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"Go to Your True Self" - God loves the Land of Israel more than the most fervent Zionist. How do I know? He says so in His Book. Over and over again. No Government of Israel Ministry of Tourism brochure extols Israel as much as the Torah. According to the Torah, Israel isn't simply a great place to visit -- or live, but a piece of earth inextricably bound up with the soul of the Jewish (Israelite) people.
God's very first pronouncement to the first Israelite, Abraham, is a command to move to Israel. "Go from your land, from your birthplace, from your father's house, to the land that I will show you."[Gen. 12:1] The Hebrew word for "go" -- lech -- is followed by the word lecha, meaning "to yourself." The classical Biblical commentator Or HaChaim asserts that going to the Land of Israel entails moving towards one's self, one's truest, deepest self. The covenant which God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob promised two things to their descendents: the eternality of the Jewish (Israelite) people and the Land of Israel. During God's first revelation to Moses, at the burning bush, He declares that He is aware of the pain of the Children of Israel in their Egyptian bondage. Then God reveals to Moses His plan of redemption: "I have come down to rescue them from the hand of Egypt and to bring them up from that land to a good and expansive land, to a land flowing with milk and honey . . ." [Ex. 3:8]
The Exodus was not only from a state of slavery to a state of freedom, but from a place called Egypt to a place which would later be called the Land of Israel. Coming to Israel was an integral part of the Redemption. A people who had entered into a special relationship with God and who had witnessed open miracles and who had been given the Torah could reside only in this particular location, the Land of Israel. Throughout the Torah, Israel is referred to as an "eretz rechava," meaning a land that is spacious or expansive. This is almost amusing, because Israel is a tiny land, about the size of the state of New Jersey. Even in ancient Mesopotamia, Israel was a sliver of land mass surrounded by large empires. Our rabbis tell us that rechava is not meant as a geographical description, but rather as a spiritual description. Israel is "expansive" because it expands the person who lives there... The very soil of Israel possesses a certain spiritual vitality. Many Jews (Israelites) from the Diaspora feel a soul-awakening when they come to Israel, or to Jerusalem, or to the Western Wall. The Wall, which sits at the base of the Temple Mount and is the remaining vestige of the Second Temple, has not a single spiritual trapping. No frescos, no incense, no music, no awesome architecture. Yet the Shechina, the Presence of God, is so tangible there that few fail to feel it.
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God's Special Place - Imagine a lover taking his beloved to his "special place." Carrying a basket packed with wine and bread, as they walk along he regales her with descriptions of his secret trysting place. "It's so beautiful, so quiet, so remote, like another world. You'll love it." Finally they reach the spot, an isolated clearing in the forest. She takes one look and sneers, "This? This is your special place? There's nothing here! There's not even a bench to sit on! Not even a picnic table! Do you expect me to sit on the ground and get my skirt dirty? And there are insects crawling on the grass. I hate insects!" If the beloved rejects the lover's special place, what are the prospects for their relationship?
The Torah recounts how in the second year after the Exodus, the Israelites arrived at the borders of the Promised Land. Ten of the twelve spies sent to reconnoiter the Land gave a negative report, and the people refused "to make aliyah." The sages say that this sin, the rejection of the Land of Israel, was in some ways more grievous than the sin of worshipping the Golden Calf. After the incident of the Golden Calf, Moses went back to the summit of Mt. Sinai and pleaded for Divine forgiveness, which was granted. However, there was no forgiveness for those rejecting the Land of Israel. If the beloved rejects the lover's special place, what are the prospects for their relationship?
So Much More Than Nationalism - One way to reject Israel is to refuse to live here. There is another, more pernicious way to reject God's special place: to treat it as a piece of real estate like any other. "For Zion's sake I will not be silent and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest". [Is 61:1] I will not rest until all the tribes are re-gathered AND the two houses of Judah and Ephraim are reunited for the coming of our Holy King Mashiach. How can we sing the songs of Zion when our brethren are not yet gathered in? Am Y'israel Chai !
- Sara Yoheved Rigler
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THE LARGE MAGEN DAVID (Star of David)
About two years ago a young man walked into our shop in the Old City of Jerusalem. He had come with the Birthright Israel program on his first trip to Israel. The Birthright Israel Program was created by its founders as a project to send thousands of young Jewish people from across the Diaspora, for a visit, home, to Israel. Their purpose was to strengthen the bond between the Jewish people and their ancestral home, and to cultivate in these young people a spark and linkage with their people. The results have been very encouraging. A spark that was kindled on these trips has become a flame strong enough to warm others. This young man had never been to Israel before and his eyes reflected the wonderment of discovery. He was amazed at how with one glance he was able to glimpse past present and future, together, in this incredible land. He explained that he was returning to his studies in the University and that he was looking for a silver star of david. He wanted the biggest one I could find for him. He put it on, almost ceremoniously, smiled and walked into his future. Two weeks ago he came back for another visit to Israel. He looked at me held his Magen David in his hand and said "Do you remember me?" I told him that I was very happy to see him and asked how his university years had been. He responded that it was getting tougher and tougher to be a Jew in some of these campuses. "But", he said "This Magen David remained outside of my shirt... proudly!" He then told me that he was in Israel for two months to study Judaism in one of the outreach programs in the Old City. The Magen David that had been hanging so proudly on his chest had penetrated into his heart. The Jewish heart he had been wearing eternally became the inflamed Jewish soul that was burning within. But he is not alone. The Jewish people are seeing a renaissance of Jewish commitment and passion that rivals the years following the re-unification of Jerusalem in 1967. The Jewish people are coming home, both physically and spiritually and that return seems to be spearheaded by the young. Last week Birthright was back again with thousands of young people. One group was from the Midwest of the United States spent a long time in the shop. In the midst of the discussion I asked one of the young women what this trip to Israel "did for her". She responded, 'that I walk through these streets, I stand in front of the Kotel, and even when I am sitting outside here drinking coffee ... I am overwhelmed with a desire to want to just get up and scream that I am a Jewish woman and I am damn proud of it." When she finished her words, the room became silent. Everyone then broken into a smile and one of the guys raised a thumbs up, while one of the girls gave her a long hug. I wiped a tear. I remembered our Patriarch, Jacob's blessing to his son Judah. "Yehuda is a lion's cub, from the prey, my son, you have come up; he stooped down, he crouched as a lion and a lioness; ... who shall rouse him up." [Genesis 49:9] The young lions of Judah are arising from their crouch and they are coming home. Some of them with a prayerbook in their hand and some with a large star of david on their chest. But they are coming home
- Rabbi Moshe Kempinski - Jerusalem Insights, January 2003
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PIZZA AND BAGELS IN EFRAT
"The family gathered together for our annual Chanakah party. As one family member prepared the latkes, the others set the table, while the children began their spins of the dreidels. Kids don't like bagels, lox and cream cheese and therefore I decided that pizza would be a necessary addition to the menu.
The pizza was ordered and picked up in downtown Efrat and now we were gathered to light the candles on the 4th night of Chanukah....The youngest, our 5 year old , began to sing his rendition of Maoz Tzur in the Jerusalem of Gold melody. I asked him why did he switch the tune? 'Abba, we're looking at Jerusalem from our window, why not?' The latkes and applesauce along with pizza and bagels were being devoured by the family members on this 4th night of Chanukah in Efrat. We sang, we danced, and we shared our prayers for Am Yisrael. 'Bubby' brought the gifts for the night which somehow still gets distributed each year along with those coins of Elite. The chocolate coins of Elite which we used to receive as 'imports' while in LA, were now being received from downtown Petach Tikva at Elite headquarters. ...
We recited our grace after meals and realized that we had a whole pizza in the kitchen which had been left untouched by the cousins and siblings. In addition, the sufganiyot (doughnuts) had a remainder of a baker's dozen. 'Abba, you bought too many sufganiyot and too much pizza!' The 5 year old was lecturing his Abba once again on his inability to gauge food purchases for Chanukah parties. 'Let's go to the Gush Tsomet (highway intersection) and give the chayalim (soldiers) the pizza and doughnuts!' I looked at our five year old, who at 9PM wanted to get out of pajamas, dress, and bundle up for the ride on the highway from Efrat. As I tried to explain that it's late and cold outside, he was already placing the pieces of pizza in the microwave while his sisters were grabbing foil paper to wrap the pizza slices. My wife and I looked at each other and as our family members began to leave our Chanukah party, we could not say no. ...
We drove to the Gush Tzomet and I made a U turn to come near the "butka" guard post. Suddenly the first two soldiers came out slowly not knowing the contents or identities of the U turning vehicle. I slowed down and turned on my interior lights so that they could see our faces. The 5 year old director of this saga began to shout, 'Chayalim, Yesh Lanu Pizza!' (Soldiers, we have pizza!)
Slowly but methodically, they began to march out from all sides and the kids exited the car with the pizza, sufganiot, plates, napkins (too!) And in their pajamas began to dish out the leftovers. I did not realize that our oldest daughter had hidden some of the salads which were not finished at our party. Before we could realize, we had 20+ soldiers surrounding our car and thanking the kids for tonight's miracle of Chanukah in their eyes. The car was now empty of leftovers...we were ready to go home.
As we reached the front door back in Efrat, the kids asked if the pizza store was still open? 'Are you hungry?' 'No, we want to go to another checkpoint and give out more pizza!' Yes, my friends, living in Israel despite the war and the world's hatred of us Jews cannot be beat, with experiences and kids growing up here in our homeland to enjoy the miracle of Chanukah. And may you too one day experience Chanukah in Israel as Citizens!
- Harvey Tannenbaum - Jerusalem Insights, December 2002
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CAN WE CALL IT OUR HOMELAND?
"A suburban family leaving their comfortable life and home in south Florida might not raise eyebrows - moves happen. But when mom, dad, and two kids are headed for a small nation torn by months of violence, it's another matter. Leigh and Daniel Yakov of Coral Springs are about to emigrate to Israel with their son, Noam, 5, and 8-month-old daughter, Penina. Relatives worry about the Yakov's safety, but the couple feels compelled to make the move. They are driven by a combination of factors: belief that God ordained Israel as the Jewish homeland and a desire to support and live in a Jewish nation state, among them..
'Today, Jews are doing what they couldn't do for nearly 2,000 years,' said Daniel Eisenberg, spokesman for Tehilla, a group that provides social and psychological assistance to future immigrants. 'In the traditional prayers, Israel is mentioned again and again...the better question is, why are people staying in America?' he said...
'Many people have sacrificed in one way or another to ensure the existence of the state of Israel,' said Howard Schulman, a 40-year-old retired deputy sheriff. 'I think for me personally, that now it's my time to do my share and I regret that there aren't more North American Jews that feel that way.'
'Some people would think this is the wrong time to go. I think it's the best time to go. I think that Jews are motivated by a call to a challenge,' said Spencer Levine, an attorney who recently left for Israel with his wife, Judith and their three young daughters.
'The truth is, if people like us stop going, then what right do we have to call it our homeland?' asked Leigh Bar-Yakov."
- Tarshish News, June 2001
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ISRAEL ONCE AGAIN HOME TO LARGEST NUMBER OF JEWS IN THE WORLD
The number of Jews in modern Israel has surpassed the number of Jews in the United States for the first time, according to the US Central Bureau of Statistics.
On the eve of Independence Day last month, the CBS reported that there are 5.4 million Jews living in Israel, compared to 5.2 million in the U.S., according to the latest United Jewish Appeal Federation survey reported Tuesday in Ha'aretz.
The data indicates the closure of an historical circle: For the first time in nearly 2000 years since the destruction of the Second Temple, Israel has once again become the largest concentration of Jews in the world.
But Professor Sergio Della Pergola of Hebrew University questioned the findings, telling a Knesset committee last week that the CBS data was rendered inaccurate by not adequately counting the number of non-Jews included in the survey as a result of their marriage to Jews.
"The US data refers only to those who define themselves as Jewish by origin and have no other religion. So if we count non-Jewish family relatives, we must add to the US figure another 1.5 million people," he said.
According to Della Pergola's calculations if current trends continue, the number of Jews in Israel will still overtake the number in the US in three years time. Meanwhile, although the majority of the world's 13 million-plus Jews remain outside Israel, more than half of world Jewry is expected to be living here within the next decade or so.
- Today's International
Christian Embassy Jerusalem Report
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AMERICAN JEWS STILL MOVE TO ISRAEL
MIAMI (AP) - A suburban family leaving their comfortable life and home in south Florida might not raise eyebrows - moves happen. But when mom, dad and two little kids are headed for a small nation torn by months of violence, it's another matter.
Leigh and Daniel Bar-Yakov of Coral Springs are about to emigrate to Israel with their son, Noam, 5, and 8-month-old daughter, Penina. Relatives worry about the Bar-Yakovs' safety, but the couple feels compelled to make the move.
They aren't alone. Last year, more than 1,000 Jews from the United States and Canada decided to "make aliyah" - to pack up and move to Israel, permanently. They are driven by a combination of factors: belief that God ordained Israel as the Jewish homeland, and a desire to support and live in a Jewish nation state, among them.
"We both feel that it's our personal roles to live in Israel," said Leigh Bar-Yakov, who is studying for a doctorate in psychology. "We have some path to complete there in our lives."
Making aliyah is made possible by the "Law of Return," passed by the Israeli parliament in 1950. It grants the right to Israeli citizenship to anyone with a Jewish grandparent. Israel also provides financial assistance after the move.
Today, Jews are doing what they couldn't do for nearly 2,000 years, said Daniel Eisenberg, spokesman for Tehila, a group that provides social and psychological assistance to future immigrants.
"Many people have sacrificed themselves in one way or another to ensure the existence of the state of Israel," said Howard Schulman, a 40-year-old retired deputy sheriff. "I think, for me personally, that now it's my time to do my share and I regret that there aren't more North American Jews that feel that way."
"Some people would think this is the wrong time to go. I think it's the best time to go. I think that Jews are motivated by a call to a challenge," said Spencer Levine, an attorney who recently left for Israel with his wife, Judith, and their three young daughters.
"The truth is, if people like us stop going, then what right do we have to call it our homeland?" asked Leigh Bar-Yakov.
- Miranda Leitsinger, Associated Press Writer
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