PARSHAT DEVARIM/SHABBAT CHAZON - TIME TO ARISE FROM THE GROUND

[TorahZionist]

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kroizer SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT DEVARIM/SHABBAT CHAZON
6 Av 5767/20-21 July 2007


TIME TO ARISE FROM THE GROUND

If our sages of old were alive in our generation, certainly the laws of
mourning, that vast quantity of laws limiting our joy up to the Ninth of
Av - the destruction of our holy Temple - would not be needed. All one would
have to do would be to listen to the latest news broadcast to get into the
sprit of Tisha B'Av. From Shimon "the man behind Oslo" Peres becoming
President of the State of Israel, to Olmert releasing 250 murdering
terrorists, to the brilliant new plan of "Pucker lips" Ramon to throw out
some 100,000 Jews from their homes in Yesha and give it over to the Arabs.
Based on the same model of the"disengagement" that worked out so well in
Gaza, just ask anyone in Sderot today. To President Bush’s address on the
Middle East, telling Israel to remove illegal building from Yesha and that
the Jews should instead build up the Negev (that’s nice of him). To the
giving of some 190 million dollars to the PA's "moderate" terrorists, and
the planning of a regional conference this fall to tighten the noose around
the neck of Israel.
Yes, during these days one can become very disheartened, as they see the
great dangers threatening the Jewish State and how our leaders walk blindly
into the darkness. Still, in bygone days, when there was not much people
could do to help their situation, such as leaving the exiles and returning
home to the Land, or the building the holy Temple in Jerusalem, our sages
imposed upon us many decrees to help us feel the mourning period. Starting
from the seventeenth of Tammuz throughout the three-week period until the
Ninth of Av, our sages added decree after decree, from no shaving and
haircuts to no wedding bells, to no swimming, all the way to no wine and
meat. For, in any case, a Jew who was thousands of miles from his Land, and
with no means to return, could only sit and weep.
But if our sages were here today, when a flight to the Land of Israel is
only hours away and takes place daily, or where millions of Jews already
live in the Land, even if each one would bring just one small stone to the
Temple Mount, they could build the Temple today. What would our sages tell
us today: To continue to sit on the floor - or to get up and act?

The holy Vilna Gaon teaches us in "Kol Hator" that one needs to know in
advance that this period before Redemption will have a lot of hardships, but
from these very hardships will come forth salvation. So one must not become
disheartened when the difficulties arise or if his path is blocked, but he
must overcome them and continue to work towards Redemption.

What, then, are we waiting for? Could there be a clearer path of the
Redemption process that is unfolding before us today? Does one sit in the
exiles of NY or LA and mourn the destruction, when he could get up and come
home in a few hours? What does he think, that Moshiach will be a travel
agent giving out tickets to El-Al flights? ("Hi, this is Moshiach, I booked
you on the Monday night flight to Tel Aviv")??!!

It's in our hands to act and make the change. Certainly, we have to feel
the loss of our holy Temple, but more important - much more important - is
to start the rebuilding process. This is what the Torah wants and demands of
us. Don’t be left out, for time waits for no one. It is time to get up off
the floor and act!

With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen


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