Torah

Measuring Midrash

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By Ariella Golani

When a Biblical commentator or modern prophet writes about his understanding of the Bible, is it possible to evaluate what he/she says? And by what means? What are we to tie to as an unmovable anchor?

Originally the Bible was the measure of truth. (Still is IMHO). 

Specifically the Torah. There are several laws in the Torah itself as well as verses in the Tanakh that claim that all truth must be founded first of all on the principles of Torah–That we must not add to nor take from. So how can that be applied in light of an Oral Torah? 

So the big question that puts things in focus is whether or not those who came after Moses and the prophets were/are allowed to write stories about the meaning of what is recorded in the sacred writings of the Tanakh. And if we answer yes, then how will those stories be measured as to what is truth? Is it by a qualifying credential from a school of higher learning, be it a yeshiva, or a university? Or do we boil it down the the same thing–Torah as the only Anchor? Basically, does a rabbinic degree allow departure from the written Torah? And how is Oral Torah measured? Midrash? If there is no basic guide other than being an esteemed sage or rabbi, then public reverence is all that is needed to establish truth and if this is the case then we might as well follow the majority, be it in religious matters or politics. And what was that verse that is so badly taken out of context about following the majority? Hey let me get back to that!

I would not argue that scholars from these institutions have nothing to teach us. But what I take exception to is the often clear stepping aside to redefine the laws of the Torah of Moses–Adding to or taking from as is clearly forbidden by the text of Torah itself. Here is what the Bible says it:

Deu 4: “2 Ye shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall ye take from it, that ye may keep the commandments of YHVH your God which I command you.”

Deu 12:”32 Everything that I command you, ye shall take heed to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor take from it.”

Jos 1: “7 Only be strong and very courageous, that thou mayest take heed to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded thee. Turn not from it to the right or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.”

Pro 30:”6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”

Let’s take as an example, a well-known midrash. It is about Joshua the high priest who was to officiate in the second temple. The story is found in Zechariah 3:1-7:

Zec 3:”1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of YHVH, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2 And YHVH said unto Satan, YHVH rebuke thee, O Satan! Yea, YHVH that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee! Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3 And Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the Angel. 4 And he spoke and said unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from off him. And unto him he said, See, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I clothe thee with festival-robes. 5 And I said, Let them set a pure turban upon his head. And they set the pure turban upon his head, and clothed him with garments; and the Angel of YHVH stood by. 6 And the Angel of YHVH protested unto Joshua, saying, 7 Thus saith YHVH of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts; and I will give thee a place to walk among these that stand by.”

So what were the filthy garments that the attendants that stood by removed? Here is something from the internet:

“Intermarriage of Sons: The most prominent Midrashic explanation (found in Talmud Sanhedrin 93b and cited by Rashi) is that Joshua’s sons had married foreign women who were forbidden to the priesthood. The garments were “filthy” because Joshua did not protest or prevent these marriages.” Link

The filthy garments, according to midrash had to be removed, meaning the sons had to divorce their wives and abandon their children. In the story, the sons actually did this and then Joshua was acquitted (the filthy garments removed). 

What the Torah says: a father is not held accountable for the sins of his sons. (this would of course be after the age of accountability).

Deu 24:”16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, neither shall the sons be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.”

So according to Torah, this midrash does not line up. The filthy garments were Joshua’s own sins and his own defilement, apparently things that he absorbed from the exile in Babylon. Now to be cleansed of these things it took the work of divine beings, (those who stood by were commanded to remove the filthy garments from Joshua) perhaps giving him enlightenment.  It was like a day of atonement. Yom Kippur?

If we are looking for another example from the Bible, let us look at the law about the rebellious son and what the parents were to do.

Deu 21: “18 If a man have an unmanageable and rebellious son, who hearkeneth not unto the voice of his father, nor unto the voice of his mother, and they have chastened him, but he hearkeneth not unto them; 19 then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; 20 and they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is unmanageable and rebellious, he hearkeneth not unto our voice; he is a profligate and a drunkard. 21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die. And thou shalt put evil away from thy midst; and all Israel shall hear and fear.”

If parents are ultimately responsible for the sins of their children, then the parents would have also been stoned in this example. 

The prophet Ezekiel speaks to this principle: 

Eze 18: “20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”

Since the prophet goes along with the commandment in Deuteronomy, we can include it. What happens if a prophet does not speak according to the commandment?

Deu 13: “4 Ye shall walk after YHVH your God, and ye shall fear him, and his commandments shall ye keep, and his voice shall ye hear; and ye shall serve him, and unto him shall ye cleave. 5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; for he hath spoken revolt against YHVH your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, — to draw thee out of the way that YHVH thy God commanded thee to walk in; and thou shalt put evil away from thy midst.”

So if the things a prophet says do not align with what God commanded us in the Torah, then we are not to listen to him. Actually in the instructions for Israel, that prophet was to be  put to death. 

Isa 8:”20 To Torah and testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because light has not dawned in them.”

  לְתוֹרָה וְלִתְעוּדָה אִם־לֹא יֹאמְרוּ כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אֵין־לוֹ שָׁחַר׃

What we need to ask is what was the influence of the Exile in Babylon that brought about the condition of “filthy garments” ? And what was the remedy? What will happen today when Jews return from the exile? From what do they need to be cleansed? Is the story of Joshua the high priest actually a prophecy for end time return from the exile? I believe it is!

So what about following the majority? 

Orthodox Judaism claims that Jews must follow the majority of the collected rabbinic views on Halakhah. There is very little individual freedom to decide what a text means. 

Where did this idea of following the majority come from? Only one verse in the Torah!

Exodus 23:”2 Thou shalt not follow the multitude for evil; neither shalt thou answer in a cause, to go after the multitude to pervert judgment.”

This verse has been expanded by Oral Torah scholars to mean the following: (And I clearly do not see how this can be accepted by any thinking mind! )

Jewish Virtual Library:

“MAJORITY RULE, deciding a matter according to the majority opinion. In the field of the halakhah this rule is applied in three principal instances:

(a) determination of the binding law according to (the view of) the majority of halakhic scholars;

(b) adjudication of dispute by the majority decision of the courts’ judges; and

(c) imposition by majority decision of the community, or its representatives, of a communal enactment (see *Takkanot ha-Kahal), binding on all members of the community. The basis for the majority rule is to be found in the exegesis of the scriptural phrase, aḥarei rabbim le-hattot (to “follow a multitude…” Ex. 23:2).” Link. 

So what this does is to negate individual understanding of the Torah and place it outside in a rabbinic courtroom. Now the Torah becomes complicated and the individual becomes subservient to the leadership. Makes me think of some Catholics I knew in Mexico. They claimed they needed a priest to explain the Bible because it wasn’t written for the common man or woman!

But the Torah was given in simple form so that each person can understand it without scholastic interpretation:

Deu 30:”11 For this commandment which I command thee this day is not too wonderful for thee, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in the heavens, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to the heavens, and bring it to us, that we should hear it and do it? 13 And it is not beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we should hear it and do it? 14 For the word is very near to thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.”

And what about needing numerous fences around the Torah? This is often used to justify why there are so many Halakhic rules for Torah commandments. Do we really believe that God will punish us for somehow not understanding the simple words of the commandments? After all, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bow to an image, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not make God’s name of none effect…all these as well as the rest need no elaboration. 

So how about we just keep it simple!

Parashat Vayera Genesis 18-22

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Sodom, Promise to Abraham, Ishmael, Hagar, Isaac, Akeida…Gaza

Genesis 18-22, covers a lot of ground. There is probably enough material for a book on any of the topics recorded in these four chapters.

Angels’ Visit to Abraham:

In Genesis 18, YHVH appears to Abraham, and he sees three figures pass by the tent while he is sitting in the entrance in the “heat of the day”. Genesis 17 tells of Abraham circumcising himself, Ishmael and all the males of his household. Chapter 18 follows with Abraham sitting at the door of his tent. Many commentaries say that Abraham was still in the pain of the circumcision when the visitors came to him. This is not clear from the plain reading of the text.

In chapter 17:26 we read: “Thus Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on that very day;” From the context it seems that Abraham circumcised both himself and Ishmael on the very day that he received the command to do so. The rest of the servants and staff of his household are mentioned afterwards and thus may have been circumcised a little later. It is not clear that they were all circumcised on the same day, nor is it clear that Abraham was sitting in the “heat” (“heat” according to rabbinic commentaries meaning maximum pain) on the 3rd day when the Heavenly visitors came. There is no mention of the 3rd day here.

 “Babylonian Talmud (Bava Metzia 86b), interprets “in the heat of the day” as a reference to the third day after Abraham was circumcised at the age of 99.”

What is a possible understanding of a text is not necessarily fact, as we often see when reading biblical texts and their commentaries. If we stay true to Biblical text, there will be unanswered questions which must be explored or accepted as unanswered. What would be the motive for saying that YHVH visited Abraham on the 3rd day when he was in extreme pain? 

The text shows Abraham running to meet the three visitors. How could he do this in the pain after circumcision?

 “And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.” My Lord,” said Abraham, “if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a bit of bread so that you may refresh yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. After that, you may continue on your way.”

Why does Abraham address the three men as “my Lord” in the singular (Master–Adonai in Hebrew)? The first verse of chapter 18 says: 

“Then YHVH appeared to Abraham by the Oaksa of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent.” 18:1

Does Abraham address YHVH or the three men since it is written in the singular? Does he recognize one of them as YHVH and the other two as angels? 

Later, after two of the men leave, YHVH stays with Abraham to bargain for the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. It would appear that Abraham knows whom he must speak to. 

We see Abraham with typical Middle Eastern hospitality, send his servant to prepare a calf and his wife to make three portions of flour into bread to set before his guests. What was set before the guests in this meal? 

Milk and Meat:

“Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set them before the men and stood by them under the tree as they ate.” 18:8

Why does Abraham serve milk, curds and a calf at the same meal? It is clear that the meat was prepared separately from the milk, (it was not boiled in the milk). But in Modern Judaism, dishes made with milk are never allowed at a meal where meat is consumed. How has this bottom line rule of Modern Judaism evolved from a clearly written passage that apparently Abraham understood? (By the way the law was written three times in the Torah so we wouldn’t get it wrong. (Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26, Deuteronomy 14:21). 

Is it possible that the law about boiling a kid in its mother’s milk was not known by Abraham? It is pretty clear that he did not boil anything, so when Genesis 26 says that Abraham knew the laws of the Torah, it must mean he had a better idea of what it meant than what is known as Torah today. So how did this law evolve to what it is today? 

Did Abraham keep the Torah?

26:5  עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר־שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקֹלִי וַיִּשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמַרְתִּי מִצְוֺתַי חֻקּוֹתַי וְתוֹרֹתָי׃

Gen 26: “5 because that Abraham hearkened to my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” (The Hebrew for ” law” is Torah).

After the meal the two men with YHVH got up to journey to Sodom and YHVH stayed to speak more with Abraham about His plans to destroy the wicked city. Abraham bargains for the salvation of the city from 50 innocent, down to 10, that the judge of the earth be merciful–not slaying the righteous with the wicked (verse 23). And then YHVH left. 

Ten Men

From this passage which shows ten people as being the limit to God’s mercy, we have the declaration that an Orthodox minyan requires 10 men to intercede with the Eternal on important matters such as reciting the Mourner’s Kaddish or Yahrzeit or Wedding blessings. If we look at the passage in Genesis, the 10 referred to righteous persons not necessarily, men. And another question arises, is it always necessary to have 10 persons pray to YHVH on important matters? Certainly, from the standpoint of numbers the more righteous people pray the more they will be heard. But what about when Elijah called down fire from heaven? He was a lone voice. Are there other times when God answers prayers without a minyan? 

Isaac

In chapter 21 the promise to Sarah is fulfilled. She gives birth to Isaac. His name means laughter. Isn’t it interesting that both Abraham and Sarah laughed when the promise was first given to them? Isaac’s name was given by YHVH in advance of his birth. When Abraham laughed (Chapter 17:17), he asked how it might be that a man at 100 and Sarah at 90 could have a son? In chapter 18 when the three Strangers visited Abraham, it was Sarah’s turn to laugh (Chapter 18:12) but she was afraid and lied that she had not laughed. She asked how she having passed her child bearing age and her husband so old, should finally find enjoyment. 

Angels visit Lot

In chapter 19, the two angel messengers arrive at Sodom and are urged to stay with Lot. In the evening, the town’s people want to defile them, and Lot offers to surrender his two virgin daughters for the town to do as they wished. The angels then saved Lot from this harrowing encounter with the townsfolk by striking blindness upon those gathered outside. 

Why would this be right for a father to say if he stands as the protector of the family? Later, Lot did not seek husbands for his daughters, and they chose the path of incest with their father to be able to produce offspring. Some say they were so isolated that they didn’t ever encounter men available to marry. Maybe they were afraid to marry any of the inhabitants of the land.

Looking back at the escape from Sodom: when in the morning Lot, his wife and daughters were hurried out of the city, they were warned to hurry and not look back. Lot’s wife turned to a pillar of salt when she disobeyed. What does this mean? Was it a literal pillar, or was it a lesson in not having bitterness about leaving the past behind? Was she unwilling to leave and got caught by the fire that was falling? Did she lag behind when the rest of them were hurrying to safety? Why did she look back? 

Casting out Ishmael

In chapter 21, when Isaac is born and is circumcised, we see Sarah asking to have Ishmael cast out with his mother, so that he would not inherit anything that belonged rightfully to Isaac. But if we remember, it was at Sarah’s insistence that Hagar be taken to produce a son for Abraham. Now that she has a child of her own, she turns on Hagar who is extradited at God’s command and sent to wander with her son in the desert. The boy was more than 13, given the timeline of what had happened previously. Abraham and Ishmael are circumcised when Ishmael is 13, then the next year Sarah gives birth to Isaac, Ishmael is playing, perhaps mocking Isaac and Sarah tells Abraham to send them away. Ishmael, strangely is shown to be a child in the verses that follow. His mother lays him down under a bush to die. How is this possible, if he is a strapping lad of 14 or more? Was he in grief so overbearing that he wanted to die and thus lay down himself? When the angel found Hagar, he said that God had heard Ishmael’s prayer (21:17). He also gave her the promise that Ishmael would be blessed and grow to a great nation. 

Not many years hence it was the Ishmaelites that bought Joseph when his brothers decided to sell him. Only 2 generations had passed, and there was already animosity enough to sell their kinsman as a slave. 

Why the test of Akeida

We see Abraham making an alliance with Abimelech which later seems to have brought about the test of all time, the call for the Akeida on Mt. Moriah. God tested Abraham with an almost unimaginable test after making a covenant with a foreign power. The land was not to be bartered off. The land was given to Abraham, so why did he make a covenant with Abimelech? Looking back on this with knowledge of Israel’s struggles with alliances seems to reveal a that God was showing Abraham that if he gave the land away, he might as well not have descendants, and we see that happening all around us today. Curiously Abimelech returned to the land of the Philistines which was Gaza. 

“And Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines a long time.” (21:34)

Why are we still having trouble with Gaza? Was all this started with a wrongful covenant that Abraham made with Abimelech?

Shabbat Shalom!

Ariella

Mezuzot

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Several years ago, my husband and I made Aliya to the Land of Israel, we lived for a time in Tzfat, which is considered one of the four “holy” cities of Israel. 

During that time, I tripped over an uneven place in the doorway of our  house and broke a bone in my foot. Several observant Orthodox friends told us we needed to have the Mezuzah inspected because it might have a broken letter in the scroll. That seemed pretty weird. Since that time I have had suspicions about man made laws. And to have the mezuzah inspected by a trained person costs money so again the element of making money over rabbinic teachings comes to view. . 

We left Tzfat after a hard struggle with some rabbis. We found a little town that was not so fanatical, a bit more secular, and where people left you alone. 

But the Mezuzah theme never left my mind. If you look at Torah there is nothing said about a box. It says to “write these commandments.” Does it say to buy an expensive parchment scroll, expertly written by a sofer and then hide it away in a box that you kiss when you pass in and out of your house? 

The verse says nothing about putting a scroll in a box. It does command each of us to do our own writing, not to go buy something and hide it away in a box!

Deut 6:4-9: “Hear, O Israel: YHVH our God, YHVH is one.[a] 5 Love Hashem your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

So the purpose of the Mezuzah, which means door post, is that we might have the commandments embedded, if you will, in our hearts and minds. What a better way than to do the writing ourselves and to place them where we can see them! 

The act of kissing an object is what is done in paganism. People kiss the graves of Saints and Rabbis. People kiss the image of St. Peter in the Cathedral in Rome and other places. Nowhere does the Torah tell us to kiss an object. 

But before we totally dismiss the Mezuzah, we need a new approach to it. How about finding a way to engrave the 10 commandments in a wooden plaque? Paint them, write them, wood burn them and hang them up so you see them and remember them when you go out and when you come in? 

Let’s make the Torah something personal between us and our God! 

Shabbat Shalom
Ariella

¿En estos momentos, por qué nos distraemos?

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¿Hay algo real en nuestro mundo?

El mundo ha estado girando fuera de control en un caos loco que nadie entiende realmente. Trump fue investido. Logró algunas cosas alentadoras durante sus primeras horas en el cargo. Todo suena bien. ¿Pero lo es realmente? Algunos de nosotros estamos agotados por preocuparnos por lo que viene después. ¿Trump nos está diciendo la verdad? ¿O esto es propaganda?… ¿Otra vez? ¿Otro gran espectáculo para ganar poder y dinero? ¿Está Donald Trump realmente trabajando para establecer un control global? ¿Quizás el mundo estaba tan debilitado bajo el régimen pasado que ahora, con la espalda y la voluntad destrozadas, por así decirlo, aceptaremos e incluso daremos la bienvenida a un líder que va más allá de los deberes de un presidente de los Estados Unidos? 

No, ¡realmente no puedes culparnos por pensar que lo que vemos no es realmente lo que obtenemos! ¿Y cómo llegamos a ser así? Los que hacemos estas preguntas evidentemente tomamos la pastilla roja, lo que nos hace sospechar de todo. ¿Pero Dios influye en alguna parte? ¿Podemos creer que el Eterno y todopoderoso Maestro del Universo todavía tiene el control? ¿Realmente Él levanta reyes y derriba reyes? (Daniel 2:21), ¿o las promesas en las que hemos confiado en el pasado son nulas y sin cumplimiento? 

¿Tiene Israel realmente un propósito en este mundo para los últimos tiempos? ¿Las gloriosas promesas de la Biblia realmente están destinadas a nosotros hoy, o de alguna manera perdimos el rumbo en el camino? Es fácil preguntarse y quizás no sea correcto pensar de esta manera. Pero es extremadamente triste ver a tantos inocentes asesinados, violados, decapitados, aterrorizados e incluso después de que algunos sean liberados, ¿cuál es la probabilidad de que aquellos que soportaron los últimos 16 meses tengan enfermedades mentales, es decir, si es que sobrevivieron? ? Naturalmente, somos inseguros e incluso dudamos de las razones de nuestra fe. Nos preguntamos si veremos otro mañana.

Tratamos de sacárnoslo de la cabeza, la distracción es un juego al que jugamos y puede ser la única forma de sobrevivir a esta horrenda guerra con algo de cordura. Es difícil no pensar en los rehenes medio enterrados en oscuros agujeros bajo la mugre, violados y odiados. No hay certeza de que alguno de ellos siga vivo. Como seres humanos, nunca podemos estar satisfechos con no saber acerca de algo tan precioso como la vida humana. ¡Y por eso tratamos de evitar pensar en lo impensable! Después de todo, hay mucho que un ser humano puede soportar, y la larga saga de insistir en el destino malvado de estas queridas víctimas (viviendo o quizás incluso preferiblemente muertas en los túneles del miedo helado) es un infierno puro tanto para ellos como para todos. de nosotros que tenemos alma.

Entonces dejamos de pensar porque debemos hacerlo. Y, sin embargo, ¿adónde se ha ido la esperanza? ¿Dónde está Dios en un momento como éste? ¿Hay algunas almas fieles que todavía ven el bien más allá de la tragedia de nuestros tiempos? 

El mundo está siendo pesado en la balanza, siendo Israel la pieza central sobre la que se decide el juicio. 

Llamar al mal bien y al bien mal parece ser el tema de un mundo enloquecido. Que el Todopoderoso vea tal como vio a Israel en los horrores de los pozos de lodo de Egipto cuando llamó a Moisés para liberar a su pueblo.

“Y vio Dios a los hijos de Israel, y supo Dios…” Éxodo 2:25

¿Que quiere decir este pasaje? ¡Que nada pasa con nuestro Creador sin que se oye y se da cuenta!

¿Podemos confiar en eso ahora? 

Por favor comparten sus pensamientos. ¡Realmente me gustaría saber lo que piensen!

Ariella

Sion: Tierra de Visión

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¡Qué no importemos la diáspora!
Por Ariella Casey

Durante casi 2000 años el pueblo de Dios estuvo esparcido por todas las naciones. Podemos culpar a Roma como la causa principal de esto y de gran parte de la persecución posterior que se produjo, pero ¿por qué aparentemente YHVH se alejó de nosotros? Y aunque esta dispersión fue profetizada y dada como advertencia (Levítico 24:14-33), la trágica historia continúa entristeciendo los corazones de quienes intentan regresar al camino de los justos. Pero ¿cómo sabremos el camino de regreso? ¿Y dónde está este camino de todos modos? ¿Qué fue lo que condujo originalmente a esta trágica historia? ¿Será que Dios de alguna manera se olvidó de nosotros? ¿Elegimos dejar de seguir la luz? Al leer la Biblia parece que ‘cambiamos de caballo en medio del arroyo’, pero ¿cómo y cuándo? ¿Y cómo volvemos a donde necesitamos estar? ¿Cuándo reemplazaron los rabinos a los profetas? 

Durante más de 2000 años no hemos tenido un profeta genuino. Algunos pueden argumentar, pero cuando aplicamos el estándar bíblico para los profetas (Deuteronomio 18:22), vemos que ninguno de los que han sido considerados como poseedores del don de profecía en realidad califica. Yo le diría a cualquiera que piense lo contrario, que me muestre la evidencia de que no agregaron ni restaron a la Torá original. Dejando a un lado los milagros y las profecías cumplidas, si cambian aún un solo principio de la Torá, no califican. 

Pero a pesar del horrible sufrimiento pasado, hoy hay esperanza. Pero esta esperanza solo está disponible en la tierra de Israel. ¿Cómo es eso? Eche un vistazo a lo que Isaías, uno de los últimos profetas, dice sobre la esperanza y la restauración en la tierra:

“El desierto y la tierra árida se alegrarán; y el desierto se alegrará, y florecerá como el tulipán. Florecerá abundantemente, y se regocijará con alegría y canto: le será dada la gloria del Líbano, la excelencia del Carmelo y el Sarón, verán la gloria de YHVH y la excelencia de nuestro Dios. 

Fortalece las manos débiles y fortalece las rodillas débiles. Di a los de corazón temeroso: Esforzaos, no temáis: he aquí, vuestro Dios vendrá con venganza, con recompensa divina; él vendrá y os salvará.

Entonces se abrirán los ojos de los ciegos y se abrirán los oídos de los sordos.

Entonces el cojo saltará como un ciervo, y la lengua del mudo cantará; porque en el desierto brotarán aguas, y arroyos en la soledad.

Y la tierra seca se convertirá en estanque, y la tierra sedienta en manantiales de agua; la habitación de los chacales se convertirá en pasto para ganado, en recinto de juncos y juncos.

Y habrá allí calzada y camino, y será llamado Camino Santísimo; el inmundo no pasará por él; y él será para ellos un guía, y los necios no se equivocarán en ello.

No habrá allí león, ni bestia rapaz subirá sobre ella, no se hallarán allí; pero los redimidos caminarán allí; y los redimidos de YHVH volverán, y vendrán a Sión con cánticos y gozo eterno sobre sus cabezas: tendrán gozo y alegría, y la tristeza y el gemido huirán.” (Isaías 35:1- 10 Biblia Koren)

¿Hay entonces alguna esperanza? Si hay en Sion. ¿Puede haber esperanza en algún otro lugar? ¿Quién regresará a la Tierra Santa? Los que son rescatados por el Todopoderoso YHVH que se acuerda de su alianza con Israel y el pueblo judío. ¿Puede haber cumplimiento de esta promesa fuera de la tierra? Solo hay un lugar seguro para los judíos. 

Así en la tierra de Israel se abrirán los ojos de los ciegos, según Isaías 35:5. ¿Los ojos de los ciegos? ¿Somos todos ciegos? La mayoría de nosotros no estamos físicamente ciegos, pero casi todos hemos estado en condición de la ceguera  espiritual. Hemos pensado que Dios nos ha dejado, o que no estamos siguiendo la Halajá (las reglas inventadas por los sabios) correctamente y que una vez que lo hagamos bien, tendremos una conexión con lo divino. Pocos sabemos que lo que hemos seguido entre las naciones no es requerido para vivir en la tierra de Israel. Gran parte de lo que siguieron los judíos en otros países fue inventado por los rabinos para proteger a sus feligreses de la asimilación. Pero al crear nuevas leyes, a menudo cambiaron las leyes mucho más allá de lo especificado en la Torá. Y eso, que ahora no es necesario para los que vienen a Israel, debe ser dejado a un lado mientras aprendemos de la Mano de Aquel que sigue presente para instruirnos. Es posible que necesitemos que nos despojen de todas nuestras ideas antes de poder ver por primera vez. Las vendas de nuestra vista espiritual sobre el estilo de vida deben ser quitadas antes de que podamos ver. 

Pero ¿qué pasa con aquellos que aún no han venido a Israel? ¿Qué pasa con las diez tribus que todavía flotan entre las naciones? Esto no es para condenar a los que aún no han venido. El proceso de canje está en curso. Pero, un día, todos los que son de Israel tendrán que venir si quieren ver de verdad. 

Pero debo decirles que Israel no es un lugar de consuelo. Es un lugar de prueba, un lugar para romper las cadenas, o despojarnos de ellas, de aprender a depender de la Mano que nos trajo hasta aquí. ¿Tenemos siquiera un poquito de confianza en el Eterno? 

Los israelíes que nacieron en esa tierra probablemente eran descendientes de quienes lucharon por establecer un hogar para el pueblo judío. Muchas de estas personas no cumplen estricta obediencia a las reglas de los rabinos. Pero son personas reales. Aman la tierra. Hacen todo lo posible para ayudarte cuando estás deprimido. Y son impulsivos e imprudentes mucho del tiempo. Y es posible que no toleren las tonterías diásporas. Hacen cosas no ordinarias como tomar prestado su lugar de estacionamiento y se detendrán y hablarán con un amigo en medio de la carretera cuando otros estén impacientes por pasar. Y piten o encienden las luces si simplemente vas al límite de velocidad para que ellos pueden rebasar. Pero todo es corazón, y eso es algo que muchos de nosotros hemos perdido mientras vivíamos en el extranjero. ¿Cómo se desarrolló esta cultura? Fue al luchar por el derecho de existir. Lucharse por la tierra que les fue entregada por Dios a nuestros antepasados. Muchos dieron su sangre por esta tierra y no están dispuestos a renunciar ni un centímetro de aquello para lo cual sus compatriotas dieron su sangre. 

La tierra de Israel es pura luz. ¿Cómo es eso? Es casi como si nada de lo que hacemos aquí estuviera oculto, ni de Dios ni de nadie. Todo queda bajo el escrutinio divino y la conciencia se aviva cuando se nos revelan nuestras faltas. Es el lugar de aprender a caminar, aprender a ver, aprender a oír. Una vez aquí, por un tiempo, no hay vuelta atrás. 

Pero Israel no es para todos, muchos han venido y no pueden acomodarse. Muchos han tratado de vivir una halajá estricta mientras vivían en la tierra y se han ido. Otros quieren las comodidades del estilo de vida de su diáspora, grandes juegos y espectáculos y hermosas casas y patios traseros. Pronto regresan a sus comunidades para restablecerse en el confort al que estaban acostumbrados. Y con razón, Israel no se trata de eso. Se trata de aprender, crecer y ser el pueblo de Dios. Y todos venimos con el deseo de lo viejo y familiar, los comestibles que acostumbramos en Egipto, simbólicamente. Pero cuando aprendemos que las vegetales y frutas son mucho más grandes, más dulces y las granadas y pomelos menos amargos, nos damos cuenta del sabor de la tierra de leche y miel. 

Algunos, para sentirse en casa, han desarrollado comunidades en las ciudades más “santas” del país. Estos lugares están llenos de judíos de la diáspora. Han recreado comunidades para los que observan las reglas religiosas más estrictas, siguiendo lo que consideran la voluntad de Dios. Pero muchos de nosotros nos mantenemos alejados de estas ciudades. De alguna manera no encajamos. 

Si tengo algo que destacar en esta publicación es el énfasis de que Sion no es un país cualquiera. Es una tierra mágica que abraza a sus hijos, pero vomita a los que no pertenecen aquí. A mí, me parece que la guerra del 7 de octubre fue una respuesta de la oscuridad para bloquear el llamado a los judíos a regresar a su legítima tierra. Muchos han llegado a Israel durante este tiempo. El miedo a la guerra no los ahuyentó. Esta fue una de nuestras muchas pruebas. La gente vino de todos modos. ¡Yo digo “Kol HaKavod” (bien hecho)! Muchos perciben el peligro que les espera y la urgencia de venir antes de que las naciones vendrían contra ellos. 

¡De hecho, es hora de volver a casa, hermanos míos! La tierra nos espera como una madre con los brazos abiertos.

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