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From
<a href="http://www.torahweb.org/torah/special/2020/rtwe_sojourn.html">
http://www.torahweb.org/torah/special/2020/rtwe_sojourn.html</a>
This article was written by Rabbi Meyer Twersky<br><br>
"'He sojourned there' - this teaches us that our patriarch Ya'akov
intended only to sojourn, not settle, [in Egypt]." I.e., this
teaches for all generations how Jews must conduct themselves in each and
every exile, that they should know that they have not descended to the
diaspora to settle, rather to sojourn until the redemption (literally,
end of days), and they should view themselves as non-citizens.
(<i>Meshech Chochmah</i>, <i>Vayikra</i> 26:44)<br><br>
Civic loyalty to and responsibility for our country of residence
notwithstanding, we recognize that the land outside of <i>Eretz
Yisrael</i> is not ours. Our existential mindset and consciousness are
that of an uprooted, displaced refugee whose real and rightful place is
in the land of Israel.<br><br>
We must also be constantly, acutely aware of the dangerous reality of
anti-semitism, both latent and active. While the world is blessed with
the devout of the nations (חסידי אומות העולם), it is also plagued by the
scourge of anti-semites. We must not be ignorantly lulled into a naive,
false sense of security based upon our own very limited, mostly
congenial, personal experience (for which we are very grateful to the
United States). Instead we must be wisely, cautiously realistic, based
upon our extensive, bloody, national-historical experience. Anti-semitism
is very real, and easily ignited or excited.<br><br>
[As an aside, our generation, at times, lacks adequate historical
consciousness. But that is a subject for another time.]<br><br>
<div align="center">II<br><br>
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How did all this translate this year in terms of politicking?<br><br>
See the above URL for more.<br><br>
Mayer E. Twersky is an Orthodox rabbi and one of the roshei yeshiva at
the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University. He
holds the Leib Merkin Distinguished Professorial Chair in Talmud and
Jewish Philosophy.
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayer_Twersky">Wikipedia</a>
. He is a grandson of Rabby J B. Soloveichik. <br>
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