Parsha Va’era 5766: Relating to the “Center” in Israel …

Parsha Va’era 5766: Relating to the “Center” in Israel
By Moshe Burt

At the conclusion of Parsha Shemos, Moshe and Aaron are confronted, upon exiting Pharoh’s Palace, by the B’nai Yisrael who are in deeper despair than before because of the increased workload which resulted from Pharoh’s fury at Moshe’s first effort to secure their freedom and exit from Mitzrayim.

Our Parsha begins with the dialogue which Moshe Rebbeinu has with Hashem prior to again speaking to the B’nai Yisrael. And so, after Hashem rebukes Moshe for his complaint and reassures him that redemption is at hand, Moshe again addresses the B’nai Yisrael as to his meeting with Pharoh.

“And Moshe spoke so [Hashem’s promise of imminent Redemption] to the B’nai Yisrael and they did not listen to Moshe for anguish of spirit and hard work.” (Sefer Shemos, Perek 6, pusuk 9)

Rabbi Artscroll cites two interpretations; one was held by “most commentators that the verse explains that their negative attitude was due not to lack of faith, but to the difficult physical and emotional circumstances under which they labored.” (Artscroll Stone Chumash, Sefer Shemos, Perek 6, pusuk 9, page 320)

The second interpretation was held by Sforno that Moshe’s message did not evoke in the people a faith in G’d as Avraham had. (Breish’t Perek 15, pusuk 6) “As a result, they lost the priviledge of going to the Promised Land and their children were the ones for whom the promise … was fulfilled. The reason for their failure was their insufficiency of spirit. The pusuk concludes, however, that had it not been for the hard work, they would have overcome their impatience and heeded Moshe’s appeal.” Artscroll Stone Chumash, Sefer Shemos, Perek 6, pusuk 9, page 321)

To these interpretations, this author would then add recollection of a vort from Shem Mishmuel who speaks about the disconnection between intellect and vocalization, and the heart and neshama which took place during the enslavement in Egypt. According to the understanding of this vort, only once the B’nai Yisrael were redeemed, could the circuit; the connection between thought and it’s vocalization and the heart and neshama be completed and the B’nai Yisrael then vocalize it’s deepest, heartfelt words and faith.

To bring this vort down to a contemporary level, there has been a running discussion on a few blogs, including The Sin of Expulsion blog about what will grab and influence Israelis, or more precisely, the “center” and begin to bring them to the righteousness and justness of Hashem and the cause of Torah and the Land of Israel. For, like it or not, the pintele yid is too far beneath the surface of many, even among segments of the religious. This seems true even though, at various levels according to statistics, various traditions of Judaism i.e. fasting on Yom Kippur, cleaning the house of chometz before Pesach, lighting Shabbos candles, etc. are kept by many or most Israelis.

However, owing to the horrendous Israeli secular education system and it’s poor, nil curriculum concerning anything Jewish, this generation’s youth know not how to recite even the Shema in their native Iv’rit peh (Mother tongue). And they do not know their history, not 5766 years of Jewish history, not even the events and personalities of their nearly 58 years of contemporary Israeli history. Add to that, he’s up to his eyeballs in red, that’s the red of the bank minus.

And so, the average Israeli lacks erudition and does not know from the medium of internet, where there still exists the freedom of exchange of ideas. Yosef Q. Secular Israeli is a TV junkie who’s changeable ideology is spoon-fed and inculcated to him by the likes of Shelly Yechemovitch, Ya’ir Lapid, etc.

So how or what do we do as a first step toward confronting Israelis with reality when the heart and soul are disconnected from intellect and speech? One blogster wrote this author the following;

“IMHO, the demographics argument is THE central issue for centrist Israelis, namely the ones [on an earthly level] that will decide the future of the territories [Yehuda and The Shomron]. These Israelis don’t like Arabs and can live with occupying them if necessary but they don’t see a way out of our situation and assume it will only get worse due to demographics. Thus, they are susceptible to stupid solutions [like those offered in speeches in Herzliya; a couple of years ago by Arik Sharon, and now Ehud Olmert’s speech] regarding retreats because at least the retreats deal with the core issue of demographics.”

“But if you want to influence the people who will actually decide this issue, then I believe that the demographics dud is what you should be pushing.”

This demographics dud has been portrayed recently (and a number of previous times) by Caroline Glick and she has made reference to research and reports compiled by Bennett Zimmerman and a group of Israeli and American researchers who have proven conclusively that the p.a.-based demographic statistics, on which the Israeli government bases it’s policies regarding maintenance of a “Jewish Majority” in Israel, are grossly and blatantly overstated by at least 1/3.

Sadly, these facts are not reaching most Israelis for lack of erudition on the internet, government interference and censorship as well as news boycotting by the leftist agendized Israeli print and electronic media.

But if the demographic facts were to surface and penetrate the consciousness of Israelis, it is an issue that they can relate to strongly, even given the disconnection between heart, soul and intellect, and could make or break the coming election.

May it be in this year and beyond, that our brethren; the refugee families from Gush Katif and the Shomron (may they soon be restored to new homes and neighborhoods, Bati Knesset, Yeshivot in Gush Katif and the Shomron and only happiness and success for all time), as well as our dear brother, Jonathan Pollard (may he soon know freedom and long life in Eretz Yisrael) be central in our thoughts, prayers, chassadim and actions. May this abominable period of history called hitnatkut be as a bad dream.

May we be zocha in this coming year to take giant steps toward fulfilling Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, “Yom Hashem V’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v’yameinu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Meiyad, Etmol!!!

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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of the Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
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