G-d has an active presence in the world. Sometimes, with our human arrogance, we attempt to explain away the events of history, fail to recognise the miraculous nature of our survival, or deny the divine hand in our everyday existence.
Three years after the remnant of Europe's Jews emerged from the crematoria of Europe, months after a vote in the UN, weeks after the collective forces of six enemy countries grouped to destroy the tiny Yishuv in the Mandate Palestine, the Jewish people prevailed and re-created the Jewish Commonwealth of Israel, the restoration of independence lost 2,000 years previously.
19 years later, faced once again with the collective aggression of our enemies, the young country triumphed, and the City of Jerusalem, the City of Dovid, Shlomo, Ezra and Nechemia, was resorted to Jewish sovereignty.
Sometimes, we need to step back and see patterns of miracles. Not to recognise these is not to see the hand of the Ribbono Shel Olam in this world.
Below I highlight 10 prophecies that are coming true as I write these words. To be sure, there are many many more as any student of Tanach could see. Over the years I posted some of these.
The following was gleaned from an article in Ha'Mizrachi written by Rabbi Doron Perez.
1. The Ingathering of the Exiles🇮🇱
וקבצך מכל העמים אשר הפיצך ה' א-לקיך שמה
(דברים ל:ג)
"and He will gather you in from all the nations to which He the L-rd has scattered you (there)"
Perhaps the greatest miracle of all!
In 1840, there were 6,000 Jews living in the Land of Israel. By 1917, that number grew to 60,000. When the State was declared in 1948, there were 600,000. And today there are over 6.7 million Jews living in Israel! The Jewish population in the Land of Israel climbed from being 1% of world Jewry to 6% in 1948, to almost half of all Jews in the world today.
The Ingathering of the Exiles is perhaps a greater miracle than the Exodus from Egypt!
Firstly, the Exodus came after 210 years of slavery, whereas the return to modern Israel happened after almost 2,000 years. Secondly, all the Israelites came out of one country whereas in the modern era, Jews came from over 100 countries. Thirdly, in Egypt all Jews lived in one confined, culturally segregated ghetto in Goshen, speaking only Hebrew, whereas Israel has seen the return of Jews from every cultural, political and ideological background, speaking over 80 different languages somehow forged into one functional society.
(based on an insight of Rav Tzvi Hirsch Chajes, Maharatz Chayot, Writings 1:74, regarding the nature of the future Redemption.)
2. The Spiritual Alchemy between a Land and a People🇮🇱
והשמתי אני את הארץ ושממו עליה איביכם
(ויקרא כו:לב)
"I will make the Land desolate, and your adversaries will be desolate on it"
Following the Roman conquest in 70CE, the Land of Israel was conquered by 14 different empires over 1,900 years. As G-d had foretold, the Land remained barren to its conquerors despite repeated attempts to make it flourish- as the Land itself was pledging fidelity to her children, awaiting their return.
(See RambanVayikra 26:15)
In 1867, Mark Twain famously described the land he saw as 'a desolation...repulsive and dreary.. with hardly a tree or shrub anywhere... a land covered in sackcloth and ashes."
Until of course, the return of the Jews.
3. Land Blossomed Only Once its Children Returned🇮🇱
ואתם הרי ישראל ענפכם תתנו ופריכם תשאו לעמי ישראל
(יחזקאל לו:ח)
"But you, O mountains of Israel, sprout your branches and give forth your fruits for My people Israel"
As the Jewish people returned to the Land, the Land responded in return. The desert has become an oasis and the desolations blessing. Israel quickly started developing innovative agricultural expertise and water conservation technologies. The returning Jews have now planted over 250 million trees and Israel is the only nation on earth that entered the 21st century with more trees than a century earlier. It boasts more than 300 wineries and its wine, fruits and other products are exported all over the world.
(R' Abba sees the fulfilment of this verse as the greatest single sign of the Redemption, Sanhedrin 98a)
4. Renewal of the Hebrew Language🇮🇱
כי אז אהפך אל עמים שפה ברורה
(צפניה ג:ט)
"For then I will change the nations [to speak] one clear language"
When the first pioneers returned to Israel, Hebrew was not a spoken language. No Jewish community and not one Jewish family spoke to their children in Hebrew. Hebrew was a language of prayer, Torah and scholarship. Even Herzl, despite his broad vision fo a return to Zion, did not believe Hebrew could be revived. Miraculously, Hebrew has become the lingua franca in Israel and is the only language in recorded history to have been revived by a people as their spoken language.
(The Ibn Ezra says the language is Hebrew)
5. Revival of the Torah World🇮🇱
כי מציון תצא תורה ודבר ה' מירושלים
(ישעיה 2:3)
"For out of Zion shall go forth Torah and The word of G-d from Jerusalem"
In the early years of the State, you could have put all yeshiva students into a small hall. At the zenith of Lithuanian Jewry, no more than 3,000 people were studying Torah full time. In Israel today, there are close to 200,000 men and women engaged fully in Torah learning in traditional yeshivas, kollilm, hesder yeshivot, and more. Arguably, there are more people learning Torah in Israel today than at any other time in Jewish history .
6. Economic Prosperity🇮🇱
והביאך ה' א-לקיך אל הארץ ...והיטבך והרבך מאבתיך
(דברים ל:ה)
"And the L-rd your G-d will bring you to the Land...and will benefit you and make you more numerous than your forefathers"
The Jewish population in Israel has increased 10 times since 1948 and its economy has doubled 40 times! According to "The Economist" Israel has doubled its GDP in the past decade alone, a world record. According to Bloomberg, Israel's economic stability ranks third in the world!
But when it comes to cows....we rank number one..read on
7. A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey🇮🇱
ויתן לנו את הארץ הזאת ארץ זבת חלב ודבש
(דברים כו:ט)
"And He gave us this land, a Land flowing with milk and honey"
The average Israeli cow produces 12,000 litres of milk per year. That is highest in the world, more than countries such as the US and Holland, which are renowned for their dairy production. Even the cows in Israelare holy!
"Honey" refers to date honey, and the large, sweet dates from the Jordan Valley are among the finest in the world.
8. The Building of Jerusalem🇮🇱
פרזות תשב ירושלים מרב אדם
(זכריה ב:ח)
"Jerusalem will be settled beyond its walls, because of the multitude of people"
Jerusalem is the beating heart of Israel. For centuries, Jerusalem was off limits for Jews. Zecharia envisioned Jerusalem's population growing so large that its walls would not accommodate its inhabitants. Until 150 years ago, this seemed impossible. In 1860, Jews began moving beyond the walls and Jerusalem today is home to over 900,000 inhabitants 600,000 of them are Jews!
9. A Source of Global Blessing and Wisdom🇮🇱
ונברכו בך כל משפחות האדמה
(בראשית יב:ג)
"And all nations on earth will be blessed through you"
Global advancements in the sciences, medicine, agriculture and high tech have Israel's fingerprints all over them, Jews the world over have won a disproportionate number of Nobel Prizes in an array of fields, and Israelis have won more than the Chinese, despite China having more than 150 times Israel's population. Israel has the largest concentration of start-ups per capita anywhere in the world, ensuring its innovations are a source of blessing to all humanity.
10.Standing Proud Among the Nations and the Abraham Accords
וראו גוים צדקך וכל מלכים כבודך וקרא לך שם חדש
(ישעיה סב:ב)
"Nations will see your righteousness, and all the kings your honour, and you will be called by a new name"
The development of Israel's foreign relations during the last 30 years is staggering. The number of countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel has doubled from 80 to 160. Recently, the Abraham Accords have demolished barriers which previously seemed impenetrable, and Israel has been able to turn foes into friends.
Israel's achievements are astounding, whether in science or study, technology or Torah, nation-building or universal blessing. What is even more astounding is that the destiny of this country seems less about politics and more about prophecy. Israel is not a new 73-year-old phenomenon but a reincarnation of an ancient one. A modern saga clearly foretold by our Biblical seers, who saw Jewish history and Israel as a pivotal piece in the fulfilment of Jewish destiny and the progress of human civilization.
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