The Handwriting Is on the Wall

A lthough the Jewish people are known as the “People of the Book,” the simple message of our Holy Torah and Scriptures, often eludes us. There is a very clear description as to how Jewish history is meant to unfold. Perhaps it is a good idea to review some of these basic lessons. The Jewish people officially began as a nation on Mount Sinai when a covenant was made with G- d to accept the Ten Commandments and the Torah. We were taken out of Egypt in order to live by these laws in the Land of Israel. The intention from the start was that we would thrive as a people when the land was inhabited by all of the respective tribes with all Jews living in the land “flowing with milk and honey.” We would be fulfilling the prophetic words, “You will be My people and I will be Your G-d.” We were warned on numerous occasions that if we fail to observe the commandments, we will not be permitted to remain in Israel and we will be scattered among the nations. The banishing of the Jewish people is referred to as the “exile” and in Hebrew it is called the “Galut.” Being sent out of the land was a curse and was a clear sign of G-d’s disfavor of His people. In essence, the Galut was synonymous with rejection. While some may claim that this Exile was necessary in order that we be a “light unto the nations,” it did not diminish from the fact that Jews only lived in all parts of the world because it was a punishment. If we look at most of our years in Exile, they were bitter and painful. Jews suffered every form of persecution and humiliation imaginable. There were a few temporary reprieves from this suffering in places like Spain, until we were expelled, and the United States in modern times. It is difficult for Jews to see themselves living the curse of the Galut, when life has been so good for so many Jews. America has been our most generous host in all of Jewish history. Everything has a price and the price of feeling welcome and living an affluent way of life, came with tragic assimilation and intermarriage. Perhaps an even bigger tragedy is that most Jews are not aware of what Galut is in terms of how it is described in Scriptures. All of this has been predicted and shown to us in our Torah. What is also clearly predicted, is that there will come a time when G-d will no longer want His name desecrated among the nations, and He will decide to rebuild the House of Israel. He will gather Jews from the four corners of the earth and the desolate cities in Israel will once again be filled with Jews. The Land that failed to produce for nearly 2,000 years will once again flourish, bring forth bountiful produce as never before. There would come a time when G-d will want His people to come home to Israel as was intended back in the days of Sinai. Based on a prophecy from the Book of Isaiah, the Redemption could either come swiftly, or “in its time”, depending on our merits. Most Rabbis feel that we are living in the period of “in it’s time” because all of the miraculous events of the last sixty-eight years have come from G-d’s mercy, rather than our merits. Another sign of the “master plan” is that we will no longer be wanted in the countries where we live, as we will have overstayed our welcome. We will be left with no choice but to come home to the only country that will welcome us with open arms. If our eyes are open to recognize this, we can come to Israel with dignity. If we do not, the situation could be most unpleasant, to say the least. The handwriting is on the wall. Europe is not what it used to be. With the rise in anti-Semitism and Radical Islam, Jews are being forced to leave. America is not far behind. The terror attack in Orlando should be a wake up call to American Jews that the future does not bode well for them, either. For those who study the Holy Books, none of what is happening comes as a surprise. It is all predicted. We would only hope that American rabbis who are supposed to be familiar with these books, encourage their congregants to come to Israel with their dignity and money. They must lead by example. What is written here should not be viewed as pessimism and a bleak outlook of what lies ahead. On the contrary, these are incredible times that we are living in, where we openly see Divine protection on a daily basis. In order to see and appreciate the blessing, we must help end this cursed exile by having the courage and foresight to do the right thing. Now more than ever, Jews, it’s time to come home!