Vaetjanán – Shabat Najamú - English 5776

By Rabbi Daniel A. Kripper

Beth Israel - Aruba.

This Shabbat is Shabbat Nachamu, the Shabbat of comforting.

“Comfort, comfort My people, says your G’d.  Comfort the heart of Yerushalaim…” Isaiah 40:1-2, from this week’s Haftarah.  

After remembering the destruction and tragedy on Tisha B’av, the Ninth of Av, this Shabbat contains a prophetic message of relief and hope for the future of Israel. 

Beyond the ideological differences on current political and religious topics, for most of the Jews in the world, without a doubt Israel represents the “Shabbat Nachamu”, the great comfort of Jewish history. 

After the horrors of destruction, the image of Israel rises impressive and splendorous like the crystallization of a Biblical prophecy.

Those living in Israel or those who have been there can give testimony of the strength and vitality of this incredible process of national reconstruction.  The founding of Israel has also brought on an awakening of ancestral Jewish culture.  

Some notable examples: the Festivities and Shabbat in Israel hold a special place in the soul of the people; their celebration has a special coloring and unique intensity.

The images that come to my mind are those of hurried Jews buying flowers on the eve of Shabbat; traditional Jews going to the synagogue, the radio and television shows devoted to the customs and folklore of each Festivity; the solemnity of Yom Kippur in Jerusalem; the overflowing of joy and popular enthusiasm on Yom Haatzmaut.  And just like these, we can multiply the examples of practices rooted in the tradition of Israel that keep all the beauty and spirit of the special dates in the Hebrew calendar.  

There is no unique mold for celebration.  From the strictest orthodox to those who define themselves as secular, they all remember these dates according to their particular vision of Judaism.  The important thing is that these dates do not pass unnoticed.  All the children and teenagers receive Jewish education and Hebrew, the language of the Bible, has been reborn in our time as the official language of the country. 

Another noted fact in this rebirth of Hebrew culture is the blossoming of universities and Talmudic academies recognized throughout the world for their academic excellence.  Students from all parts of the world converge in these investigation centers, eager for knowledge and superior education.  

In every order of life in Israel, it is possible to perceive Jewish culture, in spite of crisis and tensions born from the founding of a modern, secular and technologically advanced state.  

Could our ancestors have imagined in their wildest dreams such a beautiful and comforting picture?

This Shabbat Nachamu is the day to celebrate our privilege of having an authentic comfort full of hope.  

Rabbi Daniel Kripper

Beth Israel Aruba