Israel-Gaza War 5784: Eikev – How To Be a Partner

Last week, I talked about how, once in the Promised Land, the Israelites (and today, the Israelis) were called on to partner with Hashem in fighting evil and promoting goodness. This week’s Torah portion, Eikev, illustrates that partnership is not only about taking initiative and doing one’s part, but relying on one’s partner.

Moses, continuing his final words to the people before they entered the Land without him, told them that Hashem had allowed them to experience hardship for four reasons: to test whether they would keep His commandments even in the face of adversity; to correct them when they strayed from His way; to instill in them discipline and strength; and to foster gratitude and humility by reminding them that it was not by their own efforts that they were fed, clothed, and protected in the wilderness, but by His provision and protection.

So: testing, correction, discipline, and humility.

Why test the people? Because it was important—for their own good—that they keep Hashem’s commandments. Moses made plain that the commandments were meant to benefit them: “to safeguard (or keep) the commandments of Hashem…to benefit you.” (Deuteronomy 10:13) The pagans around them sought to appease capricious gods, who brought benefits to their people only if they were properly bribed. But God’s commandments were not to satisfy His whims or ego, but to make the Israelites better people, capable of building a holy society. Correcting them when they fell short was for the same reason.

And while most of us do not appreciate adversity when we are in the middle of it, nor correction, there is no denying that we can grow stronger and become better people because of it.

If any people has been through the wringer of adversity, it is the Jews. Conquered by one empire after another, expelled from one country after another, oppressed and persecuted in most of the lands in which we ended up, we grew strong. We rebelled against the Romans, resisted forced conversions, and started over with nothing and prospered in almost every country in the world. We also grew strong in faith, resisting forced conversions and even accepting, when there was no other option, death to sanctify G-d’s name.

And modern-day Israel has been forged in a crucible from its beginning. Early pioneers endured backbreaking labor to drain swamps and make the desert bloom. Together with survivors of the Nazi Shoah, they declared Israel a going proposition again after thousands of years and fought off five Arab armies. During subsequent wars up to the present one, other nations denied or cut off arms. The UN, UNWRA, and other NGOs betrayed their responsibility and trust. Fanatics in every country screamed hatred and contempt. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Israelis have become a tough, disciplined people, but not a harsh or vengeful one, despite what their enemies claim.

Yet there is a risk to being strong. Moses also warned the people against attributing their prosperity to themselves alone. “And you say in your heart, ‘My strength and the might of my hand made for me this wealth.’” (Deuteronomy 8:17)

Israel today is not only strong militarily, but in every other metric you can think of. The challenges of a depleted soil, malarial swamps, and hostile neighbors made Israel a leader in agricultural technologies, cutting edge medical technology, and high-tech, attracting investors from all over the world.

But recently, Israel came to put too much faith in its military technology. Despite detailed intelligence about Hamas’ intentions, officials arrogantly believed that border fences and security cameras would keep the terrorists at bay. October 7th punctured that balloon.

Yet since October 7th, many have found a new faith in and reliance on Hashem. October 7th was a horror. It was also a reminder that, while our efforts matter, we cannot succeed without our senior partner.

May Israel be strong enough to defeat the terrorist groups that seek to destroy it. Strong enough to battle the UN and other organizations that try to do the same through other means. Strong enough to rely on G-d’s help at the same time they do their utmost to win this fight. Strong enough to have faith that together, with each other and with Him, Israel will prevail.