Happy 4th of July!
There is no doubt in my mind that US is the greatest blessing that G-d has granted this world. Especially for the Jewish people who’ve suffered tzaros in every place we’ve lived. So to have a country like the US where every man is free to serve G-d in his own way is an incredible gift.
However, the question is, are we as Americans giving due credit where credit is due? Is it appropriate to separate G-d from state?
Everybody talks about the separation of church and state which is fine. You have to separate church and state because no single faith should rule a population of so many diverse faiths. But you can’t separate G-d from state. (You can’t separate G-d from anything!) We must recognize and give thanks and credit to the Creator of this country.
We must also continue to focus on that Creator and remember that if He created this world, which is us, it most surely must have been for Creator’s purpose not for the created.
This purpose preceded the world’s creation. If the purpose did not precede us, if we were created and then a purpose was tacked on, that would leave us with the overwhelming question of why did we happen in the first place? Nay! As I said our G-d given purpose preceded us and we must constantly focus on His purpose.
So if G-d created a US in the time and place that He did it must fit into the original plan of the Creator. So the question now becomes why does the US exist, what role does it play in (what Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof calls the) “Vast Eternal Plan”?
The notion that the US is an evil, terrible country is ludicrous. Truly, we’re not perfect but compared to what happened under other rulers one must be crazy not to appreciate what we have. One poignant example:
Do you think the yellow star that Jews had to wear under German rule was an original Nazi idea? It wasn’t at all. It dates way, way back. In 1555 Pope Paul IV made Jews wear yellow hats. In 1321 Henry II of Castile decreed that Jews wear yellow badges. Sometime around 1315 Jews in Granada were forced to wear the yellow badge. Around 1090 under the Muslim Abaset Caliph all “non-believers” were forced to wear yellow hats, not only the Jews. The Caliph also forbade all non-believing women from wearing matching shoes. You see, the Nazis weren’t original at all. So many governments engaged in this insanity called oppression for the sake of oppression.
Just no drive this point home, when was the last time a people were made to wear an identifying mark to express that they were of a different faith. The answer: in 2001 under Taliban rule in Afghanistan the Hindu had to where yellow badges!
Regimes throughout history have forced segregation so for us not to appreciate it and be grateful every minute of our live for is just crazy. We owe a tromendous debt of gratitude to the Founding Fathers, the man and women of the military, our ancestors who got us here and, of course to G-d.
What about America's beating up on "weaker" coutries? There has always been war. We try to avoid it but this is the sad reality, the unfortunate situation of our world. Going to war is not a sign of an evil empire. The Prophets promised a world without war and we strive for a world at peace but until then we must never, ever forget how fortunate we are to live in the United States of America.
Benny’s Music Clip of the Week was Adon Olam from Avraham Fried’s Our Father, Our King. To purchase the album click here.
Till next week,
Shalom!
There is no doubt in my mind that US is the greatest blessing that G-d has granted this world. Especially for the Jewish people who’ve suffered tzaros in every place we’ve lived. So to have a country like the US where every man is free to serve G-d in his own way is an incredible gift.
However, the question is, are we as Americans giving due credit where credit is due? Is it appropriate to separate G-d from state?Everybody talks about the separation of church and state which is fine. You have to separate church and state because no single faith should rule a population of so many diverse faiths. But you can’t separate G-d from state. (You can’t separate G-d from anything!) We must recognize and give thanks and credit to the Creator of this country.
We must also continue to focus on that Creator and remember that if He created this world, which is us, it most surely must have been for Creator’s purpose not for the created.
This purpose preceded the world’s creation. If the purpose did not precede us, if we were created and then a purpose was tacked on, that would leave us with the overwhelming question of why did we happen in the first place? Nay! As I said our G-d given purpose preceded us and we must constantly focus on His purpose.
So if G-d created a US in the time and place that He did it must fit into the original plan of the Creator. So the question now becomes why does the US exist, what role does it play in (what Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof calls the) “Vast Eternal Plan”?
The notion that the US is an evil, terrible country is ludicrous. Truly, we’re not perfect but compared to what happened under other rulers one must be crazy not to appreciate what we have. One poignant example:
Do you think the yellow star that Jews had to wear under German rule was an original Nazi idea? It wasn’t at all. It dates way, way back. In 1555 Pope Paul IV made Jews wear yellow hats. In 1321 Henry II of Castile decreed that Jews wear yellow badges. Sometime around 1315 Jews in Granada were forced to wear the yellow badge. Around 1090 under the Muslim Abaset Caliph all “non-believers” were forced to wear yellow hats, not only the Jews. The Caliph also forbade all non-believing women from wearing matching shoes. You see, the Nazis weren’t original at all. So many governments engaged in this insanity called oppression for the sake of oppression.Just no drive this point home, when was the last time a people were made to wear an identifying mark to express that they were of a different faith. The answer: in 2001 under Taliban rule in Afghanistan the Hindu had to where yellow badges!
Regimes throughout history have forced segregation so for us not to appreciate it and be grateful every minute of our live for is just crazy. We owe a tromendous debt of gratitude to the Founding Fathers, the man and women of the military, our ancestors who got us here and, of course to G-d.
What about America's beating up on "weaker" coutries? There has always been war. We try to avoid it but this is the sad reality, the unfortunate situation of our world. Going to war is not a sign of an evil empire. The Prophets promised a world without war and we strive for a world at peace but until then we must never, ever forget how fortunate we are to live in the United States of America.
Benny’s Music Clip of the Week was Adon Olam from Avraham Fried’s Our Father, Our King. To purchase the album click here.
Till next week,
Shalom!
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