Page 28 - Hamizrachi #30 USA 2021 Yom Yerushalayim - Shavuot

Rabbi Moshe Hauer
Founded in 1898, the Orthodox
Union (OU) serves as the voice
of American Orthodox Jewry,
with over 400 congregations in
its synagogue network. As the
umbrella organization for Amer-
ican Orthodox Jewry, the OU
is at the forefront of advocacy
work on both state and feder-
al levels, outreach to Jewish
teens and young profession-
als through NCSY, Israel Free
Spirit Birthright, Yachad and
OU Press, among many other
divisions and programs.
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The T RAH THE ORTHODOX UNION IS A MEMBER OF
THE ORTHODOX ISRAEL COALITION
of Yerushalayim
id Klal Yisrael embrace Torah or fruits, celebrating the gift of Eretz Yisrael, the Temple Mount. ך ְ ת ָ ל ֲ חַנ ר ַ ה ְּ ב ֹומ ֵ ע ָּ ט ִ ת ְ ו ֹומ ֵ א ִ ב ְּ ת
ָ
ָ
ָ
was it foisted upon us? Are we the place of our destiny. ךי ֶ דָי ּונְנֹו ּ כ 'ה ׁש ָ ד ְּ ק ִ מ 'ה ָּ ת ְ ל ַ ע ָּ פ ך ְּ ת ְ ב ׁ ִ ש ְ ל ןֹוכ ָ מ. If Har
DG-d’s people because of our enthu- This duality within Shavuot is specifi- Sinai represents G-d’s word and Eretz
siastic embrace of that mission, ע ָ מׁ ְ שִנ ְ ו הׂ ֶ ש ֲ עַנ, cally manifest in the process we begin the Yisrael represents our destiny, there is
or because G-d held the mountain threat- 1 day after we celebrate leaving Egypt, the one place that represents the blend of the
two, and that is Yerushalayim and its Har
eningly over our heads, תי ִ גי ִ ג ְּ כ ר ַ ה וי ָ ל ָ ע ה ָ פ ָּ כ? mitzvah of Sefirat HaOmer. The Exodus HaBayit. םִ ָ ל ׁ ָ שּורי ִ מ 'ה ר ַ ב ְ דּו ה ָ רֹות א ֵ צ ֵּ ת ןֹוּי ִּ צ ִ מ י ִּ כ,
had been framed by G-d and by Moshe in
Apparently, there is a dual nature to
our relationship with G-d and Torah, that terms of two end goals, one of destiny and the word of G-d comes forth from Yerusha-
includes both choice and destiny. Our the other of mitzvah. On the one hand, layim. This is the place that was always
ה ָ רי ִ ח ְּ ב, our free choice, defines the extent we were leaving Egypt to Eretz Yisrael, to meant to serve as the center and source of
to which we embrace Torah in our lives, the Land promised to our forebears, the Torah learning and halachic rulings, as
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allowing mitzvah, Halacha, and Torah Land flowing with milk and honey. On the well as the city that is ה ָ כּול ְ מ רי ִ ע ך ֶ ל ֶ מ ׁש ּ ָ ד ְ ק ִ מ,
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ideals to guide our decisions and actions. other, we were leaving Pharaoh’s bondage the center and capital of the land of our
Our destiny, on the other hand, does not to instead serve G-d on Mount Sinai. 5 destiny. RABBINICAL COUNCIL OF AMERICA
הקירמאד םינברה תורדתסה
It is this blend of Torah and destiny that
require our consent and is defined by Thus, the counting of the Omer, which we bear in mind on Yom Yerushalayim, as
ה ָ ח ָּג ְ ׁש ַ ה, by G-d’s choices guiding us towards represents the eager anticipation of reach- we commemorate the visible Divine hand
our rightful place in the world and its his- ing the goal of our liberation from Egypt, of destiny that 54 years ago granted us the
tory. Thus, from the outset we needed to has two dimensions. Explicitly, we count renewed gift of Yerushalayim. We recall the
embrace the commandments of the Torah from the offering of the barley on Pesach joyful and torrential flow of Jews return-
voluntarily, as this was representative of to the offering of the wheat loaves, the י ֵּ ת ְ ׁש ing to the Kotel on Shavuot 1967, and we
the lifetime of choices we would exercise ם ֶ ח ֶּ ל ַ ה, of Shavuot. These offerings symbolize celebrate and embrace the renewed and OUR PHYSICAL SAFETY
our bond to the Promised Land and begin
relative to their observance. Destiny how- the season of offering Bikkurim. Implicitly, revitalized connection to our Torah and Expanding security funding and provisions to
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ever was foisted upon us. The Jews have an however, we are counting towards Sinai. As the approaching fulfilment of our destiny. protect Jewish life at US synagogues, yeshiva day
inescapable and critical role in the world. the Midrash records, when we left Egypt, schools and Jewish community centers.
This duality between commandment we immediately asked Moshe when we
and destiny is found within the Torah itself, would have the promised opportunity to 1 Shabbat 88a. OUR JEWISH IDENTITY
which – as Rashi notes in his opening com- serve G-d on His mountain. When Moshe 2 Shemot 34:22; Bamidbar 28:26. Combatting BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions)
Shemot 6:2-8.
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ment on the Torah – documents both G-d’s responded that it would be after 50 days, 4 Shemot 3:8, 3:17. and antisemitism with programs that empower our
word and His deed. It includes the mitzvot, every member of the Jewish people started 5 Shemot 3:12, 5:1. students on college campuses across the US.
beginning with ם ֶ כ ָ ל הֶּז ַ ה ׁש ֶ דֹח ַ ה, while also counting on their own towards that day. It 6 Bikkurim 1:3.
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recording the Divinely guided path of his- is that yearning, that striving towards G-d, 7 Ran at conclusion of Pesachim; Sefer HaChinuch OUR LAND
no. 306.
tory, ֹו ּ מ ַ ע ְ ל דיִּ ג ִ ה ויׂ ָ ש ֲ ע ַ מ ַ ח ּ ֹכ, that culminates in towards both the destiny He has charted 8 Bava Batra 21a. Supporting continued growth of communities
the ultimate gift of Eretz Yisrael. for us and the word He would share with 9 Berachot 63a–b. in Eretz Yisrael including the Golan Heights,
And similarly, there are two aspects to us, that we perpetuate through our own Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.
the celebration of Shavuot. In our tefillot counting of the Omer.
we describe the day as ּונ ֵ ת ָ רֹו ּ ת ן ַּ ת ַ מ ן ַ מ ְז, the It is no surprise therefore that when we OUR PURPOSE
time when the Torah was given to us, while crossed the Red Sea and sang the song of Fighting for funding to perpetuate Torah values that enables
the Torah refers to it as םי ִ רּו ּ כ ִּ ב ַ ה ם ֹוי, the redemption, םָּי ַ ה ת ַ רי ִ ׁש, we sang specifically Rabbi Moshe Hauer is Executive Vice more of our children to study in gap year yeshiva/seminary
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festival when we begin to offer the first of our anticipated arrival at Har HaBayit, President of the Orthodox Union. programs and expands the global network of shlichim.
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