Parashat Tazria-Metzorah Yom HaAtzmaut

“God helps those who help themselves.” This adage has been recycled throughout the ages in many ways. During World War II, the message came across through the song “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.” The friction between relying on God to provide for our needs and taking the bull by the horns is a recurring tension in our texts and our tradition. On the one hand, we can’t do it alone. On the other, we can’t stand by and wait for God to do it all for us. It’s only when we partner with God that we discover our infinite potential. There has been much written about the number seven representing the natural order or the work of God. However, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks זצוק”ל recognized that the number eight is no less important — it represents our contribution. God created the world in seven days, starting with light. According to the midrash, on the eighth day, with God’s guidance, the first human created fire — a new source of light. In this week’s parashah, Tazria (and Metzora), we learn that on the eighth day of a boy’s life, we share in the process of creation to make him perfect. It’s not that God can’t get the job done on God’s own, it’s the reality that when partnering with God, we end up feeling that we have a greater stake in the results. We are reminded of this theme every Shabbat and Jewish holiday when we recite Psalm 126 as our introduction to Birkat HaMazon. When describing the return from the Babylonian exile 2,600 years ago, the Psalmist tells us that God returned us to Israel, and that other nations, as well as our ancestors, recognized just how unique that was. However, the Psalm ends on a note that accentuates the human role in the return.  ”.הזורעים בדמעה ברינה יקצורו” — “Those who plant in tears will harvest in joy.” After being exiled for seven decades, the eighth decade became our ancestors’ opportunity to contribute to the resettling and rebuilding of the land of Israel. God brought us back, but that would not be the end of the story. Rebuilding the land by those returning would be tough, but the reward would be worth it. 

This week, as we celebrate the 73rd anniversary of Israel’s independence, these patterns become increasingly apparent. David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minster, famously declared, “In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.” He, more than anyone else, fully understood the human element of Israel’s independence. From finding weapons suppliers, to funding, to comforting families whose loved ones paid the ultimate price, Ben-Gurion managed it all. His was the generation of planting in tears. But as a people, we benefit from the sweet fruits that are the result of the sweat and toil of so many who came before us. Let us not take them for granted. On both the Gregorian and Hebrew calendars, Israel’s independence began in a year ending in eight: 1948 CE and 5708 לבה”ע. The contributions of previous generations have been staring right at us. As we are now in the midst of Israel’s eighth decade, each of us must ask ourselves: how am I partnering with God to build a greater State of Israel? 

Shabbat Shalom