The "Land of Israel faithful" are still suffering from the post-expulsion malaise. The impact of the cruel and senseless "disengagement" and the brutality of Amona that followed have created deep wounds in the body and psyche of those motivated by the destiny of this nation. The fact that the many in Israel who have lost faith continue to flounder without direction is not surprising. There are many others who continue to be anchored in the

Committed and usually passion-filled people are feeling their spark being dimmed.

roots of their past and continue to feel the pull and yearning of their destiny. Yet, the fact that those people too are feeling somewhat lost is much more concerning.


These more committed and usually passion-filled people are feeling their spark being dimmed. They view the failed leadership of this country and then look at the possible alternatives with a resigned "anything is better than Olmert" approach. Ominous signs seem to be lurking all around this land. The horizon seems to be covered with darkening and threatening clouds. The cancer of selfishness and violence seems to be eating away at the edges of society, and spreads its tentacles into the very heart of Israel's schools.


As a result, many conversations and encounters between the activists of past struggles usually revolve around a sense of futility and impotence. Every thought or new idea that is raised usually gets dismissed with a comment similar to "we've been there" or "we've done that." The Internet talkbacks are usually filled with innocuous advice that demands violent action and revolution. It is interesting to note that most of these comments come from people who do not live in the land of Israel .People who have never had the courage or faith to live with the consequences of their suggestions and ideas.


Yet, while the sense of morass is understandable, it comes out of mistaken expectations.


Man has a tendency to get so focused on his desired solutions that he loses faith in, and patience with, the process of achieving that solution. Sometimes, we are so focused on the destination that we forget the journey. We are so clear on where we want to get to that we judge the methods of getting there by how instantly they can achieve success.


We have a deep sense of the awesome power of redemption, yet it seems its very awesomeness makes it almost intangible. We prefer to deal with and revere the here and now, things that we can understand. The tortuous and circuitous paths of redemption become too complicated for some. It is at that point that men and women begin to make people and activities into their "idols." They begin to revere these things in order to achieve shortcuts to their desired goal. Political leaders become the ultimate solution and savior, until they fail and are succeeded by another. Political parties or political activism become the last ray of hope needed to rush redemption along.


When those fail, we are left with sadness, despondency and a sense of futility. That, perhaps, is one of the tests that must be endured.


"And when the people saw that Moshe delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aharon, and said to him, 'Make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for Moshe, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.'" ( Exodus 32:1)


Aharon, Moshe's brother, stalls for time and believes that all will be well, as Rashi states: "In his heart he intended it should be for Heaven (G-d); he was certain that Moshe would arrive and they would serve the Omnipresent." Yet, eventually he extracts the golden calf out of the fire .


"And they said, These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the Land of Egypt." (Exodus 32:4)


The people of Israel were not building an idol to replace G-d. They were building one to replace Moshe. That is the

Aharon, Moshe's brother, stalls for time and believes that all will be well.

sub-textual meaning in their declaration, "These are your gods, O Israel."


They were willing to have a festival for HaShem as Aharon suggested, but they could not conceive of continuing their voyage towards redemption without Moshe, "the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt." As a result, in their confusion, impatience and fear they made the "man" Moshe almost into a god; and when he was missing they wanted to replace him with the golden calf.



The people of Israel today cannot fall into the same trap. The lovers of this land need to return to the secret that has moved Jewish destiny forward throughout the generations. That secret is the understanding that the little picture is the big picture. The power to walk forward in this journey lies in the ability to focus on each step in the journey. It is a delicate balance of, on the one hand, not confusing each step with the ultimate destination and, on the other hand, imbuing each step on the journey with fervor and commitment.


As a result, building a ramshackle synagogue on a windswept hill in Samaria may not herald the final resolution, but it will have great impact on the history of our people. Reaching out to fellow Jews on the corners of Tel Aviv in order to help them reconnect to their souls may seem like "too little and too late," yet it is actions like those that give direction to this long journey. Getting involved with one political party or another may feel like a filthy process that is injurious to one's soul, but it is one of the necessary steps in returning faithful government and rulership to this ancient nation.


At the recent Jerusalem Conference, held under the auspices of Arutz-7, General Doron Almog shared the following story.


When he was in charge of the southern region of Israel during the years of increased terrorism, he gave a press conference after the murder of two female Israeli soldiers. During the press conference, General Almog declared that the numbers of terror victims had "reached unbearable levels." At that point, he was interrupted by a senior reporter who said, "Don't you dare talk about unbearable levels of victims." He raised his shirt cuff and exposed the numbers that were tattooed onto his arm in the concentration camps. The older man continued to explain that he could truly describe unbearable numbers, yet he and his fellow survivors came to this land and never gave up on the struggle. That was true because destiny demanded it.


Destiny continues to demand that this eternal people not lose courage on this long voyage.