The worst form of blindness is spiritual blindness, where a person refuses to use the gift of his eyes for the purpose that Hashem intended. Hashem is bombarding us with messages, but the overwhelming majority fails to see. I don't enjoy being the wake-up megaphone, but there's no choice. It's time to put aside the iPods and the Chinese restaurants, and to realize that our people have entered a period of greatest danger.
The Holy "Ohr Hachaim" - Rabbi Chaim ben Attar - writes that the generation survives by virtue of its tzaddikim. When a tzaddik dies, it's not because of his own misdeeds, Heaven forbid; he dies as a korban chataat, a holy flawless sin-offering that atones for the generation, tantamount to a ritual sacrifice in the Holy Temple, may it be rebuilt soon, amen.
The above concept alone is enough to stimulate anyone from spiritual slumber. This past month alone, our people have lost 3 holy tzaddikim - the Mirrer Rosh Yeshiva, the Nodvorner Rebbe, and the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, all of saintly and blessed memory. And as we write these words, Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg and Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv - both spiritual pillars that this generation stands on - are fighting for their lives.
We the Jewish People defy nature. Hashem has shown his compassion by enabling Rabbis Scheinberg and Elyashiv - both over 100 years old - to remain with us and to continue leading our way. Both have crystal-clear minds. May Hashem lengthen their days in good health, amen. Yet, we can't be complacent. It's not the lives of Gedolei Yisrael that are on the line - it's the lives of every one of us.
We must ask ourselves - where's the deterrence? Just hours ago, a ruthless agent of the darkest evil gunned down Rabbi Yonatan Sandler, his two small sons, and 8-year old Miriam Monsanego on the streets of Toulouse, France. When there's deterrence in Israel, the gunmen outside of Israel think twice.
But in Israel, as even the secular media now laments, there is no deterrence. We're not even referring to Nasralla and the Hizbolla, who are arming themselves to the hilt with anti-aircraft, chemical and biological weaponry. Nor are we talking about the Arabs in Judea and Samaria, who are making life miserable on our cherished brothers and sisters there, with daily and potentially deadly rock attacks and carjackings especially against female motorists. Yet, within Israel, the ugly head of homegrown Arab terror has exposed itself recently in such places within the so-called Green Line as Hebrew University and Ramla.
So where's the deterrence?
The Torah gives us the secret of deterrence (Deuteronomy 28:10): "For all the nations of the earth shall see that the Name of God is upon you (literally, that the Name of G-d can be read from your countenance, in other words, that you reflect His Name) and they shall fear you." That's the entire doctrine of deterrence in a nutshell.
The smoke has barely cleared from the 220+ Grad missile attacks that we here in the south of Israel had to contend with all of last week. Has Gaza been deterred for their villainous acts? No way; ceasefire or not, the rockets still fall.
Non-emuna Israel fails to understand. The non-emuna government could care less. Civil Defense wanted to send our kids to school last week, with insufficient bomb shelters and no place to take cover. Our excellent mayor, a wonderful G-d - fearing physician named Dr. Yechiel Lasri, put his foot down and told the government "no!"; he is unwilling to risk even a hair on one child's head. Alarmingly, to the government's own admission (Home Front Command), 30% of Israel has no bomb shelters and 40% have no gas masks.
Hashem is showing us that there's no one to depend on but Him, just as our sages warned (see tractate Sota 49b).
So why do we still depend on a wobbly reed that has lost all its deterrence? Why do we depend on the morally bankrupt leaders that are much more concerned with their stock portfolios and their luxury apartments than they are with the security of our children in the south of Israel and on the northern borders? What legitimacy do they have when the handle the Hamas and Hizbolla with kid gloves yet destroy the homes of Jews in Migron?
Why are we silent?
Why aren't we tearing the Heavens open with prayers for Rav Scheinberg and Rav Elyashiv?
Why is it "business as usual" when our Bnai Akiva emissary to France is murdered together with his two little sons?
The terrorists are only disciplinary rods in Hashem's hands; Hashem wants us to wake up fast. If you love your family and your people. here's what you need to do right now:
1. Do your very best to strengthen your emuna and to talk to Hashem every day, begging mercy for our people. Our own politicians, with all their bravado, admit that the scenarios are not pretty.
2. Men, take upon yourself the mitzva of tefillin. This way, the "Name of Hashem shall be upon you." The Lubavitcher Rebbe of saintly and blessed memory began his tefillin project worldwide right before the Six-Day War in 1967; according to the Kabbalists, this invoked the Divine Compassion that tipped the scales so miraculously in Israel's favor.
3. The fun and games of cheap thrills and meaningless games are over. Hashem wants us to return to Him in complete teshuva.
4. The transgressions of adultery, homosexuality, and violating the Sabbath carry the most severe spiritual penalty called ka'ret. We must all do our utmost to promote and preserve personal holiness and the sanctity of Shabbat.
5. We must make a massive effort to encourage aliya. Israel is the Land of Emuna. Please, start praying to Hashem to help you come home to the Land of israel soon.
6. We must cast aside the bad habits that we've picked up in Diaspora, and to start living lives of Torah-observant Jews.
Each of the above six points is critical in restoring true deterrence. Once we do, Hashem will deliver our enemies into our hands, preparing the way for the full and complete redemption of our people, speedily and in our days, amen!
