To
My Dear Students,
The
oldest inscription to mention Jews is a monument
(you can see it in the Cairo Museum ) carved in
the reign of the Pharoah Merneptah, dating from
the 13 th Century, b.c.e. It claims to have destroyed
the Hebrews forever: “ Israel is laid waste. Its
seed is no more.”
Then,
in the 9 th Century, King Mesha of Moab boasted
on what has become known as The Moabite Stone
(you can see it in the Louvre): “ Israel is perished
forever.”
The
Roman general Titus wrote on his victory arch
(you can see it in Rome ): “Judea Capta,” Judea
is laid waste forever.
The
Nazis planned to erect a “Museum For An Extinct
Race” (thank G-d you cannot see it anywhere) when
it had completed its “Final Solution” to the “Jewish
Problem.”
The
Egyptian Pharoah, Moabite King, Roman General,
and German Feuhrer are gone. The empires of Assyria,
Babylonia , Greece , and Byzantium lie in the
dustbin of history. Their monuments have disintegrated
and their power is dissipated.
Am
Yisrael Chai! We live on 4000 years after Abraham
founded our Faith in this week’s Torah Portion
because we live by G-d’s Word that gives us our
meaning and purpose.
Lawyers
draw up last wills and testaments that speak of
“rights of survivorship.” For the Jewish People,
survival is not a right, not a given, not an entitlement.
It is a challenge, an opportunity, an act of will
presented to each and every one of us.
Shabbat
Shalom,
Your
Rabbi
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