B"H
THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTH OF CHESHVAN
Dear Friends:
Have you ever been in a war zone?
Sometimes these days life seems pretty chaotic, but there is a difference between a basically civilized country and a combat zone, in which there is no overriding sense that eventually the governing authority will once again take control. Not for nothing does Pirkei Avos tell us, "pray for the welfare of the government...." [1]
We were in a war zone.
We spent the first days of Sukkos with our children in Beit El, about forty minutes north of Jerusalem in what people refer to as the West Bank. Shortly after nightfall on the second night, the Army beeper (installed in every home) went off: four Arabs had attempted to throw firebombs over the border fence and one had been killed by the Army. Soon we heard sirens and, about half a mile from our window, we could see an Arab demonstration on the adjoining road. Four Arab ambulances were lined up, lights flashing (perhaps for the benefit of CNN) as if four Arabs had been killed. A crowd was shouting, possibly demanding the return of the terrorist's body. Shouting and sirens continued for a long time into the night. The next day, demonstrations continued, within sight and hearing range of our windows, with tires burning and black smoke drifting over Beit El. Later that afternoon, another Arab was killed by Army gunfire as he approached the settlement with a firebomb.
One feels keenly in such a situation how much our enemies outnumber us. We are surrounded worldwide by hundreds of millions of enemies! Who will protect us? What if, for example, the United States were no longer supplying arms and funding to Israel? How would Israel survive?
When you are out there with several hundred screaming Arabs the questions become very real!
Would you like to hear what "action" I took to protect my family, Beit El and the Nation of Israel from the screaming enemies? I don't claim anything original, but who needs "original" when you have the Torah? I did what G-d gave me power to do. I don't have a gun, and one gun is not going to help much against screaming hordes. A million guns will not defeat hundreds of millions of enemies. But we Children of Israel have magen Avraham, the shield of Abraham, a weapon that has saved us since the days of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, and delivered us "from a mightier power." [2]
I went inside the Sukkah and learned Torah!
I would like to ask you: what else has protected us?
What else is unique to Am Yisroel?
What other nation has survived what we have survived?
No other nation! It is only because of the Torah to which we cling day and night! That is our only weapon!
When we wave the lulav and esrog in six directions, we are literally pushing our enemies away!
Do you doubt that four flimsy plants can push our enemies away?
Well then, my friends, what DOES push our enemies away?
"G-d is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? G-d is my life's strength. Whom shall I dread? When evildoers approach me to devour my flesh ... it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army would besiege me, my heart would not fear; though war would arise against me, in this I trust. .... He will hide me in His shelter on the day of evil.... Now my head is raised against my enemies around me.... Had I not trusted that I would see the goodness of G-d in the land of life! Hope to Hashem, strengthen yourself and He will give you courage, and hope to Hashem." [3]
We come, my friends, to Mar Cheshvan, the bitter month, in which the Great Flood destroyed the earth in the time of Noah. This is always a fearsome season. Many tragedies have occurred in this challenging month.
We seem at this time in history to be threatened by a Flood not unlike the Great Flood, but this is a flood of troubles. We are inundated by troubles, drowning in troubles. A flood is all encompassing; there is no way to overpower it. It comes upon you from all sides, including below. In the days of Noah, even the "fountains of the great deep burst forth." [4] Troubles flow from all sides and directions: they are personal, familial, social, national and international. They are physical, psychological, and spiritual. Today's troubles seem totally beyond control. Indeed, the Flood is upon us!
My friends, we must be very careful in the coming days.
Without exaggeration, the world seems to be under the control of maniacs. When you see a motorcycle pass you in the rain at ninety miles per hour, you say to yourself, "that guy is a maniac. He is going to kill himself and maybe others also, G-d forbid." A maniac endangers many lives. There are maniacs all around the world with their fingers on the nuclear trigger! More are lining up!
As I discuss in WORLDSTORM, mankind has now reversed the order of Creation back to the point of original chaos, "tohu v'vohu". All the familiar systems are, it seems, on the verge of collapse. We are returning to Moment Zero. When we reach that point, my friends, there will be no shelter, no place to hide.
EXCEPT ONE: "He will hide me in His shelter on the day of evil"! [5]
THAT IS ALL. THERE WILL BE NO OTHER PLACE!
King David says, "Ivdu es Hashem b'yira, v'gilu b'ra'da," [6] serve G-d with awe, and rejoice when there is trembling ." [7]
How can we "rejoice when there is trembling"?
When we realize that the apparent chaos, the Flood engulfing us IS G-D PREPARING THE WORLD FOR A NEW CREATION! As I have said in the past: to an Egyptian the Ten Biblical Plagues were nothing less than the entire world falling apart. But to a Child of Israel they were the preparations for the GREATEST EVENT EVER TO TAKE PLACE IN HISTORY, THE EXODUS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AND THE REVELATION OF THE TORAH ON MOUNT SINAI!
So today, my friends, we witness the Hand of G-d preparing to bring about the FINAL REDEMPTION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, THE REVELATION OF MOSHIACH BEN DOVID, THE REBUILDING OF THE BAIS HAMIKDOSH, THE COMING DAWN OF ETERNAL PEACE AND THE WORLDWIDE REVELATION OF THE PRESENCE OF G-D.
May we see it soon, in our days ... this year!
Roy S. Neuberger
© Copyright 2008 by Roy S. Neuberger
[1] Pirkei Avos 3:2
[2] Evening service
[3] Psalm 27
[4] Genesis 7:11
[5] Psalm 27
[6] Psalm 2
[7] Artscroll Yom Kippur Machzor, Interlinear edition
