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Zahava Bauer

Why Did We Make Aliyah? לערבב את השטן

Bleary eyed and carrying one too many suitcases, we walked out into the familiar arena in Ben Gurion airport. Accompanied by shofar blasts and song, we fell into the embrace of family and friends awaiting our arrival. Flags waved to and fro behind banners with punny welcome slogans as we all posed for pictures to commemorate this auspicious occasion: our arrival on our aliyah flight. This moment will forevermore be celebrated as a birthday for our family, as we were reborn into our new life.

One of the banners welcoming us home prominently portrayed our Aliyah date- the paradoxical date of the 18th of Av, Chai Av. Is it possible to feel “alive” in the depressing month of Av? The date echoed the sentiment of the year; can our heart beat when it is burdened with Aveilut? Can we celebrate moving to a country where our people’s fate is on the line on a daily basis? And here we were, celebrating a new birthday for our family, while hostages were “celebrating” birthdays in captivity.

Rosh Hashanah, the birthday and renewal of the world, brings with it this balance of trepidation and excitement. Who can hold back excitement when the King Himself has come to meet you in the field to plan, discuss, and dream with you about what this year could be? But who can bear the trepidation when this same King we are meeting holds the keys to our fate, the fate of our brothers and sisters, and the fate of our children?

Lurking behind the trepidation of the chag is the infamous Satan, the prosecutor who attempts to remind Hashem of our faults and insecurities. The Satan slips into this moment of renewal to eradicate our hopes for the new year and remind Hashem that we are not deserving of the gifts he bears.

Interestingly, one of the ways we try to confuse the Satan is by blowing two sets of shofar blows. How is that the action that will prevent the Satan from successfully undermining our right to a year of blessings?

In his shiur called “Confusing Satan”, Rabbi Sacks describes that our understanding of the Satan on Rosh Hashanah begins in Sefer Iyov where the Satan challenges Hashem to put mankind on trial. The Satan turns to Hashem with his usual chutzpah and questions, “What happens when you take everything away from mankind? Will they still be loyal to you, Hashem? Was it really worth all of that work to create mankind on that first Rosh Hashanah?” In response, Hashem takes everything away from Iyov, strips him of all that he loves, and causes him to mourn the gifts he once celebrated. From this abyss, Iyov emerges, searching for comfort in a lonely world, yet loyal to Hashem. The Satan’s condemning position is shattered.

Rabbi Sacks compares this moment to Avraham at the Akeidah. Hashem tests him to see: “What happens when a man loses everything he loves? Will he stick with me or abandon me?” Throughout Avraham’s journey to Har HaMoriah, the Satan attempts to prevent, confound, and trip up Avraham, but to no avail. Instead, the legacy of the Akeidah is not the victory of the Satan, but the emergence of the shofar as the symbol of Avraham’s loyalty to Hashem.

The response to the Satan, the answer to his criticisms of man, is the repeated sounds of the shofar, the sounds of our loyalty throughout our challenging history. Time and time again, we have been challenged by the Satan, and time and time again, we have lifted the shofar; not to blow one set or two sets, but 2,000 years worth of sets. With the sounds of the shofar, we will celebrate Rosh Hashanah and believe in our ability to start anew. With the sounds of the shofar, we will make aliyah and remind the Satan that, no matter the challenge, the Jewish people will walk towards G-d, and not away from Him. With the sounds of the shofar, we will silence the Satan and confuse him, until we render him irrelevant.

In a year when it seems that the Satan has taken a central role in God’s Court, we respond by lifting the shofar and demonstrating our loyalty to Hashem. And, in between each set of shofar blows, we sing that birthday song over and over again…
הַיּוֹם הֲרַת עוֹלָם
הַיּוֹם יַעֲמִיד בַּמִּשְׁפָּט כָּל יְצוּרֵי עוֹלָם
On the birthday of the world, we stand in judgment. This birthday, a time of reflection, forces us to face ourselves, our year, and our life’s decisions.
אִם כְּבָנִים אִם כַּעֲבָדִים
אִם כְּבָנִים רַחֲמֵנוּ כְּרַחֵם אָב עַל בָּנִים
Did we make the right choice to move during a war? Will Hashem protect us, like a father does his children?

וְאִם כַּעֲבָדִים עֵינֵינוּ לְךָ תְלוּיוֹת
Or will our fate be in question, as we remain undeserving, subservient to our Master’s will?

עַד שֶׁתְּחָנֵּנוּ וְתוֹצִיא כָאוֹר מִשְׁפָּטֵנוּ
אָיוֹם קָדוֹשׁ
We can only hope for mercy, that Hashem will silence the Satan with the blasting sound of our loyalty, and that we bring our family, responsibly, to a land that is ever watched over and protected by Hashem.

About the Author
Zahava Bauer grew up in Teaneck, NJ and recently made Aliyah to Efrat from Bala Cynwyd, PA with her husband and three children. She is an English teacher in Ulpanat Oriya, and previously taught in Caskey Torah Academy in Philly. She loves to write poetry in her spare time, and enjoys snow days, hiking, and a day at the beach. Her Bachelor’s degrees are from Stern in Jewish Education and English Literature, and her Master’s degrees are from Azrieli and GPATS. She hopes for nothing more than peace in the Middle East and achdut among Am Yisrael!
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