Disengaged

I've been trying for a while to organize my thoughts on the Disengagement in Gaza that is going on as we speak. It's been a long time since I wrote on the topic of Israel and peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. Long time = 5 years. I was silenced back in October 2000, when everything that I believed in fell apart, and I took a step back, because it was so hard to accept the reatlity of the day. I started to question a lot of things and just stopped thinking and talking about it, hoping it would just go away.

But, this morning an email from a person I respect was sitting in my inbox this morning. The bait was there and I took it. The quote that boiled the blood:

"Perhaps, just perhaps, the reason we now have to leave areas of Eretz Yisrael is some kind of Midah Kneged Midah for Am Yisrael still not enbracing Yishuv Eretz Yisrael en masse. And if so, the call for 'teshuva' takes on a very specific, practical meaning."

So I spent the last two hours composing my response. Here it is. Later today or maybe tomorrow, I will post additional thoughts on the disengagement itself. Is there anyonne else out there who feels totally helpless? I fear a calamity of significant proportions- not the one that many others are fearing. But a civil war.

For the last few weeks, I have been trying to put my thoughts on the disengagement together, in a coherent fashion. But everytime I would sit down ready to write, I would have nothing to say. For the last year, I figured the professional writers would be my voice and there would be no need for me to say anything more than what has already been said. Why clutter the stage with repetition?

But it's here, and I can't stay silent anymore. I wasn't planning on responding to the two MMY emails, but I have to. You might think that the resident leftist in the group disagrees vehemently with your words, but surprisingly, I don't- at least not vehemently. But, Rabbi Katz, one thing you wrote shocked and surprised me, which is why I'm writing this in the first place.

First, you know how much I respect you, and how thankful I am to you both. Without MMY, I probably wouldn't have gone to Israel for the year. And without MMY, I wouldn't be the person I am today. Cliche, but true. So, with that in mind, I continue writing. With respect.

I think it's very wrong to say (and to believe) that this disengagement is a "midah k'neged midah for am Yisrael still not embracing Mitzvat Yishuv Eretz Yisrael en masse." In fact, to me, it's quite insulting. Reading that made me think back to my high school teacher who sat me down in my junior year to tell a naive and innocent me that now would be a good time for me to start keeping shabbat, because she is about to have surgery. If I don't keep shabbat, maybe something will go wrong. And the zechut of me keeping shabbat, will save her life. At first, I didn't think that was such a big deal. And then I realized what she was doing and was disgusted by it.

So basically what you're saying is that if us Jews living chutz l'aretz all got up and made aliyah and convinced others along to way to join us, God would be happy with us and this wouldn't happen. Because the only major issue plaguing the Jewish people today is the lack of Jews moving to Israel.

The Torah states very simply in Parshat B'chukotai that, "if you will follow my statutes and keep my mitzvot and perform them...You will live in your land with security and I will give peace in the land and you will lie down without fear..." Sforno explains that this refers to one who accepts the Torah upon himself and integrates it as a way of life. Only when one truly and fully delves to understand the purpose and manner of observance and performs the mitzvot with the understanding of their ultimate purpose, can one truly reflect the tzelem Elokim, and only then is it considered performing the will of God.

This can be interpreted in many ways, but I see it simply as making all of Torah part of one's life. Not just some of the mitzvot, like shmirat shabbat, kashrut, taharat hamishpacha- the major 3 that we all somehow judge others by. Not even just mitzvat yishuv ha'aretz. ESPECIALLY because it's not a black-and-white issue. Yes, it's important. But just like the pains all of our teachers go thru to make sure the girls understand that we shouldn't "flip like pancakes" in Israel and return to our parents and decree that their home is no longer kosher (because it's not black and white, and there are many complicated issues involved), this should be the same. Encouragement is a great thing. Learning the texts inside is wonderful and important. But with that comes the understanding that there are different views on the subject, and no one is going to get struck by lightening if they don't happen to make it. And God forbid anyone should feel that it's their fault that the settlers are getting removed from Gaza simply because they are still living chutz l'aretz.

To me, all of Torah means just that. The bein adam l'makom and the bein adam l'chavero. We've discussed this so many times. But unfortunately the sad truth is that many who call themselves religious lack true people skills. We lack respect for one another, despite our differences. I feel this tearing of my heart when I see how people are treating one another now- here in the United States but dafka in Israel, where those who have made the sacrifice (should) understand the depth of the meaning of the pasuk which states that the land will spew out all those who transgress. That the land is super-sensitive to any transgression, because it is so holy.

The great divide plaguing the Jewish community today is not that some of us haven't taken the mitzvah of yishuv Eretz Yisrael seriously enough. It's the simple fact that we hold on to the bein adam l'makom so tightly, with dear life, that we totally disregard the other half. God eventually forgives our transgressions towards Him if we ask for it. But there is no forgiveness the other way if we don't seek it out with our brothers first.

I don't mean for this to sound preachy. It's not my intent and I hope it doesn't read that way. I am dreading every moment from now up until and thru Wednesday and beyond, just the same as you. And I am praying that nothing terrible happens and that it goes thru successfully, with as little physical injury and harm to all involved. Short of Mashiach arriving (which I await with baited breath), how can I hope for anything different?

L'shalom,
Elanit