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Spiritual Survival In An Immoral World
Jewish Press ^ | 9/22/'15 | Rav Dovid Hofstedter

Posted on 09/22/2015 2:57:49 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator

On the upcoming Yom Tov of Sukkos, we will say the berachah of “Ata Bechartanu,” the blessing thanking Hashem for having chosen us from among the nations. Interestingly, that very closeness has been the cause of terrible persecution the Jews have experienced. Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky would say that those who have made us suffer for calling ourselves the “chosen” people do not realize that being chosen comes with extraordinary responsibilities as well, as we say in Selichos, “Ashamnu m’kol am – We are guiltier than all of the nations.”

As the am hanivchar, it is our responsibility to uphold human dignity, to preserve the tzelem Elokim, the image of God in humans). It is a responsibility that does not always come easy. We often pay a price for taking moral stands that are no longer widely accepted in the society around us.

This thought comes to mind when contemplating the situation in which we find ourselves in galus America in the year 2015.

In America today we are witnessing the moral collapse of a once great society. The basic notion of human dignity, of the preservation of the tzelem Elokim, has been compromised. When a great nation enshrines into law behavior that not long ago was recognized as reprehensible by every segment of civilization, it should give us all pause.

It is therefore time for us to start galvanizing the forces of kedushah and taharah in order to strengthen among ourselves the cherished principles and fundamentals of our faith that are under attack. Part of our mandate as the am hanivchar is to uphold these timeless principles and through our actions have a positive influence on both our fellow Jews and the world at large.

We must also recognize that the changing societal norms are having an unmistakable influence on Jewish religious society as well. Sadly, there are those who call themselves Orthodox who revel in this newfound openness. What should concern us is the realization that we and our children are being affected by a surrounding society that seems to have enshrined self-indulgence as the overarching goal and principle of our time.

* * * * *

There is much inspiration we can derive from the Yom Tov of Sukkos in how to confront these unprecedented challenges.

In the time of the Beis HaMikdash seventy bulls were sacrificed as korbanos on Sukkos. Chazal teach that the 70 bulls corresponded to and were sacrificed on behalf of the 70 nations of the world. Finally, on Shemini Atzeres, the special Yom Tov that signifies our unique relationship with Hashem, we sacrifice one bull that corresponds to Bnei Yisrael, Hashem’s singular nation. The question arises: Why do we sacrifice bulls on behalf of the nations of the world in the Beis HaMikdash?

This is not the only time in Jewish ritual where we demonstrate that as Jews we have a clear interest in involving the world at large in our avodah. The recent tefillos recited on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are full of references to the nations, depicting how important it is to us that the nations also understand who Hashem is, His supremacy and who we, His people, are.

For example, in the Yamim Noraim Amidah we said, “Hashem, reign over the entire world in Your glory…. And appear in Your majestic might over all who dwell in the world…. So everything that has been made will know that You have made it and it will be understood that You have formed it…and they will say with their every breath, ‘Hashem the God of Israel is King and his Kingship rules all over…’ ”

This brings us to a profound question. Whereas on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos we show our deep desire that the entire world recognize Hashem’s kingship, and we intercede on their behalf, on the Yom Tov of Pesach the opposite message comes through.

On the first night of Pesach, one of the most dramatic portions of the Haggadah Shel Pesach is the recitation of the tefillah of Shefoch Chamascha right before Hallel.

What are we saying in that tefillah? “Pour out Your fury to the nations that have not known You, and upon kingdoms that have not called on Your Name. For he has consumed Yaakov and made his habitation desolate” (Tehillim 79:6-7). “Pour out Your rage upon them and let Your wrath overtake them” (Tehillim 69:25). “Pursue with wrath and destroy them from under the heavens of Hashem” (Eichah 3:66).

On Pesach, when we celebrate the birth of Bnei Yisrael as a nation it seems we have no interest in the nations recognizing the kingship and power of Hashem. Rather, we want to rid ourselves of them. On the Yamim Noraim, however, when we celebrate the creation of the world, we express a deep, abiding interest in the nations and in their gaining knowledge and understanding of Hashem.

Why are the messages during these major Yamim Tovim seasons so different?

Perhaps an answer can be gleaned from an intriguing Mishnah in Pirkei Avos. The Mishnah states (Avos, 6-10), “Five possessions did Hashem acquire for Himself in his world. They are: [The] Torah [is] one acquisition, heaven and earth [are] one acquisition, Avraham [is] one acquisition, Yisrael [is] one acquisition, the Beis HaMikdash [is] one acquisition.”

What is the significance of the Avraham Avinu being one of those five acquisitions? The Mishnah also lists “Yisrael” as one of Hashem’s kinyanim. Why does the Mishnah mention Avraham Avinu separate from the rest of Klal Yisrael, and how was his role different from all the other holy avos and leaders of Bnei Yisrael?

Avraham Avinu did have a unique role. After all, he was the first person to recognize Hashem on his own. He was the first person who not only believed in Hashem himself but introduced monotheistic belief to an entire world of idol worshipers.

The distinctive feature about Avraham Avinu was that, in addition to being the first believer in Hashem, he was the first person to have a direct spiritual impact on the nations of the world. He taught all of mankind at the time about chesed, engaging in acts of loving kindness; and he taught humans to be compassionate and thankful to Hashem for all the bounty He bestowed upon them.

These were absolutely novel concepts in that primitive world and Chazal teach us that Avraham made a colossal impact on his generation.

This remarkable task of spreading spirituality and the word of Hashem was not done by Avraham Avinu the “the father of the Klal Yisrael” but by Avraham Avinu the individual who deeply cared about every person in the world.

Thus, the Mishnah clearly shows that Avraham had two distinct roles: that of Avraham Avinu, the individual who brought Godliness into a Godless world and be mashpia on the world, and that of Avraham Avinu, the father of the nation that would later become the primary conduit for bringing the Divine Presence into the mundane world.

Avraham was the first person to have a direct spiritual impact on all the nations. That is why he is mentioned as a separate kinyan.

* * * * *

Now that we understand the unique kinyan of Avraham Mu, let us explore the kinyan of Yisrael. In order to do that, let us first seek understanding of one of the other kinyanim, the kinyan of the Beis HaMikdash.

The significance of the Beis HaMikdash as a kinyan lies in the fact that it is the one place, the one location, where Hashem chose to let His Divine Presence reside on a permanent basis.

Just as the Beis HaMikdash is the place where Hashem has specifically chosen to reside, Yisrael is the nation Hashem has specifically chosen as His. It is the nation upon which the Divine presence rests and the nation through which Hashem’s kavod, His glory, is manifest. We can therefore understand why Yisrael, the Torah, and Heaven and Earth are all called Hashem’s “acquisitions” – because Hashem’s greatness and glory are revealed through them.

That is why He gave the Torah and mitzvos only to Klal Yisrael. By performing the dictates of the Torah and engaging in mitzvos, Klal Yisrael serves as the primary vehicle to bring kavod Hashem into the world.

To encapsulate: Avraham Avinu introduced monotheism and the knowledge of Hashem to the nations of the world, but through his descendants starting with Yitzchak Avinu and continuing with Yaakov Avinu and the twelve tribes, these lessons became purified and distilled until the separate nation of Yisrael became the primary conduit to bring and reveal Hashem’s presence into the world.

Now we can suggest an answer to our original question. Why, during the Yamim Noraim and Sukkos do we so deeply desire that all of the nations recognize Hashem’s kingship over the entire world, whereas on the Yom Tov of Pesach the opposite message – in which we ask Hashem to spill out His wrath on the Nations – comes through?

The Yamim Noraim season marks the anniversary of the creation of the world. At that time, when “the entire world trembles,” it is our wish that the world be restored and reestablished in the way it was originally meant to be, before the creation became distorted by the sins committed by man. During that initial period, the intention was for the entire world to be filled with belief in Hashem and that His honor and glory be manifest and understood by every person in the world. The original Divine plan was that all of creation should feel and experience the presence of the Shechinah, albeit on different levels.

For that reason, we beg Hashem on Rosh Hashanah that the world should be filled with His glory and that every creation should recognize that He is King. That is also why on Sukkos we sacrifice 70 bulls corresponding to the 70 nations. During that period it is our most fervent desire that the world return to its original perfect state, where all the nations will recognize and serve Hashem. In this way we are fulfilling our mandate as “Yisrael kinyan echad” and as descendants of Avraham Avinu.

Pesach, however, marks the birth of Klal Yisrael as a nation after our terrible slavery and subjugation to the Egyptians. The world is not in its original, unspoiled state as intended at the time of creation. Because of our sins we have become subjugated to the nations of the world, a sheep among seventy wolves.

At the time of our recognition of the sad state of affairs caused by our sins, we beg Hashem to pour out His wrath on the nations that are subjugating us and thereby preventing us from properly serving Hashem and spreading His teachings.

On Pesach we say to Hashem, “Look at the difference between us and the nations of the world!” We beg Hashem, from the depth of our very beings, “Master of the Universe! Please have mercy on us and enable us to survive, thrive, and achieve the purpose for which we were placed in this world. We know how imperfect we are, we are aware of our failings and our shortcomings but at least we have a deep desire to serve You. True, we have sinned, but it is our fervent desire to serve You with all our hearts. If you must pour out your wrath, if there must be punishment, let it be upon the nations that have no interest in serving you at all.”

We must also understand that although Avraham Avinu ended up being beloved by the world and becoming the leader and father of the Nations, his path to get there was fraught with difficulty and life-threatening hatred. At the beginning of his quest to spread the name of Hashem he was met with virulent opposition. He was sentenced to death and thrown into a fiery furnace to be burned alive. He was persecuted and oppressed. Only after undergoing tremendous suffering and humiliation did he break through and become the beloved Avraham Avinu, the “Av Hamon Goyim, Nesi Elokim Besochein, the prince of Hashem in our midst”.

It is therefore clear that this is the price we, as the chosen nation that says the words “Ata bichartanu” every Yom Tov, must pay to be Hashem’s agents in this world.

* * * * *

The takeaway message for us is that although our immutable principles can sometimes seem to appear foreign and backward to a world steeped in hedonism and unbridled indulgence, the lesson we learn from Avraham Avinu is that we must remain steadfast in our convictions. We must be able to withstand scorn and ridicule when we stand strong and reject all kinds of deviations the world has decided to accept and not be affected by the reactions and the arrows thrown our way. Only when we are following Avraham’s example will we be able to be conduits to bring true Godliness into the world.

If we really want to connect with the nations of the world in a meaningful way and impart timeless lessons, beliefs, and ethics to them, the way to do so is to hold steadfast to our principles and not to bend, despite the difficulty such a stance entails. In this way, we can become beacons of light that will ultimately influence them to take the proper path; we can fulfill our role as descendants of Avraham Avinu by bringing kavod Shamayim into the world.

Serving as a light unto the nations comes with a price. Let us step us and gladly pay our dues.

About the Author: Rav Dovid Hofstedter is the author of the Dorash Dovid sefarim on the Torah and Moadim and the founder and nasi of Dirshu, a worldwide Torah movement whose raison d’être is accountability in Torah learning among all segments of Klal Yisrael, impacting more than 100,000 participants since its inception 18 years ago.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Current Events; Judaism; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: abraham; sukkot; torah; yomkippur
Good article.
1 posted on 09/22/2015 2:57:50 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator
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To: hlmencken3; rmlew; Nachum; dervish; Yehuda; Ancesthntr; TorahTrueJew; Yomin Postelnik; ...

Ping.


2 posted on 09/22/2015 2:58:58 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator (The "end of history" will be Worldwide Judaic Theocracy.)
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To: Zionist Conspirator

Beautiful.


3 posted on 09/22/2015 3:02:53 PM PDT by Calpublican (Boehner,McConnell,Corker,McCain,Alexander,Hatch,Graham+More=Corrupt)
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To: Zionist Conspirator

This the the very essence of Christianity, borne of the people of God, that we be a Light unto the world and bear witness to His Light in every act, thought and word of our lives.


4 posted on 09/22/2015 5:28:08 PM PDT by Louis Foxwell (This is a wake up call. Join the Sultan Knish ping list.)
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To: Zionist Conspirator

I pray! We need our Jewish people to lead the way back to God via beating back the trash in Israel.


5 posted on 09/22/2015 6:17:49 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
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To: Louis Foxwell
This the the very essence of Christianity, borne of the people of God, that we be a Light unto the world and bear witness to His Light in every act, thought and word of our lives.

Looks like I'm going to have to caucus every post I make from now on.

6 posted on 09/23/2015 6:08:43 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator (The "end of history" will be Worldwide Judaic Theocracy.)
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To: Zionist Conspirator
"In America today we are witnessing the moral collapse..."

Everyone who cares and needs more answers should ask themselves, "Why does that happen to a nation?" Each person should try to answer that question without input from others. I'm not Jewish but felt very compelled to do so anyway.

According to Prophets who conveyed knowledge about the destruction of nations, those who believe in the Unity of G-d and love his people will survive the wonderful, terrible times. And the terrible wonders will convince those who survive to believe more purely.

And as for being an outsider, being alone, disliked, vexed, envied or harassed by other people, that's irrelevant. It might even be good for some of us.


7 posted on 09/23/2015 8:15:20 PM PDT by familyop (We Baby Boomers are croaking in an avalanche of corruption smelled around the planet.)
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