HAAZINU 5786

Finding Gd In History

Tragedy struck on Yom Kippur morning when a terrorist attacked the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester England, killing 2 with several others wounded. It was Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. It makes one wonder, does Gd really watches over His people?

In Moses’ swan song to the Jewish people in today’s Torah reading, he tells them (Dev. 32:7): “Remember the days of old; understand the years of generation after generation; ask you father and he will relate it to you, and your elders and they will tell you.” Rashi, in his commentary, explains the words “understand the years of generation after generation” as a criticism against the Jewish people: “If you pay attention to history, you will see that Hashem has the power to care for you and that He will bring you to the days of Moshiach and the World to Come.”

Rashi seems to be saying that by studying Jewish history and all that Gd has done for the Jewish people, one will come to a powerful faith in Gd. The problem is that just the opposite seems to be true. Jewish history shows the story of an oppressed people who went from exile to expulsion, from tyranny to oppression. It begs the question: How could Gd sit back and watch as His people—His Chosen Nation—are tortured and oppressed throughout the generations?

The reality is that it has been a rocky 2,000 years. From the destruction of the 2^nd Temple until now, the Jewish people have lived through every imaginable and unimaginable horror. We’ve lived through the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, blood libels, pogroms, persecution, mass murders, the Holocaust and Oct. 7^th. Whenever technology devised a new method for torturing, it was used on Jews. Whatever diabolical means were concocted for one to kill, it was used on the Jews. We were stabbed, shot, hung, executed, clubbed, burned, gassed, and beaten to death. Historically, there was no shortage of creativity when it came to killing Jews. And if a nation didn’t kill us, they often threw us out. If you were to count nations from which we were expelled en masse, you would have a world atlas!

Throughout history everything changes: beliefs, culture, language, dress, and modes of government. It seems that there is only one constant, one immutable law of nature: Hating the Jew. So, how can Rashi tell us that a careful study of these events will strengthen our faith? Quite the contrary, it seems to be the greatest challenge to our faith.

The answer is to try to see the big picture and the reasons behind what happened. When you’re flying and have a window seat, if you look out the window you may experience an almost eerie widening of perspective. As the plane taxis to the runway, the world looks normal—buildings and cars are the size they always are. However, as you ascend, a strange perspective shift begins. The usually large buildings begin to shrink. Highways look like ribbons winding around in patterns, and entire blocks of houses look like Legos set in orderly patterns.

At 35,000 feet, the world looks different. Patterns begin to emerge; neighborhoods can be identified; cities can be seen for their true size and scope. Your entire viewpoint changes. This is a powerful metaphor, because while we live life on the ground level, it can better understood it at 35,000 feet. In the hustle and bustle of life on earth, it becomes impossible to see the larger pattern. Only at 35,000 feet, can we begin to see the bigger picture—the rhyme and reason behind things.

The inexplicable reality is that after millennia of torture and oppression, the Jewish nation is still intact. Oddly enough, of all the ancient peoples, only the Jews remains.

Where is the Egyptian monarchy now? The Greek/Syrian dynasty? The powerful Roman Empire? All of these “great” nations had their moments. Their star shone bright for a time, but now they’re gone—never to be heard from again. Of all the ancient peoples, we alone survive. The lone wolf among the nations of the world—we, always hated, hounded and oppressed—we alone survive while all our powerful enemies are no more.

But even more, we now find ourselves back on our own land—occupying the very same cities described by the Bible. We have again settled in the places where our forefather walked. Never in the course of history has an indigenous people been exiled, remained intact generation after generation, and then reclaimed their homeland—a land they left almost 20 centuries earlier. It is so remarkable that it begs the question: “Is this possible?!”

The final piece of the puzzle is that we have kept our ways. We study the same Torah that echoed in the Jewish study halls of ancient Rome. We keep the same mitzvot as did the Jews who lived during the 1^st Temple. We wear the same tefillin as did the Jews who lived during the time of King David. Rav Yonason Eibichitz says this is a miracle even more stunning than the splitting of the Red Sea.

If one studies these phenomena, he will quickly recognize that it can’t be. According to all the laws of nature, the Jewish people should not exist. We should have been wiped off the face of this planet long ago. Yet, we survived and we flourish. To this day, we adhere to Hashem’s Torah with our homeland, the Land of Israel, a Jewish State—as vibrant as ever.

My friends, the message is clear to anyone who will open their eyes. The Jewish people are Hashem’s people—with a unique destiny. Our very existence is the greatest proof of the existence of the Master of the World Who watches over and protects us.

From our perspective on earth, we can’t understand the Yom Kippur tragedy in Manchester, England. We can only say that these korbanot, these human sacrifices killed by this horrific act of terrorism, are somehow part of Gd’s great plan for the Jewish people that can’t be understood on ground level—only at 35,000 feet or above in Heaven.

May Gd comfort their families, and all of us, for this loss. And May Gd help us wipe out hatred and bigotry and bring the final redemption of peace and tranquility to our world. Amen!