Ba'Aretz # 12....Thunder and Lightening

I would be more than a little remiss if I didn't begin without wishing Hatzlacha u'vracha – success and blessing – to President-elect Barack Obama. All of us in Israel followed the American presidential campaign and election very closely. The United States is Israel's best friend and most important ally and what happens in America affects Israel. As in America, many in Israel supported John McCain. As in America, many in Israel supported Barack Obama. Now, all of us are united in praying for G-d to always bless the United States and the American people.

There are other elections mentioned in the headlines of the Israeli papers this week – Israel's for mayor and city council in every Israeli city this coming Tuesday, November 11^th. Some of the campaigns are very heated and the issues are the usual ones – more-observant and less-observant Jews living together in the same communities… usually fighting over the closing of stores on the Sabbath and the sale of non-kosher meat. Not much is likely to change, though.

And, we'll be electing a new Knesset just 90 days later. As you might expect, our relationship with the Arab population in (circle the description that suits you best – Judea/Samaria, the West Bank, the Territories, the Occupied Territories, the Liberated Territories) dominates the debate. This morning one of our major parties (Kadima) announced that it is the party best equipped to work with the new American administration and bring about what America thinks best. And, another of our major parties (Likud) announced that it is the party best equipped to stand up to the new American administration and protect Israel from what America thinks best. Ironically, both claims are true and all of us in Israel are waiting to see how the new American government will relate to us and our unique situation.

The fact that this week's Torah portion is Lech L'cha - Genesis 12-17 – can be no coincidence. The first eleven chapters of the Bible… the ones that described the creation of the universe, the flood and near destruction of life and earth, and the division of the world's peoples… are chapters written about all humanity, not the Jewish people.

The first eleven chapters of the Bible recount the story of a world in which there were no Jews. Had Adam been Jewish, there might not have been the expulsion from Eden. Had Noah been a Jew, the flood and death and destruction might not have been. It was the kind of world that Hitler planned when he carried out Kristallnacht – the Night of the Broken Glass – on November 9-10, 1938 - 70 years ago this weekend. Genesis 11 described a world in which confused people wandered about with no real relationship with G-d.

And then comes Genesis 12: 1-3: G-d said to Abram, 'Go away from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you great. You shall become a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and he who curses you, I will curse. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.'

Let's recap: Verse 1 - G-d calls out to one man – Abram (later Abraham) – and commands him to leave his family and homeland and follow G-d to the Land of Israel.

Verse 2 - G-d promises Abraham that the Jewish people will become great because G-d will bless us. In fact, the nation of Israel itself will become a blessing.

And, Verse 3 – G-d will bless those who bless Israel (and vice versa)…that all the families of the earth will be blessed through us.

And, thus begins the rest of Bible, the story of G-d and Israel.

Fast forward thousands of years. It was announced this morning that the next White House Chief of Staff will be Rahm Emanuel – a fellow descendant of Abraham, a man with two important Hebrew words for a name. Emanuel means "G-d is with us" and Rahm, in Hebrew, means "thunder". Coupled with the fact that Barack is Hebrew for "lightening", it sure sounds like a storm from G-d is imminent!

May the coming storm wash away the violence, the hate and the terror that have kept us from living in peace here in the Land to which G-d led our ancestors so long ago. And, may G-d bestow the blessing of Genesis 12:3 upon President-elect Obama, the new Administration, and all the American people.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Jeff Kahn