It is no exaggeration to state that life in Israel today
seems utterly fragile and undetermined.
Israel is no ordinary land, let's face it; all the eyes of
the world are on it, and what's more, as the Torah tells us
so eloquently, the A-mighty Himself guards it specially. This
means, of course, that Israel's security rests solely in the
hands of the A-mighty.
Israel has been allotted to the Jewish people as part of the
Divine Road Map. Let's be blunt about it. This is our land
with no apologies. What the world seemingly overlooks is the
strength of this Divine connection; the Almighty promised us
that this connection is eternal. In other words, the Divine
Road Map will ultimately prevail; our question should be what
the Almighty seeks from us, as individuals and as a nation,
to bring its reality into the world.
As we struggle with ourselves, internally and externally, in
the face of soaring poverty to the point where one in four
children in Israel does not have enough food to eat, and the
widening divisions among our society, all of us, as reasoning
individuals, should be asking just what is going on in our
country and with our nation. It is obvious that Israel, and
the Jewish people generally, are struggling through a somber
period; we are groping to find ourselves, our identity, and
our borders, both spiritually and physically. It is in this
confusing time that we sense that dramatic changes are
coming; it is a critical moment when we, as Jews, must
reassess our true identity: do we step up to our destiny in
the Divine Road Map as the Light of the Nations, or do we
cast it aside and join the crowd in attempting to break us
apart, piece by piece?
It is a difficult crossroads for a noble and brave people who
have suffered so excessively. It is no wonder that somewhere
along the way we have, at some level, forgotten our sense of
purpose. It really does seem as if the sky is falling.
But before we get too disheartened, we should remember that
this world is not as it appears. If we take a step back, with
a little bit of belief we might be able to catch a glimpse of
the Divine hand which has crafted the chaos of our times.
Hashem is the ultimate Craftsman and He certainly wants us to
reflect how we, as a people, have reached such a desperate
point.
Although we have reached quite a low point, when
circumstances appear to be at their worst in the course of
Jewish history, they often and suddenly turn for the best.
Redemption can come "in the blink of an eye." The question is
whether we, as a nation, will have to endure someone else's
attempt to define or destroy the Jewish nation and its land,
and more importantly, what we as a people can do to help
prevent such catastrophes.
The protection from such catastrophes for the Jewish nation
lies in teshuvoh, or return to the path of Torah.
There are no words to estimate the importance of teshuva,
especially at our point in history when many great
present- day rabbis have stated that the Redemption of the
Jewish people and the arrival of our Moshiach, is literally
"on the doorstep."
Hashem promises of the Redemption, "In its time I will hasten
it." This has been interpreted to mean that if the Jewish
people merit the arrival of Moshiach through good deeds,
Torah, and keeping the mitzvos, then our Redemption will be
glorious and Hashem will "hasten it." The other alternative
is the arrival of Moshiach "in its time" which our prophets
have described in frightening detail with the foreboding of
immense suffering by our nation and the world generally.
Divine edicts regarding the Jewish people are based on our
collective actions as a nation, and our individual behavior
as well. In a sense, G-d has provided contingency plans and
depending upon the behavior of the Jewish nation at any
moment, any of these prophecies could crystallize.
This, of course, means that each one of us can have a
tremendous impact on world betterment generally, and the
manner in which we, and all of humanity, are redeemed.
Teshuva does not have to be dramatic. It can be
accomplished at any level of spirituality on the spectrum,
wherever a person finds himself. A person only has to take a
tiny step: perhaps thank Hashem in the morning for another
day, make a blessing on a piece of fruit before eating it, a
kind word or gesture to someone in need, refraining from
gossip, or a bit more Torah knowledge — anything that
brings a person closer to Torah is teshuvoh.
Each step counts so much, and this movement toward or away
from Torah impacts not only the individual, but also the
world at large, and the Divine scales of justice one way or
another.
Humanity is at a turning point. It is no accident that
Israeli society is split in so many ways. It is no accident
that just more than half the world's Jews live in Israel.
It seems, in light of these numbers, that the wars which are
currently raging, the real and present threat of nuclear
power landing in wild hands, and the current state of Israeli
and world affairs, that the world is tottering, and its fate
could tip one way or the other. Who knows which final action
of which individual, which prayer, or which cry will be the
ultimate catalyst for the climax?
Make no mistake — the Divine Road Map will prevail. The
question each of us must ask ourselves every day is what we,
as individuals, have accomplished in that day, to hasten the
finalization of the Divine Road Map for true peace in favor
of a sweet and final Redemption and how we, in our own way,
have improved ourselves and the world. Whose road map is it
anyway? It is clearly the Almighty's with a great amount of
input from His Children of Israel.
In memory of my mother, Chana Leah bat Rivka, on her sixth
yahrtzeit 22 Shvat.
