This summer has been very difficult for the Jewish
People living in Eretz Yisrael. From the beginning of July they have been under attack. All of us, have friends and families that needed to
move or to go into hiding from the sirens, missile and tunnel attacks. In
the diaspora, we spent our days listening to news reports, following Facebook
and Twitter for updates on the situation in Israel. What actions items did Jews
living outside of Israel do to help the situation?
- Some people raised money for the
IDF and injured soldiers.
- Some people show that they Stand
with Israel by attending Rallys.n (NYC)
- Some people participated in
Solidarity Mission to Israel
- Some said more Tehilim.
- Some committed to learn more each
day.
I understand the first 3 ideas as action
items that bring financial or emotional support to the people in the land. The
last two of saying Tehlim and committing to learn more each day how do they
help?
I know I know you are going to tell me praying
more and learning more are always a good thing.
In
this past week's Parsha of Eikev certain pasukim prove to me
learning Torah and following the Mitzvot is as important as the other action
items. We have pasukim describing the land of Israel as a land filled
with all the good. It has seven special species, it has a unique climate, it is
a land that "God has His eyes on constantly from the beginning of the year
until the end." (Devarim 11:10-12). God promised us all the benefits from
the land. BUT if we do not follow the rules and laws then the land will shut
down and we will be "expelled from the land". (Devarim 11:13-17).
The group of pasukim that explains it the most clearly for me is from
Devarim 11:22-25.
כב כִּי אִם-שָׁמֹר תִּשְׁמְרוּן אֶת-כָּל-הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם--לַעֲשֹׂתָהּ: לְאַהֲבָה אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, לָלֶכֶת בְּכָל-דְּרָכָיו--וּלְדָבְקָה-בוֹ. כג וְהוֹרִישׁ יְהוָה אֶת-כָּל-הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה, מִלִּפְנֵיכֶם; וִירִשְׁתֶּם גּוֹיִם, גְּדֹלִים וַעֲצֻמִים מִכֶּם. כדכָּל-הַמָּקוֹם, אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרֹךְ כַּף-רַגְלְכֶם בּוֹ--לָכֶם יִהְיֶה: מִן-הַמִּדְבָּר וְהַלְּבָנוֹן מִן-הַנָּהָר נְהַר-פְּרָת, וְעַד הַיָּם הָאַחֲרוֹן--יִהְיֶה, גְּבֻלְכֶם. כה לֹא-יִתְיַצֵּב אִישׁ, בִּפְנֵיכֶם: פַּחְדְּכֶם
וּמוֹרַאֲכֶם יִתֵּן יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרְכוּ-בָהּ, כַּאֲשֶׁר, דִּבֶּר לָכֶם.
22 For if you will diligently keep all this commandment which I command you, to do it, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave unto Him, 23 then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves. 24 Every place where the sole of your foot shall walk will be yours: .......25 There will be no man be able to stand against you: the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as He has spoken to you.
These pasukim state very
clearly that if the Jewish people observe the mitzvot and serve God then God
will drive out our enemies from before us, and no person/people will be able to stand
up against us. This is the formula we need. We love God by learning
and davening. In my learning group this summer we dedicated our learning of
Mishanyot each day to the people of Israel, soldiers, and civilians. The staff set
up a "Shemira" (Guard) rotation of learning in the Beit Midrash from
10:00 to 12:45 each night. We were learning Torah in America but our hearts
were in Israel. All forms of support for Israel are needed and important.
Using the end of this week's Parsha as a lens I feel that our campers and staff
made a difference and helped the success of the operation.
