Setbacks Mustn’t Break Us
HaRav Dov Begon, Head of Yeshivat Machon Meir
Indeed, “For the Lord will not abandon His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance” (Tehillim 94:14).
When Moses was first sent by G-d to redeem the Israelites from Egypt, not only did their suffering not lessen, but Pharaoh intensified their oppression. In his anguish, Moses turned to G-d and said, “Why have You harmed this people? Why have You sent me?” (Shemot 5:22). G-d responded to Moses, as it is written, “Hashem spoke to Moses and said to him, ‘I am the L-rd’” (Shemot 6:2). According to Rashi, G-d rebuked Moses for questioning Him, urging him to learn from the forefathers. Despite the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob regarding the Land of Canaan, which were not fulfilled during their lifetimes, their faith never wavered. As “The Kuzari” (2:2) explains, the forefathers embodied perfect faith: even when faced only with hardship, their belief in G-d and His promises remained steadfast.
Rather than retreating from his mission, G-d commanded Moses to comfort and strengthen the Israelites by proclaiming the four expressions of Redemption:
“Therefore, say to the Children of Israel: I am the L-rd, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of Egypt. I will save you from their labor, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you to Me as a people, and I will be your G-d, and you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of Egypt” (Shemot 6:6-7).
Although the Israelites of that generation could not heed Moses’ words “due to shortness of spirit and harsh labor” (Shemot 6:9), throughout the generations, the Jewish people have drawn comfort and strength from these words. For thousands of years, even under the harshest conditions of exile and the Holocaust, Jews have recited the Haggadah on Passover night. These four expressions of Redemption inspired hope and faith, culminating in the declaration, “Next year in a rebuilt Jerusalem.”
Today, in our era of revival and the ingathering of exiles, we still face complexities and challenges that may appear as setbacks in the process of Redemption. These include spiritual and moral crises affecting parts of society and leadership, which weaken Israel politically, socially, and in terms of security. However, we must not despair or retreat from our historic mission, God forbid, by asking, “Why have You harmed this people?” Instead, we must demonstrate patience, faith, and resilience.
In the words of our teacher, HaRav Tzvi Yehuda Kook, of blessed memory, ““The setbacks we face are temporary. All steps backwards are transitory and passing. Advances sometimes come in hidden stages. One must look at the global upheaval involved in bringing us back to our Land, and recognize that this is the Divine unfolding of, ‘When the L-rd brings the exiles back to Zion.’ Because of its staggering scale, the process naturally undergoes difficulties and problems. The greater a thing is, the more complicated it is. The unfolding of our Redemption is an historical event of colossal proportions. All of the disturbances and temporary setbacks are trivialities which have no substance in this sweeping historical pageant. The actions of the Gentiles, or of superficially thinking Jews, which oppose this Divine Plan, carry no weight whatsoever. They are null and void in the light of the Torah and Hashem’s promise and providence over His people.”
Especially as we witness the fulfillment of the Divine promise:
“I will bring you to the Land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; I will give it to you as a heritage. I am the L-rd” (Shemot 6:8).
Indeed, God’s assurance remains steadfast: “For the L-rd will not abandon His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance.”
With hope for ultimate victory and complete Salvation.
