Tuesday 17 January 2017

When your army camp will be Holy, then will you be victorious over your enemies.

  When one goes forth with clear fortitude, fearful of nobody - neither of the 'chariot' nor of 'their horses' since 'we go forth with our G-d' [and we observe the instruction 'your army-camp must be Holy', then will the Lord your G-d walk within your army-camp']. Upon seeing this, the enemy will be stricken with trepidation of the Jewish People'.

Fearless of their chariots and horses
At first sight it is incomprehensible: Since the Torah states that we are still in exile,  how is it possible that we have the fortitude not to fear the nations, even openly for the nations to see?

Moshiach has not yet arrived [Maimonides defines among the signs of Moshiach that 'he [Moshiach] will enforce every Jew to walk in the ways of Torah and strengthen her observance; when one will see a Jew with these signs including 'enforcing' (this must be taken literally since Maimonides includes this in the "Yad HaChazaka" his book of Jewish Law, and mentions this amidst other laws - which must be understood in their literal sense), this also is one of the signs whereby Moshiach will be recognized. Now, since as of now no-one has seen any Jew who conducts himself in this way 'enforcing every Jew to walk in the ways of Torah', it is clear that Moshiach has not yet come and certainly we are not yet free of the exile. 

The response is as follows: when we will fulfill the Torah instruction "and your camp will be Holy", then will 'G-d will walk amidst your camp'. When a Jew knows that it is G-d Who renews the creation continuously each day from nothingness into existence, even today in 5729 [1969], and one stands with great conviction that 'there is no-one besides of Him', -  one has strength and complete faith, then we will be certain of victory over the gentile - even in times of exile.  

When the enemies will see this power of faith they will melt away and not consider war. There will be fulfilled the verse "and no sword will cross your land" - not even a sword of peace which guards against war, because upon seeing the fortitude of Jews they will automatically dissipate, and there will be fulfilled the assurance "and I will lead you with your heads held high" speedily into the true and complete Redemption by our Righteous Moshiach.  

                                                                                    Shabbos Pershas Bereishis 1969