Hello, Israel, hello inspiration!
Is there a country in the world with more opportunities - at every turn - for encouragement and reflection?
Our first day's packed itinerary ended with a fabulous feast in Tel Aviv. 450 of us, celebrating our heritage and Jewish identity, in our sacred and historic land. An inspiring sight in its own right.
Then, at the end of our banquet, we were honored by a visit from Israel's former Chief Rabbi, the legendary Rabbi Israel Meir Lau. A child-survivor of Buchenwald, Rabbi Lau is a towering figure on the international Jewish stage. He also very close with Chabad, having enjoyed a meaningful relationship with the Rebbe. As Tel Aviv's present Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Lau had come to visit the large Chabad delegation visiting his town.
The Rabbi related a story which I'd like to share:
In 1973, the first year of his Rabbinate, Rabbi Lau received a call from the aged David Ben-Gurion, Israel's historic, first Prime Minister. Mr. Ben-Gurion asked if the young Rabbi would mind stopping by his local residence, as he was looking for insight on some Scriptural verses.
Honored to oblige, Rabbi Lau went the next morning and they enjoyed an hours-long conversation.
Rabbi Lau then asked Mr. Ben-Gurion to confirm the historicity of the following anecdote:
In 1937, the British Peel Commission was questioning Mr. Ben-Gurion as to the basis for a Jewish claim to the land. After all, he himself came from Poland and most of his cohorts came from assorted places in Eastern Europe. Contrasting that with the claims of locally-born Arabs, did this band of Jews have a deed of some sort? Mr. Ben-Gurion stood up and said that the Jews absolutely have a deed the Land, and dramatically raised a book of the Torah "This is is our historic deed!".
Was this anecdote fact or fable, asked the young Rabbi?
Ben-Gurion emphatically responded "emet v'yatziv!" - "absolute truth!"
Rabbi Lau then asked the Prime Minster a follow-up question: "Since we so devoutly believe that the Torah establishes our ownership of the Land, could it make sense for us to disregard other guidance offered by the Torah"?
Rabbi Lau, with deep respect for Ben-Gurion's character and wisdom, related that Ben-Gurion didn't respond.
But we need to.