ONE NATION

           Here I was on 47th. Street and 2nd Ave. with thousands of people from all corners of New York coming together with one agenda; to tell the world and the people of Israel “We are One Nation Indivisible and we rejoice in your victories and we anguish with your pains.” 

          We will raise our voices “We are one and we will try in what ever way possible, to help our brothers and sisters in our Holy Land, in their hour of need.  We realize that by helping them, we are, in truth, helping ourselves.

          Look around the world.  Without becoming excessively alarming, I am sorry to say, we might be witnessing another Vachnacht.  Look at what is taking place in France, England,Germany and right here in our United States of America in Florida.  Jews are being spat on. Jews are being called pejorative names. Swastikas are being painted on Synagogues.

         "Don't worry Rabbi, it can't happen here.” I hope not. But truth be told, there is unrest that is being exhibited against the Jewish People and that frightens me more and more. We all need to realize that more than Israel needs us we need Israel. We need it to be secure and free from the murderous onslaughts of Hamas and its neighbors.

            I remember reading a poignant story told by Goldie Meir about her home town in Kiev,Russia. She relates of the precarious conditions under which the Jews lived. She recalled that whenever there was a rumor of a possible progrom, her father would take boards and nail them across the doors and the windows, just as we do for hurricanes. Then, when the rumor subsided and the hooligans did not show up, the boards were removed.

            Then there would be another rumor and again he boarded up the windows and doors and again it subsided and again the boards were removed.

            And Golda commented, "NEBECH, my father thought that boarding up was the answer to the progroms.”

            Then came the day, when they were least prepared. No ‘boarding up’ took place. The hooligans came and the saddest and most tragic part was not only that many Jews were killed, but the manner in which they died. They did not fight. They did not defend themselves. They were “NEBECH” boarders.

           My friends, we are no longer boarders.  I sense the world doesn't like the Jew to stand up and fight for his life. They would rather see us board up our homes out of fright and, cowardly, bend beneath the tyrants’ murderous hands.

Well that ‘ain't’ going to happen and the world needs to know this and begin to respect the only true democracy in the Middle East. I sense, that after they realize this, the quicker they are going to experience peace in that part of the world.

          My wife, Mimi, reminded me of a very interesting story about Rabbi Israel Lau, the former Chief Rabbi of Israel. Rabbi Lau, many years ago, went to visit the Lubavitcher Rebbez”l. The Rebbe asked, "what the Jews are saying these days in Israel?" (we need to remember it was right after the Yom Kippur war.) Rabbi Lau replied, “They are asking each other “Vos Vet Zein?” “What will be?” to which the Rebbe answered vehemently, ”Yiden Fregen Nit Vos Vet Zein, Zei Fregen , Vos Geit Men Ton”, “ Jews do not ask what will be, they ask, ‘What are we going to do!!’

          Indeed, this is what we are, Thank G-D, experiencing today in Israel. “What will be?” is the question of a victim. “What are we going to do”, is a proactive question which results in the answer , “Lets forge ahead , and accomplish our mission for the sake of the Jewish People."

           As we approach the solemn and mournful day of Tisha B'av, the often repeated wordאיכה comes to mind as we search for answers as to why these dastardly acts of hatred and murder are being inflicted on the Jewish people. It is a question that has agonized us for centuries and most often goes unanswered.

            Reflecting on this weeks’ Sedrah, and the Matzav in Eretz Yisrael the word איכה is a fascinating word used by Moshe  as he complains to Hashem  of the difficulty he is having being the leader of the Jewish People. "איכה How can I carry Your people alone?” This same word is used by Jeremiah in the Book of Lamentations wherein the prophet bewails "איכה how the city ofJerusalem lies desolate".

            Hashem used the same word איכה when speaking to Adam in Beraishis.

            However, the vowels that Hashem used to Adam when he tried to hide from Him were “Ayeka, where are you?”      

Hashem knew, well, where Adam was.  The question was really to give Adam an opportunity for a self evaluation, of where he was, not merely physically, but more so in the scheme of things in playing the role of being created in the Image of G-D. This question is a probing one into the behavior of man as it relates to him and how he relates to the world around him. 

           We see the word איכה has a dual meaning.

            For Moshe it was a time to evaluate his important role as the teacher and the leader of the Jewish People and to adjust to his G-D given role - bringing Am Yisrael to enter the Promised Land.

For Jeremiah it was a time to evaluate and mourn the Churban Habayis, but more so, to give Chizuk to the people. They must look to the future and to repent their ways to have theZ'chut to see the Temple rebuilt.

          These are trying days for B’nai Yisrael in Artzeinu Hakidosah.  Realizing the immensity of the situation should encourage our evaluation as individuals of where our Ayeka is and through this process of self evaluation we will forge a greater Achdut and bring about the glory of man who was created in the Image of G-D.

           Then and only then will we turn the Avelut of Tisha B'av into days of Simcha and we will see the people of Israel, once again, dancing in the streets of Jeruslaem in peace and security.

  Our hope and prayer is to turn the Aycha , through the Ayeka into a state of  ששון ושמחה ושלום .