This Tuesday, with G-d's help, many people will make their way down to Sderot in order to express their anger, scream out their protest and cry out their pain. Tens of thousands of simple Jewish citizens will be gathering in like-minded purpose.
The simple, democratic right of renting a bus to facilitate our simple, democratic right of protest will probably be denied. The simple, democratic right of driving one's car down a highway in Israel to express one's simple, democratic right to cry out will probably also be curtailed. Yet, tens of thousands of men, women and children will attempt to make their way towards the south, regardless.
The prime minister's mouth is full of platitudes about the danger to democracy, while wounding that very same democracy with a brutal wave of his scepter. The minister of the public security cynically talks about sending tens of thousands of police and security forces to block the masses from arriving in Sderot because Sderot is a dangerous area. Sderot is a dangerous area specifically because of the disengagement/expulsion plan these masses want to prevent from occurring. The media, judicial system and ruling government administration conspire to declare an act of democratic expression as an illegal act, and then comfortably decry these evildoers for breaking this newly determined "draconian" law.
Ariel Sharon's government senses on a deep level that this struggle is not about Gush Katif or the northern Samaria. It is about the very soul and character of this Jewish state. In their struggle to keep the materialistic, post-Zionist vision from crumbling, the Sharon government and his partners in the judiciary and media will be very eager to sacrifice democratic principles and ideals.
They will do so because they have no choice. The beating Jewish heart cannot remain silent.
The spiritual strength of the residents of Gush Katif seems to be almost supernatural. They continue to live their daily life in spite of the threat of expulsion hanging over them. Yet, when they gather for their daily prayers three times a day, each gathering feels like Yom Kippur. The walls of resistance and determination crumble and their souls pour out in pain and yearning. How can the rest of us be silent?
The judicial system cracks its punitive whip and sends twelve- to fourteen-year-old girls into solitary confinement in the prisons because they were caught insulting a policewoman. How can we not rise up in protest?
Innocent civilians are being killed and the Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and Abu Mazen's terrorist groups are planning together the "Jewish Expulsion Celebrations". How can we not rise up and cry out the pain of those who can cry no more?
In the distant past, many believed that the people of Israel were meant to be slaves in Egypt for eternity. More recently, mass graves were dug out throughout the land of Israel in anticipation of destruction only months before the miraculous Six-Day War. For thousands of years, theologies and ideologies have attempted to replace or eulogize the Jewish people and yet this people have survived them all. The laws of logic don't seem to apply to Jewish destiny.
Many of us believe that the expulsion could yet be blocked. Some have told us that we believe that because we want to. Others with some deeper insight have told us that we believe that because we need to. They may all be right. On the other hand, there may be a deeper sense of vision that directs our souls. It is that deeper sense of vision that gives us the right to believe what we believe and empowers us to act according to that belief.
We are walking a delicate balance, between attempting to repair the "sin of the spies" while at the same time not recreating the sin of Rehavam and Yerovam (Jeroboam) in splitting up the tribes. We need to clearly declare our allegiance to G-d's promises and His vision regarding this land, while at the same time not disengaging from the rest of our nation during the struggle. This will not be as easy, as the forces purporting to represent law and order seem bent on achieving the opposite.
Yet, we cannot allow them to still the cry.
Even if we, G-d forbid, turn out to be wrong regarding the immediate direction of the divine plan, we will have emerged from this struggle a stronger and more faith-driven community. That is the ultimate victory against those with no faith and against those with faltering vision.
Whatever HaShem has in store for us in the near future, the searing passion ignited by this war of wills and priorities will eventually refashion this people of Israel into the vessel they are meant to be.
The simple, democratic right of renting a bus to facilitate our simple, democratic right of protest will probably be denied. The simple, democratic right of driving one's car down a highway in Israel to express one's simple, democratic right to cry out will probably also be curtailed. Yet, tens of thousands of men, women and children will attempt to make their way towards the south, regardless.
The prime minister's mouth is full of platitudes about the danger to democracy, while wounding that very same democracy with a brutal wave of his scepter. The minister of the public security cynically talks about sending tens of thousands of police and security forces to block the masses from arriving in Sderot because Sderot is a dangerous area. Sderot is a dangerous area specifically because of the disengagement/expulsion plan these masses want to prevent from occurring. The media, judicial system and ruling government administration conspire to declare an act of democratic expression as an illegal act, and then comfortably decry these evildoers for breaking this newly determined "draconian" law.
Ariel Sharon's government senses on a deep level that this struggle is not about Gush Katif or the northern Samaria. It is about the very soul and character of this Jewish state. In their struggle to keep the materialistic, post-Zionist vision from crumbling, the Sharon government and his partners in the judiciary and media will be very eager to sacrifice democratic principles and ideals.
They will do so because they have no choice. The beating Jewish heart cannot remain silent.
The spiritual strength of the residents of Gush Katif seems to be almost supernatural. They continue to live their daily life in spite of the threat of expulsion hanging over them. Yet, when they gather for their daily prayers three times a day, each gathering feels like Yom Kippur. The walls of resistance and determination crumble and their souls pour out in pain and yearning. How can the rest of us be silent?
The judicial system cracks its punitive whip and sends twelve- to fourteen-year-old girls into solitary confinement in the prisons because they were caught insulting a policewoman. How can we not rise up in protest?
Innocent civilians are being killed and the Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and Abu Mazen's terrorist groups are planning together the "Jewish Expulsion Celebrations". How can we not rise up and cry out the pain of those who can cry no more?
In the distant past, many believed that the people of Israel were meant to be slaves in Egypt for eternity. More recently, mass graves were dug out throughout the land of Israel in anticipation of destruction only months before the miraculous Six-Day War. For thousands of years, theologies and ideologies have attempted to replace or eulogize the Jewish people and yet this people have survived them all. The laws of logic don't seem to apply to Jewish destiny.
Many of us believe that the expulsion could yet be blocked. Some have told us that we believe that because we want to. Others with some deeper insight have told us that we believe that because we need to. They may all be right. On the other hand, there may be a deeper sense of vision that directs our souls. It is that deeper sense of vision that gives us the right to believe what we believe and empowers us to act according to that belief.
We are walking a delicate balance, between attempting to repair the "sin of the spies" while at the same time not recreating the sin of Rehavam and Yerovam (Jeroboam) in splitting up the tribes. We need to clearly declare our allegiance to G-d's promises and His vision regarding this land, while at the same time not disengaging from the rest of our nation during the struggle. This will not be as easy, as the forces purporting to represent law and order seem bent on achieving the opposite.
Yet, we cannot allow them to still the cry.
Even if we, G-d forbid, turn out to be wrong regarding the immediate direction of the divine plan, we will have emerged from this struggle a stronger and more faith-driven community. That is the ultimate victory against those with no faith and against those with faltering vision.
Whatever HaShem has in store for us in the near future, the searing passion ignited by this war of wills and priorities will eventually refashion this people of Israel into the vessel they are meant to be.