Hamas War

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Who's Having The Last Laugh? Matriarch Sarah and The Modern State of Israel

It's the Torah Portion of the Week Vayeira, Genesis 18-22.  It includes the shocking and seemingly biologically impossible birth of Yitzchak, Issac to the very elderly and barren Sarah and her husband Avraham, Abraham.  They both laughed when they heard predictions that a child would be born to them.  It seemed so improbable, even though G-d had promised them previously.
Genesis Chapter 17 בְּרֵאשִׁית
א וַיְהִי אַבְרָם, בֶּן-תִּשְׁעִים שָׁנָה וְתֵשַׁע שָׁנִים; וַיֵּרָא יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם, וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי-אֵל שַׁדַּי--הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי, וֶהְיֵה תָמִים. 1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him: 'I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be thou wholehearted.
ב וְאֶתְּנָה בְרִיתִי, בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ; וְאַרְבֶּה אוֹתְךָ, בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.'
ג וַיִּפֹּל אַבְרָם, עַל-פָּנָיו; וַיְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ אֱלֹהִים, לֵאמֹר. 3 And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him, saying:
ד אֲנִי, הִנֵּה בְרִיתִי אִתָּךְ; וְהָיִיתָ, לְאַב הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם. 4 'As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations.
ה וְלֹא-יִקָּרֵא עוֹד אֶת-שִׁמְךָ, אַבְרָם; וְהָיָה שִׁמְךָ אַבְרָהָם, כִּי אַב-הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם נְתַתִּיךָ. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.
ו וְהִפְרֵתִי אֹתְךָ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד, וּנְתַתִּיךָ לְגוֹיִם; וּמְלָכִים, מִמְּךָ יֵצֵאוּ. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
ז וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת-בְּרִיתִי בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ, וּבֵין זַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ לְדֹרֹתָם--לִבְרִית עוֹלָם: לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לֵאלֹהִים, וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.
ח וְנָתַתִּי לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ אֵת אֶרֶץ מְגֻרֶיךָ, אֵת כָּל-אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, לַאֲחֻזַּת, עוֹלָם; וְהָיִיתִי לָהֶם, לֵאלֹהִים. 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.'
ט וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-אַבְרָהָם, וְאַתָּה אֶת-בְּרִיתִי תִשְׁמֹר--אַתָּה וְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ, לְדֹרֹתָם. 9 And God said unto Abraham: 'And as for thee, thou shalt keep My covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations.
Not only just when the Modern Zionist Movement began, but even as the State of Israel was being established most people thought it an impossible dream.  Although the Jewish People is an ancient one, it hadn't ruled its Land for thousands of years.  We were exiled and scattered all over the world.  Predictions, by the experts, were that the state couldn't survive between the military-Arab terrorists and demographics.

Well, G-d's in charge.  The gynecologists of Sarah and Abraham's day were as mistaken as the world leaders and thinkers of modern time.

The Jewish People and Jewish State are thriving in the Jewish HolyLand.  We're all having the last laugh.

2 comments:

Keliata said...

It's called the Holy Land for good reason:) G-d is there, it's a place of miracles.

Batya said...

Keli, G-d promised both things, that Abraham and Sarah would have children and that they'd be a great nation.