Israel and The Sin of Expulsion

According to the understanding of the cited vort, only once the B’nai Yisrael were redeemed, could the circuit; the connection between thought and it’s vocalization and the heart and neshama be completed and the B’nai Yisrael then be able to vocalize it’s deepest, heartfelt words and faith.

How does the above relate to our contemporary times? How does the disconnect of the Jews in Mitzrayim relate to today’s modern-day Israeli disconnect from their land and from Judaism?

For most contemporary Israelis, the horrendous Israeli secular education system has inculcated generations of Israelis with a disconnection from anything Jewish such that the current generation does not know why it is here, sees nothing Kadosh — Holy about the Land of Israel or any part thereof and thus can’t be bothered with anything not directly connected with their getting through the next day, week or month. So what if their fellow Jews are evicted from outposts, or expelled by the thousands, or tens or hundreds of thousands from their homes on Jewish land, or that Jonathan Pollard languishes in American prison or that Gilad Shalit remains captive for lack of a rescue plan due to successive spineless, equivocating, anti-Torah Israeli governments.

This generation’s youth know not how to recite even the Shema in their native Iv’rit peh. And they do not know their history; not 5770 years of Jewish history, not even the events and personalities of their nearly 60 years of contemporary Israeli history. Add to that, his parents are up to their eyeballs in red, that’s the red of the bank minus and Ma’as Hachnasah (Tax) bite.

So how or what do we do as a first step toward confronting a run-and-hide Israeli mentality with reality when their hearts and souls are disconnected from Jewish intellect, knowledge and speech? How do we convey reality and the consequences of destructo governing polices? How do re-establish the connection between intellect and vocalization of the Israeli with his Jewish heart and neshama?

May we, the B’nai Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently settled and be made totally whole, that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard, captive Gilad Shalit and the other MIAs be liberated alive returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem and that we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem V’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v’yameinu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!

With the passage of time, and with Yaakov and the brothers — the tribal heads all passing from the scene, the Am forgot about their true home in Canaan, in Eretz Yisrael, and became complacent in Mitzriyim. And with the passing of heads of B’nai Yisrael, the Am no longer retained an elevated status in the eyes of the Mitzriyim who quickly forgot how Yosef saved them from famine.

Last year at this time this author discovered a Sefer in the Shul’s bookcase; Ner Uziel: Perspectives on the Parsha, where Rabbi Uziel Milevsky z’l adds substantial clarity to the Jews’ evolution into bondage in Mitzriyim.

While the Sh’vatim lived, the Jews remained on Goshen and continued in the ways of their forefathers and were dedicated exclusively to Divine Service.

Following the deaths of Yaakov and the sons, the moral fabric began to unravel. The values of the forefathers eroded, particularly among the young and newly-married couples. They begin to venture beyond the pale of seperation from the Mitzriyim which was Goshen and beyond exclusive Divine service.

Rabbi Milevsky notes that the Egyptians of the time “were notorious anti-semites.

He notes that some theorized that if they would only abandon their foreign beliefs (they maintained their unique dress, names and language) and melt into Mitzri society, the Mitzrayim would welcome them with open arms. They were bitterly disappointed when they found that the more they adopted Mitzri ways, the more they were hated.

Rabbi Milevsky cites a story to illustrate how such a perception develops.

A prominent Rabbi from the US travelled to Mexico City and was being driven by a Mexican cabbie. The Rabbi asked the driver how many people there were in Mexico City. The cabbie responded that Mexico City was the largest city in the world with a population of 20 million.

The Rabbi then asked him how many Jews lived there. The cabbie’s response; “Senior, there are muchos muchos Jews living there. (Rabbi Milevsky notes that there were 35,000 Jews there at the time. The cabbie added that “there are at least 4 to 5 million Jews.”

Rabbi Milevsky then brings out why the Mexican cabbie had that impression; Jews owned the apartment building where he lived, the surgeon who operated on his mother was a Jew, a Jew owned his bank — all of this fed the driver’s perception regarding the Jewish population in Mexico City.

Likewise, the Mitzrayim were convinced that Jews filled the country — thus the loshen “vayishretzu”.

Rabbi Milevsky then related that Hashem punished the B’nai Yisrael in accordance with their sin. Since they assimilated and abandoned the Jewish moral code of their Avos, either a new King took the throne who fidn’t know Yosef, or the same King pretended not to know Yosef.

Rabbi Milevsky notes that Yosef was to Mitzriyim as Abraham Lincoln was to the U.S. Such an influential person in a nation’s history is not easily forgotten. But Pharoah considered Yosef’s leadership and accomplishments as a blight on Mitzri history.

And so Pharoah schemed the enslavement of the Jews — mida keneged mida — to isolate the Jews from Mitzri Society. We have seen this same storyline play itself out in Jewish history again and again through modern-day in Chutz L’Aretz as millions of Jews to date have erred in choosing to melt into the society in which they live (actually; reside) and to accept what are often the distorted laws and mores of that society.

And are we watching the same Jewish historical storyline play out here in Israel? Are we all soo preoccupied with our individual needs and matzavim that we overlook V’Ahavta, L’Rei’echa, Kamocha; the needs of our fellow Jews in other religious sectors thereby leaving all of us prey, through lack of unity, to the divide-and-conquer modus operende of governance dedicated to the dismemberment and eradication of Jewishness, of Yiddishkeit from the minds, hearts and souls of Israelis?

May we, the B’nai Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently settled and be made totally whole, that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard, captive Gilad Shalit and the other MIAs be liberated alive returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem. May we have the courage to prevent the eviction of Jews from their homes and the handing of Jewish land over to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. May we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem V’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v’yameinu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!

Yaakov, therefore would not or, could not reveal the end lest the B’nai Yisrael, at any given time of our history, despair of being redeemed and consider themselves permanent residents of Chutz L’Aretz, just as our ancestors did in Mitzriyim.

In compiling these vorts on the Parsha, this author tries to extrapolate and apply the past to the present. Today, often there is the tendency to rationalize; then was then and now is now, with then thus being abstract.

But the lesson of this K’li Yekar for we who love in Eretz Yisrael is more stark. The lesson for us is not about living here for we already do. The lesson relates to passive acceptance by many in Israel, perhaps the vast majority of us, of the prevailing so-called “reality” of corruption, graft, protexia, as well legal, justice and military systems by way of political agenda. The masses appear to have accepted as “inevitable” a political agenda of divide, conquer and eradicate Jewishness from the souls of Israelis which manifests itself eviction of Jews from their homes and the handing of Jewish land over to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. And with the expression “ein ma’alasot” — “there is nothing that can we do?”, the masses grow complacent. After all, we are but powerless piyons before the likes of an Ehud Barak — all-knowing — all-powerful regime. The lesson of Jewish morality toward one’s brother and toward Eretz Kedusha, which compells standing strong caring about our fellow Jew as one’s self — cornerstone of unity amongst the B’nai Yisrael, seems lost on the masses.

This author has often repeated on this blog the point that Jews MUST commit themselves to bring real change and suggests the following;

In order not only to remove the modern-day political agendists from power, but to change the system of governance, there requires recognition by the modern-day Am that excessive bureaucracy, protexia, influence-peddling, the “Old-Boys” doing favors for each other behind closed doors, in smoke-filled rooms in exchange for what the other will do to enrich them — all have to end.

In short, the beginning of the end of the Baraks, the Netanyahus and their ilk begins with US. It begins with the intellectualization and internalization that Jewish morality dictates that achievement of position and title be based on merit, experience, honesty, fairness and worthiness, NOT based on protexia; who it is you know — from the position of Prime Minister down to the mortgage applicant at the local bank. The morality of honesty, fairness and worthiness are the truest sense of V’Ahavta, L’Rei’echa, Kamocha.

And of course, the Olim Chadashim can help foster and hasten this change by being forceful as we would be in the US and not allowing ourselves to be intimidated, stepped on or belittled.

But until the Jews are willing to commit themselves to the axiomatic reality of change based the Jewish attributes of fairness, integrity, merit, experience and worthiness, as well as V’Ahavta, L’Rei’echa, Kamocha — treating our brethren as we ourselves would want to be treated, we will continue to have same effete leadership: Bibi, Barak, Peres, Livni, Ramon, Sheetrit, Mofaz, etc. — leaders who mirror who we are.

May we, the B’nai Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently settled and be made totally whole, that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard, captive Gilad Shalit and the other MIAs be liberated alive returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem and that we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Yom Hashem V’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v’yameinu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!

Then, we learn how when Binyamin was finally brought to Yosef, the brothers were provided with food and it was made to appear as if Binyamin had stolen the Viceroy’s silver goblet. The Viceroy detained Binyamin under charges that he had stolen the goblet and released the other brothers to return to their father.

Our Parsha Vayigash begins with Yehuda speaking his appeal to the Viceroy on behalf of his father Yaakov regarding Binyamin’s imprisonment.

Upon hearing Yehuda’s plea regarding the special love affection which Yaakov had for Binyamin, Yosef could no longer restrain himself and revealed himself as he cried out so loudly that he was heard by Pharoh.

The brothers had shown Yosef that they had recognized their aveirah, done teshuvah and were unified in their concern for Binyamin’s welfare. Yosef embraced his brothers and comforted them and “told them not to be sad that they had sold him, for Hashem had actually sent him here to keep them alive during the years of famine.” (L’lMod Ulamed, Parsha Vayigash, page 57).

This unity was crucial for the future travails of enslavement in Mitzrayim as the Jewish nation was forged.

But, in our time, the type of unity expressed by Yehudah for his brother Benyamin is lacking amongst B’nai Yisrael. And many among us do not, and appear as if they are sooo blinded by their pervasive disdain and hatred for who and what they are so as to not, see the abject error of their ways even as the consequences become ever clearer.

All the while, these modern-day hellenists continue their drive toward convergence, toward “land for peace (sic)”; translated as nothing less than the eradication of all vestiges and expressions of Jewishness. And the vast majority of those who should know better seem unprepared to put their individual lives on hold and collectively act with unity, as one to do everything necessary to confront the evil.

We haven’t learned the brother’s lesson yet.

And from this can be learned a rule of human nature regarding breaking of important news, the old adage; “Break it to me gently.”

And so, we can look back and surmise that had all of the implications and all that has happened in the past 17 or so years been known to, derived or anticipated by the people when Oslo was first hatched, the Jews would not have stood for it. And so, we were left with the soft refrain when Rabin signed Oslo, “If they’re bad boys, we’ll just go and take it back.”

May we, the B’nai Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently settled and be made totally whole, that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard, captive Gilad Shalit and the other MIAs be liberated alive returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem and that we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem V’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v’yameinu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!

Shapiro encorporated the story of Yosef into a fictional story entitled “Duaf of Memphis” and this author dealt with the contrast of Yosef in Mitzrayim, the years after Yosef and the other brothers were niftar, the ensuing long period of cruel bondage; with the persecution and the dialogue of Page 13 A & B of Gemora Megillah Esther (the dialogue between Achashveirosh and Haman resulting in the evil decree against the Jews). The point of the Torah Vort at that time was that with longevity in Shushan and throughout Achashveirosh’s Empire, as in Mitzrayim, the Jews were disparaged as either useless or too powerful. In both cases, the antagonists conveniently forgot about Yosef while the Jews got comfortable, complacent, sought to own property and saw where they were at the time as home, rather than Galut. They then forgot and lost track of who and what they are.

This is a point and lesson which Jews keep having to re-learn time and again throughout our history, including here and now in our times with Medinat Yisrael being iron-fistically ruled by successive cruel, corrupt ruling regimes who fraudulently pose as free and democratic. ALL of the Medina’s political parties and leaders are in fact transparent in their abjectly corrupt, selfish, self-serving and self-aggrandizing governance; as were the Hellenists of the time of the Maccabees.

But yet again this Chanukah, like the story of the cure for the illness which Hashem prepared for Yosef far ahead of time, we await anxiously the revelation of what Hashem has prepared in advance for us. We await the antidote which cures the present malaise which appears soo bleak to the eye — an Israel whose political parties and leaders, the leftist “elitists,” work systemically and intellectually to subvert the masses of B’nai Yisrael away from their history, Yiddishkeit, spirituality and the notion of how and why they came to be here — in the land of Israel. We await the cure from the blind hatred of Israel’s leftist political parties and leaders for anything Jewish — a hatred the blinds, distracts and distorts them from the dire security peril of their actions.

The story begins with the episode of Dina’s abduction by Shechem, the son of Chamor, and his proposal of marraige to Dina. We recall from the Torah portion of Vayishlach that the sons of Yaakov made any marriage conditional on Bris Milah of Shechem, Chamor and all the Shechemites. And while they were all incapacitated, they were slaughtered by Shimon and Levi. We recall that Dina became pregnant by her “union” with Shechem.

But what happened to the child? Seemingly, we never hear of the resultant offspring.

As we learned, Joseph ends up in Mitzrayim and incarcerated, on trumped up, false charges having to do with the wife of Pontiphar. Chasida cites Yalkut Shimoni on Vayeishev 146 which states that Asnat went to Potiphar and testified to the truth, thus sparing Yosef the death penalty. Said Hashem, “By your life, since you have spoken on Yosef’s behalf, the tribes which I will raise from him will come through you.”

May we, the B’nai Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently settled and be made totally whole, that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard, captive Gilad Shalit and the other MIAs be liberated alive returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem and that we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem V’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v’yameinu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!

We learn of Yehudah’s two sons who, unbeknownst to Yehudah, were evil and died after marrying Tamar after which Yehuda promised the 3rd son to Tamar but never delivered. We learn about the veiled Tamar who waited “many days” (Breish’t Perek 38, posuk 12) before hearing that Yehudah, who had been in mourning for the passing of his wife, had shed his mourning clothes and began going to watch the sheepshearers.

We learn that after a long wait for the unfulfilled promise of Yehudah’s 3rd son, Shelah, who had since grown up, Tamar posed as a harlot in order that the promise be kept, if not by Shelah, then by Yehudah himself. She is said to have stationed herself while veiled, at a crossroads of Yehudah’s now-regular journeys to watch the sheepshearers.

After having enticed Yehudah (who had never seen her face in the years that she lived in his home and therefore, didn’t know that she was his daughter-in-law) and having been intimate, Yehudah’s staff, his signet ring and sash remained in Tamar’s hands.

Once having returned to Yehudah’s home and having been found pregnant some 3 months later, Tamar was sentenced by Yehudah to be burned for having been a harlot and having been impregnated.

On the day that her sentence was to have been carried out, she sent the simanim to Yehudah noting that the owner of the simanim was the one who was intimate with her.

Yehudah, faced with evidence implicating him, could have let the simanim pass as if they belonged to someone else. No one else would have known. But Yehudah, heir to the future Malchut of B’nai Yisrael, exhibited a mido of justice which serves as a prototype for Just Kingship, Just Jewish Leadership for all time. Yehudah publically owned up to his liaison with Tamar who was saved from her death sentence. The twin sons she bore to Yehudah were named Perez and Zerah.

With Ne’eman’s hope for Halachic, Torah law to be the law of modern-day Medinat Israel comes the specter of a lot planning for the hoped for moment when the hope is fulfilled.

When the day arrives of fufillment of Halachic, Torah law becoming the law of the land, Halacha and the administrators of Halacha — on a government level, on Court system level, on a bureaucratic level, on a daily level of inter-actions amongst the people — must hit the ground running. There will be no time for more of the “same sefer, different day” regarding; child abuse, marital domestic abuse, governmental corruption and graft, deception by merchant of customer, playing favorites, “old-boy networks”, Hamulas and the possibly less than just Beit Din and Rabbinic board bureaucracies and decisions. The by-word and spirit must be V’Ahavtah L’rei’echa Kamocha — Want for your brother as you would want for yourself.

It seems to this author that, prior to implementation of Halacha and Torah law as the law of the land, that Gedolim, Rabbanim, Talmudei Chachamim and intellects of all sectors of the Observant Jewish World, both within Eretz Yisrael and throughout Chutz L’Aretz will have to come together and thrash out every issue as they build further Rabbinic fences, safeguards and transparencies to insure justice. In short, what is envisioned is an august gathering on a level of Constitutional convention, where the greatest national leaders and intellectuals sat together and thrashed out a document which provided a sense of justice for the citizens on all levels, from big state/small state through citizens rights and fairness, at all levels prior to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution.

As students of history are well aware, the U.S. Constitution by-and-large worked for about the first 160 years until the politicians and justice system found the means and methodology to get around and subvert constitutional law — the ultimate manifestation being the possibility that the individual currently serving as president may be constitutionally illegitimate.

Chavel Chomer, it must be hoped that the new Sanhedrin that we often hear about is the beginning of such a process.

May we, the B’nai Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently settled and be made totally whole, that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard, captive Gilad Shalit and the other MIAs be liberated alive returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem and that we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v’yameinu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!

Reading about this special Menorah which was lit at one of the Jerusalem hotels which temporarily housed many former Neve Dekalim residents, took me back in time to Philadelphia, in “the “old country” and to a point made by Rav Yehoshua Kaganoff about the pit in which Yaakov was thrown. The point bears repeating.

As we learned about the Neisim (miracles) of Chanukah, the one flask of oil found in the Beit HaMikdash which seemingly had enough oil to burn for one day, yet burned continuously for 8 days, Rav Kaganoff spoke about a nace which happened when the brothers cast Yosef into the pit which contained snakes and scorpions. Although this pit was habitat to snakes and scorpions, Hashem held them back, restrained them within the pit. Therefore, when the brothers removed Yosef and sold him into bondage, he emerged unscathed from the danger within the pit.

So too, despite all of the hundreds or thousands of mortar shells and Kassams which fell on Neve Dekalim and throughout Gush Katif over many years, there were but a mere handful of casualties among the 8,000 Jews then living in Gush Katif. Despite the agony and trauma of the post-expulsion’s worriesome weekly threats of evictions made by the hotels and encampments where the refugees were placed pending completion of temporary residences, each threat passed uneventfully due to the steadfastness of Gush Katif’s leaders and due to the help of many caring Jews. And despite the reign of Kassams which have fallen in Sderot, Ashkelon and other venues in the Negev over the intervening years since the expulsion, again a mere handful of casualties — the Yad Hashem in all cases, as with Yosef’s pit.

This author recalls once hearing a vort, but cannot attribute it’s source other than that the commentators explain the basis for the brothers’ hatred for Yosef as having been their perception of acting L’Shem Shemayim against another Eisev, or Yismael in their midst.

They saw Yosef and the pronouncement of his dreams, his tale-telling — often without knowing all of the facts, their perception that he sought to rule over them and their Father’s preference for him in the light of the family history — their great grandfather’s Avraham’s reluctance to separate from his other son Yishmael and their grandfather Yitzchak’s favoritism for his son Eisev, who while being a master at kibud Av was nonetheless wicked and not connected with Shemayim.

The other brothers, while acting inappropriately out of jealousy, perceived Yosef as a threat to the future nation that was to grow from them as the offspring of Yaakov.

May we, the B’nai Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently settled and be made totally whole, that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard, captive Gilad Shalit and the other MIAs be liberated alive returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem and that we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v’yameinu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!