We have arrived at a very serious moment in the year.
We have climbed the ladder through the events of Purim, Passover, Sefira and Shavuos; now the summer begins. With God’s help we will continue to climb upward toward higher levels of sanctity, but the summer is difficult for Klal Yisrael.
The challenges of “leisure” are great, and the Torah seems to reinforce the message as we gird ourselves for the trials of the Three Weeks and frightening parshios dealing with the miraglim, Korach and Bilaam.
The world around us is becoming more serious as well. Darkness seems to be closing in. The quote from the Malbim (Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel) on Ezekiel 32:17 at the beginning of my book 2020 Vision seems clearly appropriate to our time:
“In the End of Days, after the Children of Israel have returned to their land, the children of Ishmael [the Moslem Nations] and the children of Esau [the Western Nations] will unite to attack Jerusalem. They will form a world coalition against the tiny nation of Israel.”
At this moment I believe it is appropriate to review a basic lesson in the Torah to ensure that we, as well as our non-Jewish friends, are keenly aware of an eternal and essential truth. Rashi begins his classic commentary on the Five Books of Moses as follows:
Rabbi Yitzchak said, “[God] need not have begun the Torah [with the account of the Creation]. What is the reason that it began with the Book of Genesis?… So that if the nations of the world will say to Israel, “You are bandits, for you conquered the [Land of Canaan,” Israel] will say to them, “The whole earth belongs to the Holy One, Blessed is He. He created it and He gave it to the one found proper in His eyes. By His wish He gave it to them, and by His wish He took it from them and gave it to us.”
The Torah does not play games. Almost one thousand years ago, Rashi predicted exactly what would happen in our contemporary world. Indeed, the nations of the world are joining hands and crying out to us, “You are bandits. You have stolen the Land of Israel, and we demand that you return the Land to its rightful owners.”
So let us all understand that there is no power that can counteract the will of God. In numerous places, the Torah states clearly that the Land of Israel has been given as a permanent possession to the Children of Israel. Do not for a moment think that God will tolerate other nations inheriting the Land He specifically set aside for us.
“God appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’” (Genesis 12:17).
The future of all Creation hinges upon the possession of the Land of Israel by the Children of Israel. If we are there living a Torah life, all will be well in the world. There will never be peace until this happens.
The Torah clearly delineates the boundaries of our Land. They are not optional; they are not changeable. Every word, letter and dot in the Torah has remained exactly the same since it was given at Mount Sinai and it is axiomatic that no change whatsoever will ever be made in the Torah.
I believe with complete faith that the entire Torah now in our hands is the same one that was given to Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him.
I believe with complete faith that this Torah will not be exchanged nor will there be another Torah from the Creator, Blessed is His Name. [Rambam, Thirteen Principles of Faith, Principles 8 and 9]
Any man or nation who challenges these words or any other biblical pronouncement challenges the Ruler of the Universe. The desires of those who fight God have no bearing on His plan. It is worse than useless to oppose Him; it is suicide. Nations of the world: be kind to yourselves – if you are on the side of God, you will be beloved in His eyes and merit eternal life.
“Many thoughts are in the mind of man, but only the counsel of God prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).