Succot 5771

Peace, peace, peace. Israel must give up territory… Israel must accept Arabs and their descendents that ran away in 1948 while Arab armies attempted to eradicate the Jewish existence in Israel…Israel must release terrorists who have murdered, and have been accomplices and/or have planned to kill Israelis. Israel must retreat to indefensible borders.

Russia arms Syria and Iran with advanced weaponry, the US arms Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and other Arab Nations with Sophisticated and advanced arms.

Islamic terror grows everyday as do attacks on non-Muslims and Western targets throughout the Islamic world.

The “Quartet” insists that Israel does not let any Jews build in Judea and Samaria. Salaam Fayyad and Abbas say the Judea and Samaria must be ethnically cleansed of any Jewish presence.

A close-to nuclear Iran says that Israel’s time is up. Salaam Fayad and Mahmud Abbas are on their way to the US to chum up to as many Jewish “leaders” as possible, to convince them to pressure Israel to place itself in the most “uncompromising” position as possible since the rebirth of the Jewish nation in 1948.

So lets see, pressure Israel to get into a one-sided peace agreement with the “Palestinian Authority” (who are the minority and barely represent themselves), arm the rest of Israel’s enemies to the hilt.

Again, I might have missed something…. Call on Israel to make every possible compromise and arm the nations that have been fighting against Israel since its creation even more than before.

Is it just me, or does anyone else see something wrong with this picture?

As we approach the Holiday of Succot we are taught how the walls of the Succah should remind us of the “Clouds of Glory” that protected us against all odds as we traveled through Sinai. We had no other allies in the world, it was just we and Gd and a dream of being in our own land, a dream that was fulfilled... not just once.

As I build my Succah this year I am reminded we Jews (Thank Gd) brought the dream of Israel back to this earth in this time. We had to depend on ourselves as no one came to defend us as the Arab armies descended on Israel with the intent to wipe us out, time and time again. Throughout other wars, we weren’t offered arms to defend ourselves, we paid, and we paid a lot and with more than just money. There were no favors… the Middle East was the playground as the “Super” powers looked on to see just whose “toys” were better. Today it seems to be almost the same playing field, yet the rules have been changed, as has the game, now it’s whose toys and whose methods will bring down Israel first.

I look at my succah walls and I look at Israel today and despite the challenges and ever-growing adversaries that we continue to face, I am proud and feel strong. No nation on earth has come so far in such a short time. No nation on earth has given so much back to the world.

This Succot, as you look at the walls of your Succah and are reminded how our forefathers were protected by the “Clouds of Glory” in Sinai, and as you bring together the Lulav (Palm), The Etrog, Hadas (Myrtle), Aravot (Willow), the four different species to make a single entity, and keep the Mitzvah of the Holy Day, think of Israel today, how together despite our own differences, we have fared against all odds, we are in our land and we are strong, Thank Gd.

We still have quite a walk in front of us, and together we will do it as a strong and good people in our land, all of our land and in peace.

Chag Sameach