Page 31 - HaMizrachi Tisha bAv 5783 USA

ations.” The sin of rejecting Eretz Yisrael sources indicate that it was because they expect it to happen, a gentile leader repre-
and G-d’s redemption is the root cause of became comfortable in Babylonia, as their senting the British Empire declared that
all of our suffering throughout Jewish his- ancestors had in Egypt. If, seventy years his government “viewed with favour the
tory – and another example of the tragic prior, they sat by the rivers of Babylon and establishment in Palestine of a national
consequences of ignoring G-d’s overtures lamented, “How can we sing the song of home for the Jewish people.” Since then,
of redemption. Hashem on foreign soil?” (Tehillim 137:1– the Land of Israel has awoken from its
After 40 years of wandering, we finally 4), now they found it too hard to part with 2,000-year slumber (in fulfillment of the
entered the Holy Land. 440 years later, their beautiful homes, vibrant communi- clearest sign of geulah – Sanhedrin 98b),
King Shlomo built the First Temple, but ties, and prestigious positions. and millions of its children (almost 50%)
due to our sins, it was destroyed after 410 Other sources, however, indicate that they have returned home, fulfilling nearly 40
years, and we were exiled to Babylonia. utilized theological (“frum”) arguments prophecies regarding the ingathering of
the exiles. How can anybody deny that the
The prophets of the time told us clearly to explain why this could not possibly be geulah is underway?
that this exile would last only 70 years. the redemption foreseen by the proph-
Right on cue, King Cyrus of Persia received ets. “What, a gentile king is going to give But as in the past, a large number of Jews
a Divine message instructing him to tell us a message from G-d?! A band of Sab- are ignoring the facts – either because of
the Jews to return to their Land and bath-desecrators is going to initiate the the temptations of exile or for “frum” rea-
rebuild the Temple. Furthermore, Ezra redemption?! We think not!” sons (after all, how could it be that secular
HaSofer, one of the greatest spiritual Now let’s play the “Imagine” game one last Jews initiated the redemption?).
leaders of all time, called upon his fellow time. Imagine you are living at the time As in years past, I am sure that this Tisha
Jews to go home. of the third, and final, redemption. The B’Av some of our nation’s greatest ora-
Let’s play the “Imagine” game once again. Cause of All Causes is moving heaven and tors and rabbinic leaders will encourage
Imagine you are living during that time, earth to make sure that the promises He us, using the tools of modern media, to
and all around you are people who are made to His beloved Nation are fulfilled improve our ways, especially in the areas
uninterested and unimpressed, who want before time runs out. And imagine that all of lashon hara and sinat chinam (baseless
nothing to do with this redemption. What around you are Jews who are simply unin- hatred) so that next Tisha B’Av can be
would you say to such people? terested, who seemingly want nothing to a joyous holiday. These speeches are
do with this redemption. What would you extremely important, and there is no
More importantly, how do you think G-d think of such people? How do you think doubt that we need to work on our ahavat
would react? You see, this is not just a the- G-d would react? chinam. But when is someone going to
oretical scenario. It actually happened. finally get up and address the real reason
The vast majority of Jews chose to remain Wait! This time, you really do not need to we are still in exile?
in Babylonia. Less than 43,000 Jews use your imagination, because, unfortu-
answered Cyrus’ call, and they were not nately, this is not just a theoretical sce-
exactly the cream of the crop. Many were nario; it is happening before our very eyes.
intermarried, desecrated the Shabbat, and It would take countless pages to prove
committed other grievous sins. that we are living through the ultimate
What was G-d’s reaction? He destroyed redemption, but suffice it to say that,
the Second Temple! No more and no less. as Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan writes: “Other
The Talmud (Yoma 9b) derives from a verse generations have expected the Messiah’s Rabbi Moshe Lichtman
in Shir HaShirim (8:9) that had the Jews imminent appearance on the basis of is the author of Eretz Yisrael in the Parashah
of Ezra’s time ascended to Eretz Yisrael the forced interpretation of one or two and A Drop in the Ocean, and has translated
en masse, the Temple would never have prophecies, whereas we are living through several classic works of Religious Zionism
been destroyed. Thus, the last 2,000 years the entire range of Messianic tradition, into English, including Eim HaBanim Seme-
of exile, persecution, pogroms, and even often coming to pass with uncanny lit- ichah, An Angel Among Men (a biography on
the Holocaust could have been avoided. eralness. If you keep your eyes open, you Rav Kook), A Question of Redemption, and
But since we failed, once again, to accept can almost see every headline bringing us Rise from the Dust. He teaches in several
G-d’s overtures of redemption, we suffered a step closer to this goal” (The Real Messiah, gap-year yeshiva and seminary programs.
2,000 years of exile. p. 96).
But why did the Jews of Baby- Around 100 years ago, towards the end A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
lonia stay behind? Some of the sixth millennia, when we would mizrachi.org/speakers

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