Lessons From the Flotilla
A 27 year study of optimists and pessimists has revealed that pessimists are much more accurate about reality then optimists. as a result pessimists rarely if ever change the reality since it is the reality and they accept it and resign themselves to it. Optimists ted to change reality over time, since they refuse to accept the reality they are constantly trying to change and eventually many of them do.
Today Israel is facing world wide condemnation once again for legitimately defending its people. The reality is that Israel has few friends in the world and it can be quite hostile out there. The reality can look very bleak. In the Torah, our eternal guide book, we have many lessons relating to the challenges we are facing.
The story of the spies that Moses sent to spy on the Canaanites is especially instructive. moses sends 12 of the top Jewish minds and visionaries to scout out the land and bring back a report. they do as they are told and scout out the land and 10 out of 12 concluded that the odds are stacked against them and that going to the land is not a good idea. The reality is that there are mighty nations there living in fortified cities. they are giant people and they are too strong for us. In the narration recorded in the Torah it shares another statement of the spies that we felt like grasshoppers in their eyes and that is how we were seen as well. rabbi Mendel of Kotzk commented on this statement and said that in these words we find the error of the spies, who care how they view us that should not be our concern, after all Hashem G-d is with us. the Rebbe adds to this and comments why does it first say that we felt like grasshoppers in our eyes and then it says that the giants felt the same way? why not say it in the reverse, they viewed as grasshoppers and we felt the same? The Rebbe sees in these words an eternal message for us, our view of ourselves is how others view us. If we think of ourselves as grasshoppers then that is how we will be perceived.
In all world events we need to ask ourselves how does this relate to my personal life and how can I improve? ultimately we have little control over world events, over our selves we have full control. the Torah says that each person is a miniature world and that by developing ourselves in this particular area we can have a global affect. each one of us has to ask ourselves how do we view ourselves? We are a minority in this country and in the world, the world around can look like giants and we can feel like grasshoppers. How do you feel and act? if you feel and act like a grasshopper, not proud of your Judaism, your Torah, your history and culture, your religion and rituals, then that is how you will be viewed. We need to be strong in our Jewish ways and and our Jewish ways of thinking. We should be proud of our heritage and not be afraid to wear it publicly.
They tell the story of the fellow who had never traveled on a train before but he heard great stories about the train. he finally was able to but a ticket so he went to the train station and went over to one of the windows and bought a ticket. He boarded the train and took a seat. As the train left the station the conductor came through the cabin checking every ones ticket. everyone took out their tickets and showed it to the conductor he pulled out his and became very nervous as his was a different color. Not knowing what to do and remembering the horror stories he had heard about being caught on a train without the right ticket he slid under his seat and tried to hide. as the conductor came by he noticed his coat sticking out from under the seat he bends down pulls the guy out and starts berating him for trying to steal his way on to the train and warns him of the terrible punishment awaiting him at the net station. as this is going on his ticket falls out of his pocket the conductor bends down and begins to laugh. now the man is completely confused. what is so funny he asks? the conductor responds, this is probably your first time on a train so you don't know that we have different classes on the train. you see this is coach and you unknowingly purchased a first class ticket, that is why the color is different. You have nothing to be ashamed of on the contrary you belong not under the seat but in first class.
When G-d is behind you you have a first class ticket don't view yourself as a third class grasshopper. if you do then even though you have a first class ticket you will be treated like a third class grasshopper.
Each one of us needs to stand tall and proud of our own Judaism. Israel needs to stand strong and have no fear for G-d has always been with us and is constantly with us, that is the only way to explain our miraculous survival until today. In our own modern history we have seen G-d standing with us. We saw the miracles in '48, '67, '73 and during the gulf war and many more including our current times. Hashem is with Israel and with each one of us.
The Flotilla
What is the lesson for us from the Flotilla? Everything we see and hear are all by divine providence. It is not a coincidence that you heard about this and watched the videos etc. there is a divine lesson in it waiting to be discovered.
each and every individual can be compared to the land of Israel. Each one of us has internal and external friends and enemies. Just as Israel does. Each f us has borders that we need to protect and secure. We are constantly having interactions with those friends and enemies in the form of ideas, emotions, desires and advice that we receive from internal and eternal sources.We need to be very vigilant about these ideas etc. to make sure that they wont harm us and our families. The things which are obviously bad and evil are easy to identify and stay away from or stop ourselves from those impulses and desires. However when our enemies dress in garments of peace and they try to convince us that they are benign that is even more dangerous. Many ideas out there that are brought to our borders, i.e. ears, and eyes, whether they come form our friends or from the media or other sources that look benign and peaceful but are really antithetical to us and to our way of life, we need to stop them and not allow them to penetrate and threaten our purity.
This can only work if you have a clear understanding of who you are, what you stand for and what you believe in. If you don't then you will have no idea if it is really good or not and you wont have the courage to stand firm in the face of increasing peer or other pressure.
We have a Torah that is our light and guide, that is where we as Jews should be getting our values from. there are many nice ideas that can complement the Torah and there are many ideas that are antithetical to the Torah. the obvious ones we don't need help with but the tricky ones are the views that on the surface look peaceful, don't seem to be at odds with the Torahs values but in reality they are.
We need to be very careful in what we embrace and what we teach to our impressionable children.
When we are able to be strong ourselves in both the above mentioned areas of life then that will give strength to those in power in Israel and around the world to be strong as well. and when we secure our own personal borders Hashem will surely secure the borders of Israel and the whole world and we will merit the time of Moshiach when the worlds lights will finally go on and the whole world will see the truth of what is truly right and wrong and we will all live in peace, harmony and prosperity.
Rabbi Zalman Marcus