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LECH LECHA 5785
Almost Four Millenia
Rabbi Andrew Shaw Chief Executive, Mizrachi UK
If you have been asleep for the last few days, you may not know that Donald Trump is going to be the 47th President of the USA. For some this was wonderful news, for others not so much.
However, I am not here to discuss politics, simply to say that in Israel this news was widely celebrated. It was felt that Trump, as he had done in his rst term, was a huge friend of Israel and would help Israel in its current war on terror.
A war which is still ongoing, and we are still losing the lives of our precious soldiers. There has been and still is so much pain and sadness in Israel and for our people.
In this week’s Parsha, we read that, when Hashem told Avraham what would happen to his descendants, “aimah chashecha gdola nofelet alav” –“ a fear of great darkness fell over him”
Rabbi Sacks, back in 2015, told the story of how a group of Holocaust survivors, by now gaunt and frail, made their way back to Auschwitz. How that ‘fear of great darkness’ haunted the survivors, who had witnessed the return of anti-Semitism to Europe after 70 years of political leaders’ constant avowals of “Never again.”
He writes ‘As they nished saying Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for mourners, one man cried out, “I don’t want to come here again.” Everyone knew what he meant. For once, the fear was not only about the past but also about the future.’
I am sure those survivors had no idea that the culmination of the hate would lead to not a murderous slaughter in Europe but in Israel. Though after yesterday’s horri c attack in Amsterdam, we know the hatred is global.
However, we must never be drawn into any similarity between the Shoah and what happened last October. As I have said many times since, October 7th has happened MANY times in our history Yet, this is the rst time in 2000 years that we were able to ght back and destroy our enemies. The reason - we now have the third commonwealth. The Jewish people are sovereign in their land and can and will defend themselves.
This week’s parsha begins that remarkable relationship between the Jewish people and the land of Israel
Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
The existence of Israel has been a game changer for our people, yes there have been times of darkness, but also glorious times of light– that have given pride and joy to our people.
I read a remarkable idea this week which I think brings all these ideas together
Rav Schwartz was a European Rav who lost his entire rst family in the Shoah. He moved to America, remarried and had two sons from the new marriage.
In 1964 he made Aliyah with his family and tragically his eldest son was killed in the Sixday war. Seven years later, during the Yom Kippur War, his only remaining son was killed in action.
Rabbi Riskin came in 1973 to pay a shiva call to Rabbi Schwartz and on his way out recited the traditional words we say to a mourner ‘HaMakon yenachem etchem betoch she’ar Tzion ve’Yerushalayim’‘May the Almighty comfort you amongst the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem’'
After reciting the words, Rav Schwartz looked up and said the following to Rabbi Riskin;
‘Why is the subject of the prayer you express to a mourner ‘HaMakom’ which means ‘the place’? Yes, in this context it’s a synonym for God, because the whole world is God’s place. But would it not have made more sense for consolers to say ‘Hashem yenachem etchem’ May the God of compassion comfort you - why use ‘HaMakom’?’
‘I will tell you why, I understand it now for the rst time. When my family was destroyed in the Shoah, there was no comforting me, it was so senseless, so absurd. But now that I have lost my only remaining sons and have no chance for other children, I am sad, sad beyond even the ability to speak, but I am comforted nevertheless. At least this time my sons died so that the Jewish people could live. They died in defence of Israel. They died in defence of Yerushalayim. They died in defence of the Jewish future. HaMakom, the place, Yerushalayim, Israel, Medinat Yisrael Hamakom Menachem oti – the place comforts me among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.’
Israel is our homeland.
That relationship began 3836 years ago with those immortal words by Hashem to Avraham
We have returned to that land, a land that has a Jewish government a Jewish police force, a Jewish air force and a Jewish army.
So, whether America under Trump is more supportive of the Jewish state, which we very much hope for, or if it is not, we will survive and thrive.
So, I will leave you with the words that Menachem Begin said many years ago to the man Trump will succeed – the 46th President, Joe Biden.
"Don’t threaten us with cutting off your aid. It will not work. I am not a Jew with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history. Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens. Nobody came to our aid when we were striving to create our country. We paid for it. We fought for it. We died for it. We will stand by our principles. We will defend them. And, when necessary, we will die for them again, with or without your aid."
That is the Jewish people.
That is Israel
Shabbat Shalom
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