Last week, I discussed double-meaning words in Hebrew and English. One other example stands out. Many years ago, when my wife and I were about to embark on our first trip to Israel, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis’ father, Ha Rav Avraham ha Levi Jungreis zt”l, saw our group off at Kennedy Airport. I clearly remember his words: “The name of the place to which you are going is ‘Israel.’ Why does it have that name? Because it ‘is real!’ Israel is real! All the events that you study in the Torah are real! And they occurred in the Land which Hashem gave us! When you go to the Land, you see that everything you learn in the Torah ‘is real!’”
In this week’s Parsha, we learn that we have one home. Throughout all the many years of our exiles, there is only one real home, and that is the Land of Israel, the place to which we are all going when our exiles come to an end. The entire Torah which we perform is to enable us to live a life of kedusha in the Land of Israel, as it says, “You shall perform My decrees and observe My ordinances and perform them. Then you shall dwell securely on the land.” (Vayikra 25:18) After every fifty years, all land in Israel reverts to its original owner. And so it is with us: at the end of our exile we will revert to our true existence, which can only be in the Land which Hashem gave us.
Recently, one of our dear acquaintances spoke about something which was troubling him deeply. He is very disturbed about the lies which are being spread publicly about Am Yisroel and Eretz Yisroel. High profile figures are spewing lies which are reminiscent of the “big lies” perpetrated against us throughout the centuries which have no basis in reality, but which have spawned anti-Jewish riots and pogroms because our enemies are looking for any provocation, whether or not it has any basis in truth.
For example, we read recently in Parshas Acharei Mos, “no person among you may consume blood.” (Vayikra 17:10) There is a direct, clear mitzvah not to eat blood. No observant Jew would consider consuming blood. We run away from this with all our strength. Yet it is precisely this which our enemies accuse us of! This is the most absurd accusation in the world! No normal person could accuse us of consuming blood! This demonstrates the utter emptiness of the lies which are being spewed forth about us.
Dovid ha Melech compares the voices of our enemies with the roar of rivers: “like rivers they raised their voice!” (Tehillim 93) The louder they scream, the emptier the words.
Our friend asked why our eloquent spokesmen and community activists don’t sue these slanderers for millions of dollars and bring them down in shame so they stop their lies?
My friends, I want to tell you where I believe we are in history.
There was a time when America seemed much more welcoming to Am Yisroel. Yes, there have always been slanderers, but America historically has been a “medina of chessed.” I remember hearing about a Yid who worked in the White House under President George W. Bush. One Friday afternoon, the President said to him, “Shlomo*, what are you doing here? It’s almost Shabbos! Go home!” Of course, President Trump is our good friend, but, outside the White House, a vicious wind is sweeping through the entire world.
Someone asked the Klausenberger Rebbe zt”l why he did not make his own village in America like other rebbes. “Indeed,” he answered, “I once contemplated establishing our own little town … but my memory brought me back to darker times. There are people who say … the Churban can never happen again. Sadly, they don’t know what they are saying…. Don’t think that, if someone comes after us, America will step in to save us. They won’t…. I remember when the accursed Germans came in. All the Yidden were gathered together in one place and all he had to do was take them and shecht them…. I will not gather all of us together in one town! I don’t want the goyim to know where we are!” (Klausenberger Rebbe, Artscroll/Mesorah)
In Germany, they never thought such a thing would happen. German Jews were extremely powerful just prior to the advent of the Third Reich. The same was true in Spain before the Inquisition. And the same was true in Mitzraim before a “new king arose over Egypt who did not know Yosef.” (Shemos 1:8)
“B’chol dor vador … in every generation they rise up against us to destroy us.” (Haggadah)
After the Tochacha in this week’s Parsha come the incredibly comforting words of Hashem: despite our sins, our infighting, our rebellions, our Father in Shomayim will never abandon us. And Hashem says, “Despite all this, while they will be in the land of their enemies, I will not have been revolted by them and nor will I have rejected them to obliterate them [nor will I] annul My covenant with them… I will remember for them the covenant of the ancients… to be G-d unto them. I am Hashem!” (Vayikra 26:44ff)
May we see the full revelation of the Great Promise soon in our days!
Rabbi Avraham ha Levi & Rebbetzin Miriam Jungreis
GLOSSARY
Chessed: kindness, charity
Churban: destruction
Kedusha: sanctity, holiness
Medina: land
Parsha: Torah Portion
Shecht: slaughter
Tochacha: words of rebuke
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