Can we do more ?

Another tough week for us Jews, us Israelis.

Again, every time, we just want to have a calm life, go to work, spend time with family and friends – Terrorism, senseless hatred strikes. What strikes me, again and again, is the indifference, lack of sympathy for Jewish blood.

Here are some snippets from my Facebook feed:

“Where is the outrage? If not from the Western Press, what about the Jewish World? This is simply unthinkable- and there have been several attacks and killings since then- let’s open our mouths, our pens, our hearts and join together as one

Jewish blood is being shed. Do you care?

HOW DO YOU MAKE PEACE WITH THOSE WHO “REJOICE” ABOUT KILLING AN INNOCENT BABY? REMEMBER, these are the same people who celebrated 9-11, and every other time they have been able to kill our people!

Abbas and Hamas are their leaders, and they are “paying” their people to kill our people!  They are also the ones who refuse to accept Israel’s existence! The terror attacks (murders) are becoming more frequent in Israel, and around the world! Yet the world expects Israel to make the ultimate sacrifice (their existence) in the “hope for peace!”

Who is there to make peace with? Those whose goal it is to destroy you?”

What should be our personal response be – Encourage Aliyah, strengthen our performance of Mitzvahs, learn more Torah? Sounds like a stuck record. Friends stay with me as we try to relate this Shabbat and Torah reading to try to get some deeper meaning here and make some sense of this.

This Shabbos is the Yahrzeit of Rav Mordecai Yosef (ben Yaakov) Leiner  (1800-1854) , founder of the Chassidic Court at Ishbitz after leading a group of disciples from the court of Rav Menachem Mendel of Kotzk. Born in Tomashov, Poland in 1800, he was a childhood friend of Reb Menachem Mendel Morgenstern, later to become the Kotzker Rebbe, and they studied together in the school of the Chasidic Master, Reb Simcha Bunim of Pshiske. His sefer, Mei HaShiloach, is considered a fundamental work of Izhbitz and Radziner chasidus. Among his talmidim were Rav Tzadok HaCohen mi Lublin and Rav Leibel Eiger. Rabbi Leiner is best known for his work Mei Hashiloach, a compilation of his teachings by his grandson, in which he expressed the doctrine that all events, including human actions, are absolutely under God’s control, or as Rabbinic discourse would phrase it, by “hashgacha pratis.” Thus, if everything is determined by God, then even sin is done in accordance with God’s will. He presents defenses of various Biblical sins, such as Korach’s rebellion, Zimri during the Heresy of Peor, and Judah’s incident with Tamar.

Reb Shlomo Carlebach can be credited by bringing the light of the Ishbister to our generation. One of the Ishbister great teachings is the giving somebody from the benefit of the doubt and looking at the deeper implications of events and people in a favourable light.

I want to share a teaching from Even Shlomo based on the Ishbister in this weeks Parsha Vayigash. We have the great confrontation between Joseph and Yehudah and the unity of the brothers. So, first let us contemplate Jewish Unity, how we can get closer not only to family but also to those who dress differently to you.

But let us go deeper. Yaakov thought that Joseph was the Mashiach and gave him a cloak. Yehudah thought differently. He dipped the coat in blood. Let’s fast forward, to after the reunification and Yaakov and his family are going down to Egyptian exile, he sends Yehudah before him to get everything ready for them. While Joseph represents doing Mitzvahs – doing it right. This is nice, but not enough.Yehuda represents something deeper. Making a blessing before doing a Mitzvah. He and we are praying and hoping. Make us holy with your Mitzvahs !!

Question to ponder – Do we excited by following the mitzvahs, commandments?

We live in a world where we have to work our way up slowly until we come to Kedusha – holiness. We live in a World with much pain and indifference. We try to everything right – be politically correct. For us Jews, Israelis this is not enough to be accepted by the World. Our tradition teaches that the Moshiach – the redeemer will come from the House of Yehudah. Yehaduh says – you need to do more, we will not redeem Israel and the world and make it a better place if we think by doing everything right. You have to go through so much pain until its clear to you that you have much more to do.

Unfortunately, pain and terrorism and indifference is prevalent in the world today. The world is need of so much healing. Israel believes in the justice of our cause. We accommodate our enemies who try to destroy us. We try to everything right. The challenge is not only to everything right, but we need to do more. We need to confront our enemies, those who support BDS, Terrorism, those who deny the rights of the indigenous people (Jews) to their historical Land. Time to proudly tell the truth and give support to Israel. Time to follow in the example of Ari Fuld hyd, Time to read Caroline Click and Melanie Phillips and numerous others trying valiantly to spread the messages of morality and justice of our cause. Time to stand up do more. Time to thank God for the greatest gift of the return to the land of Israel to the Jews. Time for unity, Time to tell the World.

We Jews have returned home. Our only home. We have no other home. We are not going anywhere. Stop your infatuation with us. Focus on your own problems. When you do that the world be a better place.