Israel :Moshiach ben Yoseph and Moshiach ben David Conclusion

.
This is a continuation of a series.

Here is where we stand. We've got three main groups: An old spirit from olden days of European greats (Hareidi), a new body with all the lusts of a body (Zionists of old), and an infused soul for that new body (Dati Leumi). We are still missing a spirit to put on top of the soul, and a neshama to put on top of the spirit. (from part 3)

What the world is not understanding today is that the children of those former zionists of old, are actually no longer "zionists" in that sense of the word. Those children who are fighting to remain as the elite, the ruling class, are actually wanting to give the land up -that's not a sign of a zionist according to the definition the world has.

Now the battle is more the religious zionists who insist that we should keep the land that was gained during war, as well as all the land that is under Israel rule. Giving up land is wrong because (1) the PA leaders don't really want peace, just to win by concession after concession until they "push the Jews into the sea." and (2) once holy land has been acquired its tantamount to blaspheme to just give it away -as if it has no value to us.

Now a new battle is brewing: Israelis vs Jews. Who knows maybe in the end there'll be a four state solution out. Sad. PA, Hamas, Israeli (non religious), and Jews (religious). Oy vey.

And so we wait for a leader. Someone who can fix this mess. There are two Messiahs that we, Jewish people await. The Moshiach son of Joseph, and the Moshiach son of David.

Moshiach son of Joseph is the one who is supposed to bring all the Jewish people back. The gathering of the exiles. Some say it won't be a person, but technology. Others say its suppose to be a person. Once he's done, the next Moshiach is suppose to come. This is Moshiach son of David. It is taught that he will be a regular guy -i.e. not a god- and rule the world. As people get more and more dissatisfied with their governments, I can almost see how this will happen. It seems as if the leaders are all out with their own agenda and the people are scrambling to figure out what is the real truth behind the propaganda news, what is the real truth behind the various hurtful surveys and studies, what is the real truth in life -some way to make the resources work and get everyone to a point of contentedness.

But there is a catch. The Talmud teaches that there are three things that come by surprise: a lost object, a scorpion, and Moshiach. Meaning that when we least expect it, then he will come. Meaning, don't just sit around passively thinking the Messiah will come and fix everything. We have to do -as if- we are ready and willing to right the world, then surprise! the help will come.

And so, we toil...

Israel :Moshiach ben Yoseph and Moshiach ben David Part 3

.
Rav Avraham Itzhaak HaCohen Kook (Abrahahm Isaac the Cohen Kook) was said to be a genius. Well learned in Torah, I think if he was more worldly, he may have been another Albert Einstein. To this day, many are still studying his works.

It is said of him that "Zionism was the body, and he and the Orthodox masses was to be the soul of that body"

He came to Israel (called Palestine then) and became the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. His intent was to infuse the secular zionists with a bit of Torah. However, the older rabbis who were in Israel were non to happy about this new "kid on the block."

With the secular on one side and the religious on the other, Rav Kook tried to find a middle ground. The only problem is, nobody wanted to play on that seesaw!

In an attempt to find the good in both, Rav Kook wrote that the secular zionists should be praised for their physical actions. Indeed, many came to the land, rolled up their sleeves and got to work. They tilled the land, paved roads, grew agriculture, built homes, buildings, offices. They worked very hard! Too bad there wasn't a before and after photo of Israel. All we have is perhaps Mark Twain's words when he visited there long long ago. He said,

"..... A desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds... a silent mournful expanse.... a desolation.... we never saw a human being on the whole route.... hardly a tree or shrub anywhere. Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country."

Indeed, even in the hot summers, there are botanical gardens to visit, parks green with grass. It is a little trickier in the summer, I do wonder how they manage. Oh right, my water bill. oy. Okay back to the subject...

The Zionists have contributed greatly to the body of the land. However, the religious, because they knew and felt no commeraderie with the Zionists, were not willing to praise them for anything. In fact, they declared them evil (even as many packed their bags and headed for Israel). And in fact, it was a gift on loan like the splitting of the sea and rescue of the Jewish people from Egypt. Like giving a crown to an undeserving. You hope the undeserving turns away from a life of lust when he sees the honor he is given.

Well, Rav. Kook boldly said it: The Zionists were more perfected in the soul (i.e. body, physical actions, etc) and the religious were more perfected in the spirit (Torah learning, religious duties -mitzvot, prayer, etc). The religious would have non of this! How dare Rav Kook praise the Zionists with having anything as 'better' than the religious? Some compared his praise for physical activity to praising "futbol."

I'm cutting the history short here, but after much ado on the matter, a new group emerged. The National Religious/ Dati Leumi. This group was a combination of religious people, but people who also believed that working the land was important, going to the army was important, getting involved in government was important. To what degree is debatable within that group. They began to dress differently too.



No longer was the religious relegated to wearing their European styled clothing; they wore clothing that were more in tune with working, moving, etc. Now there was a distinction. Those who choose to stay with the European style dressing and none or small physical activities and who delve in Torah all day were called Ultra Orthodox or just Orthodox or Chareidi. Those who dress casual, different colored kippas/yarmulkes, and who usually have a profession are called National Religious or Dati Leumi.

It was finally happening! Religion was being infused in the Holy Land! The holy land that "consumes its inhabitants" was comsuming its inhabitants to holiness! a land that actually has a "Hebrew name" of Zion. The loan was begining to get paid off.

But the secular felt threatened. More and more Dati Leumi were entering the Knesset, the government, policies were changing, more accommodations were being made for the religious. At times I've wondered if these reasons were what caused the government to give up gush katif, to end settlements (some settlements are two or three ram shackle huts) - to demoralized the Dati Leumi progress? Interesting that alot of those settlements chosen for demolition were religious ones.

So here is where we stand. We've got three main groups: An old spirit from olden days of European greats (Hareidi), a new body with all the lusts of a body (Zionists of old), and an infused soul for that new body (Dati Leumi). We are still missing a spirit to put on top of the soul, and a neshama to put on top of the spirit.

To be continued...

p.s. I want to note that what I mean by the "secular" being "evil" is in the sense that they do not accept that as part of the Jewish people that they have a calling to be a bit higher than simply chasing after the lust that what they see others have (they wanted a prostitute on the street corner of Tel Aviv for example). Like reverting back to the days of Egypt. Not accepting that they have a Godly mission.

Israel :Moshiach ben Yoseph and Moshiach ben David Part 2

.
Part 2: THE LOAN




For turning their backs on their own heritage, the covenants that were between them and God, God also turned His 'back' (so to speak) on them. Things were so bad, it is said that they went down to the 49th level of uncleaniness --and there are only 50 levels!

(If that doesn't give you hope...)

So when they began calling upon His Holy Name again. The Almighty gave them a loan. I'll split the sea -cause a great miracle for the world to behold that I am with you. But afterwards you must prove that you are deserving of it.

As one kabbalist pointed out, its also another great miracle that Yom HaAtzmaut /Independence day falls on the same day as the 7th day of Passover -the day of celebrating the splitting of the sea.

Which brings us to the situation that we have today. Slowly slowly with the birth of the Haskala movement, the Jewish people began once again to chase after a different way --the European way. Many began to reject their own heritage. Then came the holocaust. I won't even begin to talk about the horrors there. No doubt the Jewish people in Europe were crying out for salvation. Many who had rejected their Judaism in the hopes of being accepted by the non-Jewish world received a figurative slap in the face when they understood that they were not accepted. In fact, despite many Jews attempting to intermarry, the nazis searched through various document down several generations to find our who they consider still Jewish.

A way out was needed. Zionism was born. There were two types: the type who wanted Israel to be a little Europe within the middle east. All like minded Jewish people were welcomed. The second type was a bit more tolerant of religious Jews and thought they could all be a part of the new little Europe within the middle east.

In other words, no thoughts of returning to the land for the sake of reviving the covenant with God. No God in the picture at all!

That's not a good way to start paying back a loan.

The old Jewish community that was already in Israel welcomed the new influx of Jews. Anything was better than dealing with the massacres at the hands of angry Arab mobs. In fact, when Israel got its independence, the whole town of Tsfat -Mahmoud Abbas's home town when he was a youth, up and moved to East Jerusalem in an attempt to consolidate in case Israel would take revenge for the 1929 massacre in a nearby town.



On top of that, all the Arab lands around Israel started sending their own Jewish population to Israel. Why should they contend with the Jewish population, let them go to their own land!

So, a new group of Jews: dark, very different in culture, long haired, and very religious began to show up in the new little Europe within the middle east. Plus they were penniless -what money they had was confiscated before they were kicked out of Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, Iraq, etc.

The Zionists of old dealt with these new immigrants. Not very nicely. Another touchy subject. Suffice it to say there was now a "lower class" to do the menial work a country needed done.

Another strike against paying back that loan.

What will be if that loan is not paid back? What will be if Israel doesn't get its act together? Clearly the world is attempting to get rid of the whole Jewish state by demanding that they make suicidal concessions in the name of peace.

There was always some one from within the religious groups who saw this and tried to payments going.

Enter Rabbi Kook...

To be continued...

Israel :Moshiach ben Yoseph and Moshiach ben David

.
I saw this nice video at Hochma & Mussar, Ehav's blog:



It got me thinking about Israel and what I think and how I feel.

But before I write about that, I think its important to review the prototype of history: Egypt.

Pretty appropo since we are starting the book of Shemot / Exodus.

Background: So, as you know Joseph's brother sold him because they were jealous of their father's treatment of him and also because he seemed to be having dreams of grandeur --when he's not even the first born!

But it was all Divine providence because being in Egypt enabled Joseph to rise to viceroy position and help his family during a famine. Time passed. A new Pharaoh arose; one who did not know Joseph. This new Pharaoh decided to enslave Jacob's descendents for "they have become too numerous" (the Egyptians who were turning towards Jacob and his ways were too numerous and was seen as a possible threat -according to some sources). So slavery. The Hebrews moan --too tired to even cry out. God hears them. Moses is born. Mazal tov.

Plot: The Hebrews are begging for salvation from the Egpytians. The country they once grew to admire, they even ran after the Egyptian ways and got entangled. As a result of the Jewish people not keeping their own way, they became enslaved.

(Abraham was told long ago that his children would become slave to a strange land --perhaps that's why Esau copped out of the birthright?)

So here they are, like naughty children coming back to the very Father they has snubbed begging for forgiveness and a second chance.

Imagine a father hearing his baby full of regret wanting to come back....



...Now what Papa can say no to that?

So, He gives them a loan. Credit. They get their freedom but they must get their act together.

So with an outstretched hand SWOOSH!!! the sea of reeds is split open. The clouds of glory leads the way towards the land of Israel, they are fed and clothed throughout their stay in the desert.....and the press declared the exodus from Egypt unfair and oppressive! lol. Sorry skip the last sentence.

So they got their freedom! woohoo!! But they are no better than when they were in Egypt. So as they walk and journey through the desert, they learn and grow and become righteous again. They work on divestment of their old slave ways, change their mentalities (wisdom, understanding, knowledge), work on every part of trmselves: chessed, gevurah, tiferet, etc. They reach such a level culminating to the giving of the Torah at Mt Sinai. They reached a level that they could manage to hear at least two of the commandments from G-d Himself, Blessed Be His Holy Name.

To be continued...