A beautiful vase has been broken and the shards threaten to be dispersed throughout the country. This fragile vase used to be filed with the faithful and proud farmers of Gush Katif, together with the determined and prayerful lovers of Israel from every corner of this land. It was filled with prayers, dreams, sacrifice and song. It was a delicate and ancient vessel, filled with vision and hope.
Yet, it has been shattered.
One can see the brokenness in the eyes and feel it in the tension prevalent among the expelled Jews residing temporarily in hotels. The government has succeeded in rattling their spirit and whittling away at their determined spirit. The seemingly purposeful lack of solutions and the constant threats of more expulsions combine to add fuel to the fire of inner tensions raging in these people.
The damage is also felt in the inner struggling and recriminations being heard within the camp of the faithful. One part of this camp clings to their feeling of connectedness to the State of Israel and its institutions. They feel that the state has abused its powers in a reckless fashion, but that it is but a vessel .They believe that though the vessel has been misused, it must be elevated to its holy purpose rather than be discarded.
The other part of the camp sees this lingering connection to the state, even after what the state has perpetrated, as a dangerous form of fantasy and wishful thinking. The vessel of the state has to be refashioned to truly mirror its divine purpose. This group sees the former group's reverence for the State and its institutions as one of the issues that weakened our struggle and eventually led to the quick capitulation of Gush Katif.
At times, it looks like Ariel Sharon is beginning to see success in his desire to break apart that powerful of community of faith that so threatens his view of the world.
Two groups of faithful Jews who love this land and its people battling each other; as a result, the cracks in the vase become deeper and wider.
The broken shards look to that which was within the vase to determine what brought about the breaking, rather than looking outside.
Were we not faithful enough? Were we too "loving"? Were we too disconnected from the rest of the population in this land? Did we not pray enough? Did we not act strongly enough?
All this introspection is natural, important and vital, but also tends to point the spotlight away from the source of the shattering.
This country has been set in the midst of a struggle for its soul and spirit for many years. It has become a battle between destiny and immediate gratification. It has become a war to determine whether Israel is about the Jewish people and their purpose in this world, or about the citizens of this country and their immediate material need and gains.
Sharon won a recent election in the Likud Central Committee elections by simply enticing people to vote for him in order to ensure their financial or political positions. Discussions relating to the possibility that Sharon may be forming a new party revolves around his need to gather people and parties around him that eschew ideology and focus on standards of living and financial gain.
Sharon is but the symptom of a greater malaise that has engulfed large portions of this country as it has engulfed many in most Western countries. This ancient enemy is called selfishness. Faith, destiny and purpose are anathema to this selfishness.
Today, I brought my car to the garage to be repaired. The owner of the garage, Shlomo, noticed my orange ribbons.
He said, "Don't you think it's time to take those down? Your fight is over."
I assumed we were going to get into a political discussion and I replied indignantly, "You don't get it, the fight is just beginning."
He responded, "You may not be understanding me. I have been through every war in this country. I was on the second tank to reach the Suez Canal. I was in one of the first tanks to get to the Old City during its liberation in the Six Day War. I love this country, but I am watching it being ripped apart by people whose only interest is money and prestige. For so many people in this country, their most favorite location in this country is not Jerusalem, it is the airport. It is from there they go on their trips abroad. We have lost the country to petty desires."
I said to him that I was just at an event in one of the Jerusalem parks with over ten thousand young people in orange, standing together with a determination to bring this country back the vision it has lost. They sang and danced and ended the evening with a resounding declaration of Sh'ma Yisrael.
He looked at me with eyes that had softened somewhat and said, "I want my son to want to put a flag in his room. I want him to want to put my father's Betar [Zionist youth movement] medallion on his desk. I want him to love this country I have sacrificed so much for."
The people of Israel that have been let loose from their moorings of faith may be reaching for materialism, but they are yearning for purpose. It is that yearning that we must begin to nurture in all segments of our people, because it is that yearning that will put the vase back together again.
Yet, it has been shattered.
One can see the brokenness in the eyes and feel it in the tension prevalent among the expelled Jews residing temporarily in hotels. The government has succeeded in rattling their spirit and whittling away at their determined spirit. The seemingly purposeful lack of solutions and the constant threats of more expulsions combine to add fuel to the fire of inner tensions raging in these people.
The damage is also felt in the inner struggling and recriminations being heard within the camp of the faithful. One part of this camp clings to their feeling of connectedness to the State of Israel and its institutions. They feel that the state has abused its powers in a reckless fashion, but that it is but a vessel .They believe that though the vessel has been misused, it must be elevated to its holy purpose rather than be discarded.
The other part of the camp sees this lingering connection to the state, even after what the state has perpetrated, as a dangerous form of fantasy and wishful thinking. The vessel of the state has to be refashioned to truly mirror its divine purpose. This group sees the former group's reverence for the State and its institutions as one of the issues that weakened our struggle and eventually led to the quick capitulation of Gush Katif.
At times, it looks like Ariel Sharon is beginning to see success in his desire to break apart that powerful of community of faith that so threatens his view of the world.
Two groups of faithful Jews who love this land and its people battling each other; as a result, the cracks in the vase become deeper and wider.
The broken shards look to that which was within the vase to determine what brought about the breaking, rather than looking outside.
Were we not faithful enough? Were we too "loving"? Were we too disconnected from the rest of the population in this land? Did we not pray enough? Did we not act strongly enough?
All this introspection is natural, important and vital, but also tends to point the spotlight away from the source of the shattering.
This country has been set in the midst of a struggle for its soul and spirit for many years. It has become a battle between destiny and immediate gratification. It has become a war to determine whether Israel is about the Jewish people and their purpose in this world, or about the citizens of this country and their immediate material need and gains.
Sharon won a recent election in the Likud Central Committee elections by simply enticing people to vote for him in order to ensure their financial or political positions. Discussions relating to the possibility that Sharon may be forming a new party revolves around his need to gather people and parties around him that eschew ideology and focus on standards of living and financial gain.
Sharon is but the symptom of a greater malaise that has engulfed large portions of this country as it has engulfed many in most Western countries. This ancient enemy is called selfishness. Faith, destiny and purpose are anathema to this selfishness.
Today, I brought my car to the garage to be repaired. The owner of the garage, Shlomo, noticed my orange ribbons.
He said, "Don't you think it's time to take those down? Your fight is over."
I assumed we were going to get into a political discussion and I replied indignantly, "You don't get it, the fight is just beginning."
He responded, "You may not be understanding me. I have been through every war in this country. I was on the second tank to reach the Suez Canal. I was in one of the first tanks to get to the Old City during its liberation in the Six Day War. I love this country, but I am watching it being ripped apart by people whose only interest is money and prestige. For so many people in this country, their most favorite location in this country is not Jerusalem, it is the airport. It is from there they go on their trips abroad. We have lost the country to petty desires."
I said to him that I was just at an event in one of the Jerusalem parks with over ten thousand young people in orange, standing together with a determination to bring this country back the vision it has lost. They sang and danced and ended the evening with a resounding declaration of Sh'ma Yisrael.
He looked at me with eyes that had softened somewhat and said, "I want my son to want to put a flag in his room. I want him to want to put my father's Betar [Zionist youth movement] medallion on his desk. I want him to love this country I have sacrificed so much for."
The people of Israel that have been let loose from their moorings of faith may be reaching for materialism, but they are yearning for purpose. It is that yearning that we must begin to nurture in all segments of our people, because it is that yearning that will put the vase back together again.