{"id":24972,"date":"2012-04-25T21:28:34","date_gmt":"2012-04-25T21:28:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=24972"},"modified":"2016-12-04T08:38:31","modified_gmt":"2016-12-04T13:38:31","slug":"yom-haatzmaut-a-day-deserving-of-celebration-eliyahu-safran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/israel\/yom-haatzmaut-a-day-deserving-of-celebration-eliyahu-safran\/","title":{"rendered":"Yom Ha\u2019Atzmaut: A Day Deserving of Celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"

For me, Israel is personal.<\/p>\n

I was born as the War of Independence raged, just weeks after the State\u2019s own miraculous birth. \u00a0As I lay in the hospital room with my mother, the windows shattered with the relentless attacks of those who sought, once again, to destroy us \u2013 this time not on their blood-stained soil but on our own sacred land. \u00a0Once again, by G-d\u2019s hand, we prevailed. \u00a0The few against the many. \u00a0The weak against the so-called strong.<\/p>\n

My parents arrived in Palestine on the very last boat to sail from Romania. \u00a0They were broken, demeaned and degraded but they were determined to find renewal in the holy land. \u00a0For my family, galut\u00a0<\/em>(exile)\u00a0and geulah\u00a0<\/em>(redemption) are not chapters in a history book. \u00a0They are real life experiences.<\/p>\n

For me and my family, Yom Hashoah<\/em> (Holocaust Remembrance Day) and Yom Ha\u2019atzmaut<\/em> (Israel’s Independence Day) were not mere dates on the calendar but days filled with piercing memories that called for reflection, remembrance, and, ultimately, celebration.<\/p>\n

For many years, my family was not alone in fervently claiming these dates, these searing modern commemorations, as our own. \u00a0Growing up in Forest Hills, NY, I remember the crowds of Jews, all Jews \u2013 of every age and background; survivors and their children, Jews three generation Americans; all the wonderful Jewish community \u2013 that came together in synagogues and sanctuaries to remember, to pray, and to promise.<\/p>\n

I remember the power those long ago days held for those of us who gathered to commemorate and to celebrate them. \u00a0But now? \u00a0Many progressive Jewish communities continue to celebrate Israel, but in the majority of today\u2019s major Orthodox communities, it\u2019s rare to find a recognition, let alone an active celebration, of these most sacred days.<\/p>\n

How do we explain this Orthodox response, or lack of it, to the State of Israel? \u00a0Can any of us deny the miracle Israel represents? For the first time in two thousand years the ingathering of exiles is realized, Jewish people have returned home to the land promised by G-d, Israel. \u00a0The city of Jerusalem is rebuilt.<\/p>\n

The desert once again blooms.<\/p>\n

All of this on the heels of the greatest churban\u00a0<\/em>(destruction)\u00a0in Jewish history, the Holocaust. Miracle of miracles! \u00a0The gates of Auschwitz closed and the gates of Haifa opened! \u00a0\u00a0If ever there was a confirmation of the Divine Covenant, of the eternal relationship between a people, a Torah, G-d, and a land . . . if ever there was a fulfillment of prophecies that in spite of a bitter galut\u00a0<\/em>and the terror of persecution there would be ultimate geulah<\/em>and return to the land and its G-d… . if ever there was a period of Messianic possibility and challenge \u2013 it is now.<\/p>\n

More Jews are engaged in serious, regular, and creative Torah learning in Israel than at any time in the last five centuries. \u00a0\u201cFrom Zion the Torah will come forth and the word of G-d from Jerusalem!\u201d \u00a0And so it does. \u00a0The world\u2019s Torah is nourished from its source in Jerusalem. A distinguished Chassidic leader recently told me that most Jews are not aware that \u201cthe government of the State of Israel is the world\u2019s most generous donor in support of Torah study.\u201d<\/p>\n

The silence of the Soviet Jews ended. \u00a0The influence of Jews in America and Europe is palpable. \u00a0Chaim Herzog stood before the United Nations tore up the \u201cZionism is racism\u201d resolution.<\/p>\n

All this, and more, only because Israel exists.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Yet the majority of Orthodox Jews in America act as though nothing of note happened on May 14, 1948. \u00a0They refuse to acknowledge G-d’s outstretched arm or recognize our generation’s restored glory. \u00a0What arrogance causes them to summarily reject the opportunity to celebrate and rejoice on new Yamim Tovim? \u00a0How do they show such disregard for those who love, support and sacrifice for Israel? \u00a0What thinking is behind the rejection of the Hebrew language and the distancing of all that speaks of Tziyonim<\/em> (Zionists)?<\/p>\n

There are Orthodox schools of thought and practice that educate their children \u2013 toddlers even! \u2013 to think and live as kanaaim <\/em>(zealots).<\/p>\n

The fact that modern Israel may not as yet be the fulfillment of all Messianic dreams and aspirations does not, cannot and must not mean its rejection, denial, or disdain.<\/p>\n

In light of this, what, then, do we expect from the all Jews?<\/p>\n

Rabbi Yaakov Rabinowitz responded poignantly in the first issue of Ten Da ‘at<\/em> that our expectation is first to k\u2019lal<\/em> Yisrael, \u201cWe can expect a feeling of love for all Jews, whatever their background, whatever their status. There will be those whom we will applaud, those whom we will oppose, those who will give us pain, even make us cry. But we will try never to forget that we are one and that the inner door should never be closed. And we will keep an outer door, to the outside world, open as well. To be sure, it will have a screen. Not everything is needed or wanted. But it is, after all, G-d’s world and we live in it, not despite it.<\/p>\n

And, finally-Israel. That state which is focal to our people. It is not an afterthought. It is not something to be tolerated for the sake of unity or because it is home and protector to so many of our brothers and sisters. It is a step, small or large is irrelevant, toward redemption. Its triumphs and celebrations are our triumphs and celebrations. There may be differences in the manner of celebration, but we affirm, with strength and conviction and without apology, that it is our simcha and that we want to, and need to, be a part of it. We are proud of its symbols, be they flag or anthem, for they have become sanctified.\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

My grandfather, the Romanian Gaon, Rav Bezalel Ze\u2019ev Shafran was asked, \u201cWhy is it that in the Nusach S\u2019fard Keter Kedushah we ask, V\u2019hu yigaleinu sh\u2019eini<\/em>t?\u201d \u00a0Why do we ask that God redeem us for the second time? \u00a0The second redemption has already occurred! Are we not eagerly anticipating the third and ultimate redemption?”<\/p>\n

Citing the verses in Isaiah 11, \u00a0\u201cAnd it shall come to pass on that day, that the Lord will set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people\u2026And will assemble the dispersed of Israel, and gather together the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Rashi comments that it will be the \u201csecond time\u201d just as He redeemed them from Egypt, where the redemption was crystal clear and obvious (be\u2019rura<\/em>) with no vestige of bondage remaining. \u00a0The redemption leading to the rebuilding of the Second Temple was incomplete, as the people Israel remained under Cyrus\u2019 rule.<\/p>\n

He notes the Ramban at the end of Ha\u2019azinu, describing the mockery of the world\u2019s nations during the time of the Second Temple, when the best among them worked in heichal ha\u2019melech bavel.<\/p>\n

Most striking, my grandfather cites the Talmud in Yoma (21:b) discussing the five major elements that were lacking from the second Temple: the Ark, Ark cover and Cherubim, the fire from Heaven, the Shechinah,<\/em> Divine Providence, the Holy Spirit and the Urim VeTumim <\/em>(the high priest’s breastplate). \u00a0Commentaries elaborate and explain that these were merely the major elements missing from Bayit Sheni, the Second Temple. \u00a0In reality, more was missing.<\/p>\n

So we pray that we be worthy of the second geulah<\/em>, one as absolute and complete as the first geulah<\/em>, geulat<\/em> Mitzrayim (Egypt). \u00a0We pray in the nusach S\u2019fard, \u201cU\u2019maer l\u2019gealenu geula sh\u2019leimah<\/em>\u201d; we pray that He speedily redeem us with a complete and whole geulah<\/em>. \u00a0Not a geulah<\/em> as existed during the time of the Second Temple but an absolute geulah<\/em> where nothing that is required for completeness is missing.<\/p>\n

As I understand my grandfather\u2019s insightful response, the ultimate geulah<\/em> is yet to come; a geulah<\/em> synonymous with geulat<\/em> Mitzrayim, complete, with no doubt or hesitation as to its authenticity. In the meantime, G-d provides various categories of geulah<\/em> \u2013 as during the time of Bayit Sheni when the Ark and even the Shechinah<\/em> itself was absent. \u00a0Yes, lacking. \u00a0Yes, incomplete. \u00a0Yes, not perfect. \u00a0But, nevertheless, geulah<\/em>, geulah<\/em> with all that was the splendor of Bayit Sheni.<\/p>\n

In our own lifetimes, God has also provided geulah<\/em>; incomplete though it may be. \u00a0It is true that it lacks even more components than geulat Bayit Sheni but it is undoubtedly geulah<\/em>, geulah\u00a0<\/em>after endless galut<\/em>, endless wanderings and suffering that culminated in the most terrible churban of all times, the Shoah.<\/p>\n

Yes, we need to continue praying that He redeem us a second time. \u00a0In the meanwhile, let us never close our eyes to the geulah<\/em> we live or to the miracles G-d brings to our own lives. \u00a0Let us never fail to embrace the geulah<\/em> which is Israel. \u00a0Let us celebrate it even as we commemorate the tragedy upon which it rose.<\/p>\n

\n

Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Safran serves as OU Kosher\u2019s Vice President of Communications and Marketing<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The fact that modern Israel may not as yet be the fulfillment of all Messianic dreams and aspirations does not, cannot and must not mean its rejection, denial, or disdain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":363,"featured_media":24973,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,153],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-israel","category-yom-haatzmaut"],"yoast_head":"\nYom Ha\u2019Atzmaut: A Day Deserving of Celebration - OU Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The fact that modern Israel may not yet be fulfillment of all Messianic dreams & aspirations doesn't, can't & mustn't mean its rejection, denial or disdain.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/israel\/yom-haatzmaut-a-day-deserving-of-celebration-eliyahu-safran\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Yom Ha\u2019Atzmaut: A Day Deserving of Celebration - 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