Israel's sins are superficial, but in truth, we are a light unto the nations

Our Sages teach that if the Israelites had not displayed weaknesses and committed sins during their Sinai Desert journey to the Promised Land, they would have entered the Chosen Land immediately. However, because of their sins – chief among them, the Sin of the Spies – the matter was delayed and they remained in the desert, with all the dire consequences that stemmed thereof.

The famous verse Vay'hi binso'a haaron (Numbers 10,35) marks the beginning of a two-verse passage that is enclosed in the Torah by two brackets: the letter nun upside down on either side. The Sages derived from this that these brackets indicate, among other teachings, that the passage is actually out of place, but was written here simply to interrupt between two sins of Israel. The Ramban explains this slightly differently, namely, that there should not be a series of three consecutive sins – because that would be a chazakah, a "legal presumption" of guilt on the part of Israel. That is, even when Israel sins, this is not something that is permanently imbued in their souls; the sins are rather attached to them externally, while intrinsically, their souls have no propensity to sin. 

The lesson for us in these later generations is that when Israel is on the way to the Land, they are liable to sin and descend from their high spiritual level – especially when they are influenced by the mores of the other nations. If so, how can we ever be ready to be redeemed? 

The answer is that the Divine Torah guarantees that even though we slip up and sin out of weakness sometimes along the way, this is all temporary and transient. Ultimately, the Nation of Israel will return to its original, genuine status, to that which it knows it must be. This point is alluded to by the reversal of the letters nun: Just as an upside-down letter is in an unnatural, temporary state, and will not remain that way for long, the same is true for Israel's unnatural state of sin.

The Sages provide a source for the fact that the letter nun, which stands for nefilah, falling, will not remain that way forever: We know that in our Ashrei prayer, we recite verses in alphabetical order, one verse for each letter – except for one, and that is the letter nun. No verse in Ashrei begins with nun! The Talmud explains that this is because nun stands not only for "falling," but specifically for Israel's falling, as is written: "She has fallen, and will not arise, the virgin of Israel" (Amos 5,2). 

However, the Gemara tells us that in the Land of Israel, this verse was read quite differently: "She fell – but she will no longer do so; arise, o virgin of Israel!" That is, Eretz Yisrael has a special strength of giving life even where there seems to be no potential for such. 

In our current reality, it is sometimes hard to see a solution or a way out of our abnormal and sorry state of affairs. But whoever has faith in the process of Israel's Redemption will not, Heaven forbid, fall into despair or weakness of spirit, simply because we cannot see exactly how the process will work itself out. The return of the Nation of Israel to its Land after so many centuries, and the establishment of its State on a significant part of the Promised Land, fills out heart with confidence and solid hope for a better future. We will pass these difficulties and pangs of Redemption, and in the end, we will merit to see the complete return of our entire nation to the entire Land of Israel, as well as Jewish sovereignty over every part of the Land. 

We will similarly merit to see our nation awaken to know and recognize its singular uniqueness, that we are truly the Chosen Nation. "You chose us from among all the nations," we say in our Festival prayers. We will also understand that we have been tasked with the mission of being a "light unto the nations," to shine from Zion the light of "true" faith throughout the world. We pray that this be fulfilled speedily in our days! 

Translated by Hillel Fendel