Yes, that is how many American Jews rationalize their staying in America. It's not the "easy life;" it's the American power and feeling of security that keeps them there. They want to be on the "winning team." People I spoke to who heard him told me how refreshing it was that somebody finally "told the truth."
A few years ago, I took a course in Coaching. Not sports coaching, Life Coaching. One of the skills we were told to do develop was to listen to more than the actual words a person is saying. I've tried to apply this and find it very useful and revealing.
In this case I hear that these people consider the main power in this world to be the United States. They want to be where the power is to influence. Actually, so do I. We just don't agree as to where and what the true power is. I think, I believe that the only true power is G-d. That is The Crucial Difference.
Many North-American Jews may be much stricter about their kashrut than I. They may dress more modestly, give more Tzedaka (charity), learn more Torah, pray more intensely, but I'm the one who worships G-d "with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your resources" (Deut. 6:5)! I live in Shiloh, the Biblical Capital of the Land of Israel. I teach in Beit El, where Yaakov had his prophetic dream of a ladder reaching to Heaven. My taxes are paid to the State of Israel, and my husband and sons have served in the Israeli Army.
The United States has existed less time, only 230 years, than Shiloh was the Jewish Biblical Capital, 369 years. Considering the thousands of years of Jewish History, the US is an upstart newcomer.
My commitment is to G-d, Judaism, the Jewish Land and the Jewish People! Remember what G-d said to Abram:
Bereishit, Chapter 12Anyone who claims to be a Torah Jews must follow this. It is so simple, so clear.
1. And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you. 2. And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will aggrandize your name, and [you shall] be a blessing. 3. And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you." 4. And Abram went, as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him, and Abram was seventy five years old when he left Haran.
We will be a great nation when all of the Jews return, and in return I refer to the "tshuva," repentance which will be in effect when all Jews return to Israel.
The only pressure that will ever have an influence over the American Government is when Israel tells it that we don't care what they think and say.
We will do what's right for us, the Jewish People, the Jewish Land, the Jewish State. That is how one puts effective pressure on the world. It's only when we really don't care what they think and what they say.
Yisrael, Yisrael, B'tach B'Hashem!!
People of Israel, Trust in G-d!
11 comments:
Wow! Excellent post, and I agree with you 100%.
am yisrael hai!
Batya
It isn't that simple my life and family are here. My life and identity are American although I am proud of my Jewish heritage.
rafi and don, thanks
It simply starts with a decision. Yes, for some it's complicated. We're lucky we came so young.
You must wear blinders to help focus your vision.
That was a good point. The spiritual and religious significance of residing in Israel is often forgotten nowadays. Most Jews I know have immigrated to Israel either out of economic or security (antisemitism) considerations. Religion and the eternal don't even enter the picture.
Israel isn't "just another country." Once you connect with the spiritual end, things fall into place.
Remember the sword in "Star Wars."
Aliya is the ideal. If that sounds too Zionistic for the Chareidim or frum Yiden from Brooklyn, who object to the secular State then call it living in Eretz Yisroel, Eretz HaKodesh. If actual moving is not the right time for you right now, then at the very least support publicly our right to be in all parts of Eretz Yisroel, all of YESHA (Yehuda, Shomron and AZA) and speak out strongly against the Roadmap, Convergence Plan and any other agreement that is in direct opposition to the Torah. If any of you readers want to be active in these objectives and doing what we can to support settlements and settlers in YESHA please email me at faigerayzel@aol.com. WE NEED YOU!
well said
Just don't call it Zionism. It's a mitzvah to live in our Holy Land!
You make it sound like kashrut, tzniut, tzedaka and Torah are less important than Eretz Ysrael. Avraham was told that his descendents would spend a long time out of Eretz Yisrael and he said nothing, on the other hand he offered the longest prayer in TaNaCh for Sedom. Why? Maybe it is not so bad to live elsewhere if that is what HaShem wants?
Jews in America pay taxes to the US and the US sends it to the arabs. Jews in Eretz Yisrael pay taxes to the State of Israel and it too gives it to the arabs. What's the difference? Your family serves in the IDF and the IDF kicks people like you out of their homes.
We are where we are by divine providence so we can fulfill our mission. I don't think it is right to imply that Jews who don't live in Eretz Yisrael don't worship G-d "with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your resources"
I said that there is no compensation/way of making up for ignoring the mitzvah of yishuv ha'aretz. If all the really good caring Torah-loyal Jews in galut would be in the Land of Israel, we would have a better government here.
I think that if all the really good caring Torah-loyal Jews in galut would move to the Land of Israel there is a good chance that things would get worse. Look at it as a seed (the seed of Mashiach) that was planted. Before the seed can sprout, it has to decay and shed the rotten skin. I agree with you that there is no excuse to ignore a mitzva and I think even to neglect improving mitzvot that we already do is bad because there is no such thing as stopping, if we are not going forwards then we are going backwards. I just move here and I live in a Yishuv not to distand from Shilo and Bet El. HaShem granted me the privilege to be here (almost forced me to come) but it is not for everybody. Some Jews (good Torah Jews) have a tikun that requires them to remain in galut. Be patient, HaShem is bringing us back faster than ever before. Soon we will all be here.
PS: I'm using the term galut loosely. Even in the Land of Israel we are still exiled from the presence of the Shechina until our Holy Temple is rebuild.
Post a Comment