Leah’s Blog Chaye Sarah – Nov 2nd 2018
As I write these words, tens of thousands of Jews from around the world have gathered in Chevron to remember Sarah, our matriarch on her Parsha. There, in Chevron in the cave of Mamre, that site acquired in a LAND Covenant for eternity, she is buried alongside Abraham and our other Avot. Tradition has it that even Adam and Eve, the first man and woman are also buried there, deep down in a pit that has a myriad of catacombs and ancient tunnels leading they say to Gan Eden. Ten generations from Adam to Noach and ten more to Abraham and Sarah who together fixed the sin and returned to the Garden to plant the word of Hashem. Abraham is referred to as HaIvri, the great grandson of Shem, the son of Noach. The Talmud in Masachet Sanhedrin 108b refers to Shem as “The Great One” for his acts of modesty and kindness but moreover for being the most moral. This later is demonstrated in the inherent trait passed down to Abraham and the Jewish people that are sent to be a light unto the nations and be a moral ethical and self –sacrificing for good for the conscience for our world. The world is being blessed through them.
Abraham and Sarah set up Chesed organizations and begin to help the world, no questions asked. They give and run to serve and assist the asylum seekers. Their mission is hard as they have a come into a Land inhabited by other nations. Their love and care is boundless, even when it comes to ask Hashem to spare Sodom- even if there is just one righteous person and everyone else evil! Spare the evil doers he begs! Sarah remains silent for most of the scenes, although she does laugh in one. Her silence however breaks when Yishmael who has been funding terror, teaching to kill, supporting the families of the murderers. The atrocities done by this Yishmael reach a point when she as the Matriarch has the final word- “OUT WITH THIS EVIL DOER!” she says! And Hashem tells Avraham to listen.
Sometimes Chesed can turn into Din.
So Yishmael is sifted out of the lineage .Esav is sifted out too.
Yosef is then sold by his brothers to Egypt and the Jews go down into exile. At first, this powerful kingdom appreciates their hard work, willingness to make it succeed. Egypt is being blessed. But it wasn’t too long after that that “A new King took over Egypt who did not know Yosef”. The Golden Age soon became the holocaust. All the good turned into brick dust. The family of Abraham forgot who they really were. At this pivot in history a savior is born. The Torah tells us Moshe sees a Jew being beaten by an Egyptian and he strikes him down. The might for right reignited from an ember and the quest for justice, the catapult to leaving exile and becoming a nation.
Perhaps the most shocking part of the events that happened this week in Pittsburgh- for me that is- is the conversation that went on between the murderer Y”S and the Jewish doctor that treated him. “How are you”, Dr. Cohen asked in a caring concerned voice. Allow me to curse now- but WTH! Has it really come to this? Is THAT being moral? Has it really come to our own Jewish brethren being in so extreme a place as to love our enemy and hate our own people? Is that being the conscience of the world?! The victims blood still warm- how we grieve with them! How we grieve with the families! How we know where you stand! May Hashem avenge their blood!
The rallies of IFNOTNOW and other political manipulations made at this horrific massacre cannot be tolerated. Why divide?
As the pretty little terror kites come streaming into Israel with pipe bombs attached intended for the tender hands of a Jewish toddler and sweet boquets of balloons wafting in the blue sky here with a destination to Jewish homes inside the “Green Line”, the tens of rockets launched into Israel’s south and the missiles pointed at Tel Aviv- how could they not know that what should concern them about nationalism is the blatant anti-semitism coming out of PA nationalism. This is not a Bowers or lone lunatic- but a system devoted to not building a better world but devised for only one purpose- Anti-Semitism. For killing Jews. It’s not about 67 borders- please- there were no terror attacks in 66′? How clear can it be? All the years the American Jews have had the privilege of helping Israel. Now we have to help them. We have to be a voice, like the voice of Sarah who called righteousness to order.
Chazal tell us that Yosef’s brothers could not recognize him. Chevron Yerushalayim and Shechem all run up and down the map of Israel in its center. Our brothers cannot recognize their own right- it’s our moral obligation to help them. It’s time to call them to order. It’s time to be like Sarah Immeinu.
Shabbat Shalom
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