This past week, we celebrated the giving of our holy Torah, and our rabbis of blessed memory asked why Mount Sinai was call by that name. One of the answers is that from the time of the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people, that act has caused hatred - "sinah" - in the world; hence, the word "Sinai" is taken from the word "sinah" - hatred.
What is the nature of this hatred that the revelation at Sinai caused? In a well-known midrash, we learned how HaShem went to all the nations of the world before coming to the Children of Israel and asked them if they wanted to accept the Torah. After hearing what it contained, they all rejected it; all, that is, except the Jewish people, who accepted it unconditionally. Upon seeing that the Jews received the Torah, this caused tremendous jealousy to come into the world, as the nations saw that the Jewish people are not like them, but rather willing to accept HaShem's laws, with no questions asked. It would be enough for them to see that they did not choose to accept G-d's Torah, but to see a nation that was indeed willing was just too much for them to bear.
This hatred of the nations toward Israel, manifest throughout the ages, is an unabashed hatred that the nations have bestowed upon us, which continues to this day. In reality, this hatred is not really directed at the Jewish nation per se, but at the Creator of the world, Who has chosen the Jews to carry His message in this world.
And so, we find in this week's parsha the sentence: "Arise, HaShem, and let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee from before You." Rashi points out: "'And let those who hate You' - These are those who hate Israel, for whoever hates Israel, hates the One who spoke and brought the world into being, as it says: 'And those who hate You have raised their head.' Who are they? Against Your nation they conspire secretly."
The silver lining here is clear. Even though in every generation they, the nations, arise to wipe out the Jewish people, they will never succeed, for the great Name of HaShem is connected to and calls on the Jewish people, from the time we accepted the Torah and became the chosen nation to bring the Divine Light into this world.
Today, too, we can see the silver lining that awaits to emerge in these hard times. The government of Israel passed a transfer bill and has done all in its power in preparation to uproot a people from their homes, having passed a legal document with the help of the Arab Members of Knesset, and with the support of the world community. But this same law will now be used not as they think - to uproot and transfer Jews from their homes - but to uproot and transfer the Arab enemy. For what will they say when it comes time to transfer the Arab enemy, that it's not a legal act? The stamp of approval has been given by none other than the government itself!
Interestingly, the slogan that is seen today around the country - Jews do not transfer Jews - reads in Hebrew: "Yehudim lo megarshim Yehudim". When read backwards, it says: Jews transfer non-Jews - "Yehudim megarshim lo-Yehudim" - and so it will be!
What is the nature of this hatred that the revelation at Sinai caused? In a well-known midrash, we learned how HaShem went to all the nations of the world before coming to the Children of Israel and asked them if they wanted to accept the Torah. After hearing what it contained, they all rejected it; all, that is, except the Jewish people, who accepted it unconditionally. Upon seeing that the Jews received the Torah, this caused tremendous jealousy to come into the world, as the nations saw that the Jewish people are not like them, but rather willing to accept HaShem's laws, with no questions asked. It would be enough for them to see that they did not choose to accept G-d's Torah, but to see a nation that was indeed willing was just too much for them to bear.
This hatred of the nations toward Israel, manifest throughout the ages, is an unabashed hatred that the nations have bestowed upon us, which continues to this day. In reality, this hatred is not really directed at the Jewish nation per se, but at the Creator of the world, Who has chosen the Jews to carry His message in this world.
And so, we find in this week's parsha the sentence: "Arise, HaShem, and let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee from before You." Rashi points out: "'And let those who hate You' - These are those who hate Israel, for whoever hates Israel, hates the One who spoke and brought the world into being, as it says: 'And those who hate You have raised their head.' Who are they? Against Your nation they conspire secretly."
The silver lining here is clear. Even though in every generation they, the nations, arise to wipe out the Jewish people, they will never succeed, for the great Name of HaShem is connected to and calls on the Jewish people, from the time we accepted the Torah and became the chosen nation to bring the Divine Light into this world.
Today, too, we can see the silver lining that awaits to emerge in these hard times. The government of Israel passed a transfer bill and has done all in its power in preparation to uproot a people from their homes, having passed a legal document with the help of the Arab Members of Knesset, and with the support of the world community. But this same law will now be used not as they think - to uproot and transfer Jews from their homes - but to uproot and transfer the Arab enemy. For what will they say when it comes time to transfer the Arab enemy, that it's not a legal act? The stamp of approval has been given by none other than the government itself!
Interestingly, the slogan that is seen today around the country - Jews do not transfer Jews - reads in Hebrew: "Yehudim lo megarshim Yehudim". When read backwards, it says: Jews transfer non-Jews - "Yehudim megarshim lo-Yehudim" - and so it will be!