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Yeshayahu reassures the land that Hashem has not forgotten her and all her sons will return: מִהֲרוּ בָּנָיִךְ; מְהָרְסַיִךְ וּמַחֲרִיבַיִךְ מִמֵּךְ יֵצֵאוּ. שְׂאִי-סָבִיב עֵינַיִךְ וּרְאִי, כֻּלָּם נִקְבְּצוּ בָאוּ-לָךְ (Is 49:17-18) Loosely translated: "Speedily your sons come, Your destroyers will depart from you. Look around and see – all have gathered and returned to you." Quite simply (according to Rashi and others), Hashem is promising redemption in two spheres: All the Jews will return quickly to Israel and those foreigners who have been occupying and misusing the land till now, will be expelled. The first phase, of returning the Jews, is in line with other prophecies: "And it will be on that day…those lost in the land of Assyria and the outcasts in the Land of Egypt will come" (Is 27:13), "Behold I will take the children of Israel from the nations into which they have gone…and bring them into the land" (Ez. 37:21) "Hashem, Return our exiled like streams in the Negev [desert, with forceful flash floods]" (Tehillim 126). Yet the second phase is no less crucial, because if we return to the land but the foreigner aggressors remain here, much tension and difficulty is created - as we see time and again in modern day Israel, even up to this last week!
An additional and unfortunately all too relevant twist is added by the Metzudat David. Not only does the verse not specify who the "Destroyers" are, but it adds the superfluous word "ממך – from you". The destroyers are from within you: Those self-hating Jews, the informers, those spreading disunity, hatred and discord among the nation, those who spiritually caused the destruction and have since prevented the return and the rebuilding. These internal, Jewish destroyers will be expelled from the Jewish nation and land with Kibutz galuyot, not some external foreign force! How appropriate.
However, upon closer examination of the verse, a further theological point can be discerned, according to the Abarbanel. Instead of reading the verse as two separate events – return of the exiles and expulsion of the aggressors – the verse could be read as a causative conditional statement: [If] speedily your sons come, [then] your destroyers will depart. This then changes the whole focus of the prophecy. The responsibility and initiative rests with us! Hashem promises that if we all come back speedily to Eretz Yisrael, he will take care of the rest. During the beginning of the second Temple, this was definitely the case. Few returned and those who did were from the lower echelons of society. As a result they suffered untold troubles from the (new) locals. Perhaps this is the source of our current negative political situation vis a vis the modern day aggressors in Israel?
So as not to end on a pessimistic note, I would like to point out that the verse suggests two concurrent processes. It begins with the nation’s return, describes the expulsion of the destroyers and then returns to describe in greater detail the full Kibutz galuyot. This is a "work in progress" – and we are a part of it!
Rabbi Hillel Maizels
The Rabbi of Kehillat Ohel Efraim in the city of Ariel of "Bet Shalom" Shul in the Ariel University.
The Seven Weeks of Condolence Kibutz Galuyot and Self Hatred
Shiv'a de-Nechemta: The Philosophy of Comfort and Redemption - 2
The Seven Weeks of Condolence Does G-d Care About Us
Shiv'a de-Nechemta: The Philosophy of Comfort and Redemption - 5
The Seven Weeks of Condolence Rebuilding Jerusalem
Shiv'a de-Nechemta: The Philosophy of Comfort and Redemption - 3
The Seven Weeks of Condolence Is Redemption Fixed or Flexible
Shiv'a de-Nechemta: The Philosophy of Comfort and Redemption - 1
The Seven Weeks of Condolence God's Punishment and Comfort are our Support
Shiv'a de-Nechemta: The Philosophy of Comfort and Redemption - 4
The Seven Weeks of Condolence Rebuilding Jerusalem
Shiv'a de-Nechemta: The Philosophy of Comfort and Redemption - 3
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
