Emor 5772 - English

Rabbi Rami Pavolotzky

B’nei Israel Congregation, Costa Rica

The Torah is full of miracles:  God Himself spoke with the patriarchs and with Moses; manna fell from Heaven every day in the wilderness; the Red Sea opened up so that the people of Israel could escape from Egypt; the Egyptians were punished with ten plagues, witnessed by everyone present, etc.  Of course, this list could be much longer.

Children often ask why there were so many miracles in the past, while no miracle occurs today.  When I am asked that question, sometimes I answer that maybe we are not paying enough attention to what happens around us, or that actually, life grants us the miracle of life each day.  Other times, I also say that in ancient times, people used to call “miracle” things that we currently explain differently.

A good example of a contemporary miracle, of which we are not always aware, is the existence of the State of Israel.  Now that Israel just reached its 64th birthday, and the jubilation and passion for celebration is over, perhaps it is a good time to reflect upon Medinat Israel from this perspective.

When I think of the nearly two thousand years during which we Jews nostalgically yearned for an Israel of the past and prayed for its reestablishment, it strikes me that perhaps we are unaware of the miracle meant by our being privileged witnesses, in our time, of the existence of a Jewish State.  Indeed, Israel is certainly a contemporary miracle.  Listen to this; I may be able to convince you.

Population:  Israel’s population currently amounts to 7.881.000 inhabitants.  At the dawn of the State, 64 years ago, the population only amounted to 806.000 inhabitants.  5.591.000 Jews live in Israel today, which constitutes a 75.3% of the total population.  More than 70% of the Jews living in Israel are sabras, that is, born in Israel.  The Arab population amounts to 1.623.000 inhabitants, which constitutes a 20.6% of the total population.  As of the previous Yom Ha’atzmaut, 161.000 babies were born.  During the last year, 19.000 olim (new immigrants) arrived in Israel.  The total population grew  1.8%.  It is estimated that in the year preceding the next Yom Ha’atzmaut, the citizen number 8 million will be born.

Democracy:  consolidation of the only regime in the Middle East, where all the country’s citizens – whether they are Jews, Christians, or Muslims – have rights, and not just the right to elect their rulers.

Women rights:  absolute legal and de facto equality between the genders.  An example of this, Golda Meir, Prime Minister of the State in the 70’s (a top pioneer in this field).  Of course, the situation is quite different with regard to the religious front.

Education:  international recognition of the Technion in Haifa and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem among the most prestigious colleges worldwide.  An impressive 24% of the population holds university degrees (third place in the world).

Technology: research centers where the most advanced technological devices are designed, in areas such as computer science, communications, and medicine.  Absolute innovative leader in development and use of solar energy.

Culture:  the emerging State witnessed the rebirth of the Hebrew language, and along with it, the flourishing of an extensive contemporary literature, as well as other art forms expressed in Hebrew.

Agriculture:  facing the challenge posed by the adversity of the desert lands, which represent 60% of its surface area, irrigation systems were developed to create fertile and productive areas.  The country became an exporter of agricultural products.

Immigration: in proportion to its population, Israel has received more permanent immigrants than any other nation worldwide.  Among the most emblematic cases:  the campaign in the 40’s and 50’s to take in Jewish refugees escaping from the hostilities to which they were subject in the Arab countries; the absorption of a million immigrants from the former Soviet Union in the 80’s and 90’s; and the incredible epic rescue of the Ethiopian Jews during the last decades.

These achievements are even more surprising seeing that they were reached under the constant belligerence and aggression of the neighboring nations.  Through six direct wars, the launching of Scud missiles from Iraq during the Gulf War, the launching of Kassam missiles from Gaza in the present, and the financial and logistic support given to these countries throughout these six decades, by a wide range of terrorist groups, they  used all the means in their power to try to destroy and annihilate the State of Israel.

Nevertheless, the young country lived on.  And defended itself.  And reached a peace agreement with Egypt.  And signed peace with Jordan.  And reached an agreement with the Palestine leaders.  And offered broad concessions.  And withdrew from Gaza.  And sits once and again to negotiate, acknowledging that this is the only option to establish the peace so-yearned-for in the region.

All these facts are amazing, and leave us wondering about the things achieved by Israel in just 64 years, with so few people, with so few resources, with so little support.  So, next time that a child asks me why there are no miracles today, I think I will show them a picture of Israel, so strong, so thriving, so vibrant, so that they can understand that in our times miracles happen as well. We have a large miracle, and it is called the State of Israel.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Rami Pavolotzky

B’nei Israel Congregation, Costa Rica