The State of Medinat Yisrael

I am writing this as I sit in the hotel lobby waiting for my ride to Ben Gurion Airport. Phil Baratz and I have just wrapped up a whirlwind 3 day mission to Israel organized by the OU for shul Rabbis and lay leaders. We posted in real time much of our itinerary and some initial thoughts in a WhatsApp group that close to 300 of you joined. We also sent out a daily email to the entire congregation. It will take some time for me to process what we saw and heard and I look forward to sharing with you aspects of the trip in the weeks and months ahead. One of my colleagues suggested that we be deliberate and thoughtful as we “unpack” what we saw. The image of unpacking luggage from a trip is a good one. Most of us want to unpack as quickly as possible in order to put away the suitcases. Delays in unpacking can be a source of tension and arguments within some families. But when it comes to experiences that are full of significance it is ok to take your time when unpacking. Chazal say that parshat Vayera is followed by Parshat Chayei Sara because Sara died upon hearing the news about the Akeidah. In fact, Avraham did NOT slaughter Yitzchak. However the news was unpacked in a haphazard and clumsy way such that it literally scared Sara to death. And so while I am happy to discuss my trip with you one on one, I will not be sharing highlights or specifics this Shabbat. While I will do my best to unpack my actual bags before Shabbat, I plan on waiting to unpack this Israel experience until  after Shabbat. US presidents often start their state of the Union address with the words “The state of our Union is….” In that spirit I will say that the state of Medinat Yisrael is strong.   Israelis may be sad but they do not express fear; they are strong and resolute. They refuse to remain in a state of helplessness nor hopelessness. They are committed to not only surviving but to finding the lessons to be learned from this war that can bring some meaning to the situation and make the world a better place. As we seek out ways to tangibly support and stand with Israel at this time, let us strive to emulate this Israeli resolve.