Rising Antisemitism

“Do not delay me, since the Lord has made my way prosper.” (Bereishit 24:56) 
 

Antisemitism Unleashed 

An unbridled hatred for the Jewish people is being unleashed around the world. Each of these haters can simply grab a knife or other weapon and attack a Jew. There are also masses of well-armed terrorists who want to destroy the Jewish people. 
 

With the rising hatred and thirst for violence, it would be natural for there to have been many more attacks, chas v’shalom, against the Jews. Truthfully, there are many individuals who are constantly planning to attack us. They even make all the preparations. Hashem, however, foils their sinister plots and protects the Jews. 
 

We are completely unaware of the countless times the Jewish people were in grave danger and Hashem saved us.
 

Foiled Plots 

During the days of the Chozeh from Lublin, zt”l, there was one minister who passionately hated the Jews in his town, and he wanted to kill the local Rabbi. 
 

The minister knew that the Rabbi woke up very early in the morning and that he would walk to shul in the dark. So, he devised a plan. One night, he asked his servant to dig a deep pit on the path that the rabbi would walk in the following morning, figuring that, in the darkness, the rabbi would not see the pit and would fall in, plummeting to the bottom. 
 

However, Hashem intervened. That same night, a prestigious and wise guest visited the rabbi. They were engrossed in a deep Torah conversation as the hours ticked by. Finally, they retired for the evening far later than the rabbi was accustomed to. The following morning, the rabbi woke up a little later than usual and walked to shul while it was light. Seeing the pit, he simply walked around the dangerous obstacle. 
 

When the minister learned the details about what had happened, he said: “Now I must praise the greatness of the Jews’ God! He is the Omnipresence that controls the events of this world. His Divine Providence protects His beloved children, the Jewish people. He saves them from dangers that they don’t even know about!” 
 

When the Chozeh, zt”l, heard this story, he said: “The pasuk in Tehillim (117:1-2) says, ‘Praise the Lord, all gentiles, laud Him, all nations. For His kindness has overwhelmed us!’ Why do the non-Jews praise Hashem for the kindness that has “overwhelmed” the Jews, and not the Jews themselves? After hearing this story, I know the answer. When the pasuk describes this chessed, this kindness, it is referring to the Jews being saved from being harmed by the non-Jews. Only the non-Jews know how many of their wicked plots were foiled by Hashem and how many times Hashem has saved us, while those for whom these miracles occurred do not know that they happened.”  
 

Hidden Miracles 

During Nishmat – which we pray on Shabbat morning – we say: “in all times of trouble and distress, we have no king, helper, supporter but You“. 
 

R’ Nosson Dovid from Shidlovtza, zt”l, explained that you need to divide this phrase into two ideas. First, we say that we understand that “in all times [there is] trouble and distress”, we are constantly at risk of being harmed at the hands of those who want to annihilate us, even when it isn’t publicized that we were living in “a time of trouble.” And therefore – we continue to say – we understand and acknowledge that “we have no king, helper, support but You”, because no other king can protect his people from the hidden dangers that surround them. 
 

In fact, there is another more subtle miracle. Even when the non-Jewish governments and law enforcement officers uncover and, therefore, foil a terrorist attack, that is also a miracle; it goes against the natural order of the world. Those nations of the world don’t like the Jewish people. However, when they intervene on our behalf, saving the Jewish people from an attack, it is solely because Hashem inspires their hearts to help the Jews. As the pasuk says (Mishlei 21:1), “A king’s heart is like rivulets of water in the Lord’s hand; wherever He wishes, He turns it”.  
 

On a Short Leash

R’ Yitzchak from Volozhin related that when he went to Nicholas, the Russian Czar, to lobby for the Jews, he noticed that in the palace there were large dogs that were natural predators. Whenever someone entered the chambers to meet with the Czar, the dogs would approach the visitor and gently lick their feet. 
 

He asked one of the dog’s trainers, “How did you teach these animals to forgo their natural predatory behaviors?” 
 

The caretaker explained that when the dog was chained to a leash, he felt that he was not free to do as he pleases. Therefore, the animal can control its natural tendencies. If the dog were unleashed, it would attack and devour the person. 
 

The Gaon from Volozhin then explained, that the same can be said regarding how the Kingdom of Heaven oversees the Jewish people. The natural tendency of the world’s non-Jewish kings is to devour the Jewish people. The Jews are described as being a lamb surrounded by seventy wolves. When we see one of these nations acting benevolently towards the Jewish people and serving their interests, it is because those kings have been shackled and leashed by Hashem. If Hashem were to unleash them, they would immediately begin issuing harsh and evil decrees against the Jews.  
 

Don’t be Afraid 

This helps us understand the episode in Parshat Chayei Sarah that described the shidduch between Yitzchak and Rivkah: 
 

Betuel was a king that ruled over an evil nation that despised Avraham Avinu. They wanted to kill his servant, Eliezer. Therefore, he poisoned Eliezer’s food. However, an angel came and switched the bowls of food. And, as the Midrash elaborates, Betuel ate the poisoned food instead and died. Eliezer was saved. 
 

Immediately afterwards, her brother Lavan and her mother tried to postpone Rivkah’s journey to Avraham’s house. They feared that she would be harmed by the Jew-haters. However, Eliezer reassured them saying, “Do not delay me… ” Don’t worry about the Jew-haters, because you just witnessed that “the Lord has made my way prosper” – Hashem is the one who has made my journey successful. I naturally should not have been saved from that danger. I didn’t even know that there was a plot to poison me. Therefore, you don’t need to be worried about the Jew-haters, because Hashem will always protect His people. 

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The Kalever Rebbe is the seventh Rebbe of the Kaalov Chasidic dynasty, begun by his ancestor who was born to his previously childless parents after receiving a blessing from the Baal Shem Tov zy”a, and later learned under the Maggid of Mezeritch zt”l. The Rebbe has been involved in outreach for more than 30 years and writes weekly emails on understanding current issues through the Torah. Sign up at www.kaalov.org.