Gary Cooperberg, April 16, 2007

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. The magnitude of the horror of the holocaust is beyond the human capacity to comprehend. Even beasts of prey limit their killing to the need to provide food to eat. Only human beasts murder and torture their fellow humans for pleasure.

Although there isn't much evidence to prove it, it is likely that we Jews were treated with similar brutality during our slavery in Egypt. There is an aggada which tells of a Jewish fetus which was mixed with the morter to build the cities of Pithom and Ramses. It was in reaction to the overly brutal treatment of the Jews, among other things, that G-d took pity upon us and hastened our Redemption.

The incomprehensible brutality of the holocaust cannot help but lead one to believe that it was, in some way, a prelude to our present redemption. Indeed, almost immediately after the war, in spite of the facts that: the Jewish people were in the most weakened condition ever; our Arab enemies, who overwhelmingly outnumbered us, were determined not to permit a Jewish State to be established; the nations of the world were not in favor of seeing a Jewish State; and most Jewish leaders would have preferred that Palestine remain as a British protectorate; the Jewish State was declared anyway. And in spite of so many impossible obstacles, not only did the State survive enemies, "friends," and her own leadership, but she grew and thrived! As we approach her 59th birthday, we still find enemies, "friends," and our own leadership actively working to destroy this country. Yet, we continue to grow and thrive! This is totally illogical and inexplicable. Clearly there is Divine intervention here.

If one approaches the phenomenon of the reborn Jewish State in the Land of Israel today in terms of logic, he is left wanting. Jews living in the United States and other western countries, while for the most part are proud of the Jewish homeland, do not see it as anything more than a pleasant happenstance. Most have never even visited Israel, and it certainly would never enter their minds to move there. Even religious Jews, who are well aware that it is a Commandment to live in the Land, even were there not a Jewish State, choose to not think about this commandment and prefer to wait for angels to descend from the sky and bring them home in golden chariots.

While certainly Redemption is a supernatural process and will continue unto completion with or without our active help, the quality of the Redemption does depend upon how we relate to it. If we actively strive to work with it in spite of seemingly impossible obstacles, then we can avoid much needless tragedy and actually hasten the process. If we choose to ignore it, or even work against it, the process will continue anyway, but with hidden miracles and much needless suffering, such as we already see today. It is vital to realize that, despite all of our mistakes and failures, the process continues. In spite of all of the efforts by our enemies to destroy us, and in spite of our foolish leaders' impotent attempts to placate our enemies at our own peril, our country still continues to grow and thrive. This is not logical. This is clearly the Hand of G-d. If we can only see this reality then we would put aside our fears and act as proud Jews.

I know that Israel today is not the state we have been waiting for. It is allegedly run by self serving corrupt politicians who have no idea how much harm they are bringing to us. But one cannot doubt that the very fact that we have a Jewish State today, which has grown in quality and quantity over the last 59 years, is proof that it is a Divine, not political phenomenon. If we can accept that fact then we should also know that to purposefully choose to live outside of the Land when G-d has wrought such incredible miracles to enable us to return, is to deny our destiny and our G-d.

Another observable result of the observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day, is to see a flicker of unity and realization of our common Jewish identity on the part of Jews who usually flee from such recognition. It is a bitter recognition that enemies of the Jews hate us all equally, without regard to our degree of observance of Jewish practice. This inward recognition of our common identity can lead to a recognition of our common obligations as Jews. Aside from the 613 commandments in our Torah, we have a common obligation to serve as a light unto the nations. Were we to accept our obligations and conduct both our personal and national lives according to Jewish Law, the nations would be amazed at the quality of our lives and realize that there really is a G-d who intervenes in His World. They would thus seek to emulate us in order to serve the G-d of Creation and bring true peace and quality of live into their countries as well.

So when Jews seek to avoid their obligations as Jews, not only do they bring bitterness into their own lives, but they cause needless strife for all the nations of the world as well. It is thus my contention that were Jews, who live comfortably in the present Exile, to simply pick up and move to Israel for the purpose of serving our G-d, they would hasten redemption and cause G-d to perform wondrous miracles to transform the present state of the Jews into a truly Jewish State.

Gary Cooperberg, a resident of the Jewish community in Hebron, Israel, is the founder and director of Project Shofar.

Copyright © 2007 Gary Cooperberg