The Rambam teaches: “The foundation of all foundations and the pillar of all wisdom is to know that there is a Creator who created the universe with profound wisdom…” (Hilkhot Yesodei HaTorah 1:1)
There is an understanding of the different types of processes the Jewish people have undergone that have brought us to this very moment. Our survival from Egypt was the ultimate showdown of open miracles and beyond-nature phenomenons. In comparison, our survival from the decree of Haman in Persia was one of negotiation and geopolitical achievement.
In the history of the modern State of Israel, we can see unique cases of geopolitical miracles. The geopolitics of the Semitic region are changing like gangbusters, and competition among key players is at stake. The Middle East straddles three continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe, which naturally has geopolitical significance.
Based on the verse “…I am HaShem, in its time (b’ita) I will hasten it (aḥishena)” (Yishaya 60:22), our sages teach that there are two ways in which the final redemption can occur. There is the miraculous way (aḥishena) and the more mundane natural process (b’ita).
Many giants of Torah over the centuries, such as the holy Ohr HaḤaim, the Baal Shem Tov, and the Vilna Gaon, held the opinion that the final redemption would occur through natural geopolitical means. In fact, while the Baal Shem Tov and Vilna Gaon disagreed on pretty much everything else, they both succeeded in sending many of their followers to Palestine because they both believed that Israel will rise to rebirth through secular political means.
For 75 years, the State of Israel has continued to thrive in the face of enemies determined to destroy her. The continued advancements of Israeli society, despite the relentless forces that won’t accept our existence, is a daily miracle.
The boycott campaigns against Israel – reminiscent of the 1945 boycott declared by the newly formed Arab League – honestly never really stood a chance.
Just to list a few of the hundreds of life-saving and changing Israeli innovations:
The Uzi in 1954
The Drip Irrigation system in 1965
RSA encryption in 1977
8088 Processor in 1979
Digital printing press in 1993
USB flash drive in 2000
Azilect, a drug for Parkinson’s in 2005
Mazor Robotics’ Spine Assist in 2004
Wix in 2006
Waze in 2008
This is the very nature of the negotiation aspect of a b’ita redemption process. Because the nature of the miracles we experience in this state feels at a slower pace than what our ancestors experienced, it takes greater effort to see the Divine Hand behind the process.
We must remember this as we read headlines that say things like “Israel’s Political Deadlock Threatens Economic Growth, S&P says” published on Bloomberg.com.
In June 2023, just a month ago, Natural Resources Canada announced a major investment in an advanced earthquake detection system developed by Tel Aviv University, in partnership with SeismicAI, a local tech company. Israel is currently working on 18 million buildings throughout Australia using satellite imagery, AI, and other patented technologies, which is one of the world’s largest and most advanced geo-mapping projects.
Interestingly to note, archaeologists in Jerusalem found evidence in 2021 of damage to buildings and potters that may have been caused by a huge, eight-century BCE earthquake mentioned in the Biblical books of Amos and Zekharia.
Leaning in on the nature of the slow pace of a geopolitical redemption, we can connect to the word of the prophet Yeshayahu that in the times of the redemption, “the world will be filled with the knowledge of HaShem as the waters cover up the sea” (Yeshaya 11:9). We cannot see what is beneath the sea from where we are standing. All we can see is the water. Thus when Yeshayahu calls out, “Ho, all who are thirsty, come for water, even if you have no money” (55:1).
Our sages understand this as an invitation to enter the world of truth. In that sense, it’s what the redemption will be like. Everything that exists now will still be there, but wherever we go, whatever we look at, we will see the truth.
