Yeshiva
Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- D'varim
- Ekev
IDF VICTORIES= BENTCHING= G-D'S RIGHTEOUSNESS- Parshat Ekev
Every time we say Birkat HaMazon and Al HaMichya, we appreciate Hashem's giving us the State of Israel, the IDF victories, and the Gathereing of the Exiles. When my relatives in Williamsburg & Meah Shearim deny and don't thank Hashem for Zionism and our modern national State & return to Eretz Yisrael, they are that much less religious, and that much less praising Hashem and recognizing that He , not the UN, runs the world, and that "He is righteous"! This short article brings many psukim which we say all the time in davening which are basically religious-Zionism in a nutshell. ‪Shabbat Shalom!
In fact, the halacha (Brachot 49a; Shulchan Aruch Or.Ch. 187) is that if one bentches and forgot to thank Hashem for the covenant which He granted our fore-fathers to give us the Land of Israel forever, he must even go back and bentch again, for that's the essence!
Every day in the morning psukei d'zimra we also say: "...וכרות עמו הברית לתת את ארץ הכנעני החיתי האמורי והפרזי והיבוסי והגרגשי לתת לזרעו, ותקם את דבריך כי צדיק אתה", "… and You made the covenant with him (Avraham) to give the Land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give to his descendants, and You KEPT YOUR WORDS, for You are RIGHTEOUS" (Nechemya 9, 8).
For 2,000 years of Galut, G-d's righteousness was not visible in this Biblical and liturgical context, for as if it were, He did not "keep His word". Reminiscing about some ancient event of what used to be, would hardly show His righteousness in the present! On the other hand, the 2nd Kuzari (written about 300 years ago by Rabbi David Nieto, based on the Q & A framework of R. Yehuda HaLevy's classic, iii, 94-96) explains that when Hashem does us kindness and victory over our enemies, one of the reasons He does so is so that we should praise and thank Him. This Torah pasuk is just one more source in the Torah for the obligation to say Hallel on Yom HaAtzma'ut and on Yom Yerushalayim (for the 6 Day War) for giving us the Land of Israel, and for thanking Hashem for each and every victory, from the "Pager Attack", to setting back Iran's nuclear program. When my relatives in Williamsburg & how much more so Neturei Karta, deny and don't thank Hashem on Israel Independence Day and Yom Yerushalayim & don't participate in Israel's celebrations this year, they are that much less religious and unfortunately don't see "G-d's righteousness" and keeping His word to us! Yes, G-d is alive and well and still "the G-d of Israel".
Similarly, regarding our present day Gathering of the Exiles which sees most (!) of the Jewish People (except just those who choose not to participate…) already regathered to Israel, we say in the long Tachanun every Mon. & Thurs., "הושיענו ד' אלקינו וקבצנו מן הגוים להודות לשם קדשך להשתבח בתהילתך", "Save us, O Lord, our God, and GATHER us from the nations, to give thanks to Your holy Name, to boast with Your praise" (Tehillim 106, 47). When my relatives in Williamsburg & Meah Shearim deny and don't thank Hashem for Zionism and our modern national return to Eretz Yisrael, they are that much less religious, and that much less praising Hashem and recognizing that He, not the UN, runs the world!
The Mesilat Yesharim (ch. 19, THE classic mussar work) quotes chazal (Tana d'Bei Eliahu, 4), "Every wise person.. who has true words of Torah, and moans for the honor of G-d and the honor of Israel his entire life, desires… the redemption and gathering of the exiles… for through her will come the heightening of G-d's Name". To be a religious-Zionist is to be more religious.
In short, I think if the Yeshiva world would learn more Tanach or even focus more on the siddur, davening, bentching & mussar, they could not help but be that much more religious by being religious-Zionists, and they wouldn't even have to call it by that term! Just call yourself: serious & authentically religious.
In short, why wait for Yom HaAtzmaut? Don't even wait to celebrate every victory that Hashem brings the IDF. Thank, celebrate and appreciate them and Him every time you bentch or say "Al HaMichya", as is explicit in this week's parsha!
Shabbat Shalom, Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat)
Rabbi Ari Shvat
Lectures at various yeshivot, michlalot and midrashot. Has published many books & Torani articles and is in charge of Rav Kook’s archives.
Ein Aya Complete G-dliness Doesn't Weaken But Enhances Natural Drives
Ein Aya Shabat Chapter B Paragraph 50
Rabbis in Midrash
fast navigation
Search lessons
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 17- "Miracles Don't Make a Messiah (87)
After learning about the unique "mass-revelation" at Sinai, the question was asked: what about the Christian claim that their "messiah also did miracles in front of people. The class summarizes the 3 significant differences between that claim and Israel's "mass-revelation".
