Yom Yerushalayim 2007

Chag Sameach!

Today is Yom Yerushalayim, A Day to Commemorate the Reunification of The Jewish People with their Holy City for the First Time in Nearly 2000 Years! This summer marks the 40th Anniversary of the Jewish People’s Return to Yerushalayim—the source of all Holiness in the world—the City from where “All the blessings and consolations, all of the good which the Holy One, Blessed Be He, brings to the Jewish people comes from” (Midrash Tehillim).

It was 40 years ago that a vastly outnumbered and outgunned Israeli Defense Force fought off the armies of six invading Arab Countries bent on the destruction of the Jewish People—as Syrian Broadcasting Reported, “Let us pave the road to Tel Aviv with Jewish Skulls.” And let us never forget that this victory, like a modern-day Chanukah, was won not by superior firepower, but by the same determination and enormous faith that has sustained us for 100 generations and will continue to sustain us for 100 more.

As we celebrate the victory of The Six Day War in 1967, it would be shortsighted to ignore the fact that Israel remains in a life-or-death struggle for its existence. In addition to the threats of a nuclear holocaust at the hands of Iran and of war with the Terrorist states of Syria and Lebanon, Israel is faced with the same existential problems that have plagued her since her conception—whether to be a State of Jews or whether to be a Jewish State; whether to be another Westernized Country waiting to join NATO or whether to be a “Light Unto The Nations.” Even with the horrendous failure of the Retreat from Southern Lebanon and the Disengagement from Gaza, the current Israeli government seeks to hand over even more territory to the Terrorist Groups of Hamas and Hezbollah. This craziness extends to the point where the notion of separating Yerushalayim—Heaven Forbid—has been suggested by various parties. Therefore as we celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, let us remember that to disengage from our Land and our Tradition is to receive Rocket-Attacks, War, and Suicide Bombings; but to live in Israel—and to Settle what the Zohar calls “The Heart of All Lands”—is to Merit Redemption.

Am Yisrael Chai!


For More on the Miracles of The Six Day War: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/More/ActivePage.aspx/JerDay
For More on Maintaining a United Jerusalem: http://www.onejerusalem.org/blog/index.asp