Dwelling Place for God vs. Godless Empire of Fear
The redemption of the world is something we need to urgently and tirelessly pray and work towards — it won't happen by itself.
I’m filled with sadness and rage as Putin brutally attacks Ukraine by land, air and sea. Putin has already seized more Ukrainian towns and military installations. His troops are heading to Kyiv to decapitate the government.
Having lived and worked in Jewish communities across Eastern Europe for many years, with many dear friends across the region, I fear that not only are Ukrainians in mortal danger, but all of Eastern Europe.
As a Jewish community we must raise our voices, increase our prayers, and show our support for 40 million people — with more than 100,000 Jews — who did not ask for this war. [See ways to donate below]
Whenever war and devastation are visited upon innocent people, it’s a reminder of the fragility of peace, and the righteous imperative to help those suffering.
There is no AI to Predict What Will Happen
The future is very uncertain, and no one has an AI program capable of knowing what will happen. Experts have said Putin will have trouble holding on to Ukraine for a long time after they conquer it. However, this would be after he has eliminated all dissent and opposition.
There was enormous denial that this might happen, even though Putin told everyone what he was doing, and has been occupying parts of Ukraine since 2014. Humanity is hard-wired to hope for the best and be in denial about the obvious. However, it's more obvious than ever that Putin wants to restore Russian dominion over Ukraine as part of his grand scheme to restore the Russian Empire as a world power.
If history can teach us anything, it’s that all of us will suffer for the duration of Putin’s cruel expansionism. Especially in our global economy, we are interconnected. Energy prices will continue to rise. American businesses will suffer as investments in Ukraine now hang in the balance.
What will be the fate of thousands of Ukrainian programmers who do crucial code work - including creating the matchmaking tools we use at Kesher Institute?
What will be the fate of the mostly elderly families of so many Ukrainian Americans and Israelis that are still there?
What will be the fate of the democratically elected Jewish president?
It’s impossible to watch the fierce Russian attack — 200,000 Russian troops, attack helicopters, cruise missiles tanks, and armored troop carriers — without a deep foreboding of what is to come.
Will Putin stop with taking all of Ukraine? Will he try to now to destabilize the Baltics and Poland and others? European history is filled with wars, invasions, broken treaties, megalomaniac dictators, and tens of millions of dead. We would be foolish to imagine that it can never be attempted again.
Looking Back to Germany in 1938
During the last few weeks, I found myself looking back at the period leading up to WWII. Hitler had plans to take over all of Central and Eastern Europe, but he proceeded methodically. In mid September 1938, Germany began heading into Czechoslovakia. Germany had already annexed Austria in March 1938. Hitler promised that this was just a way of protecting the ethnic Germans inside Czechoslovakia. The Munich Agreement in November 1938 to appease Germany formalized German annexation. By March 1939 Germany had annexed what was left of Czechoslovakia. By September 1, 1939 they were attacking Poland.
Stalin and Hilter’s secret pact was to divide Poland, which they did in 1939. That non-aggression pact left Poland in two until 1941 when Germany invaded Russian-occupied Poland and Ukraine. Special German killing squads (Einsatzkommandos) coordinated the mass murder of Jews by bullets with the help of the SS, Wehrmacht troops, the Romanian military, special “operational squadrons,” order police units, and local collaborators. The German killing squads murdered 1.5 million Jews in the territory that is modern day Ukraine.
Included in the Einsatzkommandos slaughter were the Jews of my grandmother’s town of Minkovtsy. I remember visiting the site of the mass grave in the forest in 1994. A tall obelisk with a Communist Red Star at the top marked the burial of the hundreds of Jews who were murdered in the forest.
I’m afraid that more mass graves will soon be dug in Ukraine for her defenders.
God’s dwelling place in this world is still possible
I am struck by the dire juxtaposition of this week’s Torah portion and what we are witnessing in Ukraine.
In Vayakhel, we read the story of our ancestors giving all their wealth to build a sanctuary of peace, a dwelling place for God.
In Europe, a megalomaniac dictator is building a Godless empire of fear.
At the start of the parsha we read how the Children of Israel, former Egyptian slaves contributed to building a beautiful and intricate tabernacle in the desert. The parsha details the craftsmanship, gold, silver, carvings and dyed cloths and skins which were used to create a dwelling place for God in this world.
Men and women, all whose hearts moved them, all who would make an elevation offering of gold to Hashem, came bringing brooches, earrings, rings, and pendants, gold objects of all kinds. And everyone who possessed blue, purple, and crimson yarns, fine linen, goats’ hair, tanned ram skins, and dolphin skins, brought them; everyone who would make gifts of silver or copper brought them as gifts for Hashem; and everyone who possessed acacia wood for any work of the service.... (Ex: 35)
We read this passage and are reminded how when humanity works together to elevate our world, how much can be accomplished.
The Mishkan was a focus of rite and ritual in the desert for four decades and was used for centuries until Solomon built the first Temple. The Children of Israel wanted it so much that Moshe had to tell them to stop bringing donations - they had more than what was needed. The Children of Israel wanted it so badly. They all wanted to participate.
Which brings me to the numbing and disheartening events unfolding in Ukraine and feeling like we have so little ability to change the outcome. And yet, as Rebbe Nachman, and other great sages of our people have taught — we cannot give up hope.
The Mishkan will be rebuilt. Our prophets prophesied the return of the Jewish people to our homeland from all corners of the earth. It’s happening. And just as the ingathering of the exiles is a reality, so too will God’s dwelling place in this world become a reality again.
However, we see today around the bend in the road of history, that the future redemption of the world is something we need to urgently and tirelessly pray and work towards.
May the One who makes peace in high places bring peace upon us, Israel, and the people of Ukraine.
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