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Tazria-Metzora Yom HaAtzmaut 5764

Rabbi Zvi Leshem (Blobstein)

This Shabbat we stand between Yom HaShoa and Yom HaZikaron-Yom HaAtzmaut, paralleling the historical transition from the Holocaust to the rebirth of Israel. In a few days we will go through another transition, the difficult one from the mourning of Yom HaZikaron immediately into the celebrations of Yom HaAtzmaut.

In Metzora we learn about the ritual impurity and purification of the niddah (menstruant), in other words, the cycle of the family purity laws. According to Rebbe Nachman, in the drama played out in family purity the woman represents faith and the man intellect. The cycle of family purity teaches us that when faith is weak we must refrain from the use of intellect and focus on strengthening faith. Once strengthened, our faith becomes a strong vessel once again capable of containing our intellect.

The Jewish people count time according to the moon with its constant cycle of darkness and light, concealment and revelation. The Darchai Moshe teaches that the blessing of the new moon is like a wedding and therefore we dance, for the cycle of family purity parallels the cycle of the moon.

In our private and national lives we also experience constant ups and downs, periods of light and darkness. This is one manifestation of the Baal Shem Tov's saying, "continuous pleasure ceases to be pleasure". Therefore we could not have left the Egyptian exile without first experiencing it; and apparently Israel could not have arisen until the end of the European exile. Needless to say it is similarly impossible to divide between Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut. The idea that we could achieve our state (or maintain it) without sacrifice is a dangerous illusion!

It is important to emphasize the vast difference between the sadness of Yom HaShoah and that of Yom HaZikaron. The Gaon HaRav Gustman zt"l once paid a shiva call to a family sitting for their son killed in Lebanon. He pointed out that while his own son had been passively murdered in the Holocaust, their son had died as a heroic soldier in the IDF defending the people of Israel and the land of Israel. This same point was made on Yom HaShoah two years ago when the mother of the soldier Shmuel Weiss hy"d, killed in Jenin, eulogized him at his funeral. This distinction does in fact comfort us.

The Sfat Emet writes that every Torah holiday has a parallel Rabbinic one. Sukkot, centered in the Temple, has Chanuka. Shavuot, the reception of the Torah, has Purim. "And from Pesach we are still hoping for a holiday as it says, 'like the days when I took you out of Egypt I will show you wonders'". Baruch HaShem that our generation has merited to see the fulfillment of his holy prayer!
Shabbat Shalom and holiday wishes for our complete redemption!