“If Augustus were to rise from the grave today and call out in Old Latin, he would be met with silence, for there is no one around to understand him. But if Moses were to appear and exclaim “Shalom Aleichem!” a chorus of voices would respond with the traditional “Aleichem Shalom!”
The Jewish people, in spite of all natural indications and in defiance of the laws of statistics, have outlived the once-mighty empires that set out to destroy them. And not only have they survived, they have thrived, achieving the impossible.
The history of the Jewish people teaches us when it comes to “Jewish Life” there is no such thing as probability, possibility, or chance. The laws of nature do not bind us.
It is for this reason that we read about the birth of our forefather Isaac on Rosh Hashanah. Barren for years, Sarah miraculously bore a child at the age of 90. Indeed we’ve been defying statistics from the very birth of our Jewish nation!
That is the message we owe to remember these days: Governments come and go, fashion is always on the move, but the Jewish people aren’t a culture, style or fashion. We are here to stay.
So when we ask ourselves, “Will I truly be able to honor my Mitzvah resolutions for the protection of our brothers and sisters in Isarel?”, it’s like asking: “Should the Jews be around today? Should Isaac have been born?”
If it’s a Mitzvah, we can do it. It might not make sense, but history has shown that it doesn’t need to. Start your miracle today.
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Mendy
