Words of the Prophet Coming Alive

A Torah Thought by Michael Fuah

“And the number of the Children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, that cannot be measured and cannot be counted and instead of being said to them, ‘You are not My nation,” it will be said to them, “the children of the Living G-d.” (From this week’s haftarah, Hoseah 2:1)

We are in the days between Independence Day and Jerusalem Day. After two thousand years of exile, we are living to see the realization of the words of the prophets. The Nation of Israel is returning to its Land, and our Land, in turn, gives us its abundance.

Unexpectedly, though, the physical process of redemption is not immediately accompanied by a symmetrical spiritual awakening. This situation cannot continue and at a certain stage Israel must recognize the fact that it is G-d behind our success. The path to this consciousness can be very unpleasant, as Hosea describes later in this chapter. But there is a better alternative, in which the Nation of Israel recognizes G-d and motivated by love for Him, renews its conscious connection with Him, as described by Hosea in the verses that follow.

There is also a third possibility, in Hosea chapter 3:
“For many days the Children of Israel will dwell, there will be no king, no minister, no ritual sacrifice, no pillar and no ephod and trafim. Then the Children of Israel will return and seek Hashem their G-d and David their king and they will come trembling to Hashem and His goodness in the end of days.”
The feeling of emptiness and void will motivate the Nation of Israel to seek spiritual meaning for their unique existence in the world. We have the merit and the obligation to choose the path upon which we can complete the spiritual process of redemption. Let us choose the proper course of action and pray that we will accomplish this in joy and in the correct manner!

Shabbat Shalom