Human beings innately yearn for freedom, as independence constitutes a fundamental attribute intrinsic to every sentient being. Not merely individuals aspire to this, but indeed entire nations and peoples collectively strive for autonomy.
Examination of the historical record elucidates that myriad formidable civilizations have been expunged from the land. The paramount catalyst for their obliteration was spiritual and cultural subjugation. This is the main factor behind the eradication of entire societies, now no longer in existence. There is but a singular nation on this earth that has proudly bore the same banner for millennia, safeguarding its uniqueness and distinctive character.
In his seminal opus "The Guide for the Perplexed," Maimonides inscribed that two festivals teach us about precepts and virtues – Passover and Sukkot.
"Passover teaches us to remember the miracles which God wrought in Egypt, and to perpetuate their memory; the Feast of Tabernacles reminds us of the miracles wrought in the wilderness. The moral lessons derived from these feasts is this: man ought to remember his evil days in his days of prosperity. He will thereby be induced to thank God repeatedly, to lead a modest and humble life.
"We eat, therefore, unleavened bread and bitter herbs on Passover in memory of what has happened unto us, and leave our houses in order to dwell in tabernacles, as inhabitants of deserts do that are in want of comfort. We shall thereby remember that this has once been our condition; "I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths"; although we dwell now in elegant houses, in the best and most fertile land, by the kindness of God, and because of His promises to our forefathers, who were perfect in their opinions and in their conduct. This idea is likewise an important element in our religion; that whatever good we have received and ever will receive of God, is owing to the merits of the Patriarchs, who kept the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment."
These two aspects, virtues and precepts, constitute the bedrock of our existence. Faith embedded in the heart, ancestral traditions, observance of commandments – these spiritual acquisitions facilitated the edifice of the Jewish nation, and by their merit, our people's continuity persists.
The State of Israel represents a juncture in the realization of prophetic visions about the ingathering of exiles and the revival of the desolate land of Israel. Yet redemption transcends the corporeal, predominantly manifesting in the spiritual realm. Not through spiritual assimilation and emulation of foreign cultures shall we preserve our existence, but rather by upholding an ancestral manner of life, adhering to the "divine path." We must aspire concurrently to Redemption and the liberation of our souls. Solely liberating the body is insufficient, the soul too must be redeemed.
The cataclysmic events of the preceding year constitute a pivotal and substantive chapter in Jewish history. The murderous onslaught initiated here on Simchat Torah compelled many to turn to introspection. We understood that although fortitudinous, our existential peril persists.
"The beneficiary of a miracle remains unaware of its providence" applies not merely to individuals, but to the nation entire.
The notion that the recipient of a miracle remains unaware of its providential derivation is applicable not solely to individuals, but to the nation in its entirety.
Just last week, we endured a harrowing night as hundreds of rockets and missiles rained upon us with malicious intent. Our security forces and defensive systems fulfilled their mandate, succeeding in mitigating casualties and devastation. This achievement transcends the terrestrial realm; we must perceive it as an expression of Divine Providence and Heavenly compassion.
This evening, we shall convene collectively around the Seder table, an observance dedicated to instructing subsequent generations in the heritage and traditions of the Jewish people. The children constitute the focal point. They shall pose the quintessential query "Why is this night different?", to which parents, grandparents, and elders shall respond with the inherited answer – just as Jews across generations immemorial have inquired of their forbears and received the singular response that defines our nation.
At the Seder table, we shall recount the tribulations and slavery in Egypt, expressing gratitude for the redemption we merited. However, not every family shall be wholly complete around the table. For certain families, the haunting void left by absent loved ones cries out incessantly. The seats of those barbarically slain and abducted stand abandoned, bereft of occupants.
Upon each of us rests the sacred obligation to be cognizant of the anguish of others, and pray explicitly during this seminal observance of reciting the Haggadah – to invoke remembrance and beseech the Divine on behalf of those presently enduring captivity and suffering.
