By Phillip Ratner I thought that Yehuda’s perspective is often overlooked and should get a hearing. This week we will have three totally unique interpretations of this weeks Torah/Bible reading. This is the first of the three. Please share your thoughts by rating it or commenting.
PARSHAT VAYIGASH
(by Yehuda HaKohen)
“Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt in the region of Goshen; they acquired property in it and they were fruitful and multiplied greatly.” (BEREISHIT 47:27)
On this verse the Kli Yakar comments that the Children of Israel no longer regarded themselves as aliens sojourning in Egypt but rather as permanent residents. He teaches further that “so completely settled did they become that they did not wish to leave Egypt and HaShem had to remove them by force. Those who did not wish to leave died during the three days of darkness.”
Israel settled in Egypt, established deep roots and enjoyed material success, setting a pattern that would come to define Jewish behavior in later exiles. Nearly every foreign land that we have settled in throughout history was initially a safe refuge, yet Jews have frequently attempted to turn these countries of temporary shelter into permanent dwellings. And in almost every instance of this pattern occurring, the natural order of history has reacted by shattering our false sense of security on foreign soil and reminding us that we are not yet in our homeland.
“Had the dove found a resting place, it would not have returned. A similar verse is, `She dwells among the nations; she finds no rest’ (EICHA 1:3). If they found rest, they would not return. Similar also is DEVARIM 28:65, `Among the nations you will feel insecure; there will be no place for your foot to rest.’ If they found rest, they would not return.” (Bereishit Rabbah 33:6)
The Gaon of Vilna was agitated by the thought of Jews suffering greatly during the era of Redemption due to our remaining in the exile of our own free will at a time when it is possible to return to our native soil. In the first chapter of Kol HaTor, the Gaon’s teachings on Mashiach ben Yosef and the Redemption process (compiled by his student Rabbi Hillel of Shklov), there is mention of refugees.
“Refugees in Zion. The fifth principle is that `for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape… and among the remnant, those whom the L-rd will call.’ (YOEL 3:5) Since according to Midrash Tanchuma, Zion is in the line of Mashiach ben Yosef, whatever befell Yosef befell Zion. The Gaon said that this is hinted at also in the word `among the remnant’ which in numerical values equals `Mashiach ben Yosef” (566), by means of whom, according to the Gaon, the ingathering of the exiles will be accomplished. As the number of ingathered increases, so the Sitra Achra (evil forces) will increase its strength. Then another prosecutor will be added, against those who do not strengthen the ingathering of exiles after the beginning of the Redemption has started with the ingathering, for then in `Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape… and among the remnant…’ A word to the wise is sufficient. This distressed the Gaon a great deal.”
The question is raised that if HaShem’s desire for the Jewish Nation to reside in Eretz Yisrael is so clear, why do so many great rabbis still choose to voluntarily live in exile from their homeland? And why do some even reject the existence of a Divine commandment to return to the Land of Israel? In the fifth chapter of Kol HaTor, the Gaon is quoted as explaining the inner reason why many Torah scholars do not encouraging their followers to actively participate in the Redemption process.
“The sin of the spies… hovers over the Nation of Israel in every generation… How strong is the power of the Sitra Achra that it succeeds in hiding from the eyes of our holy fathers the dangers of the klipot; from the eyes of Avraham our father, the klipah of exile… and in the time of the Mashiach, the Sitra Achra attacks the guardians of Torah with blinders… Many of the sinners in this great sin of, `They despised the cherished land,’ and also many of the guardians of Torah, will not know or understand that they are caught in the sin of the spies, that they have been sucked into the sin of the spies in many false ideas and empty claims, and they cover their ideas with the already proven fallacy that the mitzvah of the settlement of Israel no longer applies in our day, an opinion which has already been disproven by the giants of the world, the Rishonim and Achronim.”
Anything that delays the sanctification of G-D’s Name consequentially profanes it. By rejecting the mitzvah to build a Hebrew state in Eretz Yisrael and magnify HaShem’s Divine Ideal to mankind, many otherwise righteous individuals have become guilty of decreasing the global perception of His all encompassing Oneness.
“See – HaShem, your G-D, has placed the land before you; go up and possess, as HaShem, G-D of your forefathers, has spoken to you. Do not fear and do not lose resolve.” (DEVARIM 1:21)
The Ramban clearly explains (Positive Commandment 4 in his supplement to the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot) that this mitzvah of conquering and living in the Land of Israel is a commandment for every generation at all times. The Shulchan Aruch states conclusively on this issue (Even HaEzer 75, Pitchei Tshuva 6) that all of the arbitrators of Torah Law (Rishonim and Achronim) follow the opinion of the Ramban.
Because history demands that the Hebrew Diaspora be eliminated, Jews can no longer reside securely in the exile. Our people can either come home of their own free will or scorn Jewish national aspirations and HaShem’s Torah by taking their chances in foreign lands. Because the state of Jews living outside of our borders is both an unnatural situation and an objective desecration of G-D’s holy Name, one way or another it will come to an end.
What sustains the Hebrew Diaspora today is a psychological enslavement that focuses on personal security and individual success. The Maharal of Prague explains in Netzach Yisrael that this mental slavery is hinted at within the Hebrew language. The only difference between the words gola (exile) and Geula (Redemption) is the letter Aleph, which has the numerical value of one. Whoever chooses to remains in the exile, thereby fighting the historic tide of Israel’s Redemption, is only doing so because he lacks the idea of “One” – the complete belief in the unity of Israel and HaShem – in G-D being One and His Name being One over and beyond all that exists. Only by arriving at the awareness of One – the intrinsic unity and collective destiny of Am Yisrael – will Jews be able to break free from our psychological prisons of egoism and accept our roles as parts of the greater Israeli whole. We will be able to perceive HaShem’s unity in history and Creation and will be able to fully devote ourselves to the Zionist revolution. And once the Hebrew Nation is psychologically free, we can focus on living up to our national mission as a Kingdom of priests and holy Nation that will shine Divine light to all of mankind.
With Love of Israel,
-Yehuda HaKohen
Am Segula
