PARSHAT RE'EH

by Yehuda HaKohen

"Then it shall be that the place where HaShem, your G-D, will choose to rest His name – there shall you bring everything that I command you: your olah offerings and your (peace offering) sacrifices, your tithes and what is raised of your hand, and the choicest of your vow offerings that you will vow to HaShem." (DEVARIM 12:11)

Rashi teaches this verse to mean that a person should bring offerings to HaShem only from the best of his possessions.

In the nineteenth chapter of Mesillat Yesharim, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto elaborates on this point by bringing the example of Cain and Abel. There he explains that "Abel offered of the first-born of his sheep and of their fats, and Cain offered of the worst of the fruits of the earth, as we are told by our sages of blessed memory (Bereishit Rabbah 22:5).

What was the outcome? (BEREISHIT 4:4-5), `And G-D gave heed to Abel and his gift, but to Cain and his gift He gave no heed.' And (MALACHI 1:14), `Cursed is the deceiver who has in his flock a male, but pledges and sacrifices an abomination to G-D... for I am a great King.'"

Abel understood that everything he owned came from HaShem and in reality belonged only to Him.

By offering the best of what he had to give, Abel declared that he personally possessed nothing but owed everything to G-D.

Cain, by contrast, was only prepared to offer his leftovers, indicating that he had no obligations to anyone and only gave as an act of kindness.

Thus his name Cain – from kaniti (I have acquired) – implied that everything he owned he had earned through hard work and it was in this manner that he attempted to treat G-D as a beggar.

The above distinction between Cain and Abel clarifies the major difference between the mentality of Redemption and that of the exile.

IN THE STATE OF ISRAEL TODAY, JEWS FROM DIVERSE RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL BACKGROUNDS ARE PREPARED TO LEAVE THEIR FAMILIES AND ALL THEY POSSESS IN ORDER TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FUTURE OF THE JEWISH NATION.

They go up for military service with the clear knowledge that they may never return and they are prepared to give all of themselves for their country because there is an understanding – although not always conscious – that Israel is one and that every Israeli is responsible for the security and well being of every other.

This willingness to take responsibility for the Jewish Nation's future is the most sincere expression of Ahavat Yisrael (love of Israel).

The exile mentality, by contrast, is not one that focuses on giving everything to HaShem but rather only offering one's extras as a form of charity. These scraps might be generous contributions to worthwhile causes, attendance at political demonstrations or even travel to Israel on solidarity missions. While all of these actions could potentially be both significant and beneficial to the Jewish state, they are generally done out of kindness and rarely from a sense of national obligation.

The true difference between Cain and Abel is essentially the difference between one who donates money to Israel's military and one who offers himself or his children to that military.

The essence of the exile is to leave the Jew in an illusion – a complete lack of clarity that causes one to believe that he can compromise with his identity.

Whether assimilated, traditional or religious, a Jew might be fooled into believing that he is a German, South African, Frenchman or American.

And when a Jew tries to be what he is not, he reveals his inner shame to the world.

This shame in turn exposes the inner destruction of the Jew and often invites outer destruction from Israel's enemies.

The Redemption is a process of clarification.

We begin to realize who we are, who our brothers are and who our enemies are.

We become able to understand and interpret the hate of our antagonists instead of questioning it, hiding from it or rationalizing it away.

And only by understanding such hate can a Jew free himself and combat it with a love of equal strength.

A free person never questions why he is loathed but instead interprets the hatred honestly and reacts to it with a compassionate strength that thrusts him forward towards a decisive victory.

THE ESSENCE OF AHAVAT YISRAEL IS THE WILLINGNESS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ISRAEL'S FUTURE.

It is being prepared to give everything – even one's life – without fear.

Fear stems from selfishness and breeds irresponsibility.

This is characterized by Cain's dubious question of "Am I my brother's keeper?" – a statement that often leads a person to give only his extras and treat HaShem a beggar.

The Shabbat mincha prayer describes Israel as "one people in the land".

The Jewish Nation must return to ourselves and to the land of our destiny.

ONLY IN OUR ANCESTRAL HOMELAND CAN WE UNITE AS THE NATION OF ISRAEL AND GIVE EVERYTHING WE HAVE TO THE REBIRTH OF OUR PEOPLE.

In order to advance the Redemption process forward, each Jew must look deep into his own soul and question who he is and what he really should be giving.