Rabbi Rael Blumenthal

Another week, another failed round of negotiations.

Despite the deep desire of the State of Israel to bring the hostages home, our nation is left negotiating with terrorists and murderers. Our enemies have proven, once again, that their goals have not changed. They have no interest in peace, safety, security or liberty; not for their people or for our ours.

It’s a heart wrenching predicament when the lives of our loved ones are in the hands of people who want us all dead.

Tragically, this is not the first time in Jewish history where we have found ourselves at the mercy of our tormentors. Indeed, it is paradigmatic of our experience in exile. Throughout the generations this story has repeated itself: Regardless of our wealth, wisdom, political affiliations and connections, we have been held back from taking the reins and directing our own future.

The pain and frustration of our current situation, however, might be greater than ever before. Simply put, as a nation, we are more capable today than anytime in the past two millennia. Hashem has given us a State, an army, and access to wealth and technology on a scale that we have never enjoyed before. But all of this success does nothing to mitigate the frustrations we feel being stuck as we are right now. If anything, it only exasperates our anguish.

So we resort to bickering and nitpicking with each other. We argue about the nuances of politics, policies and parties. We read and write and post and share about who or what might carve out a little bit of light in this darkness.

But perhaps we are looking at this the wrong way; because the path to success in negotiating our national crisis was charted centuries ago...

Let’s take a step back to understand where are right now.

There are seven weeks between Tisha B’av and Rosh HaShana. Seven weeks to take us from the brokenness of exile to declaring Hashem as the King over us and all humanity.

Recognizing the distance that we need to travel, Chazal paved the way for us to bridge this gap; and encoded it in the Haftaros of these weeks, the Shiva D’Nechemta; the seven weeks of comfort.

Calling these “weeks of comfort”, however, minimizes the intensity of the conflict in which we are about to engage. Comfort was the theme of last week. As we emerged from the smoldering rubble of Yerushalayim, Hashem sends the Navi to comfort us – נחמו נחמו עמי, with the knowledge that we are still His nation (as we explained last week).

What is our response this offer of comfort supposed to be?

The Abudraham (סדר העיבור, סדר הפרשיות וההפטרות) explains that this Shabbos the Haftara begins audaciously with our rejection of Hashem’s terms: ‘וַתֹּאמֶר צִיּוֹן עֲזָבַנִי ה – And Tzion says “Hashem has abandoned me!”

We send the Navi back to Hashem with a simple message: we don’t want messengers of comfort. We want the real thing, not a prophet offering condolences. It’s simply not enough. Comfort doesn’t rebuild the Beis HaMikdash. Comfort doesn’t bring the hostages home. Hashem, Your terms have been rejected.

In the words of the Abudraham: איני מתפייסת מנחמת הנביאים – I cannot be appeased with the comfort of the prophets.

But the conversation does not end there.

Next Shabbos (Re’eh), the Navi returns to Hashem to relay our rejection: עניה סוערה לא נוחמה – This impoverished and stormy people will not be comforted.

Hashem takes our response seriously. Once the Nevi’im have failed in comforting the Jewish people, on the following Shabbos (Shoftim), Hashem tells the Navi that He, Himself will be taking over: אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי הוּא מְנַחֶמְכֶם – I, Myself, will comfort you.

So the Navi returns to us (Ki Seitzei), convinced that his message will be well received. He declares: רני עקרה לא ילדה – “It is time to rejoice, even though you are now childless”.

In our series of Haftaros, this announcement is the only one that gets no response. We stonewall the prophet who tells a grieving mother that it’ll be ok. It’s not ok.

Finally, in the Navi returns (Ki Savo) telling us קומי אורי כי בא אורך – “It is time to rise up, your Light is finally shining”. Hashem is coming now. The pain is coming to an end and the world will make sense.

Ultimately, only in the final days before Rosh Hashana (Nitzavim-VaYelech), when we feel Hashem’s presence return, we will raise our heads exclaiming שׂוֹשׂ אָשִׂישׂ בה’ – I will rejoice in Hashem... כִּי הִלְבִּישַׁנִי בִּגְדֵי־יֶשַׁע – for He has given me clothes of salvation.

That’s the plan. Or at least, that’s the possibility presented to us each year.

This entire exchange, however, seems strange. Doesn’t Hashem want us to be redeemed? Doesn’t He want us to return to Yerushalayim? Why does He force us to plead and negotiate when both parties want the same thing?

Of course we all do.

But in the deepest way, Hashem does’t want us to be comforted by anything less than the Geulah Sheleima. The end of the war is not enough. The safe return of the hostages is not enough. The total defeat of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran is not enough.

None of this is to say that we won’t accept these victories; we certainly will. We should do everything in our power to assist our leaders and soldiers to continue fighting daily to achieve them. But it’s not enough.

Hashem wants us to truly comprehend that we are negotiating with the Master of the World. And it’s about time that we ask for what we want: תִּתְגַּדַּל וְתִתְקַדַּשׁ בְּתוֹךְ יְרוּשָׁלַֽיִם עִירְךָ לְדוֹר וָדוֹר וּלְנֵֽצַח נְצָחִים – You should be made great and transcendent in Yerushalayim, Your city for all generations and for all eternity.

The question to us is devastatingly simple: Are we sure that we do want what Hashem wants? Perhaps we are not quite there yet. Perhaps, if given the option, we would settle for less and move on with our lives. A little peace, a little tranquility. Is that all we want? Or are we still dreaming of so much more.

These weeks, and this entire year have reminded us that once, long ago, we lost sight of the real vision and purpose of Yiddishkeit, so the Mikdash was taken from us and we have endured the years and terrors of exile.

The Nevi’im are coming to us, offering Divine comfort, and we are firing back: We don’t want your comfort. Not this time.

On the long road from Destruction to Redemption there have been far too many of us who have settled. Time and time again we have gotten comfortable. That’s the pitfall, the trap we must refuse to fall into this time.

This Shabbos, the real negotiations begins.

They will take place inside the hearts and minds of every Jew. They will happens around our Shabbos tables, on our walks to Shul, and during our schmoozes with friends and family.

In this great debate with Hashem and ourselves, we need to be sure that we want the same thing He wants. When He asks us what are we willing to accept, it is time that we should know how to answer.

This Shabbos, Jews throughout the world will wrap up our Sifrei Torah. We will make a bracha on the Haftara, thanking Hashem for sending us his great prophets. And then we will turn to Him to announce that we are rejecting His “compromise”.

This time, we don’t want comfort. We want You.

Bring them home. Bring us all home.