"כנשר יעיר קנו, על-גוזליו ירחף" (Deut. 32:11)

In Haazinu, G-d compares His pastorage of Israel to the way a נשר watches over its young. Common translations of the word נשר take it to mean Eagle. However, scholars from the times of the rishonim until modern days agree that the true identity of the נשר is more likely the griffon vulture ¹. The griffon vulture is actually bald with no feathers on its head. It holds the record as the highest flying bird, and better matches the scriptural description of the נשר than the eagle.

In ancient Egypt, vultures symbolized love, because they are commonly found in pairs, and mother and child are closely bonded. The vulture was mother par-excellence, and its huge wingspan (up to 8 feet!) symbolized the care and protection a parent provides its child ². In fact, the female griffon vulture does not leave its nest until the young are grown, hovering or perched in the nest on constant guard. The father must provide food for both the mother and young during this time.

With this in mind, it is easy to understand why G-d compares his protection of the newly born Nation of Israel to the vulture's protection of its young.

Olmert, Step Down

Ynet reports that Moshe Moskel received a call yesterday from the police. Moshe, father of Rafnael, a soldier who fell in Lebanon, made headlines last week in his heckling and general disruption of the Prime Minister at Kadima's 'Raise a Glass' ceremony. While at the event, Olmert tried to maintain his composure and minimize the continued interruptions by Moshe and other protestors. However, it is clear now that Olmert is scared of popular protest, and has begun to intimidate anyone who disagrees with him.

When Moshe picked up the phone, an officer with the police asked if he could come visit bringing along an intelligence officer. The police visited, and finally asked if Moshe planned to protest at a memorial service planned for the dead soldiers the next day. Moshe said that there is a difference between a Kadima celebration and a memorial service.

I wonder what would have happened if Moshe had answered, "Yes, I plan to protest!". The implication of sending two police officers to your door is that you better not try anything. We are watching you. Based on worse events that have happened to others in Israel, Moshe probably would have been arrested, or taken in for a day or two of questioning, or at least be told he was forbidden from going near the service.

So, if I have it straight, you can be the father of a hero, you could even be a hero yourself, but if you disagree with Olmert, and voice your opinion, you will be intimidated into submission by his goons.

A corrupt judiciary and its enforcing arm, the police, are the subject of many prophecies. Throughout the exile, I am sure people wondered, "we don't have judges or police who are Jews today. What could this prophecy talking about?" The State of Israel has opened our eyes. May we quickly merit the blessing: "And I will return you judges as of old, and your advisors, Zion in justice shall be redeemed..."

We Jews deserve better leaders. Olmert, Peretz, Peres, et al, step down!

Shana Tova

A few nights ago, I had a nightmare. I dreamed that my year-and-a-half year old son drowned in the bath. It was one of those dreams where you are sure it is really happening. I still vividly recall his blue tinged lips and his paste colored face.

While I was dreaming, I am sure that my brain went through similar if not identical thoughts as if the situation was really happening. When I woke up, the pain and distress were so powerful! I thanked G-d for the יסורין, and accepted it as a punishment for sins.

On Rosh Hashanna, we will read about Akedat Yitzchak. I think a fundamental lesson from this ultimate test of Isaac and Abraham is that our usual charge in this world is to live for G-d, not to die for Him. However, only through a sincere willingness to die for G-d can we come to truly live our lives for Him constantly, and escape the common egotism and selfishness that permeates the lives of so many. A readiness to die for G-d concretizes an ability to live for Him. It also gives us the strength to die for Him if ever the need arise.

Abraham and Isaac were given the terrible oppritunity to act out their willingness (when they knew beyond doubt that it is G-d's command). Their tale is immortalized, and we are to glean strength and courage from it. However, in order to internalize this lesson, we must spend the time to go through the emotional steps to be willing to die for G-d, as well as we can. Much like my nighmare of yester-night, we must allow ourselves to experience the emotional and mental activity, as if we really are dying for G-d. We can then apply the resulting emotions to our everyday lives, to live for Him.

May this year be a year of continued growth for each of us as an individual. May we all find happiness and comfort, and may all our desires be fulfilled in the best way possible.

May our Nation develop in a positive manner. May we deserve good leaders, and may our country enjoy peace and prosperity through security and strength. May we move forward into the redemption, and may our brothers and sisters return to G-d.

May our desire to live come from a fundamental, honest wish to live for G-d, and make our actions pleasing to Him. May we not simply crave life for personal, selfish or egotistical reasons. May our relization of G-d's gifts to us, such as family, friends, comfort, and wealth, spur us to greater heights in our service, and not, Heaven forbid, to 'וישמן ישורון ויבעט'. May we justify our creation and continued existance, and may we validate the fact that G-d created us. May we be successful experiments in the great laboratory of Man's Free Will.

I ask forgiveness of anyone who I may have slighted. I truly am sorry, and have resolved to make my comments on blogs less personal, more enlightened, and full of love. In the 'real' world, I resolve to take things less personally, and treat everyone the way I would like to be treated.

May it be His will that this new year usher in the redemption of the world. שנה טובה.

Israel, the Jewish State, For How Long?

Well, it is up to us.

CBS studied the demographics of Israel, and found that the Jewish majority in Israel has lost 1.8% in the past five years, while the Arabs grew 1.1%.

Most troubling is the fact that the average Jew is about 30 years old, while the average Muslim is 19. 25.6% of the Jews are below 15, as compared to 42.6% of Muslims.

We are in the throes of an extended war over our very existance. The Arab birthrate is much higher than ours. They are younger than us. They are killing us quietly with their babies, while we talk of a road map, or the latest drivel to come out of the Quartet. We attempt to guarantee a halt to missile and suicide attacks, or to get the Arabs to acknowledge our right to exist. But that is all a red herring. Even without one bomb, one dead Jew, one war, the Arabs can win. They will simply keep having babies, and use the tools of the Israeli democracy to destroy it!

What can we do?

1) We must expell the the hateful, anti-Israel population, and transfer them from our land. This is what any sane country would do, and indeed, a number of them did, immediately after WWII. This is already being discussed.(This one is for our government to fulfill.)

2) We must raise the Jewish birthrate. Every baby we have is defensive armor against a future bloodless Islamic revolution in Israel. We must encourage Jewish young people to marry and have children. We lost six million less than 70 years ago, and we must rebuild our nation.

3) On a smaller scale, we must do our best to stop unneccessary abortions in the Jewish population. According to Efrat, almost 150 babies a day are aborted in Jewish Israel! Efrat is a beautiful organization that counsels Jewish women to carry a pregnancy through to term, and provides financial assitance after the birth. We must support organizations like Efrat, where the value of each Jewish life is taken seriously.

May we be blessed with a safe, peaceful year, and may our eyes swiftly see the redemption of our beloved people in our beloved land, and gain spiritual nourishment from G-d's divine presence.


UPDATE:
Arutz-7 quotes Yoram Ettinger, a member of an Israeli-American Association that critiques the government's demographic studies.

He states that since 1995, Jewish births increased by 30%, while the Arab births slowly lowered.

Also, he mentions Arab emigration from Israel, and Jewish immigration to Israel, and notes that the governmental figures often leave facts such as these out.

The momentum is slowly, slowly moving in Jewish Israel's favor, it seems.

We cannot let our guard down, but this information gives me some positive feelings about the demographic issue.

Post-Zionism: Torah Style

Earlier this week, we discussed the inevitable return to the ghetto evident in secular post-zionism. However, it is important to note that even the Torah does not necessarily view Jewish vindication as the ultimate purpose of the redemption process. Rather, Jewish Philosophy sees the ultimate redemption of all of Creation as the climax of history.

In Sukka, 55b, Rabbi Yochanan bemoans the irony accompanying the destruction of the altar. The nations of the world all received atonement for their sins while the altar service was in effect. By destroying the Temple, the Romans unknowingly destroyed the very mechanism by which G-d forgave their sins! Evident here is a new facet of the tragic destruction. In the future, Isa. 66:23 prophesies, all living creatures will come to the Temple periodically to serve G-d. It is clear that the redemption of the Jews is only part of a larger picture. There will be universal recognition of G-d, and, subsequently, a universal grace in which all nations, indeed, all of creation, find the perfection which has eluded them throughout history.

In one of Rav Kook's pieces of poetry, his 'שיר מרובע' he describes the passage of a man from his concern over his personal redemption, to an interest in Jewish National redemption. From there, the protagonist finds a higher plane of redemption, that of all Mankind. Finally, he ends by finding the ultimate redemption, the redemption of the Universe, and the validation of Creation.

Zionism emanates from the second level, one where a man loses his personal ego, and attaches to the spirit of Israel, and concerns himself with the redemption of his nation. However, Rav Kook points out, this nationalism still contains streaks of ego. At the appropriate time, this negative must also be traded for the perfection of Mankind, and eventually, the world entire.

We must choose how to view our nationalism. Is it an end in itself? If so, it is doomed to fail, because it does not resolve to the perfection of all creation. However, if we see our nationalism as a segue to a world which is 'full of knowledge of G-d', then it serves an important purpose.

On Sukka 52a, Rabbis argue over a eulogy given in Zech. 12. Is the eulogy given for the Evil Inclination, or for Messiah of Joseph? (Messiah of Joseph symbolizes throughout Jewish thought, the precursor to Messiah, son of David. He prepares the physical situation of the Jews, preparing them for the spiritual perfection of the Messiah of David (Judah). And so, Rabbi Kook saw the return to Zion and Secular Zionism as possible representatives of this pre-Messiah, the Messiah of Joseph.) Perhaps this talmudic discussion aims at the question of how we view our nationalism. If we view our nationalism as an end in itself, then the Messiah of Joseph dies. However, if we use this nationalism to attain the universalism of the ultimate redemption, then the Messiah of Joseph will not die. Instead, we will eulogize the destruction of Evil.

The Gaon of Vilna said that during the blessings asking for redemption in our daily prayers, we must fervently beg G-d to spare the life of the Messiah of Joseph. We must do all that is within our power to bridge the gap between the beginning of the redemption and its ultimate purpose, when, 'all creatures will come to serve our G-d in the rebuilt temple' (Isa. ibid.).

With Rosh Hashana in a week's time, we recall that the new year is not just the day of Judgement for the Jewish People. 'היום הרת עולם', today is the birthday of the entire universe. The Talmud states (R.H. 16a) that every creature is judged on this day. May this year truly be a year of redemption, and may we, by following the Torah, and with valiant trust in G-d, usher in a time when peace is the way of the land, and G-d reigns supreme: 'ביום ההוא יהיה ה' אחד ושמו אחד' (Zech. 14:9).

Secular Zionism --> Ghettoism

It is ironic that secular Zionism has been running away from the caricature of the ghetto Jew for a century and a half. Why? Because on Friday, Ynet ran an interview with the past general of the South Command (if I recall correctly). When asked if Israel would win its battle against terror, he answered, "That all depends on how you define 'winning'. If you mean surviving, we are already winning..."

According to him, winning simply means that the enemy has not wiped out the Jewish Nation completely. A far cry from a State defending its citizens and borders. A far cry from 'וימס לבבם', the melting of hearts that occured in the ancient enemies of Israel.

Perhaps when our generals and politicians once again consider every Israeli life worth fighting for, our army will be able to return to the true definition of 'winning'. But this will only happen when Torah once again animates their souls. Without torah, we will keep redefining 'success' to match whatever depths to which we sink.