Honey and the Sting

 This is the title of a song that was penned many years ago and fits our present reality.

"Sobering up" is the current catchphrase – hit'pak'chut – here in Israel. Hitpakchut does not mean that up until now people were being inebriated with alcohol, but for too long there has been a deep rift among various sections of the population, to the point that each group was completely unable to see the other's point of view or show empathy to anyone but those in their own opinion-group. Our prayers have been directed toward a call for disillusion. That is to say that, politicians, religious leaders, entertainment, and economic success cannot and will never satisfy. Abba has indeed answered this prayer, though at a tremendous cost. The Jewish people in Israel are in a different place at the moment, amidst the sorrow, grief, fears, and uncertainty there is a great measure of brotherhood. A brotherhood that on October 7th, and beyond, manifested in many cases of self-sacrificial acts for the sake of saving others' lives. And this keeps going on, with compassion, help, and support of every type being shown toward one another, especially toward those in need as well as toward our troops in the armed forces. A "waking up" (another translation for "hitpakchut") is happening in most circles.

But something even more significant is taking place. Many are turning to Abba, even among those who are not declaredly religious or traditional. People are truly taking a 'second look' and are asking themselves deep questions. They are daring to tread and step into areas that were thought to be 'dangerous', that which has been labeled here as "religionization" (similar to "Judaizing" in the Brit Chadasha). Up until recently, this was the 'demon' that the secular dreaded, so much so that any show of interest or introduction of biblical topics (not even in the realm of religion) would cause many to rise up with this 'fear of religionization', or in other words what they thought to be Jewish missionizing.  This fear seems to have evaporated to the point that soldiers of every background get together to pray before going on a mission or to sing together verses or prayers and no one seems to be worried or concerned (as they would have done in the past) that they are being brainwashed or manipulated. 

The stories of those whose lives were spared on October 7th when they prayed or cried out the Sh'ma, or had their communities' gates closed because of the Shabbat are circulating around the country. People are not ashamed or embarrassed to bring Elohim's name into the conversation. But what seems to be the peak of all these events was a speech delivered by a Knesset member, from the podium of Israel's legislature. This is unprecedented. No one has ever spoken words like these in that house, words that address and recognize a much Higher Authority than those who are occupying the Knesset's 120 seats. Some of you may read the transcript already but for those of you who haven't, we are posting it at the end of this article.

However, in order to be firmly planted on the ground of reality, there is much more to the story, as you can well imagine. As mentioned, there are of course many bereaved and traumatized families in Israel whose lives have been shuttered by the atrocities that they and their dear ones have experienced and are now having to somehow continue their everyday existence. All of these people are now displaced. Those who are from kibbutzim still have their communities to 'fall back' on and are trying to bolster each other up as they stay together in their new and temporary homes, but that is not the case for those who are residents of the southern towns. In their new 'homes', mostly in hotels, they are rather forlorn, with their routines totally disrupted. Most are unable to continue in their jobs, as they are very far removed from their workplaces. Their children are not in their secure and familiar framework of school. What are they to do? How are they to handle their daily living? What little help they get is often not sufficient, both financially, but mostly emotionally. The reports about these ones are very grim. There is also a serious concern as to their inter-family relationships (similar to the Covid 'season'). This is just a very brief glimpse into another aspect of the current reality, which hardly scratches the surface…

But now back to the Knesset Member's speech. 

“I want to talk for a moment about one little spiritual element that caught my eyes and ears. I'm talking about Margalit Megiddish mother of [former hostage] Ori Megiddish who BARUCH HASHEM was returned home.

A few days before Ori came home there is a video/picture of mother Margalit standing and doing hafrashat challah [ritual before shabbat]. While she is doing the hafrashat challa she is praying to HASHEM, asking Him for mercy and His help, asking Him to bring her child home - which is a normal thing that the ears and eyes are used to. It looks natural and logical; many people pray at such a time [of distress]. But during this prayer, there was a completely spontaneous moment where, suddenly, in tears, in truthful endless sorrow, in the mental tension/anguish of having her child in the hands of Hamas in Gaza - while she prays, suddenly, like an aside, bursting out of her mouth she says: "HASHEM! I love you!"

I saw this and I thought, wow. To keep loving HASHEM at this moment?! You say to HASHEM, from the depths of the soul, from the kishkas [inner core] it came out, with tears, "I love you?" Your daughter is in Gaza held by Hamas. I just couldn't digest it. I couldn't do it. And since then I can't stop thinking about it.

Now, I know, to a lot of people this kind of thing looks primitive, unsophisticated, simple, voodoo, mumbo jumbo, like a woman not absorbing the reality in which she finds herself. But I want to say, that as soon as she said it, I envied her. I envied her unimaginable degree of faith. It's NOT simple. It's NOT primitive. It is spirituality at the highest level, so high and powerful and sophisticated and strong.

I think of all the Zen Buddhists and monks and others who devote their entire lives to spiritual ascension - these people don't scratch the ground on which Margait stood at that moment. Because she understood, deeply, that the divine providence of HASHEM, everything, starts and ends with goodness. And even when you are in the valley of the shadow of death, you shall not fear evil. Because He is with you. And there is some giant metaphysical truth where everything that happens, even if you are in a huge dark pit, a mother worrying for her baby girl who is in the hands of the worst human predators, in the hands of the wildest men - even then she understands deep down in her heart that HASHEM is doing something that is for the benefit of some general good that right now, with her mortal eyes, she cannot see.

I am a believer. I am very much a believer...although I am a dry believer as Speaker of the Knesset...I believe in divine providence and I believe everything is for the best. I believe there is some supernal mathematics in the higher worlds that I can't understand with my mortal eyes. But I believe when I'm safe at home and praying by the Shabbat candle. Not when G-D forbid one of my children is in mortal danger.

I want to say to Margalit, this righteous mother - you are my hero. You are an example for me. You are my role model. I wish I could reach the spiritual heights and the sanctification of HASHEM that you did. Continue to daven, Margalit, for all the other abductees. You have a direct connection to HASHEM. Continue. You, and all of our brave soldiers. The nation of Israel is in amazing synergy with the soldiers, our heroes on the ground. And our women who pray - nothing is better than this.

Thank you very much.”