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This week, Jews worldwide will sit down at family gatherings to observe
the Passover seder—as they have done continuously for the past
3,314 years—ever since the miraculous Exodus from Egypt. The eyes of the
world are on the Holy Land, the focus of our hope, and the eye of the
storm.
In the Haggadah of the Passover seder,
the following verse is recited:
“And this is
what has stood by our ancestors and by us, that not only one time have
they [enemies of Israel] opposed us and tried to destroy us, but in
each and every generation they oppose us and try to destroy us,
but The Holy One, Blessed Be He, has saved us from their
hands.”
What is this referred to in the Haggadah?
This which has saved the Jews from destruction in each and every
generation. This is the promise that G-d made to Abraham: (Genesis
15:13-14).
Know with certainty that your descendants will be
strangers in a land not their own. They will serve them and they will
oppress them four hundred years; but also upon the nation which they shall
serve shall I execute judgment, and afterwards they shall go out with
great treasure.
G-d’s promise, made first to Abraham but repeated to
the subsequent generations: to Isaac, to Jacob, to Joseph, to Moses and to
the entire people of Israel as they stood at the foot of Mt. Sinai to
receive G-d’s holy Law. G-d’s promise, made to keep Israel, and Israel’s
promise, made to keep G-d’s Law.
There can be no doubt that today the enemies of
Israel stand poised for her destruction just as in previous generations.
But just as in previous generations, we have G-d’s promise that we shall
be saved. Right now, Jerusalem seems to be the most dangerous place in the
world. Having lived in Jerusalem years ago, I can feel myself grow cold
whenever I hear of another suicide attack taking place in old familiar
neighborhoods, at shops and cafes where I used to go, on bus routes I used
to travel. At the end of the seder, we always say, “Next year in
Jerusalem!” Now some people have suggested that the Jews in Jerusalem
should say “Next year in Los Angeles!” or “Next year in New Jersey!” or
even “Next year in divided Jerusalem!” Who wants to live in a war zone?
The reason that Jerusalem is under attack today is
because some Jews believed that they could “buy peace” by giving away
Israel’s eternal inheritance for some empty promises or “normalization”
(whatever that means). Even Esau got a good meal in exchange for his
birthright! The more concessions that have been made, the greater the
blood-thirst of our enemies.
In each and every generation they oppose us and
try to destroy us.
During one of the previous generations’ attempts at
destroying the Jewish nation, it was said that if only we had our own
country and our own army, they couldn’t destroy us. Well, now we have our
own country and our own army, and still they try to destroy us. Should we
still say “Next year in Jerusalem!”?
Yes!!
What do Jews say, who are already living in
Jerusalem? Do they also say “Next year in Jerusalem!”? They say,
L’shanah ha’ba b’Yerushalayim ha’benuyah! Next year in Jerusalem,
[the Temple] Rebuilt!
Rebuilt by G-d’s hands!
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