How history repeats itself!
Many Jews in the galut turn to what is now occurring in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, and soon to spread to Jordan Turkey and Egypt, and conclude that the region is “ochelet yoshveha,” too dangerous to even contemplate aliya to the Holy land.
But what these modern-day miraglim do not want to see is that HaShem is doing battle for the Jewish people as He had done in the time of Yehoshua and Calev.
Indeed Torah study and Eretz Yisrael are the twin pillars which support and sustain the relationship between HaShem and the Jewish nation; however there is a fundamental difference between them. Torah study is available to all, with success dependent upon the quality and quantity of grey matter one is born with, combined with 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. Eretz Yisrael is another story altogether. Residence in Eretz Yisrael is an exquisite, unique mitzva reserved only for those who Hashem desires to host in His land.
Mishlai 22:6 “Educate the young in accordance (in harmony) to his way (disposition, inclination and temperament).”
A child who has aggressive tendencies or shows an aptitude for creativeness, the educator must fashion the methods and goals pursuant to the individual child’s inclination.
When we become bar or bat mitzva, an “account” is opened in our names in Olam Haba. As we keep mitzvot, the account keeps growing so that after 120 years we withdraw the capital together with its accumulated Heavenly interest.
When a kohen recites the birkat kohanim, there is no general pool of goodness and blessings to which he connects and retrieves for the community’s benefit. The kohen gives his own personal bank account of Gan Eden to the community; and at the end of the blessing, the kohen’s “account” is totally depleted.
The two paths are very clear: a life of partnership with our Father in Heaven and the feeling of being part of the eternal history of the Jewish nation, or a life of dull, insignificant,undistinguished, uninspired mediocrity.
The table was set, the aroma of culinary mastery filled the air, the bottles of fabled wine were opened – but the invited guests did not come.
