Recently I attended a clandestine meeting in Athens of Rabbis from seven European countries. I don’t usually attend Rabbinic conventions, but I went because many topsy-turvy, game-changing events have been taking place in Israel and throughout the world which have great percussions for the entire Jewish community. Another reason for participating was because the low-key gathering was off-the-radar, allowing the Rabbis to speak straight from their hearts without the fear of being quoted.
Throughout my conversations one thing was clear – everyone expressed the opinion that there is no longer a future for the Jewish People in Europe. While I would like to see all Jews abandon the Diaspora tomorrow, the Rabbis I met spoke in terms of ten to twenty years before the exile runs out of gas. Their main concern is how to prepare their congregations for this coming reality both psychologically, theologically, and practically when people will have to learn Hebrew, find jobs in Israel, and adjust to the a new and different culture.
During a break in the discussions I visited the site of the ancient Pantheon. Gazing at the rubble and ruin, a comment of Rabbi Kook came to mind from his teachings about war in his book “Orot.” He writes:
“Israel will see with its own eyes the retribution of the wicked and will march upon the destruction of those who boast new forms of foreign worship, just as we trampled upon the nations of Babylonia and Syria. Then it will be known and proven that only in Him, in the G-d of Israel, is there salvation. And the salvation of G-d will surely come. The dissipation of the power of the Gentiles who are drunk with a poisonous cup is destined to come. G-d has opened His arsenal and taken out the weapons of His anger.”
Elsewhere in “Orot,” Rabbi Kook writes that, “The world’s darkness is toppling; the spirit of man is weakened and darknesses cover all of the nations.”
The “civilized” world, once represented by the Pantheon and the mighty and “cultured” Greek-Syrian empire, is crumbling under its cloak of immorality and corruption. Throughout the past year we have seen that the majority of European countries have sided in very large measure with Hamas, a sign of their diseased morality.
The hate-filled debunking of Israel was another concern of the Rabbis. How are they to strengthen their communities against the tsunami of anti-Semitism which they are facing and which threatens to spiral out of control. Of course, Aliyah is the only answer, but while the Rabbis I met are aware of the instability of continued Diaspora existence, in my opinion, a lingering spirit of denial prevents them from seeing how immediate the danger is.
Because the new wave of anti-Semitism was triggered by Israel’s powerful response to the Hamas attack on Israel, the widespread anti-Israel protests have caused many European Jews to lessen their identification with their Jewishness and with the Jewish State which was quickly labeled as the aggressor waging genocide against the innocent Arab population in Gaza. Formulating a strategy to counter this growing alienation from Israel is another pressing concern.
My advice to all Jewish leaders confronted with this disconnection is to champion Israel’s powerful response towards its enemies and not hide to from it. Today, there is no question that the light of Israel is on the rise. Jews need to be encouraged to feel proud of Israel’s heroism in the fight for truth against falsehood. Events in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria have dealt a lethal blow to the forces of evil in the region. Our weeding out of tyrants through stunning displays of ingeniousness and military force has boldly threatened the terror regime in Teheran as well. For the first time a genuine possibility of peace in the Middle East is on the horizon.
Hanukkah this year has a very special meaning for all Jews considering our present situation. The Rambam, in the beginning of the Laws of Hanukkah, when he mentions why we celebrate the holiday, says the reason is because the Hasmoneans were successful in restoring the Kingdom of Israel and Jewish Sovereignty over Eretz Yisrael for over two-hundred years. The reason we celebrate Hanukkah is because we were victorious over the Syrian-Greeks in the battle to regain control over our Homeland and to re-establish the State of Israel at that time, in spite of the fact that some post-Macabbee leaders were far from possessing the righteousness of Yehuda and his brothers.
This is the reason we recite Hallel on Hanukkah, praising Hashem for enabling us to secure Jewish control over our own Israelite statehood in the Land of Israel. Thus, on Hanukkah, when we thank Hashem for the miracles which occurred in “those days at this time” this is exactly what we are witnessing today.
This year when we say Hallel on Hanukkah we should think about the miracles of our time, of the hundreds of missiles fired at us which exploded harmlessly in midair and our victories in war, in the north and the south, victories which will secure our independent Jewish sovereignty over Israel for decades to come. All of these joyous events should make every Jew free proud of being a part of such a glorious People and mission.
Instead of concentrating on the painful downside of the war and on the hostile reactions of the world, we should seek to inspire feelings of pride in our being the soldiers of Hashem with the task of liberating the world from its darkness. Hashem is very much with us and He will be with us until He brings all of the Jewish People home to all of the Land of Israel, may it be soon. Happy Hanukkah!