T This month we as Jews the world over commemorate this Jewish New Year and the Fall Feasts. This year is a 13 month Jewish Leap Year, with the insertion of the intercalary lunar month of Adar A before the regular Adar (B), in late winter early spring. This assures that Spring Feasts stay in the Spring and the Fall Feasts in the fall while we continue to follow a lunar calendar. This year will last for 385 days, and our prayer is that this year will be sweeter and more fruitful than last year. Here in the Land flowing with Milk and Honey we will be dipping our apples in honey and wishing Jews the world over a Shanah Tovah u Metukaka—A Good and Sweet New Year.
Recently I spent time outside of Israel and enjoyed seeing the beauty of the nature in other lands. It was an exhilarating experience. Seeing the natural beauty of these nations, and at times the ease of life, can challenge a Jew in his love, loyalty and lasting appreciation for the Aretz—The Land, which Hashem granted to Israel custodianship of. Looking over the borders of our small land, the grass often seems greener elsewhere. One can think back to the times of our father Avraham when he parted ways with Lot. Lot seeing the green lush valley hurriedly chose that part of the land. In the natural Avraham, would be seen as a loser, having been left with the seemingly weaker of the lands. And yet we read of the extent that he and his descendents are promised blessing and rich provision. A land which according to Deuteronomy 11:12 Hashem Doresh Ota— Hashem watches over it from the beginning of the year until the end of the year.
Artzeinu—Our Land—Israel—How often do you think of Israel as a place on a map or as a modern nation? How often do you think of Jerusalem the capitol of King David and of the Modern State of Israel? For those of us living in this part of the world we can be overcome by the reality of the intensity of life here. The life in the Land is intense but the scrutiny of the International community can be even more intense. Is this focus of the nations justified? I think the answer is yes and no. No, the issues that Israel is scrutinized for are not the right issues, or the focus is disproportionately on Israel with a negative eye. And yet, yes the focus on this Land and City are justified in the sense that we are the navel of the earth. Being at the meeting point of three continents, and the crossroads of multiple cultures, Israel is a nexus for many things happening in our world today. This intensity though, is not a totally new occurrence.
Israel is mentioned over 2,500 times in the Bible and Jerusalem is mentioned over eight hundred times. The Bible speaks not only about theology and faith, but in a large way about this relationship between man and his maker happening in a certain place, this small sliver known as Israel and in this small landlocked capital known as Jerusalem.
The spring is full of joyful Jewish festivals that enrich us and inspire our people of the awesome sovereignty of the Almighty who chose the Jewish people to be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. From the physical redemption, coming out of Egypt during Pesach, through the fifty-day count of the Omer until Shavuot (Pentecost means fiftieth), our people are molded and formed into a nation. At Mount Sinai during Shavuot, the people take upon themselves to do and to hear the commandments of Hashem. This in itself seems to be the crowning event of the people, having been sovereignly chosen and put aside, the people are now committing to filling this destiny.
The Torah shows that soon after this event, the people went through a struggle in the absence of their physical leader Moses. This led them to search for a replacement leader to support and guide the people through the desert. We read of the sin of the golden calf, which would have brought about the destruction of the people, if it had not been for the intercession of Moses and the mercy of the Almighty. This move from the fruitful spring into the heat of the summer shows how the relationship of the people with Hashem becomes more difficult.
In the month of Nissan we celebrated Pesach, the beginning of the redemption and freeing from Egypt. In the weeks following, the people of Israel miraculously made their way through the Red Sea all the way to Mt. Sinai, making their way towards the full redemption.
In the month of Iyar (usually partially falling in May), we celebrate Independence Day at the beginning of the month and Jerusalem Day at the end of the month. Independence Day speaks of the day that Israel became an independent Jewish State, and Jerusalem Day is the day that the city was reunited during the Six Day War. These historical events represent a fundamental change for Jews around the world, but especially for Jews living in Jerusalem. Independence Day provided for the first time in many centuries that Jews from everywhere could make Aliyah and, according to some of the rabbis, fulfill the greatest mitzvah—the Yishuv HaAretz—the inhabiting and settling of the Land of Israel by the descendents of Jacob. Jews were given a homeland, a place they could come to in joy or crisis, in need or in abundance.
Living here in Jerusalem during the 60th anniversary of the world’s recognition of the Jewish homeland, we are able to appreciate how important this land is for Jews who live here and at the ends of the earth. Every week we encounter Jewish people from around the world who have made a trip here. They come to draw near to the heart of our people. They have come to pray near to where the Beit HaMikdash (the Holy Temple) stood. For many of them this is their first trip, but it will not be the last as the calling of Hashem is so strong in the streets of Jerusalem. Seeing our people gather here in such a way profoundly impacts those of us who live here. Our faith in Hashem grows stronger as we see the zeal and appreciation of our people who have saved up to come to the Land of Avoteinu (our fathers).
Looking at the Kiddush Hashem (personal sacrifice leading to death for the cause) that was displayed by Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg Zt”l in Mumbai this fall, one cannot but be impressed by their love for fellow Jews wherever they were in their faith journey. They opened their Chabad House in a difficult part of the world, far from the comforts of a wider observant community. He was the Rabbi, Shochet, Mohel, packed all in one. Rivkah the Rebbitzin was the Mikveh attendant, mother, cook, caregiver all in one. Here in Israel, many backpackers gave testimony of the great lengths that this couple had gone to get them out of trouble. They helped strangers whose belongings had been stolen, visited Jews in prison as a result of drug charges, and on and on. Their home was open both to the rich and poor, young and old. This needs to be our heart for in reach within our people Israel.
Living here in Jerusalem more than 60 years after the establishment of the State of Israel, after millions of Jews have returned from the four corners of the earth to live in our homeland, we are surprised again and again as to the extent that the other nations of the world also have various plans of their own for our city. For many nations, Jerusalem is seen as the key to regional and global peace.
In many ways Jerusalem is no different from other capitol cities in that we have a steady stream of dignitaries visiting the city. But unlike most capitols, there are no embassies in Jerusalem! The diplomats come to Jerusalem for meetings with government officials but then retreat to Tel Aviv to their embassy. This is not just because they would rather live by the sea. No, Jerusalem is not recognized as the undivided capitol of Israel by these nations. Some of the nations and world organizations have gone as far as proclaiming that Jerusalem should become an international city under the auspices of the United Nations, who surely would care for it best.
A number of months ago I was in Los Angeles over a weekend at the end of October. I knew in the back of my mind that Halloween is celebrated widely at the end of October, but had not thought about it as I made my way to the U.S. for MJTI meetings. I was in for a very real surprise to see all the jack-o’-lanterns on the lawns and ghosts and cobwebs. This really got crazy on the night itself when out of the woodwork came a multitude of adults dressed up as devils, ghosts, and Playboy bunnies. To say the least it was a bit of a culture shock for me, as the last time I experienced Halloween was as a kid some 25 years ago. As I watched these adults walking around in crazy costumes, I thought of the story of Purim and the festival that we celebrate here in Israel every year during the month of Adar.
Jews all around the world celebrate Purim, with costume parties for the children and the delivery of gift baskets to friends, but I think there is nothing like the richness of this experience here in Artzeinu. During the month of Adar, the last month of the sacrificial calendar, we are almost ready to clean our homes for Pesach and remember that festival of redemption, but before we can do that we have the opportunity to celebrate another great festival of redemption—the miraculous saving of the Jewish people from the descendant of the Agag king of the Amalakites, Haman. He came seemingly close to bringing about the extinction of the Jewish people, but Hashem intervened through the agency of Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, who were in just the right place at the right time.
Israel —the Dream of Jews for thousands of years. More than 40% of all Jews in the world now live in Israel where we are not a respected or persecuted minority but instead a solid majority. This is a place with great variety but also a common thread. This is the story of return—Teshuvah. In this story of return some express themselves in religious terminology and others in more humanistic terms, and yet the common thread of return . . . . You could say the scarlet thread that draws us is the hope for a better future for Jews than we experienced in the years of our dispersion in exile. There is a growing understanding among all parts of society that this future, like our past, is dependent on our relationship with Hashem. A key sign of our relationship with Hashem is found in our relationship with our fellow Jews.
The weeks after Pesach are a roller coaster of emotions for Jews everywhere and especially in the Land of Israel. Pesach and the accompanying preparations begin before Purim often almost two months before the holiday. There is much anticipation for this Festival of Redemption and all that it entails for Jews as we remember the past and look towards the present and future. Inevitably it is easy to come out of this Festival with a feeling of let down. All the preparation, followed by the Seder Meal and the week of eating only unleavened bread, and now what do we do? How does one go about returning to normal life.
In Israel following Passover, we do not simply return to normal life, but the week following Pesach on the 27th of the month of Nissan, we commemorate Yom Ha Shoah Ve Ha Gevura—Holocaust Martyr’s and Hero’s Remembrance Day. This day of remembrance that comes less than a week after we conclude the feast of unleavened bread, reminds us of the struggles that the Jewish people have had to endure for centuries to be a free people. The day was chosen as it marks the beginning period of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which would not have happened if it were not for many Hero’s who would not agree to a passive death but sought to lift up ideals of hope, perseverance, and justice in the face of destruction. Like the crossing of the Red Sea, that required an increase in faith for this step of valor despite the threats that were bearing down on the people.
This summer we have experienced the great blessing of seeing no less then fifteen flights organized by the Jewish organization Nefesh B’Neshesh full of Jews returning home for good. These Jews are not escaping the cold winters and economy of the former Soviet Union or the warm deserts of Ethiopia. While Aliyah continues from those areas as well, this Aliyah is from the prosperous North America and Western Europe. Jews are coming from countries with a higher GNP (Gross National Product) than Israel has at present, and choosing instead a higher level JNP (Jewish Nation Production). They are taking vital action for the future of the nation of Israel and for the future of the Jewish people as a whole.
Psalm 48:3, in the Hebrew, calls Zion and Jerusalem the “Joy of the Whole Earth”, and yet while more and more Jews do recognize the importance of the Land of Israel and the city of peace, Jerusalem, few Jews around the world have taken active steps to turn this city into its yet to be fulfilled promise of being the joy of the whole earth. Each of us is sanctioned to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, each of us is warned that we must remember Jerusalem lest we lose our own strength and direction. This requires us to take action for Jerusalem and Israel, first of all in our own hearts. Do we look towards Jerusalem and Israel as a creator of joy in our own lives? How much are we willing to sacrifice for the continued existence of the Jewish homeland, a place that will provide a future and a hope in these days of Jewish global assimilation.