With the news of the most recent ceasefire-hostage deal, there are swarms of mixed emotions. The idea of bringing, even just 20-something living hostages back, after over a year of hell … how can one not be happy? Yet, we know that the rest will not be released until Hamas gets everything else it wants. If Israel does not provide it, they will condemn the rest to a slow death. And if Israel does provide it, it's practically condemning itself to a slow death.
Yet, I'm sure many are missing something even more fundamental and painful. World leaders are now praising this, all of them hoping "that it will build an everlasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians." In English, that means, that they are more than happy if Hamas stays in power, so they can, once again, pour billions into Gaza to rebuild and rearm. Then the world will officially recognize Palestine as a full-member state, stripping Israel of any rights of security, and allowing the Palestinians to continue their ongoing war to wipe Israel off the map. All with international support and guarantees.
Wonderful times, indeed.
Well … the one thing we have learned over the past year is … you never know what will be.
And this week's parsha commands us, in a way, to believe that.
Rav Yechezkel Levenstein notes, when Hashem was speaking to Moshe regarding his new mission in life, He told Moshe to first gather the elders of the nation, speak to them, convince them that things are about to change, and THEN go to Pharoah. Why did he have to first go to the elders of the nation? Let Moshe and Aharon simply go to Pharoah!
Rav Levenstein answers that in order for any redemption to even begin to occur, there must be some "awakening" from the nation itself. "The beginning of spiritual work must begin with an inner awakening, and only afterwards, will he receive help from Above."
Without the nation "on board," Moshe and Aharon had no power. First, THEY needed to understand that something big was about to happen, they had to believe that the redemption is about to occur. They needed to create that initial "spark" in order for the engine to start.
I recently ran into somebody whom I haven't seen in months. He works in outreach here in the north, and I asked him how "business" was. He said, it's amazing. More and more people are showing interest in Judaism and learning more. There are many families of hostages, those not putting themselves on the front pages, who have started changing their lives around. They, on whatever level they are at, go around and speak of emunah. They do mitzvos in the merit of their loved ones. Instead of shouting and screaming at the government to do the impossible, they cry and daven to the only One who can do the impossible.
For those who wish to put their faith in a government, they can. They have no need to change themselves. They can praise or condemn others at will. They can scream and howl. And many will praise them for that.
But us? It's better that we show Hashem that we believe that He controls governments and everything is in His hands. With that, we can push ourselves to be better Jews and more worthy of redemption.
With that, I wish you all an excellent Shabbos and may we only continue to see miracles for not only those languishing in captivity, but also for the entire nation.