An Independence Day Message

As Israel celebrates the 57th year of its independence, it would be easy to look around and start to wonder what all the excitement is about.

Talk of withdrawal from parts of the Land of Israel, the ongoing assault on Jewish and national symbols, and the weakness of our politicians is enough to drive even the most committed optimist to moments of despair.

But a Jew is not permitted to succumb to despair, so here is a brief, but inspiring story well worth repeating:

The Ponevezher Rav was approached by someone a little more than 30 years ago who wanted to know what the esteemed rabbi thought about the situation in the State of Israel. "Rabbi, please tell me - is the cup half full or is it half empty?"

To which the Rav answered: "The important thing to remember is that there is a glass at all. Whether it is half-full or half-empty matters far less."

The point of the story is clear - we often get so caught up in the daily turn of events here in Israel, that we lose sight of the larger miracle - namely, that the Jewish people have a State.

It may not be perfect, and we all have a lot of work to do to make it so, but on this day especially, we should all look heavenward and declare: "Thank G-d for the State of Israel."

Comments

[yelena]

Thank you.

[Simulev]

Leave "disengage" Judea/Samaria, and those hundreds of Jews who paid with their own blood and deahts to liberate it 1967, so Israel now can hand it over for free to Muslim Arabs? For what? More terror?
Not a good Yom Hazikaron/Israel Remembrance Day memorial...

[Emes]

BSD

Dear Mr. Freund,

Your opening paragraph is in error on a number of accounts vis-à-vis recent events. The paragraph states:

1. Talk of withdrawal from parts of the Land of Israel,
2. the ongoing assault on Jewish and national symbols, and
3. the weakness of our politicians
is enough to drive even the most committed optimist to moments of despair."

To truly depict the present state of affairs, the paragraph should be amended in the following manner:

1. The rapid pace of actions taking place in preparation of forcefully confiscating land, homes and assets of Israeli Citizens in Gaza including: training the Police and Army to terrorize Israeli citizens and religious Special Units to, barbarically and against religious law, exhume bodies from their everlasting places of rest;

2. The escalating military assault, including bullets, bombs, missiles and mortars from Lebanon, Gaza, Egypt and within the border of Israel, all of which is only an introduction to the violence that every military commander not silenced by PM Sharon claims will escalate after the forced confiscation of Gaza;

3. Political corruption including relying on the votes of Arabs MK who openly advocate the destruction of Israel, bribing MKs with hundreds of millions of shekels to vote for the confiscation, threatening other MKs with firing that they go along with the vote, bribing religious institutions with hundreds of millions of shekels to support the budget while ignoring the clear and apparent Pikuah Nefesh that will result from the Gaza confiscation, firing gifted Military Generals who voice any doubts about the confiscation and hiring Generals who have agreed to maintain silence on the perils of the Gaza confiscation;

4. The financial stake in the hundreds of millions of shekels that many corrupt politicians, including PM Sharon and Deputy PM Peres, have invested in post-confiscation enterprises including casinos to be erected on the former graves of our heroes buried in Gaza;

5. Arresting, interrogating and beating innocent citizens simply because these citizens have engaged, are suspected of having engaged or suspected of future engagement; in legitimate and democratic exercise voicing opposition to the confiscation; and

6. The concentration virtually 100% of the media’s reporting power in a single inter-related network that provides biased coverage, purposely omitting information about the dangers inherent in the Gaza confiscation or the blatant destruction of democratic process by PM Sharon and his ilk toward achieving the Gaza confiscation;

All serve to illegally propel the drive toward this utterly foolish and self-destructive plan to confiscate Gaza, and is enough to drive even the most committed optimist to realize that Israel is dangerously close to being destroyed.

After making the obvious and true corrections noted above, one can wonder whether the “glass” referred to 30 years ago hasn’t, in the past year, been shattered, scattered and buried.

Emes

[Bob]

To paraphrase Ben Franklin, The Jews have a state if they can keep it!

[yehudah pritt sehmi]

"Thank G-d for the State of Israel."
If we could only see the reality of this statement
It would fill our very beings with awe and wonder at how
HaShem has conducted historical events.In stead of words
of negativity against Israel,there would be praise for
HIS wonderful works.Anti-sehmitic remarks would be non
existant,
I speak this with respect to those that have no respect for Torah or Torah values.Dati & non dati.
The jews are returning home in every shape form and colour.Baruch HaShem man is not in control,of HIS
world.All form of anti sehmitism HaShem Himself will reward.
The Pessimist says"Due to the current financial
restraint,the light at the end of the tunnel will be
switched off until further notice"
And in this generation we can say Baruch HaShem For Eretz Israel.