Page 3 - HaMizrachi #29 Yom HaAtzmaut 2021 USA

TORAT MIZRACHI
TORAT MIZRACHI

Rabbi Doron Perez

Herzl, Hebrew

and Holy Cows

10 REMARKABLE PROPHECIES COMING TRUE IN ISRAEL TODAY

he tiny State of Israel has become modern Israel happened after almost 3. Land Blossomed Only Once
world-famous for its extraordi- 2,000 years. Secondly, all the Israel- Its Children Returned
Tnary achievements in so many ites came out of one country whereas ּונ ֵּ ת ִּ ת ם ֶ כ ְּ פְנ ַ ע ל ֵ א ָ רׂ ְ שִי י ֵ ר ָ ה ם ֶּ ת ַ א ְ ו
fields. Jewish immigrants from all over in the modern era Jews came from over ל ֵ א ָ רׂ ְ שִי י ִּ מ ַ ע ְ ל ּואׂ ְ ש ִּ ת ם ֶ כְי ְ ר ֶ פּו
the world returned to their Home- 100 countries. Thirdly, in Egypt all Jews
land, rebuilt its ruins, revived its barren lived in one confined, culturally segre- “But you, O mountains of Israel, sprout your
wilderness and revitalized its ancient gated ghetto in Goshen, speaking only branches and give forth your fruits for My
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language, creating an economic, mili- Hebrew, whereas Israel has seen the people Israel” (Yechezkel 36:8).
tary, social, cultural and technological As the Jewish people returned to the
power of global renown. Amazingly, return of Jews from every cultural, polit- Land, the Land responded in return. The
these achievements were all clearly ical and ideological background, speak- desert has become an oasis and the des-
foretold by our Prophets. ing over 80 different languages somehow olation a blessing. Israel quickly started
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Let us look briefly at the fulfillment of forged into one functional society. developing innovative agricultural
just 10 of those prophecies: expertise and water conservation tech-
2. The Spiritual Alchemy nologies. The returning Jews have now
1. The Ingathering of the Exiles between a Land and a People planted over 250 million trees and Israel
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ה ָּ מ ָ ׁש ךי ֶ קלֹ־ ֱ א 'ה ך ְ צי ִ פ ֱ ה ר ֶ ׁש ֲ א םי ִּ מ ַ ע ָ ה ל ָּ כ ִ מ ך ְ צ ֶּ ב ִ ק ְ ו ם ֶ כי ֵ בְיֹא ָ הי ֶ ל ָ ע ּומ ְ מ ׁ ָ ש ְ ו ץ ֶ ר ָ א ָ ה ת ֶ א יִנ ֲ א י ִ ת ּ ֹמ ׁ ִ ש ֲ ה ַ ו is the only nation on earth that entered
“...and He will gather you in from all the “I will make the Land desolate, and your the 21st century with more trees than a
nations to which He the L-rd (your G-d) adversaries will be desolate on it…” (Vay- century earlier. It boasts more than 300
has scattered you (there)…” (Devarim 30:3) ikra 26:32) wineries and its wine, fruits and other
products are exported all over the world.
Perhaps the greatest miracle of all! Following the Roman conquest in 70CE,
In 1840, there were 6,000 Jews living in the Land of Israel was conquered by 14 4. Renewal of the
the Land of Israel. By 1917, that number different empires over 1,900 years. As Hebrew Language
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grew to 60,000. When the State was G-d had foretold, the Land remained ה ָ רּור ְ ב ה ָ פׂ ָ ש םי ִּ מ ַ ע ל ֶ א ך ּ ֹפ ְ ה ֶ א ז ָ א י ִּ כ
declared in 1948, there were 600,000. barren to its conquerors despite “For then I will change the nations [to speak]
And today there are over 6.7 million repeated attempts to make it flourish – one clear language…” (Zephania 3:9) 4
Jews living in Israel! The Jewish pop- as if the Land itself was pledging fidelity
ulation in the Land of Israel climbed to her children, awaiting their return. When the first pioneers returned to
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from being of 1% of world Jewry to 6% Israel, Hebrew was not a spoken lan-
in 1948, to almost half of all Jews in the In 1867, Mark Twain famously described guage. No Jewish community and not
world today. the land he saw as ‘a desolation… repul- one Jewish family spoke to their children
The Ingathering of the Exiles is perhaps sive and dreary...with hardly a tree or in Hebrew. Hebrew was a language of
a greater miracle than the Exodus from shrub anywhere… a land covered in prayer, Torah and scholarship. Herzl,
Egypt! Firstly, the Exodus came after 210 sackcloth and ashes.” despite his broad vision for a return
years of slavery, whereas the return to Until of course, the return of the Jews. to Zion, did not believe Hebrew could
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