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forefathers. Venoshantem baAretz, we have five trained armies on every border. From Whether they want to or not, every athe-
been long in the Land. Have we begun survivors and slaves, modern Maccabees ist, Christian and Muslim is watching the
taking it for granted? were reborn in the Land of Israel – and we chosen people who have returned to their
won our freedom. After millennia of exile, Land. And they are wondering: what will
Prophecy in our time our generation has brought the Jewish happen to the Jews of this generation?
people back to the mountains of Judea and All of Jewish history has culminated in
What is prophecy if not transcendent the kingdom of David, for the entire world
wisdom? It is wisdom that was true three to marvel at the greatest story humanity our generation. Will we rise up to meet
the challenge and fulfill our mission?
thousand years ago and equally true today. has ever told. It’s hard to comprehend who Or will we be venoshantem baAretz? After
The warnings of the Torah and the lessons we are and what we are living out in this the third generation, will we lose it all by
of our history point us to this moment in generation. losing sight of it all? Or will we regain our
time. We have the task of passing on the In his commentary on Chanukah, the Sfat vision and learn to see with the eyes of our
whole of Jewish history to the next gener- Emet (1847–1905) shares the following parents and grandparents?
ation. That is the calling of our generation. tradition: “The three pilgrimage festivals, We are the third generation. We have the
But how do we do it?
Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, which are privilege of facing the greatest challenge
Our parents and our grandparents wit- explicit in the written Torah, are mirrored in Jewish history – the test that genera-
nessed unbridled evil and malevolence. by three festivals in the oral Torah… and tions before us failed. As we enter modern
They lived the nightmare, the pinpointing, the three festivals of the Torah illuminate Israel’s 76th year, we stand at the edge of a
gathering and annihilation of the Jewish them just like the moon receives light new era, the threshold of Jewish history.
people. Their generation saw it and knew from the sun… Chanukah is illuminated The prayers of the Jewish people through-
it. They encountered evil face to face. by Sukkot and Purim is illuminated by out all of our history were aimed at our
And they certainly didn’t need a siren to Shavuot.” The Sfat Emet then writes that generation. Now, it is up to us.
remember it. we are still waiting for one more festival As we raise the flag of our people over
In his final vision of the exile, Yechezkel to reflect the Biblical holiday of Pesach, Jerusalem this Yom HaAtzmaut, may we,
saw what seems to have been the darkest as Michah says, “Like the days you left the as a people, rise to the occasion of this
time the world had ever known, when all slavery of Egypt I will show you wonders” epic moment in history. Am Yisrael Chai!
hope was lost. He saw mass graves of the (7:15). Chag Sameach!
Jewish people as dry bones and ashes. Are we celebrating the third and final
They cried out, “Our bones are dried, our festival that draws its light from Pesach?
hope is lost, we are doomed” (Yechezkel
37:11). If only I could show all the Jews who lost
hope in Auschwitz and Warsaw the scenes
But like a burst of light from a womb of
darkness, “avda tikvateinu,” “our hope is around my home in Israel, as we celebrate
lost,” was transformed to “od lo avda tik- this Yom HaAtzmaut. They would see Jews
vateinu,” “our hope is not lost.” The yellow living in the mountains of Judea, working
Rabbi Jeremy Gimpel
star of our slavery was transformed into the Land with blossoming olive trees and is a teacher, a farmer, a pioneer and one of
the blue magen David of our freedom. For vineyards that cascade down the hills. Israel’s premiere Jewish media personali-
generations, we prayed “v’sa neis l’kabeitz They would see Jewish children speaking ties. He is the founder of the Land of Israel
galuyoteinu,” “raise the flag of Israel to Hebrew tending to our flock of sheep. If Network, with millions of views and down-
bring our people back to our Land!” And they could see all this, what would they loads from over 120 countries, broadcast-
then, under one flag and under the Star of think? ing Torah, Zionism and the beauty of Israel
to the world. Rabbi Gimpel, along with
David, the Jewish people united. If we can learn to look at Israel today his wife Tehila and their children, founded
Underground, under-armed Holocaust through their eyes, we would squint our the Arugot Farm and Educational Center,
survivors and Jewish refugees from Arab eyes and see that the redemption we which has become a global destination
countries, with no tanks, no real air force, yearned and prayed for is already here in for people seeking to experience modern
no battle plan and no chance stood against the Land of Israel! Zionism fused with Torat Eretz Yisrael. (PHOTO: HOWIE MISCHEL)

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