opportunities they had.
Nothing that has happened in that period has slowed their
efforts nor had any effect on their motivation. If every day
is not a day of tragedy, it is not because they do not try to
continue their cruel crime spree.
In such an environment, there is no such thing as security in
the sense of complete calm and freedom from worry. The damage
can be kept low and generally under control, but it cannot be
completely eliminated.
In truth anyone, and especially any Jew, anywhere in the
world, can no longer feel that he is free of any terrorist
threat. The British have had their Irish threat for many
years and there were the Basque terrorists in Spain, but now
the whole world must worry about the massive criminal
intentions of Al Qaeda. They have struck in New York City,
Washington, D.C., and Africa, and several of their plots have
been foiled in Europe. The whole world now pays for and lives
through tight security measures that have become a part of
normal living.
An idyllic life free of care is only the lot of babies. No
realistic person can expect to enjoy such a life, and
certainly no man as pragmatic as Ariel Sharon would expect to
provide it for the residents of Israel. Unfortunately, no one
else -- least of all the secular-messianic Left -- can offer
any better alternative. True security is achievable for the
Jewish people only within the context of the Divinely-sent
Redeemer where it will be a by-product of a spiritual
revolution.
As we prepare for the upcoming days of din, a sense of
physical insecurity is a valuable incentive to take our duty
to do teshuvoh very seriously. The more we internalize
the truth that our success is not in our own hands but is the
result of our relationship with Hashem, the better we will
prepare for the day of Rosh Hashanah when judgment is passed
on what will be in the upcoming year.
