The same phenomenon can be observed today among some of our brethren who are trying to stamp out every vestige of Torah from themselves and from the rest of the world. They can’t stand it.
Why? Because they know they are not living according to the truth that is in their own hearts. They want to dig so deep in the sand that not only their head but their entire body is buried. We’ve all heard the objections: “No ‘Higher Being’ is going to tell me how to live my life!” “Are you telling me I can’t go to the movies on Saturday?” “I can’t give up shrimp!” “Religion just divides people.” “I believe in science, not a bunch of supernatural tales.”
That’s how I felt too, before I broke down and admitted the truth that was in my heart.
The hair-trigger hatred of God and Torah stems from an overwhelming knowledge of how wrong they are. They are running from the truth as fast as their legs can carry them, but they can never run away from God. In the meantime, they are bringing about punishment for themselves and suffering for their brothers and sisters. And so the nations of the world imitate us, attacking us and trying to deny that we represent God’s Truth.
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In a few weeks we will read Hashem’s words to Avraham Avinu, “I will bless those who bless you and him who curses you I will curse, and the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you” (Genesis 12:3). Jews who observe the Torah are the means by which the world survives. They are the ones who are bringing us all back from Exile, ushering the Shechinah and Beis HaMikdash to the Temple Mount and Mashiach ben Dovid to his throne. They are the ones bringing peace to the world and, in fact, to the very nations fighting Israel.
Thus Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky says, “Avreichem should continue their limud Torah and not concern themselves with the ongoing events.” Why? Because this is what paves the way for personal survival, national survival, and world survival.
We have endured now almost two thousand years of Exile, not just ceaseless wandering and torture but a determined attempt on the part of our enemies to wipe out every remnant of our people and even the memory of our existence.
But we are nearing the end.
Today’s anti-Israel and anti-Torah madness clearly demonstrate the closeness of the Geulah Sheleimah. “If you see a generation upon which numerous troubles come like a river, expect [Mashiach]” (Sanhedrin 98a).
Our daughter Yaffa related a beautiful drasha concerning the pasuk “When Hashem returned the captivity of Zion, we were like dreamers” (Psalm 126). We all have dreams. But often the reality doesn’t turn out like the dream. We dream about a beautiful vacation but sometimes our plans get rained on. We dream about a beautiful marriage but it doesn’t always work out that way. Our dreams often end up going awry.
But when Hashem returns us to Zion, the reality will be exactly like the dream. It will be a perfect world, a world of peace and justice, a world of brotherhood and friendship, a world in which Torah will rule and we will be free to immerse ourselves in the holy existence that is our heritage, free to disseminate the knowledge of God throughout the world.
“Those who tearfully sow will reap in glad song. He who … walks along weeping … will return in exultation” (ibid.).
For millennia we have sown with tears. Soon Hashem will wipe those tears away.
Every year, we weave a shield of berachah, of blessing, around us with the arba minim. Every year, we sit in the sukkah completely ensconced in ruchnius, spirituality. This year, let us anticipate the imminent arrival of the day that will be completely “z’man simchaseinu…the day of our gladness, a holy convocation,” when the entire world will acknowledge that “Hashem is One and His Name One.”
