                       A Voice from Hebron
                      by Gary M. Cooperberg
  . . . .April 23, 1995
                          What Will Be?

. . . .We hear a lot of talk these days about redemption.  Yet, when we look around all we
can see is degeneracy, moral depravity, terror, and a growing sense of hopelessness.  Certainly it
was a great miracle to see the rebirth of a Jewish State in the ancient holy land of Israel, but what
good is the miracle if Israel is cursed with "leaders" who actively take steps toward her self
destruction?  Where does one go to alleviate the terrible feeling of despair and hopelessness?
. . . .Our rabbis tell us that our final redemption will, in many ways, resemble the redemption
of the Jewish people from Pharaoh in Egypt.  Can there possibly have been a more desperate and
hopeless situation than that of our slavery in the land of Black Magic?  There was no escape. 
There was no hope.  What we did have was a much closer proximity to our ancestors.  We knew
and believed in the Promise G-d made to our Father, Abraham.  As horrible as things were, we,
the Jewish People maintained our bond with our Creator, and with our Fathers.
. . . .It was only when things became utterly unbearable that we cried out to our Father in
Heaven for help.. and He heard our cries.  He sent us our greatest leader of all time... our
Teacher, Moses.  But what happened when Moses first came to Egypt and petitioned Pharaoh to
permit the Children of Israel to take a three day journey into the wilderness to serve Him?  Not
only did Pharaoh not allow this brief excursion, he increased the burdens under which his slaves
already were straining.  Not only did the Jews not receive the relief they had expected, but they
were further tormented by the Egyptians.



. . . .Can we not see the analogy to our times here?  Surely, with the rebirth of the Jewish
State all could see the beginning of fulfillment of Divine Prophesy of the final redemption.  Yet
just at the very moment of our expected glory, we find ourselves victims of our own fears and
doubts.  So much so that we have plunged ourselves into the depths of despair.  We are cursed
with leaders who really believe that the only way for the nation to survive is to retreat from our
homeland and offer our children as blood sacrifices to appease the desire of our enemies to
destroy us.  
. . . .Immediately after we left Egypt, G-d hardened Pharaoh's heart once again and he
pursued us to the shore of the Red Sea.  
. . . .(By the way, just as an "aside", Rashi has an interesting commentary on this very point. 
He asks the question, "Where did the Egyptians get the livestock to draw their chariots?  Weren't
they all destroyed in the hail and fire?"  The answer he gives is that some of the Egyptians did fear
G-d and when they heard about the impending plague they took their animals inside to protect
them.  These were the "good", "G-d fearing" Egyptians.  To this Rashi coldly admonishes, "Even
the best of serpents, smash out his brains").
. . . .What hope could there have been in the hearts of the Jews as they saw their oppressors
rapidly approach from behind, and faced the raging sea before them?  Can we not feel their terror
and hopelessness?  Moses began to pray, but G-d Himself admonished Moses.  "This is not a time
for prayer.  It is a time for action.  Command the people to enter the sea!"
This command was a test.  It was a test of faith.  This was not a game or riddle.  All the people
were in very real danger and feared for their very lives.  They had no way of knowing what would
happen next.  It was only when the Prince of the Tribe of Judah, Nachshon ben Aminidav, led the
way in pure faith by personally following the impossible command out of love for G-d which
enabled the miracle to take place.  When the people all witness this great leader willingly offering
his very life to obey the command of G-d, they all followed suit and the Red Sea parted.

. . . .I daresay the Jewish people today are prepared for sacrifice to sanctify the G-d of
Israel.  But today we have no Moses or Nachshon to show us the way.  Some have made their
own desperate sacrifices.  Others have been taken as unwilling sacrifices without so much as a
warning.  Others have attempted to flee, and still others seek to deny the Divine Process and even
work against it.  But there are many, like our ancestors who were slaves in Egypt, who carry on
with their burdens and sufferings, enduring terror and pain as they wait for a modern day Moses
to intervene and show us the way.
. . . .Rather than "smashing the head of the serpents" our leaders shake hands with them,
give them Jewish land, arm and finance them, and then stand idly by as they murder our children
in the name of "peace".  Rather than face the unpleasantness of removing our enemies from Gaza
and Jericho, they throw up their hands and declare, "We don't need or want Gaza and Jericho." 
Their ever souring grapes already expand upon this cowardly declaration as they begin to echo the
traitorous rhetorical questions, "Who needs Shechem... Who needs Ramallah?  Who needs
Kalkilia?  Who needs Shilo?  Who needs Beit El? and Who needs the very graves of our Fathers
and Mothers in Hebron?   
. . . .There is no end in this cowardly retreat from our homeland.  It feeds upon itself and
magnifies in intensity as terror increases and the desperation becomes greater.  Yussie Sarid
declares that he and his cohorts have begun a process that cannot be undone.  He really believes
this.  Logically he is correct.  But he has overlooked the fact that the destiny of the Jewish People
is not governed by logic.  We may not see how it is possible to undo the terrible mess in which we
are currently entangled today, but every Torah Jew knows, for a certainty, that not only is it
possible... it is inevitable.  All we need is one genuine leader to stand up and say, not that we will
pursue terrorists into Gaza, rather we will uproot terrorists from our country altogether by
returning to all of our holy inheritance and "smashing the heads of all of the serpents" who dare to
stand in our way.  This will happen and the Jewish people will follow such a leader.  May the Holy
One send him to us soon. 