Next Year in Jerusalem

When the seder ends, we make one final statement. L’shanah Ha-ba-ah birushalayim. …Next year in Jerusalem. This is a statement of hope that has been with the Jewish people as Elie Wiesel states, “from century to century, from country to country, from exile, to exile, and from massacre to massacre.” It is the hope that Jews will no longer be threatened or persecuted. If we only tell the story of the trials and tribulations we faced in Egypt, Pesach would not be complete. It requires us to tell our children about the evils that befell us but also about the hope we have for a brighter future…a future in which we will all be redeemed. Israel is very much a part of that picture. It signifies not only a physical place to which we can come home, but a spiritual place were knowledge of G-d will fill the world and evil and tyranny will fall. We do have a physical place to which we can turn in times of trouble…we have not yet had the joy of having a spiritual place where we can be assured peace and security. Israel today, after 62 years, is still facing threats of annihilation especially from Iran. And it is still facing neighbors that deny her right to exist. What worries me is when I also hear fellow Jews speaking as if Israel’s existence isn’t a necessary part of their identity any longer. We did not leave oppression in Egypt without a goal in sight…and that goal was to establish a presence in the land of Israel where we could worship G-d and ultimately find an end to our oppression. Our oppression has not ended even though as American Jews we seem to find great freedom in this wonderful country. Around the world Jews still face the threats of anti-Semitism and annihilation. Listen to the words coming from Iran, listen to the voices of French Jews who are sending their children to Israel to escape the rise of anti-Semitism in their own country. Listen to the voices of Israelis who want peace but don’t want to foolishly deny the true intent of Islamist jihadists. More importantly, listen to the words coming from our own government when it insists through its actions that a nuclear Iran is not a threat to Israel. We cannot forget the promise of redemption nor stop believing that if we work harder there will eventually be a time when all people will know peace and security and all weapons of war will be destroyed. We certainly have not reached that point in history yet, however. We must work to have a secure Israel as we continue our work of ushering in an era of true redemption. From a Jewish standpoint, Israel must be part of our picture whether or not we ourselves physically reside in the land. We must continue to be spiritually and emotionally tied to her just as Jews have been for centuries.

Now for a midrash as retold by Elie Wiesel. “Job lived in Egypt in the time of Moses. He held the important position of adviser in the Pharoah’s court, along with Jethro and Bilaam. When the Pharoah asked for counsel in resolving the Jewish question, Jethro spoke in favor of Moses’ request to let his people go. Bilaam took the opposite stand. As for Job, he refused to take sides; he wished to remain neutral. This neutrality the Midrash the says, earned him his future sufferings. At times of crisis at moments of peril, one has no right to choose abstention, to opt for prudence. When the life or death- or simply the well-being- of a community is at stake, neutrality becomes unacceptable, for it always aids and abets the oppressor, never his victim."

The Haggadah reminds us that we have survived each and every enemy that has arisen to destroy us. We have used our collective memory to retell the stories of Jewish survival and to remind ourselves how we overcame our suffering in the past and must continue to work to overcome any future suffering.

Yes, may we always recognize the importance of being able to sing L’shanah ha-ba-ah birushalayim and of expressing our hope and faith that there will indeed come a time when death and destruction are defeated...and Israel will be blessed, never having to fear her enemies again.

Amen.