That's an old saying. I don't know if it's true, but I do know that our leaders are a reflection of us. Come to think of it, maybe that's the reason we deserve them.
Take Barack Obama for example. His nation's economy is teetering on the edge of a financial abyss and what is he doing?
Residents Alerted to Obamas' Hawaiian Holiday Plans
The report delivered to residents living along the ocean and canal that surrounds the multi-million dollar homes at Kailuana Place where the President stays, informed them of restrictions that will be implemented for 20 days beginning December 17 and running through January 6.
...With the staff, special forces, local police presence and equipment, the President's visit adds up annually to at least a $4 million vacation courtesy of the Hawaii and federal taxpayers.
How is this any different from the throngs of Americans who put holiday shopping on Black Friday at the top of their priorities list and finance it with credit card debt that they know not how they'll pay? There's no money, but spend, spend, spend anyway!
Closer to home, look at Bibi Netanyahu. What the public sees portrayed in the media is not a true reflection of who he is, but who we are. We talk a good talk, but we're short on action. We make a show of loyalty to our Jewish identity, but we are afraid to anger our gentile benefactors by acting too Jewish. G-d knows the gentiles admire the Israelis (albeit begrudgingly), but they merely tolerate the Jews (or worse). The kippah comes out occasionally, when it's use is unavoidable, but it's not for everyday. When asked "From where will my help come?" the Bibi Netanyahu Jews instantly reply, "America!"
About the "left" and so-called "center" secular there is simply nothing to say. They are all traveling the wrong way down the road of perdition - the assimilation of the Jewish people into extinction.
Ah, but now there is hope waiting in the wings, yes? The "right-wing" (read right-thinking) to be more precise. Naftali Bennet (Jewish Home) as well as Moshe Feiglin (from within the Likud) are inspiring the right-wing religious Zionists. You'd think Mashiach had come.
Naftali Bennet: Clean-shaven, no kippah. Hi-tech millionaire. Pays homage to "Jewish tradition" and settlements. Former chief of staff for Bibi Netanyahu. He's a younger version of Netanyahu, representing all those who really want to continue business as usual, but with some guarantee for settlements. They have no vision for the Jewish future beyond being an extension of Edom in the Land of Israel.
Moshe Feiglin: Bearded. Not ashamed to wear a kippah everywhere all the time. Gives credit to Hashem on a regular basis. He goes up on Har Habayit and supports Jewish rights to worship there. He is a man of faith who says he won't cave in to the demands of the gentile nations. He's not afraid to declare that Yehuda and Shomron are ours and that Oslo is dead.
Granted, this is a huge leap when compared to the rest of the pack. Consequently, it is tempting to dismiss the warning signs. After everything, Moshe aspires to be a politician, so he has to have the most necessary qualification to be a politician - he has to be a pragmatist. He has to appeal to the broadest base possible in the Likud party which is after all not a religious party. To offset his positive points which might scare off his secular supporters, he assures them that he is against religious coercion. He is against the chametz law which bans the sale of chametz during the week of Passover and he says he is in favor of civil marriage. Oh, and he favors legalization of marijuana.
After ten years, those who've put their faith in Moshe Feiglin's leadership, because up until now he offered the greatest hope for real change for those with a messianic vision, have been rewarded with the possibility that he might actually get a seat in the next Knesset.
This is about as good as it gets. It would seem that this non-Torah system of democracy is incapable of producing messianic leadership which will deliver us to the geulah shleimah.
As long as we continue to deceive ourselves and each other, we will continue to elect this kind of leadership, because it is a reflection of who we really are. We really don't want Mashiach to come. We really don't want to have Torah law as the law of the land. We really don't want to build the Temple and reinstitute sacrificial worship.
Despite what we might think or proclaim, what most of us want is easily seen in our current leadership - an inferior copy of America where the highest priority is business success and the accumulation of wealth and all the things that wealth can provide. And where religion and state each have their place, where religion is not a matter of nationhood, but a personal preference. And where we are not a unique nation with a G-d given mission and destiny, but one just like all the others.
When WE change and become the people deserving of a Mashiach-led regime, where Torah is the law of the land, deserving of coercion no less than current civil law which is "coerced" every day as needed, then Mashiach will be revealed before our eyes.
I'm afraid that were he standing before us today, only a handful would "vote" for him.
A note about the picture: Yes, democracy was a Greek invention and during Kislev, the time when we battled against the Greek worldview and its attempt to obliterate the light of Torah and replace it with its own warped idea of enlightenment, it is an ideal time to take it on and continue the battle our ancestors waged so courageously.
This is terrific blog. For some reason the post comments link doesn't work with Google Chrome. I'm using IE now.
ReplyDeleteYou make some very good points.
ReplyDelete