Rabbi's Message

On Sunday evening May 11th we will be welcoming in Yom HaAtzma=ut, Israel Independence Day. The Halachic Minyan is celebrating together with Temple Beth Israel, Hillel and the Federation the 49th anniversary of the founding of the most recent Jewish state. While we enjoy the tasty falafel and the Israeli music let us not lose sight of what Israel is about and what it means to us American Jews that a Jewish state exists.

We recently held a community discussion on the subject of including a prayer for the State of Israel in our Shabbos Shachris services. While we make many references to Israel and Jerusalem throughout the siddur the decision was made to include a specific prayer for the well-being of the State of Israel. The prayer has been adopted by many traditional synagogues throughout the world. In making this decision as a community we combined the best of who we are and who we are to be. We recognize that the re-establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Yisroel has strong spiritual and historical significance. Far from being an extension of 19th century European nationalism, the rebirth of the Jewish presence and independence in the Land of Israel seems to be in keeping with the promises that HaShem made to our forefathers. In the desert He told us, ASee! I have given the Land before you; come and possess the Land that HaShem swore to your forefathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them and their children after them.@ Furthermore we see the return of the exiles prophesied in Ezekiel, wherein the prophet, speaking in the name of HaShem, states, AI will gather you from the nations, and assemble you from the lands where you have been scattered, and I will give you the Land of Israel.@ Whether our current State of Israel will be the fulfillment of these - and many other - prophetic statements remains to be seen. However it is undeniable that the re-establishment of Jewish sovereignty in Israel is a gift from Gd. It is incumbent upon us to first and foremost show our gratitude to HaShem for His kindness in allowing us access to Israel in a way that our bubbies and zadies could hardly even imagine. Beyond that simple recognition is a deeper understanding of the role that Israel and Jerusalem has played in our spiritual history. The tradition speaks of the three essential elements of our ideal existence: Am Yisroel, Torat Yisroel, and Eretz Yisroel. This means that we are as we should be when the People of Israel is observing the Torah of Israel while living in the Land of Israel; all, of course, under the watchful eye of HaShem. This is the ideal Jewish existence. This model has defined the formation of our intellectual pursuits - our halachic, philosophic and ethical literature - as well as the timeless content of our liturgy, and has served as the vision that gives strength, hope and courage to our people when that vision and trust is all that remains. Our existence is complete and perfect only when all three of these elements are brought together.

As King Solomon said, a three-strand cord is unbreakable. It is critical that we in America move towards greater observance of Torah and Mitzvot, and that we understand the spiritual importance of Eretz Yisroel. At the same time it is equally crucial that the State of Israel continues to gain greater recognition of the life-sustaining role of Halachah and Mussar. Over the last 2000 years, the soul of the Nation of Israel thrived on Torah, but was weak because of our exile. Now the body has been revived but is weak because of secular nationalism. We cannot settle for substitutes. Our job is to bring together body and soul to recreate the perfect spiritual reality of the Jewish People living an authentic Torah Life in the Jewish Land. This is what we must pray for and work towards. This is the eternal covenant of Gd and the Jews. This is who we are and who we must become.

Rabbi Efraim Davidson