515 prayers vs. a ticket

                                                                        בס”ד

According to the Sages, utilizing the system of gematria, which identifies each letter of the Hebrew alphabet with a numerical value, Moshe prayed 515 supplications before HaShem, pleading to be allowed to enter into Eretz Yisrael with all of the Jewish people after 40 years in the desert. This according to the numerical value of the first word of the Torah portion, VeEtchanan.

It’s not chance that we read Torah portion only days following the Tisha b’Av fast. This day of national mourning was declared following the reaction to the spys in desert who proclaimed that it be preferable to remain in the desert and refrain from entering the Land of Israel, as they claimed it to be imperviousness to being conquered.

Of course the primary issue was not what 10 men said, rather it was the overwhelming support by so many others, who accepted their words at face value, weeping and wailing at the thought of going to war against Giants, stronger than them. As such G-d declared a day of weeping and mourning, historically due to the destruction of the first and second Temples on this very day.

Yet Moshe, pled with G-d to allow him to cross the Jordan River into the Land. Five hundred and fifteen special prayers. His prayers, unfortunately, were nit accepted and he died only weeks before Joshua led the people into the Land.

And today?

Many of us still fast and sit on the floor, lamenting the numerous events that plagued the Jewish people on this very day.

But what do we really cry over? I, of course, cannot answer that question on behavior of anyone except myself. But I do have a personal response. The first and foremost issue is not the continuing lack of the rebuilding of the Temple, having lacking it for the past 1,956 years.
The problem is that what’s really missing are the millions of Jews who need not worth 515 prayers to be let in to Eretz Yisrael. They just only have to get on plane and be here after a flight here. They won’t even have to pay for it. That will be taken care of.

But the truth is that Jews who are labeled Orthodox, who pray daily, some 3 times a day, do pray for the return to Zion. The words exit their mouths automatically, but do they hear what they say? My guess is no. Otherwise one of two choices: they would stop reciting the words or they would get on a flight over here. Not for a vacation, not to buried here, rather be live here, as normal everyday Israelis, fulfilling the dream that Moshe weeped for as was denied.
The time has come to come home. Anyone with eyes in their head can easily see the future of Jewery in the US or Europe. But that’s not the real reason. That is very simply that Eretz Yisrael, Medinat Yisrael, the miraculous State of Israel is our one and only G-d given home.
Welcome!