Shalom, dear friends. My name is Yechezkel. I’m quite sure that you have heard of me; I’m a prophet with my very own book in Tanach. But humility is a virtue, and I try not to show off or brag; believe it or not, my name is only mentioned one time in all of the 48 chapters of my book! I do, however, have some very vivid and dramatic prophecies that have become quite world famous.
Among the most spectacular is the merkava, the original chariot of fire. I can’t tell you exactly what it means—that’s a secret and, to be honest, even I am not 100% sure! But, it’s clearly not like anything you’ve ever seen before, outside of a science fiction movie. And then, there is the Valley of the Dry Bones; that’s also pretty downright remarkable, what with all the bodies rising out of their graves, coming back to life and then marching en masse to the Holy Land.
But I want to talk to you about another amazing prophecy that is quite near and dear to me—and very topical for the here and now. You see, Pesach is behind us and we are now headed towards Shavuot and matan Torah. In classical terms, this is a day-to-day progression from our physical to our spiritual liberation.
But between these two crucial events, there is another stop along the journey, and that is Yom Ha’atzmaut—which is the subject of yet another of my proclamations—one that is equally, if not more stunning. In my 36th chapter, I speak of the day when a miracle of epic proportions will occur; when the Jewish people will return to Israel from all the far-flung places of their exile. They will re-inhabit the desolate land and rebuild their homes in place of the ruins they find there. And, with the greatest of agricultural skills and creativity, they will make the land bloom again, so much so that people from all over will say, “This place—once desolate and sparse—is a veritable Garden of Eden! Its cities are amazingly built, teeming with new life!”
I said that so very long ago, but can you believe it’s now coming true right in front of your very own eyes?!
And so I’m reminded of what my teacher and mentor, Yirmiyahu, said in his 23rd chapter: “The day will come when we will praise God, not as the God who brought us out of Egypt, but rather as the God who returned us to our own Land.”
I am in awe of all the Jews who made this happen! Remember that when God took the Israelites out of Egypt, He led them in a round-about way—avoiding the Plishtim—because we weren’t ready for war. But, the Jews who came out of the Shoah went straight from the death camps to the battlefield! They faced Pharaoh’s very descendants—this time employing tanks rather than chariots—but they didn’t panic; they jumped right into the fight, like Nachshon’s memorable leap of faith into the Red Sea!
The merkava, the dry bones, the splitting of the sea, the manna—they all were pretty impressive miracles, to be sure. But the return of Am Yisrael to Eretz Yisrael, Israel’s stunning victories in six wars, the flourishing of medinat Yisrael—these are truly miracles that outshine them all.
And that is why I will be proudly waving my blue and white flag on Yom Ha’atzmaut; there’s no greater wonder than a prophecy fulfilled.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss is the director of the Ra’anana Jewish Outreach Center and a member of Mizrachi’s Speakers Bureau ( www.mizrachi.org/speakers ).
