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VAETCHANAN 5784
The Challenge of Shabbat Nachamu
Rabbi Andrew Shaw Chief Executive, Mizrachi UK
There was a collective sigh of relief around the religious Jewish world two days ago at halachic midday Hair was cut, beards were shorn, music was listened to – Tisha B Av was over.
In years gone by, all of this would be a sign to get back to normal. We had to suspend our normal lives for a few weeks, curtail our regular joy, but now with Tisha B Av over – we can resume normality….
However, maybe not this year
The threat from Iran still remains.
We are still bleeding from theevents of Oct 7th
And closer to home the rise inantisemitism across the western world shows no sign of abating.
So, maybe it is Shabbat Nachamu –but where is the comfort?
In the same way that Devarim is always Shabbat Chazon, Vaetchannan is always Shabbat Nachamu, the Shabbat of comfort. So, my suggestion is that we examine what in the
parsha can give us comfort, even in these dif cult times
Of course, the highlights of the Parsha are the rst paragraph of the Shema and the 10 commandments, but beyond that, on the whole, it is a statement on what it means to be a Jew whenever and wherever we nd ourselves.
Whether Israel is at peace or at war.
Whether anti semitism is on the rise or on the wain.
Whether the world loves us or hates us.
Yes, we know that the Jewish world feels like it is on shaky ground at the moment. What is needed, more than ever, is a clear statement of a vision, direction and connection to our lifeblood – the Torah, while recognising the reality of the many challenges facing us.
This is who we are The Torah does not have to be changed or diluted to deal with these new realities, on the contrary, we can use the powerful ideals of the Torah to inspire and uplift ourselves and the world in which we live.
For true Nechama and to understand our mission let us simply read the last six verses of the parsha.
6. For you are a holy people to the Lord, your God: The Lord your God has chosen you to be His treasured people, out of all the peoples upon the face of the earth.
We should never be embarrassed by our Judaism, our traditions, our beliefs We should be proud, this doesn’t mean we look down on anyone else, it just means we should realise our responsibilities and embrace them.
So let the haters hate, we know the beauty of what we possess – and we will treasure it, no matter what.
7.Not because you are more numerous than any people did the Lord delight in you and choose you, for you are the least of all the peoples.
And despite our tiny numbers look at what we have achieved. As Mark Twain famously stated: ‘If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of star dust in the blaze of the Milky Way Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard; but he is heard of. Has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of
proportion to the smallness of his bulk His contribution to the world's list of great names in literature, science, art, music, nance, medicine and abstruse learning are also way out of proportion to the weakness of his number. He has made a marvellous ght in the world, in all ages and has done it with his hands tied behind him.’
And that was before the incredible impact that the State of Israel is having. Israel today is a recognized world leader in many elds, including water and agricultural technology, high-tech, medical devices, cyber security and humanitarian aid!
So boycott Israel you fools, if you really want, but realise what that means in terms of not bene ting from a vast array of products and technologies.
8.But because of the Lord's love for you, and because He keeps the oath He swore to your forefathers, the Lord took you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
We are loved, deeply loved and we have been for thousands of years. When we tell that story at seder and say ‘B’chol dor vador’ that in every generation they rose up to destroy us. We knew then, we know now, that whether Babylonian, Greek, Roman all the way until today. ‘Hakodesh Barchu mazilenu miyadam’ Hashem saved us from their hands –that’s who we are, that’s the love Hashem has for our people. He even brought us back home.
Even in the challenging times today, we have not lost our belief, our Emunah in Hashem to take care of his Nation
9. Know, therefore, that the Lord, your God He is God, the faithful God, Who keeps the covenant and loving kindness with those who love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.
However, we must love Him as well and play our part. Connect, give tzedaka, perform acts of chesed, observe the mitzvot, live the life of a Torah Jew. Know what Judaism is –and what it isn’t. Be thankful for our return to Israel after 2000 years even with the current challenges
As Rabbi Sacks once said “Non-Jews respect Jews who respect Judaism, and they are embarrassed by Jews who are embarrassed by Judaism.” Respect = observance of Torah and love for Hashem.
10.And He repays those who hate Him, to their face, to cause them to perish; He will not delay the one who hates Him, but he will repay him to his face.
Our enemies have paid throughout history, as Sir Thomas Newton, Bishop of Bristol said in the 18th century.
“The preservation of the Jews is really one of the most single and illustrious acts of Divine Providence. what, but a supernatural power, could have preserved them in such a manner as no other nation has been preserved. No less remarkable, is the destruction of their enemies. Let it serve as a warning to all those who at any time or occasion, are raising a clamour or persecution against them ”
I remember seeing a T shirt once.
The topic was Civilizations, nations and empires that tried to destroy the Jewish people.
It then listed 12 such groups – Ancient Egypt, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans all the way up to Nazi Germany and Communist Russia
The columns next to the names said status – each one said GONE
The caption at the bottom read – The Jewish people, the smallest of Nations but with a Friend in the highest of places so – be NICE!
So, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iran and others – take note!
11.You shall therefore, observe the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances, which I command you this day to do.
It is not complex, it is not hard to understand why we are immortal - the Torah. It is that simple, we have lived for it, died for it – it is our life blood. It is our past, our present and our future.
We face internal challenges - we always have.
We face external challenges – we always have
All we must do is remember what being Jewish is, it does not change with the times, we are an eternal nation with an eternal code
This is our people, we have to believe in our mission and destiny.
Tisha B Av reminds us what happens when we forget our mission.
Shabbat Nachamu - Vaetchanan reminds us of that mission
That is our awesome challenge on Shabbat Nachamu. Even more so this year. If successful, it will bring true nechama to the Jewish people and the entire world
Let us not fail in the challenge.
Shabbat Shalom
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