Page 62 - HaMizrachi #25 Chanuka 2020 USA

GENERAL INTEREST

Rabbi Yuval Cherlow
The

Greatest

Loss

any of us are familiar with harmony among the peoples who This painful transformation is the
the well-known prophecy visited Yerushalayim, we know that basis for the 10th of Tevet. The day it
Mthat the Torah and the word just the opposite ensued. Under the became clear the original prophecy
of G-d will come from the holy city leadership of King Nebuchadnezzar, had not come true and proof that the
of Yerushalayim. This is of course a the Babylonian army arrived in the Jewish people had lost their way. The
remarkable vision unique to the spiri- city with the goal of conquering it and very essence of Jewish existence, pred-
tual and physical capital of Judaism. In removing it from Jewish control. They icated upon ethics and morality, was
discussing the prophecy, Rav Kook asks no longer what defined us.
us to pay attention not only to what it had little interest in learning the word
includes but also to what it lacks. of Torah or G-d but were intent only It would take many more years for us
on destruction and murder. to have the chance to regain our iden-
Specifically, if we compare the proph- tity and rebuild.
ecy to what we have come to expect This is one of the main tragedies we
from other religions, we see there is mark on the fast of the 10th of Tevet, So while we have been blessed to
no call to action that requires us to because it was the point when this rebuild and in many ways restore this
defend Yerushalayim or to enforce its remarkable prophecy was proven false. critical aspect of our national identity,
holiness upon others. history demands that we remind our-
Why though? What did the Jewish selves of how we strayed in the past.
The dream we foresaw for Yerusha- people do to deserve their prophecy For while our history is defined by so
layim was that all peoples of faith of peace becoming one of hatred and many tragedies and destructions, the
would naturally recognize the city’s persecution? greatest loss we have ever been forced
sanctity and respect it as such. There to endure is the loss of the correct
would always be a global thirst for the As with so many times in Jewish his- spiritual path.
holiness and the messages to emerge tory, the answer lies in what we as a
from the city. For generations, this people did with the gifts G-d bestowed
prophecy would hold true and the upon us. A city slated to be one of jus-
hope was that the city would remain a tice, morality, charity and respect, had
place of peace attracting and welcom-
ing others into its gates. And indeed, strayed so far from those ideals.
over hundreds of years, Yerushalayim And once the city had abandoned its
welcomed peoples of many faiths and identity as a city of justice, it was no
backgrounds. Rabbi Yuval Cherlow is a Rosh Yeshiva
longer a place where the pain of the and a founding member of an organization
However, while the prophecy cer- impoverished was prioritized. Crime devoted to bridging the religious-secular
tainly intended a vision of peace and and evil prevailed. divide in Israel.

The Jewish way is to rescue hope from tragedy.
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