Words From Rabbi White

To all my dear Montreal friends,

The world still seems upside down. Here in the greater NY area, almost all the major colleges are having demonstrations for Hamas!? These are the great institutions where a previous generation of Jewish students flourished. [My late wife a”h said that when she went to Brooklyn College, there were so many “frum” Jewish students and professors that it seemed almost like a yeshiva!]

A friend of my daughter wrote on Facebook: her husband was driving in the next town over from Teaneck. Their Honda has some stickers indicating that they are Jewish. A RAM truck with a large Palestinian flag almost rammed into her husband.  The RAM was driving very fast tailgating her husband, then swerved, forcing the husband onto the curb, just as his car was crossing a bridge. B”H, no one was injured, although the scenario was very dangerous.

This week’s parasha is so appropriate: HaShem promises Avram that if he moves to the land of Canaan, [i.e. Israel] he will be blessed, and all the nations of the world will be blessed through Avram. [Think of all the blessings that Israeli ingenuity has given the world!] Yet, even then, there were problems that had to be overcome.  The Torah tells us there was a famine, that forced Avram to leave the land temporarily. Eventually he returns and HaShem promises Avram the WHOLE land, to him and to his descendants forever.

And yet: another problem follows: a war, where his nephew Lot is taken captive [hm! taken captive, sound familiar?]  And Avram, functioning as a great warrior, rescues Lot.  And again, HaShem promises: He gives “this whole land to you and to your children forever.” [Interesting: if you were to ask any child what the image of Avraham is, s/he would answer "a gracious host."  Yet, actually, the first image the Torah gives of him is as a warrior!]

How much land will Avraham receive? A little sliver, for a 2-state solution?  Nope! “I have taken you from Ur Kasdim to give you this land, from the Nile River to the Euphrates.”

In today's Haftara from Book of Isaiah, we are told that HaShem gives the weary strength.  May our soldiers have the strength to accomplish their mission and may there be peace in Israel and throughout the world.

Shabbat shalom; let’s hear good news, for Israel and for the world.

Rabbi Menahem White

p.s. Yishar koach to Galia Dafni for sponsoring the kiddush in memory of her grandfather Efraim ben Devorah Leah and Shmuel Ekshtein, and in memory of all the victims of the Hamas massacre in Erets Yisrael.

pps: Probably the most pro-Israel radio station outside of Israel is WABC in NYC. You should be able to hear it on your phone/internet