BS”D Parashat Va’ye’chi 5784
by Rabbi Nachman Kahana | Dec 27, 2023
Seek Peace and Pursue it
A: With the passage of time, we can confidently conclude that the only thing which is permanent in our physical world is the phenomenon of change, except for one stubborn obsessive, intransigent, obstinate, implacable, persistent, unrelenting, ageless feature – Judenhass – hatred of the Jew. It is enduring, perpetual, and grows in concert with the population of gentiles, wherever they may be. Its resilience was predicted by the archenemy of Am Yisrael – Bil’am, in his venomous curse turned blessing (Bamidbar 23,9):
כי מראש צרים אראנו ומגבעות אשורנו הן עם לבדד ישכן ובגוים לא יתחשב
From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them.
I see a people who live apart and are distinct from gentile beliefs and mores.
Nations and religions have since time immemorial tried to eradicate us. But despite some physical and emotional scars, with limited success despite the huge efforts they have put into this forever unattainable ambition.
HaShem presented us with a way of life different than any other culture, in order to guarantee our superior uniqueness as His chosen nation, not to be corrupted by pagans and false idols.
We marry among ourselves; we dress differently and what we eat is stubbornly Jewish food. Our language is not spoken by any other nation or race, and even the manner in which we are conceived and born and the way we die and are buried are uniquely Jewish.
Indeed, we have paid the price for being HaShem’s chosen nation, but our return to Eretz Yisrael at this time in history is signaling a change in the way the Almighty will relate to us in the future. The immense divide between Jews and gentiles will become exponentially greater.
HaShem’s miracles will become ever more evident, as presented by the prophet Yechezkel 37,15-28 which served as the haftara in last week’s parasha Vayigash (Yechezkel 37,21-24):
כא) ודבר אליהם כה אמר א-דני יקוק הנה אני לקח את בני ישראל מבין הגוים אשר הלכו שם וקבצתי אתם מסביב והבאתי אותם אל אדמתם:
כב) ועשיתי אתם לגוי אחד בארץ בהרי ישראל ומלך אחד יהיה לכלם למלך ולא יהיה יהיו עוד לשני גוים ולא יחצו עוד לשתי ממלכות עוד:
כג) ולא יטמאו עוד בגלוליהם ובשקוציהם ובכל פשעיהם והושעתי אתם מכל מושבתיהם אשר חטאו בהם וטהרתי אותם והיו לי לעם ואני אהיה להם לאלהים:
כד) ועבדי דוד מלך עליהם ורועה אחד יהיה לכלם ובמשפטי ילכו וחקתי ישמרו ועשו אותם:
כה) וישבו על הארץ אשר נתתי לעבדי ליעקב אשר ישבו בה אבותיכם וישבו עליה המה ובניהם ובני בניהם עד עולם ודוד עבדי נשיא להם לעולם:
כו) וכרתי להם ברית שלום ברית עולם יהיה אותם ונתתים והרביתי אותם ונתתי את מקדשי בתוכם לעולם:
כז) והיה משכני עליהם והייתי להם לאלהים והמה יהיו לי לעם:
כח) וידעו הגוים כי אני יקוק מקדש את ישראל בהיות מקדשי בתוכם לעולם
This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, to where they have gone. I will gather them from every side and bring them back into their own land.
I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and shall no more be like two nations nor be divided into two kingdoms.
They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their G–D.
My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be diligent in abiding by my decrees.
They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever.
I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever.
My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their G–D, and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I the Lord has sanctified Israel when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them.
B: However, this status of redemption requires a precedent of chaos. The situation of utopia as pictured by the prophet Yechezkel cannot exist when all around us are the evil incarnations of Aisav and Yishmael. As stated in Tehillim 34,15:
סור מרע ועשה טוב בקש שלום ורדפהו:
Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
As long as evil dominates the world, the gentile nations will not permit us to benefit from a good life for ourselves and for the few remaining righteous gentiles, as outlined above by the prophet Yechezkel.
What we are witnessing today is the beginning of HaShem’s countdown time for justice. It is beginning with the ongoing destruction of Amalek in Gaza and will embrace the far-reaching regions of Christianity and Islam. Not to speak of the billions of humans who deny the existence of an omnipotent G–D.
During this period of retribution, revenge and damnation for what these people have wrought upon Am Yisrael from the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash and our two-thousand-year exile from Eretz Yisrael, there will be a cathartic and purification process here in the holy land.
The 400,000 gentiles from Eastern Europe who entered the land by virtue of the irresponsible ‘Grandparent’ clause in the Law of Return, whereby one whose parents are both goyim but has a Jewish grandparent may enter the country with full Israeli citizenship. And except for a very small minority, they are not interested in converting to Judaism, preferring instead to establish churches and non-kosher food stores in every city in the holy land. They will have to go.
The millions of Moslems between the “sea and the river” who support the actions and beliefs of Hamas and their likes will have to go.
These are ambitious goals for a miniscule population of seven million Jews in Eretz Yisrael, but numbers have no bearing when HaShem emanates His messages to His prophets, like the one quoted above in Yechezkel 37.
C: Some relevant psukim (Torah verses):
1- Devarim 32,43
הרנינו גוים עמו כי דם עבדיו יקום ונקם ישיב לצריו וכפר אדמתו עמו:
Rejoice, you nations, with His people – for He (HaShem) will avenge the blood of his servants; He will take vengeance on His enemies and make atonement for His land and people.
2- Yoel 4,21
ונקיתי דמם לא נקיתי ויקוק שכן בציון:
Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged? No, I will not! The Lord dwells in Zion!
3- Tehillim 79,10
למה יאמרו הגוים איה אלהיהם יודע בגיים בגוים לעינינו נקמת דם עבדיך השפוך:
Why should the nations say, where is their G–D? Before our eyes, make known among the nations that You avenge the outpoured blood of Your servants.
4- Ibid: 9,13
כי דרש דמים אותם זכר לא שכח צעקת עניים ענוים:
Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what He has done. For He who avenges blood remembers, He does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.
5- Ibid: 120,7
אני שלום וכי אדבר המה למלחמה
Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.
6- Ibid 144,15
אשרי העם שככה לו אשרי העם שיקוק א-להיו:
Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people for whom HaShem is the Lord.
Shabbat Shalom
Nachman Kahana
Copyright © 5784/2023 Nachman Kahana
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