I hope everybody had an enjoyable break. Personally, my enjoyable break has just begun as the kids return to school and I return to kollel.
Over the past six years, we've had only one year where the kids have had a complete year of schooling. Recent air activity over the past two nights are not boding well, but we are davening that we should see another full year…
The sefer "Perach Shoshan" explains the following pesukim from this week's parsha:
"He sent forth the dove from him to see if the waters had abated from the face of the earth."
The dove (yona) is often the bird that the Jewish people are compared to. Hashem sent out the Yona "from Him," from the Beis HaMikdash and Eretz Yisroel. Why? Because…
"The water had abated from the face of the earth."
And the Torah, which is often compared to water, was lessened in the world. Hence, the dove (the Jewish people) needed to be driven out.
What happened when the dove was in "exile"?
"The dove could not find a resting place for the sole of its foot."
No matter which country the Jewish people went to in their history, they never stayed there for long, for they were pushed out from one land to another. So, in the end, what did the dove do?
"And she returned to Noach, to the ark."
She returned in tshuva to Hashem and His Torah, to the protection of the ark.
"Because water was on the face of all the earth; he sent out his hand and took her and brought her to him, to the ark."
And when there was enough Torah in the world, Hashem "sent out His hand and took her and brought her to him…"
A real beautiful piece.
In the beginning of the war, when there were clear goals, the nation was together, and politics did not take part (you remember, it lasted a week or so), there were songs and feelings that this war would somehow be the "end of all wars"… sort of like World War I. And like World War I, it not only did NOT end all wars, it only CAUSED more wars. But nonetheless, many (not I) had this feeling of "okay, this is it." Many soldiers put on a special "Beis HaMikdash" patch on their combat uniforms (before the army outlawed it), and songs were coming out about Moshiach and the Beis HaMikdash.
However, we know that Moshiach will not come because of this war or that. Moshiach isn't political. The end of our exile is dependent on our spiritual level and our spiritual wars. And like the physical wars, the spiritual wars are fought on many fronts.
On one hand, outside of Eretz Yisroel, you have the desire to be like the nations of the world. What interests the host nation, interests the Jews that live there, whether it be entertainment or politics or whatever.
Within Eretz Yisroel, you have an establishment which is out to tear down the world of Torah. I'm not speaking about those who simply believe that every citizen should bear responsibility of the defense of the state (with the exception of Arabs, sports stars, entertainers, and all the other exceptions or special statuses that many get). That's an understandable position (sort of). But, there are groups that are behind that movement that have openly expressed their desire to use this platform to simply destroy the world of Torah and make all the religious be "just like us."
Yet, no matter where one lives, there is a battle that one has with themselves. And this is probably the hardest battle. It lacks the glory of fighting like the first two and nobody but you sees the spiritual sweat and tears. Not only that, but it's very easy to fool oneself in this battle. One can easily say, "I learn in yeshiva," "I keep Shabbos," "I give tzedakah," and think, "that means I'm growing." But a person who stays in one position is not moving anywhere.
It's in this battle one must truly strengthen themselves and remind themselves, that every step that we take in our spiritual path, is a step closer to redemption. Only when Torah (through learning and mitzvos) overflows in this world, will we finally earn the right for Hashem's hand to bring us back in.
Have a wonderful Shabbos!