For months, the divide between left and right was seen by thousands protesting in the Israeli streets. That was last month, even though it feels like a life time ago.
Watching the videos of IDF soldiers dancing with a Sefer Torah, wanting new tzitzits to wear and requesting tefillin, reminded of an event in May 2022 on the eve of Yom HaZikaron.
People of all ages had formed a joyous procession behind the new Torah as it was carried thru the streets in the busy Machane Yehudah Market neighborhood, under a chuppah as at a wedding. The procession delayed traffic on Agrippas Street as it slowly proceeded behind a truck blasting celebratory music with colorful flashing lights. Passersby joined in the parade, singing, smiling, clapping hands, pushing babies in their strollers, or watching from the sidelines.
The Michael Levin Base in Jerusalem, Israel, serves lone soldiers and b'not sherut, young people from around the world who come to Israel to serve in the defense forces and other volunteer positions for a year or more. On the occasion of a dedication of a second Sefer Torah to the Michael Levin Base by generous American donors, an impressive message was delivered by Ron Dermer.
During his featured address, Dermer spoke as a former lone soldier, who had served as an Israeli Ambassador in the United States. He was not in a government position at the time, his words however were impressive and important to share at this time.
First, he thanked Harriet and Mark Levin for inviting him to be part of the very special day - "a day of power and purpose whose traditions go back 3,000 years to when King David danced before the Ark as it was carried into Jerusalem. The truth is that no matter where or when a Hachnasat Sefer Torah takes place, it is always a special occasion. First, it is a time of joy, in which dancing, singing, and celebrations remind us of a Jewish wedding. But in this ceremony, we don’t bear witness to a new covenant between two people. We bear witness to an ancient covenant between one people and one God.
"Second, a Hachnasat Sefer Torah is a time of reverence that we demonstrate in countless ways. We carry the Torah like a priceless treasure. We honor it more than the most distinguished of men. We glorify it more than the greatest of kings.
We do all this because the Torah is the wellspring of our people, the bedrock of our values, and the touchstone of our mission."
Dermer eloquently continued, "We recognize that it binds us across time and space and imbues us with a shared sense of destiny. We know that it has guided our people through our millennial-old odyssey, enabling us to overcome countless tragedies and sustaining our collective hopes for a better future. In reading it, in studying it, and in living it, the Torah fills us with purpose."
He continued, "And it is precisely in this place and at this time that the meaning of Jewish sovereignty comes into the sharpest focus. It is here and now where we can most clearly appreciate our profound transformation from a stateless, powerless and downtrodden people into a sovereign, powerful and proud nation.
This transformation did not occur as a result of a vote at the United Nations or by virtue of an act of the American Congress. It was won by the sacrifices of our soldiers and the resilience of our people. Never in our long history has sovereignty been given to the Jewish people. We always had to fight for it. We fought for it when Joshua crossed the Jordan and conquered the land of Israel. We fought to restore it when the Maccabees defeated the Syrian Greeks. After 2000 years of powerlessness, we fought to restore it once again when three quarters of a century ago the newly born State of Israel defeated five Arab armies in our War of Independence. And in all the years since then, through multiple wars and waves of terrorism, our soldiers have fought to maintain our sovereignty.
Because of those soldiers’ willingness to sacrifice, three generations have lived with the blessings of a sovereign Jewish state - the blessings of having a voice among the nations, a refuge for our people, and above all, the power to defend ourselves.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Torah gives us purpose. Israel gives us power.
Purpose without power is a lethal combination. For 20 centuries, faith and tradition alone did not stop us from being subjected to every evil under the sun, from persecutions and expulsions to massacres and pogroms, to the unprecedented and unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust. But power without purpose also cannot secure the Jewish future. The mightiest of empires and the greatest of civilizations have crumbled when their people lost their way when they lost their sense of purpose.
But when we wed power to purpose, our nation not only survived. We thrived."
"If there ever was a figure in our history who combined power and purpose it was King David, the warrior-poet who slew Goliath, united the tribes, and conquered Jerusalem. David understood that to turn his people’s capital into a shining city on a hill, he needed to do more than erect buildings of stone and cedar. He needed to marry power and purpose by bringing God’s presence into the city."
If ever there was a time to combine power and purpose, it is now.
