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Rabbanit Shani Taragin
The

Scarlet 70: Revisiting our
Thread Prophecies and Dreams

ת ֶא 'ה בוּשׁ ְ בּ :תוֹל ֲע ַמּ ַה ,ריׁ ִש" How dream-like it must have been for the Zechariah (Zecharia h 1:12-17) explained
".םי ִמְלֹח ְ כּ ,וּניִי ָה ןוֹיּ ִצ ת ַביׁ ִש 42,360 Jews who returned (Nehemiah that these 70 years began 19 years after

“A Song of Ascents: When God 7:66 ) to see their homeland once again the Babylonian invasion, with the actual
brought back those who returned to and begin to rebuild the Beit HaMikdash destruction of Yerushalayim and the Beit
Zion, we were like those who dream.” (Temple) 70 years after losing sovereignty! HaMikdash in 586 BCE. He thereby
encouraged the fledgling Jewish state to
e often recite this verse Unfortunately, political, economic, demo- build with confidence so that by 516 BCE,
in liturgy and song, but graphic and religious tensions deterred the 70 years of destruction in Jerusalem would
W for this Yom HaAtzmaut Jews from rebuilding the Mikdash upon also come to an end! And they were like
(Independence Day) in particular, it returning to Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) dreamers once again, because 19 years
conveys unique significance as we celebrate in 535 BCE. Disillusioned, they began after their initial return to the Land, this
70 years of modern Jewish statehood. This to wonder whether the time was indeed prophecy of rebuilding the Temple was
year we not only recall the sentiments ripe for reconstruction and fulfillment of fulfilled.
of gratitude and awe expressed in this prophecies.
psalm, but also revisit the ‘original’ 70-year I am perpetually inspired as we relive this
historical context, “When God brought So what happened to the promises of 70 time period of Shivat Tzion (Return to
back those who returned to Zion” following years of exile and return? Following the Zion) 2,400 years later. In 1948 we returned
Babylonian rule. After 70 years of Jewish appointment of Judean leader Zerubavel like dreamers to Jewish statehood (this
exile which began with the Babylonian as satrap (governor over the province time after nearly 2,000 years of exile), built
invasion of Judea in 605 BCE, Cyrus of of Judea), Haggai and Zechariah appear homes and communities throughout the
Persia allowed the Jews to return to their on the prophetic stage in 520 BCE, to Land and witnessed the re- fulfillment of
Land and rebuild their Temple (Ezra 1:1) encourage the people to rebuild the Beit numerous prophecies, although Yerusha-
– fulfilling the words of God as prophesied HaMikdash based on a new 70-year layim (Jerusalem ) was not yet in our hands.
70 years earlier by Jeremiah (25:11-13). prophecy:
But once again, it took us exactly 19 years
from the re-establishment of our statehood
to rebuild Yerushalayim in 1967! The
prophecies of Jeremiah and Zechariah echo
in our ears as we witness the remarkable
parallels of establishing autonomy and
rebuilding Jerusalem over a 19- year span.

As we reflect upon the past 70 years,
we must marvel at the Providence (not
coincidence) of the 70 years’ prophecies
being revisited in our days.

However, the goal of a prophecy is not to
predict what will be and passively wait for the
words to materialize, but to charge Am Yisrael
(Jewish people ) with what can be if we
respond appropriately. This Yom HaAtzmaut,
how are we meant to respond to the past 70
years of fulfilled prophecies beyond words of
The “Exodus” – pre-State immigration (The Palmach Archive)
praise and thanksgiving to God?

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